November 20, 2009
Category: Games
Unlike most games, this one wants you to prevent havoc, not create it! But it's still fun! Following in the footsteps of The Great Flu, this is a game designed by the noble people responsible for saving lives in real world situations. Stop Disasters! lets you play the role of the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, pitting your wits against a multitude of Mother Nature's worst tantrums - wildfires, hurricanes, tsunamis, floods and more. You'll be expected to put in homes, early warning systems, and carry out improvements to existing buildings whilst installing defences in the natural landscape such as fire breaks and flood walls, all while staying on budget. (Pro tip: don't be afraid to bulldoze a house or hotel if it's in a dangerous location).
Brightly animated and easy to use, the game is beguiling fun. But a weary realism always lurks under the pixellated veneer. "Expect advice along the way" the start screen states, "both good and bad". The game was designed to educate children, one of the most vulnerable groups in any disaster.
Each scenario lasts around 10-20 minutes. Click here to play.
Posted by SciencePunk at 10:57 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 19, 2009
Category: Art
It's been almost 1,000 years since Arab scholar Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen) began writing his Book of Optics, a groundbreaking treatise that led to the development of the microscope. Scientific American has a round-up of the winners of the 2009 Olympus BioScapes Digital Imaging Competition, and I think al-Haytham would be astonished and proud.
See all the pictures at ScientificAmerican.com
Posted by SciencePunk at 5:41 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 11, 2009
Category: bad science
The NY Post reported yesterday that a brain-training type programme had been taken up by dozens of schools in New York, despite its connections to the Dahn Yoga cult.
A controversial teaching program linked to an alleged cult leader managed to slip into 44 New York City public schools because it didn't cost enough to trigger detailed background checks, school officials said yesterday.
Fees for the Brain Power program, developed by Seung Huen Lee, founder of Dahn Yoga -- said to help kids improve their focus -- were well under the $25,000 cutoff, said Education Department spokesman David Cantor.
Dahn Yoga has been embroiled in a federal lawsuit in Arizona after dozens of former employees accused the organisation of cult-like practices. The Boston Magazine has an in-depth article about a man who asked intervention expert Steve Hassan to rescue his son from the group.
Posted by SciencePunk at 5:53 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 9, 2009
Category: Legal Chill • Singh vs BCA
In the fight against companies and individuals using legal threats to silence critics, charity Sense About Science is beefing up its campaign to reform the UK's ill-constructed libel laws.
Dear friends
This is an exciting time to talk to you about libel law reform.
As many of you know, Simon Singh's libel case was back at the Court of Appeal where he was granted permission to appeal. While the best possible result, there is a long way to go; the appeal will be in February 2010. (More at: http://jackofkent.blogspot.com/2009/10/permission-granted.html and http://www.senseaboutscience.org.uk/index.php/site/project/409 ). Tomorrow, 10th November, Index on Censorship and EnglishPEN will publish the much-awaited 'Free Speech Is Not For Sale' report. The report will contain evidence gathered from interviews with journalists, editors and writers about the impact of libel laws on free expression and ideas on how to reform the laws in favour of the public interest. We hope that many of you will write about it and that everyone will read it at www.libelreform.org.
Our campaign to keep libel laws out of science, which you have done so much to build, is now going to join with Index on Censorship and EnglishPEN to push for libel law reform, particularly for a wider, more accessible public interest defence. You have helped us to get this far. Now we face a unique opportunity to do something great to press for reform so that others do not find themselves hauled through the courts, whether they are journalists, authors, academics or bloggers. The development of manifesto pledges in the run up to the 2010 elections is a unique opportunity. With the help of some of you, we made a good start at the Liberal Democrat party conference. Now we are meeting with ministers, front benchers and their advisors to make sure that everyone involved in writing manifestos understands why the libel laws of England and Wales are unfair, against the public interest and internationally criticised.
To make this happen we are going to:
- Oganise national campaign events and make sure the campaign has a huge public presence at conferences and festivals.
- Organise advertising and materials for us and for you to promote the campaign.
- Meet with and brief supporters of the campaign.
- Meet politicians and advisors to put the case for libel reform.
