science
Tag archives for science
You NEED more science in your politics! (Yes, YOU!)
Posted by Ethan on June 14, 2013 
“One of my favorite philosophical tenets is that people will agree with you only if they already agree with you. You do not change people’s minds.” -Frank Zappa One of the most difficult things to talk about, for any self-respecting scientist, is politics. Like all of you, I have my preferences, my opinions, and my…
The 4 Jobs of a Referee in Peer Review
Posted by Ethan on June 7, 2013 
“From my close observation of writers… they fall into two groups: one, those who bleed copiously and visibly at any bad review, and two, those who bleed copiously and secretly at any bad review.” -Isaac Asimov You’d never know it unless you were one of about six people in the entire world, but today is…
Why Science Is Anything But A Crime
Posted by Ethan on May 3, 2013 
“Talent hits the target no one else can hit; genius hits the target no one else can see.” -Arthur Schopenhauer You’ve probably heard the story, by now, of Kiera Wilmot, the 16-year-old girl who performed a mildly dangerous chemistry experiment on school grounds, mixing together household cleaner and aluminum inside a sealed container. You can…
The Cosmic Speed Limit
Posted by Ethan on April 26, 2013 
“All our sweetest hours fly the fastest.” -Virgil If you’ve been around the block once or twice, you know that the speed of light in a vacuum — 299,792,458 meters-per-second — is the absolute maximum speed that any form of energy in the Universe can travel at. In shorthand, this speed is known as c to…
For the love of science
Posted by Ethan on February 22, 2013 
“When I say, ‘I love you,’ it’s not because I want you or because I can’t have you. It has nothing to do with me. I love what you are, what you do, how you try. I’ve seen your kindness and your strength. I’ve seen the best and the worst of you. And I understand…
The Worst Kind of Science Hype
Posted by Ethan on February 20, 2013 
“We’ve learned from experience that the truth will come out. Other experimenters will repeat your experiment and find out whether you were wrong or right. Nature’s phenomena will agree or they’ll disagree with your theory. And, although you may gain some temporary fame and excitement, you will not gain a good reputation as a scientist…
Weekend Diversion: Discovering the Universe
Posted by Ethan on December 16, 2012 
“The vastness of the heavens stretches my imagination. It does not do harm to the mystery to know a little about it. For far more marvelous is the truth than any artists of the past imagined it.” -Richard Feynman What did you think about, wonder about, and dream about the first time you saw the…
Answering ALL Your Questions
Posted by Ethan on December 14, 2012 
“And in the end The love you take Is equal to the love you make.” -Paul McCartney Every once in a while, I throw the chance out there (on facebook, twitter, or google+) to ask me whatever questions you want. Yesterday, for some insane reason, I invited people across all three platforms to ask me whatever…
Weekend Diversion: Science Book Reviews for the Holidays
Posted by Ethan on December 2, 2012 
“A truly good book teaches me better than to read it. I must soon lay it down, and commence living on its hint. What I began by reading, I must finish by acting.” -Henry David Thoreau Every day that we have free or leisure time, there’s this great conflict as to how we spend it:…
The Science of Predicting the Future
Posted by Ethan on October 26, 2012 
“Prediction is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future.” -Niels Bohr What’s going to happen next? It’s perhaps the most important thing to know if we want to be prepared for practically anything in our lives. And without even thinking about it, most of us are actually very good at this in a huge number…
