ScienceBlogs Channel : Life Science |
- Mary's Monday Metazoan: the only angel I believe in [Pharyngula]
- Senate Resolution Number 92 [Greg Laden's Blog]
- True Science for Boys [Pharyngula]
- How do you know when to stop squeezing? [Greg Laden's Blog]
- Darwin on the Palouse [Pharyngula]
- Tinker and Change the World [USA Science and Engineering Festival: The Blog]
| Mary's Monday Metazoan: the only angel I believe in [Pharyngula] Posted: 30 Jan 2012 06:33 PM PST |
| Senate Resolution Number 92 [Greg Laden's Blog] Posted: 30 Jan 2012 02:17 PM PST I remember the first time I visited a penguin colony. It was not hard to find. Penguin colonies smell really really bad. Here's why: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post...
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| True Science for Boys [Pharyngula] Posted: 30 Jan 2012 09:14 AM PST Ah, the 19th century…when mad scientists were really mad, and not only that, they were popular at parties. In 1818, Dr Ure and Professor Jeffray obtained the freshly killed corpse of Matthew Clydesdale, only an hour from the hangman's noose, and proceeded to experiment on it with a battery in the Glasgow University anatomy theater before a crowd of spectators. In my youth, I had to settle for recent roadkill, a 9 volt battery, and a dark basement, all by my lonesome — my jealousy is acute. Here is a small portion of the account of that day's fun.
The account of galvanic experiments on dead bodies is taken from The Young Man's Book of Amusement, which on the cover promises to teach card tricks and how to make fireworks. You'd think an amusement in which the first step is to obtain a dead body would be listed a little more prominently, but I guess playing with cadavers was just commonplace in the year before Queen Vickie was born. (Also on FtB) Read the comments on this post...
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| How do you know when to stop squeezing? [Greg Laden's Blog] Posted: 30 Jan 2012 08:51 AM PST If you are a snake. And, what causes some island dwelling boas to be smaller than the mainland variety? If you want to know the answer to these two burning questions, click here and visit Smithsonian's Surprising Science where I'll be guest blogging for a couple of weeks. For the first question, there is some new and very cool research. For the second question, some older (but closely related) research. Read the comments on this post...
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| Darwin on the Palouse [Pharyngula] Posted: 30 Jan 2012 08:13 AM PST Time is whipping by, I can tell — Darwin Day is next week! I'm going to have to whip up a talk for this event real soon, I think: it's Darwin on the Palouse, and I'll be talking at Washington State University in Pullman, WA a week from Thursday. They've paired me up with Dan Dennett that evening…which is daunting, since I know which of us people will be lining up to see. On Friday, it'll be Jen McCreight and Fred Edwords speaking, so even more competition. It should be a couple of good evenings of diverse and interesting talks, so all you folk in Eastern Washington and Idaho should make the trip. Oh, and if you can't make the February event, you could always drive a bit farther north in May and take another shot at me at Imagine No Religion 2, in Kamloops, BC. There I'll only be standing in the shadow of Lawrence Krauss and a half dozen other luminaries. (Also on FtB) Read the comments on this post...
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| Tinker and Change the World [USA Science and Engineering Festival: The Blog] Posted: 30 Jan 2012 07:00 AM PST
Tinkering -- that hands-on, garage-based tradition which sparked inventions ranging from the airplane and electric light bulb to the Apple computer -- is making a comeback among average Americans, promising to change our lives for the better on several fronts. Known by such monikers as DIY (Do It Yourself) and the Maker Movement, its resurrection, fueled by the current economic downturn and the falling cost of high-tech tools and materials, stands not only to boost innovation and change how science is taught in the classroom, but could herald a new industrial revolution, suggest the Economist, the Wall Street Journal and other luminaries. The potential power of this movement is indeed thought-provoking. It rests on DIYers (who range from young students to everyday adults) believing that the average person has the ability to understand and apply technology in ways like never before, enabling ordinary individuals to build, even invent, meaningful creations of their own that they are passionate about -- from robots and sophisticated LED (light emitting diode) systems for movie film production to energy-smart conveniences for the home. Through robust support networks that they've developed nationwide, DIYers delight in joining with like-minded friends, mentors and peers (either online or in-person) to tinker, create, hack and re-use materials, while learning to use such tools as computer-controlled table saws, 3-D printers, welding equipment and laser cutters to produce prototypes of their creations. For me, as founder and chief organizer of the USA Science & Engineering Festival (the nation's largest celebration of science and engineering), the merging of DIY with Not surprisingly, engineering schools across the country, for example, report that undergrad students are showing an enthusiasm for hands-on work in DIY technology activities that hasn't been seen in years. DIY also cannot help but to have a positive impact on the human spirit itself, says Naomi Lamoreaux, an economic historian at the University of California, Los Angeles. "The really dynamic times in our history are times when you have lots of ordinary people who think they have a chance to make a difference," she opines. Yes, the chance to make a difference is indeed a powerful motivator, especially for young students. That is why the USA Science & Engineering Festival hosted by Lockheed Martin this April is devoting a significant portion of the event to exciting, hands-on DIY encounters -- all designed to inspire budding inventors and entrepreneurs with ideas, tools and resources to help them make their dreams a reality. From robotic technology to amazing desktop manufacturing technology that makes prototype development easy and cost-effective, future innovators will find it all during the Festival's finale Expo (as well as in the Robot Fest and DIY Expo pavilion) in Washington, DC on April 28-29.
Participants and activities such as the following will make the Festival an unforgettable one-stop experience in DIY: --Organizations like MakerBot Industries, Fab Lab DC and Fab@Home by Cornell University and Dassault Systèmes Americas will demonstrate how to develop product prototypes via digital fabrication and 3D printers, while Sparkfun Electronics will show how to develop new product ideas more easily and inexpensively through electronics and microcontroller kits. The Festival will also feature an array of robotic technology ranging from military, manufacturing and surgical robots to more entertaining robots like R2DC's Star Wars droids and other exhibits that allow attendees to build their own robots. --At the DIY Expo, budding entrepreneurs will be able to network with members of various "hackerspace" groups, such as the Baltimore Node, Unallocated Space and HacDC, who work collaboratively to network, socialize and develop technical solutions and new innovative products in their spare time, simply because they love to tinker with new ideas, create something from nothing, and solve problems! --In addition, the Festival also features a Book Fair that includes some of the leading authors and experts in the DIY world, including William Gurstelle, author of The Practical Pyromaniac. Gurstelle, a professional engineer, has been researching and building model catapults, ballistic devices and flamethrowers for more than 30 years. Dustyn Roberts, author of Making Things Move: DIY Mechanisms for Inventors, Hobbyists and Artists, will also appear at the Festival. Roberts, also an engineer, started her career at Honeybee Robotics working on a project for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission. The late Steve Jobs (who was perhaps the ultimate modern-day DIYer), was right when he said individuals who invent, build and make things have the power to change the
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technology represents a vibrant breath of fresh air across America, particularly what it means for inspiring the next generation of innovators. And I am not alone: Educators are realizing that hands-on experiences represented by such activities as tinkering and building may be one of the most powerful keys to improving STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics education) in this country. That's because students learn best by doing, especially when done in an engaging environment with peers and mentors.
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