I’m going to be busy all day (more or less) at the Steinmetz Symposium, listening to talks about the fantastic things our students have been doing with their research projects. So it’s going to be a “talk among yourselves” day here at Uncertain Principles, for the most part. It’s been a little while since I… Continue reading Dorky Poll: Non-Abelian Sciences
This Sentence Is Scientific
Here is a statement: The Red Sox are the greatest single franchise in any sport in history. Is this a scientific statement? Should it be? How can you tell whether it’s scientific or not?
links for 2008-05-02
The Voltage Gate : Why Jurassic Park Is Not a Pro-Science Movie Because Michael Crichton is a writer of Luddite Fiction (tags: books literature movies society culture) A consistent, worldwide association between short sleep duration and obesity ‘”[The study] raises the unanswered question yet of whether this is a cause-effect association. Only prospective longitudinal studies… Continue reading links for 2008-05-02
Sigma Xi Film Festival: Short Films About Water
Speaking (as we were) of pro-science film festivals, Sigma Xi (the scientific research honor society– think Phi Beta Kappa for science nerds) is announcing a student film competition: In conjunction with a year-long focus on the issue of water, Sigma Xi is sponsoring a competition for three-minute student films on aspects of this precious and… Continue reading Sigma Xi Film Festival: Short Films About Water
Film Festival Query
Having suggested an on-line pro-science film festival a little while ago, I should report that there are discussions underway (or at least in the works) about trying to make something happen. If it goes anywhere, it may look different than the original suggestion, but I’m kind of curious about one aspect of the original idea.… Continue reading Film Festival Query
Familiarity and Lies-to-Children
One of the interesting things to come out of the switch to Matter & Interactions for our intro classes has been some discussion among my colleagues of how the books treat specific topics. A couple of people have raised concerns that the coverage of certain topics is different from the traditional presentation, in a way… Continue reading Familiarity and Lies-to-Children
Thanks for the Science Stuff
Thank-you cards and notes have been trickling in from the DonorsChoose fundraiser last fall, most of which I haven’t bothered to post. The latest batch had two pictures that were too good not to pass along, though: And:
links for 2008-05-01
Dawn of the memristor – physicsworld.com “In simple terms, a memristor “remembers” the amount of charge that has flowed through it and as a result changes its resistance. “ (tags: physics materials science news) Where are all the women? – The Planetary Society Blog | The Planetary Society Venus. (tags: astronomy planets gender science blogs)… Continue reading links for 2008-05-01
Scientists Don’t Have to Do Everything Themselves
The Mad Biologist, like 80% of ScienceBlogs, is mad at Chris Mooney: Here’s the problem: you keep coming to evolutionary biologists with a problem (the perception of evolutionary biology), and you don’t have a solution. Do you think there’s a single evolutionary biologist who is happy with public opinion regarding evolution and creationism? But you’re… Continue reading Scientists Don’t Have to Do Everything Themselves
The Telegraph Steals My Ideas
Via Swans On Tea, an article in the Telegraph about the Greatest Experiments in Science. Been there, done that, picked a winner. Over two years ago. Way to go, Torygraph. OK, fine, they did all of science, while I was only looking for the greatest experiment in physics. But, really, can any of those stamp… Continue reading The Telegraph Steals My Ideas