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POPS'Old-boy's club holding back innovation We all now have access to a vast amount of research and data on the net. a Few people would have absolutely no hope, but the networks being created on the web, are places where anyone can comment, or include findings, so the pieces can start coming together more quickly. It isn't what we know that is important. it's what we do with the knowledge
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POPSThe Paranormal some organisations such as the United States National Science Foundation have stated that mainstream science does not support paranormal beliefs. Perhaps that's one of the reasons Scientists are surprised so often
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POPSNurture affects physiology A study at the University of Minnesota is finding that nurture in early childhood really does matter to the physical structure of the brain.
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POPSComplex decision? Don't sleep on it Since its publication two years ago by a Dutch research team in the journal Science, the earlier finding had been used to encourage decision-makers to make "snap" decisions (for example, in the best-selling book Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell) or to leave complex choices to the powers of unconscious thought ("Sleep on it", Dijksterhuis et al., Science, 2006). But in the new study, to be published in The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, scientists ran four experiments in which participants were presented with complex decisions and asked to choose the best option immediately ("blink"), after a period of conscious deliberation ("think"), or after a period of distraction ("sleep on it"), which is claimed to encourage "unconscious thought processes". In all experiments, there was some evidence that conscious deliberation can lead to better choices and little evidence for superiority of choices made "unconsciously".
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POPSCheaper fuel cell on the way At the moment around $3500 to $4000 worth of platinum is required for a hydrogen fuel cell big enough for the average passenger car. Platinum is around double the price of Gold. Platinum in a similar way as it is used in rocket fuel cells, is the catalyst that makes the oxygen and hydrogen burn efficiently enough to power an engine. The new cathodes are expected to be 10% of the cost, for the same current and also immune from being affected by carbon monoxide, so are more stable than platinum nanoparticles, Now would be a good time to sell Platinum futures.
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POPSThe future of science...is art
"But before any of this can happen, our two existing cultures must modify their habits. First of all, the humanities must sincerely engage with the sciences. Henry James defined the writer as someone on whom nothing is lost; artists must heed his call, and not ignore science's inspiring descriptions of reality. At the same time, the sciences must recognize that their truths are not the only truths. No single area of knowledge has a monopoly on knowledge. As Karl Popper, an eminent defender of science wrote, "It is imperative that we give up the idea of ultimate sources of knowledge, and admit that all knowledge is human; that it is mixed with our errors, our prejudices, our dreams, and our hopes; that all we can do is to grope for truth even though it is beyond our reach." The struggle for scientific truth is long and hard and never ending. If we want to get an answer to our deepest questions—the questions of who we are and what everything is—we will need to draw from both science
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POPSOuter-space sex For all these reasons, Logan said spontaneous sex in space could be "a little underwhelming." "It's a pretty messy environment, when you think about it," he said. "And for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. However ... I can well imagine how compelling, inspiring, and quite frankly stimulating choreographed sex in zero-G might be in the hands of a skilled and talented cinematographer with appropriate lighting and music." When the crowd tittered, Logan added, "I'm not kidding: Sex in zero-G is going to have to be more or less choreographed. Otherwise it's just going to be a wild flail."
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POPSStudy blows whistle on ref's fitness. The referee must keep up with the fastest player, for the whole match. The players take turns to score points, and spread the load between the team. The referee not only has to keep up, but never take their eye off the ball. Not only that, if a team loses, they can get the blame. If you can't play become a referee? More like the other way around.
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POPSHow to fold Proteins Proteins are complex molecules, and understanding the way they can fold using distributed computing, in the unused cpu load of home computers, can spread the load and research in more detail , both the way proteins fold, and the effects of incorrect folding. A prime example of such an instance in in the proteins known as prions, which with a wrong fold can be one of the contributing factors in Alzheimer's disease. The foldingathome network is the biggest computer in the world, with calculations done by the petaflop
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POPSTechnology unlocks the silent mind They can detect the answer to a yes/no question, from the scans of healthy volunteers. This technique could the terms used to determine the nature of unconscious states, and will help define more accurately the chances of recovery. In many cases it may be a chance for someone who was apparently vegetative state to resume active communication with the outside world.
