Science

Brain implants show what attention looks like

Mon, 03/08/2010 - 02:20

Imagine you're playing a game of basketball--running down the length of the court, your shoes squeaking and you're fingers bouncing the ball about every 2 strides. You're darting left and right, about to sneak under the goal, leap over defenders, and slam it in for 2 points.

The fans cheer in a wave of pure elation. (Admittedly, a creative imagination.)

Ada Lovelace Day March 24

Mon, 03/08/2010 - 18:38

From the Ada Lovelace website:

Ada Lovelace Day is an international day of blogging (videologging, podcasting, comic drawing etc.!) to draw attention to the achievements of women in technology and science.

Women’s contributions often go unacknowledged, their innovations seldom mentioned, their faces rarely recognised. We want you to tell the world about these unsung heroines, whatever they do. It doesn’t matter how new or old your blog is, what gender you are, what language you blog in, or what you normally blog about – everyone is invited. Just sign the pledge and publish your blog post any time on Wednesday 24th March 2010.

Making philosophy less mischievous: Isaac Newton on his official birthday-

Mon, 01/04/2010 - 16:37

If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.

Isaac Newton was born in Lincolnshire, more than ten weeks prematurely in the winter of 1642/3. His father died before he was born, but the family were not without money, and Isaac and his mother pottered on alone until she remarried a rector when he was three. Isaac, understandably, loathed his step-father. Less understandably, he later recorded that he had threatened to burn both his mother and step-father alive in an outburst of temper. His mother went on to have more children, but remained devoted to her eldest son.

Scientia Pro Publica blog carnival: a call for submissions

Fri, 12/18/2009 - 21:36

The Pod Delusion #13

Fri, 12/11/2009 - 10:33

Artificial Meat: Mmmm or Hmmm?

Tue, 12/08/2009 - 23:35

Recently, University of Maryland scientists used live pig stem cells to grow pig muscle tissue (aka meat)in a petre dish. Very Frankenstein--ah ha ha! But, fascinating. If the technique for growing meat at a large scale is continually advanced, one day all the meat in the freezer counter might have come from the same lab, perhaps even from the same pig.

No more dirty pig, cattle, chicken farms, antibiotics? Im on board. (A little wishful thinking on my part here--it will probably be decades before mass production would be possible.) Other benefits can we glean from cultured meat? Jason Matheny says in a UniverseToday article--

The Suspense-loving Brain

Tue, 11/10/2009 - 13:20

My first experience with scary movies was Silence of the Lambs, of all things, when i was 10 years old. The demented acts of so-called 'Buffalo Bill' and psychotic mind of Hannibal Lecter seemed to make it all the more important that the killing was stopped--towards the end of this movie was when i first time in my life i actually experienced the emotion i would later call suspense.

Feynman's Elegant Explanation of Science Through Chess

Sat, 10/24/2009 - 10:01

Probably one of the most elegant descriptions of science I've seen. (HT @madgestar on Twitter).

Conversation and the Brain

Tue, 10/13/2009 - 20:17

A great conversation is one of the most satisfying pleasures in life. Some of the best in my recent memory include:

- can we ever completely grasp how big our universe is--with Wayne

- the history of marriage and how love was only recently considered a necessary prerequisite to the endeavor--with Jamie (a reporter heard this conversation and wrote a piece for NPR about the subject)

- both compromise and tolerance are necessary in living with someone, you gotta know when to use each--mom

The Atheist's Guide to Christmas

Thu, 10/08/2009 - 14:22

I bloody love Christmas.

I once, as a plucky undergraduate, took part in a pantomime based on the Nativity story, up in Newcastle-upon-Tyne - the slogan on the t-shirts was the one above. And I think we all agreed on the sentiment. Although I preferred my one: "An eye for a why-aye leaves everyone blind drunk."

[As guitarist in the band, I was less enamoured with the mandatory wearing of antlers in the band pit; a sartorial albatross that continues to haunt me.]

So, that's why I followed the career path of the musician, rather than joke writer.

More Feeds: Author Feeds | Category Feeds
E-mail: layscience@googlemail.com

Last Year's Blog

March 11, 2009

The Lay Scientist: As Seen on TV!!