Free Thought
jtoney | February 21, 2012
Brookesia micra sp. n. from Nosy Hara, northern Madagascar.
Imagine a supercomputer suitable for this cute little guy, the recently discovered Brookesia micra.
Developing computers and transistors at smaller and smaller scales is happening at a stunning rate. The most recent discovery, just published February 19 in Nature Nanotechnology takes the prize: a single atom transistor!
From their Abstract {excerpted for clarity}:
The ability to control matter at the atomic scale and build devices with atomic precision is central to nanotechnology. The scanning tunnelling microscope can…
jdupuis | February 14, 2012
Why Privacy Matters Even if You Have 'Nothing to Hide'
Reading and Believing
Who really benefits from putting high-tech gadgets in classrooms?
"if libraries did not exist, it would be necessary to invent them"
Academia as Music Industry
Wolfram Alpha Pro democratizes data analysis: an in-depth look at the $4.99 a month service
Physical Sciences Case studies: information use and discovery
New Media Consortia - Horizon Report - Ten Top Trends in Education
Why Pay for Intro Textbooks?
The Future of Taxpayer-Funded Research: Who Will Control Access to the Results?
Tim Berners-Lee Takes the…
jtoney | February 13, 2012
Imagine the killer from the infamous "Headless Man Found in Topless Bar" murder was convicted using a photograph of the face of the victim, with reliability rivaling that of DNA analysis. Impossible?
With a skull found, how can we determine to whom it belonged?
A research group at the University of Granada has developed a new method that merges facial photographs with 3D images of a skull called craniofacial superimposition that could revolutionize forensic analysis.
How did they do it?
Identifying remains using photographs or even paintings has been used since the 19th century. This group…
carlyo | February 13, 2012Known as "the authority on the future of technology " and the world's oldest technology magazine,Technology Review - published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - is bringing its prestige and expertise back to the Festival as a Media Partner!
Technology Review, published by MIT since 1899, continues today to provide unparalleled insights into cutting edge technologies that are changing the world and the way science and engineering do business.
In returning as a Media Partner, the magazine joins a growing list of other top science media leaders who are also serving as Festival…
jdupuis | February 12, 2012Another list for your reading, gift-giving and collection development pleasure.
Every year for the last bunch of years I've been linking to and posting about all the "year's best sciencey books" lists that appear in various media outlets and shining a bit of light on the best of the year.
All the previous 2011 lists are here.
This post includes the following: The Independent Books of the Year: Science, History.
The Quantum Universe: Everything that can happen does happen by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw
Wonders of the Universe by Brian Cox and Andrew Cohen
The Magic of Reality: How we know…
jdupuis | February 11, 2012Another list for your reading, gift-giving and collection development pleasure.
Every year for the last bunch of years I've been linking to and posting about all the "year's best sciencey books" lists that appear in various media outlets and shining a bit of light on the best of the year.
All the previous 2011 lists are here.
This post includes the following: January Magazine Best of 2011: Art & Culture, Non-Fiction.
The Magic of Reality: How We Really Know What's True by Richard Dawkin
Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice…
esiegel | January 30, 2012"In science, "fact" can only mean "confirmed to such a degree that it would be perverse to withhold provisional assent." I suppose that apples might start to rise tomorrow, but the possibility does not merit equal time in physics classrooms." -Stephen Jay Gould
Those of you who follow me on either google+, facebook or twitter know that I sometimes post interesting articles about science from around the world, including this very good article about myths about outer space, from the often-entertaining cracked.com. So, as you can imagine, I was (at first) very excited when I saw this article…
esiegel | January 28, 2012"You cannot hope to build a better world without improving individuals. We all must work for our own improvement, and at the same time share a general responsibility for all humanity." -Marie Curie
Most of us remember the importance of being charitable on a few rare occasions throughout the year, most commonly around the year's end. But what about the rest of the year? Obviously, we don't have an unlimited amount of resources, so for most of us, it's not a viable option to do as Magnolia Electric Company suggests, and
Give Something Else Away Every Day.But what if I told you there was a way…
drorzel | January 17, 2012The always interesting Timothy Burke has a post that's basically a long links dump pointing to two articles about the state of humanities in academia, which includes a sort of aside that is more interesting to me than either of the linked articles:
This leads me to the second piece I really liked in this past week, at Ian Bogost's blog. Now, look, to some extent this essay is just Bogost being Bogost: whether in tweets, blogs or books, you get the clear sense that he exemplifies the quip about not wanting to be part of any club that would have him as a member. The voice that I've built up on…
jdupuis | January 17, 2012Another list for your reading, gift-giving and collection development pleasure.