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POPSEvil Mad Scientist Laboratories I linked to this site, after I found out how to make a bristle-bot, using a toothbrush, and the motor that gives you a ring in a cell phone. - Before I throw my cell phones out in future, I'll have to remove the motor. They're making the world a Better Place. One evil mad scientist at a time.
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POPSH.P. Unveils New Memory Technology This makes them function like biological synapses, which would be ideal for many artificial intelligence applications ranging from machine vision to understanding speech.
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POPSHeart Transplants and Spirits?
"I was given a young man's heart - and started craving beer and Kentucky Fried Chicken. My daughter said I even walked like a man" "Now that I could eat like a normal person, I found, bizarrely, I'd developed a sudden fondness for certain foods I hadn't liked before: Snickers bars, green peppers, Kentucky Fried Chicken takeaway. As time went on, a strange question crept into my mind. Although I hadn't thought much about my donor, I was acutely aware that I was living with a man's heart - and I wondered whether it was conceivable that this male heart might affect me sexually." "The only thing which interrupted my story were the exclamations of amazement. When I'd finished, many eyes were misted over with tears. "None of the other people who received his organs have been in touch with us," Tim's sister Carla said." -On today's episode of THE OUTER LIMITS -This is actually a really cool article -It really opens the door for more questions -Many people change after operation an
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POPSThe Ancient Mechanics and How They Thought He also majored in astronomy as an undergraduate, and about nine years ago, feeling science-deprived, he joined a multinational research endeavor called the Archimedes Project, based at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin. The Archimedes team studies the history of mechanics, how people thought about simple machines like the lever, the wheel and axle, the balance, the pulley, the wedge and the screw and how they turned their thoughts into theories and principles. The textual record begins with “Mechanical Problems,” moves to Rome and then through the medieval Islamic world to the Renaissance. It ends, finally, with Newton, who described many of the basic laws of mechanics in the 18th century. By following the historical record, the Archimedes researchers have discovered that the evolution of physics — or, at least, mechanics — is based on an interplay between practice and theory.
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POPSPlot of the Innermost Solar System, March 29, 2008 The plot below shows the current location of the major planets (Mercury through Mars) and the minor planets that are in the innermost region of the solar system. Just in case you thought it's lonely out there in the space ;-)
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POPSAlpha Centauri may have 'Earth-like' worlds They have found evidence of larger planets around stars, because of a 'wobble' in the star as it is pulled by the planet's gravity. Simulations of the Alpha Centauri system pointed to planets existing, and they may be more earth-like if they are in a zone around the stars where liquid water can exist. The idea is to compare around 90,000 observations over the next five years, enough so that the 'wobble of a smaller planet can be detected.
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POPSPesticides may be a hidden danger to child IQ Not really a surprise, and there are some really nasty pesticides, that are a problem because they don't break down. It just seems to be another one of the things about a 'civilized' lifestyle, that can be a serious danger to long term health. In the short term they may make many things seem easier, but in the long term we have yet to see some of the most serious effects. Particularly with the way a number of these things can compound problems.
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POPSHow to make your fish glow.
First you take a pair of genes... There has been a lot of study in the field recombinant DNA for any number of reasons, and it's easy to think that it belongs strictly in the domain of science,and hope they know what they're doing. Science is not as much about knowing what you are doing, but having theories about what is possible and then using the scientific method to record what happens when tested. The principle behind experimentation is 'Lets try something and see what happens.' Often that is the only way something will be discovered. There are many factors to consider, generally a comparison between likely benefits and dangers and the likelihood of success based on the type of theory or past results. Mary Shelly sent us a warning Why did Dr Frankenstein create his monster? He wasn't sure if he could do it. He wanted to prove he could. There are no doubt untold benefits that can be acquired though genetic research, but we seem to be in a hurry to taunt the Sword of Damocles
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