Science Etcetera Saturnday, 20080405

April 5th, 2008

A Field Guide to
Genetic Programming

I’ve heard this field referred to as “Emergent Programming,” but there’s a Free E-Book on Genetic Programming, which covers this method of using natural selection to evolve computer programs (HT Oranchak).

While dittoheads cry for us to drill in ANWR to reduce our dependence on foreign oil by one-percent, scientists are complaining that we have only tapped into one-percent of America’s geothermal energy.

Experiments suggest rats are stuck in time.

Five Myths about Drinking water.

Scientists have discovered an alternate universe where research-funding rivals military spending and rational environmentalism is the rule.

Biofuel farming will be an environmental disaster.

Photos of the Space Shuttle in preparation.

Shuttle Being Assembled
Photo by NASA

Cross-breeding neuroscience and marketing a few years back has led to advances in Neuromarketing.

Support the Clean Energy Tax Stimulus Act of 2008, to extend tax credits for renewable energy. It’s not fair and anti-free market that the Oil Industry should get all the subsidies.

Addiction to smoking found in the genes.

History of the Universe in Three Minutes 49 Seconds:

3 comments to “Science Etcetera Saturnday, 20080405”

That video was interesting! But it seems to imply atoms were fusing before there was any light — wouldn’t their fusion generate a visible explosion?
by ClintJCL April 6th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
Liked the video. Blows my mind on what they theorize (with detail) happened during the big bang. I got confused on the part where 9 billion years out he states “matter and gravity combine to form a star” I thought they were one and the same. Anything with mass (hence containing matter) has gravity. So why specifically state something like matter and gravity combine?
by sour Swinger April 8th, 2008 at 10:18 pm
It has to do with being one of the four basic forces in the universe, the electromagnetic (holds electrons to positive nuclei due to opposite charges), the weak nuclear force (what holds atoms together into molecules), the strong nuclear force (what holds protons/neutrons together as atoms), and gravity. The force expanding the universe might become the fifth… but I’ve probably all ready mangled this enough. : )

Gravity is the weakest force of all. I think the reason they say “when gravity and matter combine” is because gravity is a force unto itself, but it needs matter to make it manifest. Gravity exists has elementary particles called gravitons, which I can’t wrap my mind around… It’s like Richard Feynman said, “If you think you understand quantum physics, you don’t understand quantum physics.” : )
by ideonexus April 9th, 2008 at 10:40 pm