4
POPSThe Superstitious Right Fights Good Science on Global Warming We could go on and on detailing the ludicrous inanities of American politics in the age of Bush (himself Exhibit A), but really my favorite has to be the case of global warming. In a society devoted like no other to the politics of fear, we have somehow managed to forget the one thing we should probably fear most.
5
POPSIce Cores Map Dynamics Of Sudden Climate Changes he first sudden warming happened 14,700 years ago. The temperature in Greenland increased by more than 10 degrees, and in the milder climate, called the Bølling period, the first people of the Stone Age went towards Northern Europe and Scandinavia. But joy did not last long. 12,900 years ago the ice age stroke once more with a new severely cold period, which lasted until 11,700 years ago, at which time the ice age ended ultimately. The ice cores from Greenland, which reflect the climate in the Northern Hemisphere, show that tremendously fast climatic changes were involved. The ice age ended in one year
7
POPSThe Journal of Unlikely Science I think there is a world market for maybe five computers. - Thomas J. Watson ., IBM Chairman, 1943 Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons. - Popular Mechanics, 1949
32
POPSThinking the way animals do
Temple Grandin Ph.D. is an assistant professor of animal behaviour at Colorado State Uni. She suffers from a form of autism, and describes the way she thinks as thinking in pictures. This has helped her understand the way Animals think, with direct association, rather than a logical process. A significant statement which can apply to most people, is the fact that originally as far as she was aware everybody thought the same way. Until she asked people and found this was not the case. She describes a radio station person who said she had no pictures, in her mind, but thought in terms of emotions or words. I'm sure I can understand my dogs. They seem to think in a manner that is simple, and straightforward, it can just be a matter of associating cues with behavior, and remembering Pavlov. I think in Pictures and sounds. There is music I can 'hear' in my mind that not only has the same 'quality' as the original, but there is a remarkable capacity to edit. Perhaps something like Auti
7
POPSM.I.T Open Courses I know that M.I.T. has been clipped in the past. However this is a list of updated courses. Please refrain from studying too hard during the festive season
15
POPSDon't Know Much Biology This attitude has enormous political—and educational—implications. What happens if scientific truth conflicts with a politician's "spiritual truth"? This is not a theoretical problem, but a real one, as we see in debates about stem-cell research, abortion, genetic engineering, and global warming. Ignorance about evolution may be widespread, but it's not nearly as dangerous as dogmatic certainty about the real world based on faith alone.
2
POPS"Long Live Linnaeus": a powerful & colorful force in the history of science The Linneaeus Museum and Garden sound magnificent. I would love to see them and the Swedish countryside. More from the source: “When Linnaeus started, natural history was a mess, and people needed guidelines,” said Thierry Hoquet, an associate professor in the philosophy of science at the University of Paris X-Nanterre. “Do you know in Greek myth the story of how Ariadne fell in love with Theseus, and gave him a ball of string to help him find his way out of the Minotaur's Labyrinth? Linnaeus gave us the thread.”
11
POPSWhy would I want my doctor to have studied evolution? If my doctor were treating me, I would want to know that he or she knew about evolution. Evolution is so ingrained in medicine that every doctor should have studied it. As Theodosius Dobzhansky stated, “Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution”; evolution is inescapable in all of the life sciences, including medicine. I have been fortunate in that my personal physicians have been knowledgeable about evolution; I even learned a bit from them. However, it disappoints me that a few doctors do not hold such a view and I feel even sorrier for their patients.
3
POPSExecutable Biology: Computer Science Sheds Light on Animal Development A new approach to creating biological models reveals much more about cellular processes than traditional biological models. The research scientists are excited because they will be able to save laboratory time and resources for their best leads as to how biological systems respond to variation. This could be a real boon to cancer research.
2
POPSCollege Needs Biology Faculty Teach the evidence, but ignore it so that you arrive at the theologically 'correct' answer. Link to their Biblical Foundations Statement.
8
POPSThe Strengths of Nations Project Description: In this impressive poster developed by Dick Klavans and Bradford Paley, with the help of Kevin Boyack and ISI data, one can see the variations in how different nations pursue science. The concept is not only ingenious but also takes full advantage of the page layout where it's quite easy to make sensible comparisons between the nations placed side-by-side.
Newest Clips
see Newest Clips
Pops
Comments
Tags
2
Most Pops
Print
Save
Turn on live update