Tag: science
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Stephen Wolfram’s “A New Kind of Science”
A New Kind of Science Many books I like to read with a yellow highlighter, reading Stephen Wolfram’s ANKOS I was compelled to whip out a red pen. While his 1,000-plus page field-guide to cellular automata and complexity theory is brimming with fantastic examples of all shapes, sizes, and dimensions, Wolfram’s writing and failure to…
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Does Nature Trump Nurture in Obesity?
Has Nature really beaten Nuture in the battle of the bulge, as this Times Article, Genes not poor diet blamed for most cases of childhood obesity reveals? The article makes a glossing mention of environmental factors also playing a role in obesity, but overall the article emphasizes how genes are the major constant among obese…
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Tragedy of the Commons Explained with Smurfs
Has been posted at the Science Creative Quarterly. 99 Smurfs on the Wall Our Earth is filled with finite resources that we, as the Human Race, exploit for personal gain. Oil, Fish Stocks, Forests, Clean Air, and water are just a few of the resources that nobody “owns,” but everybody needs in order to survive.…
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Just Science 2008
I just wanted to take a moment to direct readers to Just Science 2008 a collection of bloggers who have all agreed to blog only science this week and post at least once a day. There’s some head-spinning technical stuff up there and some very witty writing as well. I had originally signed up for…
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Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: Hall of Fossils
The Hall of Fossils Trilobite Growth Cycle Walking through the Hall of Fossils is walking through time, from the earliest rocks to modern humans, the extensive collection of original fossils and cast skeletons either makes creationists very silly or god very deceptive. You can view the complete flickr set here.
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Harnessing the Incredible Brainpower of Sports Fans
Flash Gordon Quarterback, NY Jets One day I decided I was going to become an American Football fan. I went to a sportswear shop in the mall and picked out a Raiders cap. The Raiders were going to be my team. That afternoon, I arrived at my dishwashing job at the college cafeteria, proudly sporting…
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Beyond Belief, Enlightenment 2.0
Daniel Dennet I had the delightful fortune to discover the Salk Institute’s Beyond Belief Conference online about this same time last year. I ended up spending an entire weekend hanging out near my computer, soaking up every single lecture in order while sipping hot chocolate in my pajamas. 2006’s Beyond Belief program was Science, Religion,…
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The National Zoological Park, Reptiles, and Invertebrates, and Brains, oh my!
The Invertebrate Exhibit Giant Hermit Crab Awesome moment at this exhibit was getting to see one of Zoo staff feeding the Pacific Octopus. It ballooned up from a little white ball into a red explosion of tentacles. The Zookeeper fed it a muscle and a hermit crab, and had to fight octopus a bit to…
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Thinking Beyond Science Debate 2008
Science Debate 2008 The Union of Concerned Scientists, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Federation of American Scientists, the Scientists & Engineers for America, Audubon… World Wildlife Fund… the Society for Amateur Scientists… the Sierra Club… The list of activist organizations representing the multitude of issues important to Scientists and the Scientifically…
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Dr. Jay Hosler’s “Clan Apis”
Clan Apis Clan Apis chronicles the life and times of a single worker honey bee, Nyuki, who’s delightfully wise-ass and wholly enchanted with her life in a hive where her personal experiences are no different from those of the her thousands of neighbors. Dr. Jay Hosler’s understanding of entomology, evolution, and natural science allows him…