We will need your involvement in many things, from petitioning to publicity. Right now, to take this step, we need to raise a fund. If everyone who supported our Keep Libel Laws out of Science statement donated on average £10 before the end of November, we, with Index on Censorship and EnglishPEN, could underwrite the national campaign that is needed and the activities above. For more information on how to donate go to www.senseaboutscience.org.uk/index.php/site/project/423
Click here to find out how: www.justgiving.com/bookfund
Keep updated on the fundraising progress on our website. Please do all you can to help.
Very best wishes
Síle
Posted by SciencePunk at 5:50 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 4, 2009
Category: General
I'm reading the award-winning Decoding the Heavens at the moment, so what better time to discover the Smithsonian website has an excellent article on underwater archaeology?
Beneath the slate-gray surface of the North Sea, about a half-mile off England's east coast, lies the underwater town of Dunwich. Crabs and lobsters skitter along the streets where some 3,000 people walked during the town's heyday in the Middle Ages. Fish dart through the sea sponge-ridden ruins of its churches, now partially buried in the seabed some 30 feet down.
Erosion--caused by the North Sea's relentless pounding of England's east coast--had all but consumed Dunwich (pronounced DUN-ich) by 1750. And the sea's silty, cold waters made visibility almost nonexistent for the intrepid few who wanted to explore the medieval ruins.
Until now.
You can read the whole article here.
(*Also, an interesting quirk: some javascript on the Smithsonian website automatically appends the source URL to your clipboard when you copy text. All websites should have this.)
Posted by SciencePunk at 10:10 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: General
And because I didn't get this up yesterday: it's been 52 years since an intrepid little mongrel made it into space. Here's to you, Laika!
Posted by SciencePunk at 5:18 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 21, 2009
Category: Zombies • Zombology
This fantastic slice of art just arrived from Paradigma, who are publishing the Dutch translation of my forthcoming book Zombology. Awesome! I better get writing some words to go with it.
Posted by SciencePunk at 8:09 PM • 8 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 16, 2009
Category: Art • Competition time!
The last chance to win a huge illustrated encyclopaedia of science!
And so we come to the end of our delightful foray into the thrill and passion for science of you, dear readers. It's been absolutely wonderful, and I've really enjoyed all your comments. I wish had a book for each of you.
So I opened the mighty SCIENCE: THE DEFINITIVE VISUAL GUIDE, edited by the always-excellent Adam Hart-Davis, and who should I find but ultimate invention-master and scientific entrepreneur Thomas Edison! Now, I think we can all agree that Edison was a bit of an asshole. It is true, for example, that he travelled the US electrocuting animals in an effort to persuade people of the danger of Tesla's alternating current in contrast to his own patented direct current. Patents, Edison like those too. He had lots of them (1,093 in the US alone). In fact, the whole reason the US film industry is in Hollywood is because it was as far away from Edison as they could get, where film-makers could contravene his patents with impunity.
But still, the fact remains that Edison made a good business out of invention. Given that the current political climate in the UK sees fit to house the Department for Science as a subsiduary of the Department for Business, and public funding is to be directed at those areas of science with the greatest promise of economic benefit, here's today's question and the final chance to win a copy of the huge SCIENCE book:
What would you invent in order to make lots and lots of money?
It doesn't have to be good for mankind, or even useful. But it would be nice to show the UK Government where 'science for profit' will lead us...
Posted by SciencePunk at 12:24 PM • 19 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 15, 2009
Category: Art • Competition time!
Another day, another beautifully-illustrated definitive guide to SCIENCE to be won!
With the contest in its fourth day, I have only two more of these huge books to win. They're worth a princely £30 each, and were edited by the venerable Adam Hart-Davis. SCIENCE: THE DEFINITIVE VISUAL GUIDE is a great tome of wonder and intrigue, with some great photographs and imagery that I've never seen before. Truly, the art editor was top notch. Here's one example:
We had many wonderful suggestions yesterday on what was the world's best-ever invention, from transistors to tools to light itself. Which leads me to ask today's COMPETITION QUESTION:
Is there a scientific invention that should have never been created? If so, what is it?
The Bomb? Eugenics? Barbed wire?
PS - for those who think there is merit in every invention, I direct you to SciencePunk's 5 stupid weapons that were actually made
EDIT: Competition closed, please keep your eyes peeled for the next and FINAL chance to win!
Posted by SciencePunk at 11:04 AM • 16 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Frank Swain is a science writer and blogger. He is based in the UK.
Stay in touch with Twitter
Keep up to date with RSS