Every year for the last bunch of years I've been linking to and posting about all the "year's best sciencey books" lists that appear in various media outlets and shining a bit of light on the best of the year.
All the previous 2011 lists are here.
This post includes the following: Discovery News: A Little Light Reading: 2011 in Physics Books.
The Infinity Puzzle: Quantum Field Theory and the Hunt for an Orderly Universe by Frank Close
The Clockwork Universe: Isaac Newton, the Royal Society, and the Birth of the…
jdupuis | January 16, 2012Another list for your reading, gift-giving and collection development pleasure.
Every year for the last bunch of years I've been linking to and posting about all the "year's best sciencey books" lists that appear in various media outlets and shining a bit of light on the best of the year.
All the previous 2011 lists are here.
This post includes the following: Sci Tech Watch: My Favorite Books of 2011.
The Filter Bubble: What the Internet Is Hiding from You by Eli Pariser
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
Fire on the Horizon: The Untold Story of the Gulf Oil Disaster by Tom Shroder and John…
jdupuis | January 6, 2012Another list for your reading, gift-giving and collection development pleasure.
Every year for the last bunch of years I've been linking to and posting about all the "year's best sciencey books" lists that appear in various media outlets and shining a bit of light on the best of the year.
All the previous 2011 lists are here.
This post includes the following:
Russell Blackford
The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker
Stumbling Virtue
Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer
Moby Duck: The True Story of 28,800 Bath Toys Lost at Sea…
jdupuis | January 5, 2012So, The Research Works Act, H.R. 3699 is a new piece of legislation that is being introduced in the US.
Not surprisingly it's supported by the American Association of Publishers and its Professional and Scholarly Publishing (AAP/PSP).
The legislation is aimed at preventing regulatory interference with private-sector research publishers in the production, peer review and publication of scientific, medical, technical, humanities, legal and scholarly journal articles. This sector represents tens of thousands of articles which report on, analyze and interpret original research; more than 30,000 U…
jdupuis | January 4, 2012Another list for your reading, gift-giving and collection development pleasure.
Every year for the last bunch of years I've been linking to and posting about all the "year's best sciencey books" lists that appear in various media outlets and shining a bit of light on the best of the year.
All the previous 2011 lists are here.
This post includes the following:
Bachelors Degree Online: The 20 Best Books of 2011 You Should Read Over Winter Break
Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer
Devourer of Books
Blood Work: A Tale of Medicine and Murder…
jdupuis | January 3, 2012Another bunch of lists for your reading, gift-giving and collection development pleasure.
Every year for the last bunch of years I've been linking to and posting about all the "year's best sciencey books" lists that appear in various media outlets and shining a bit of light on the best of the year.
All the previous 2011 lists are here.
This post includes the following:
Stevereads 2011 Best Books of the Year: Nonfiction!
The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood by James Gleick
Worm: The First Digital World War by Mark Bowden
Richmond Times-Dispatch: Jay Strafford's 10 favorite books…
jdupuis | January 2, 2012Another list for your reading, gift-giving and collection development pleasure.
Every year for the last bunch of years I've been linking to and posting about all the "year's best sciencey books" lists that appear in various media outlets and shining a bit of light on the best of the year.
All the previous 2011 lists are here.
This post includes the following: The Verge Booklist 2011.
Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America by Jeff Ryan
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World's Most Wanted Hacker by Kevin Mitnick and William L. Simon
Idea Man: A…
jdupuis | December 31, 2011Another bunch of lists for your reading, gift-giving and collection development pleasure.
Every year for the last bunch of years I've been linking to and posting about all the "year's best sciencey books" lists that appear in various media outlets and shining a bit of light on the best of the year.
All the previous 2011 lists are here.
This post includes the following:
Coffee Theory: The 10 Best Books I Read in 2011
Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer
The New Yorker Favorite Books from 2011 & Malcolm Gladwell
Adventures in the…
jdupuis | December 30, 2011Another bunch of lists for your reading, gift-giving and collection development pleasure.
Every year for the last bunch of years I've been linking to and posting about all the "year's best sciencey books" lists that appear in various media outlets and shining a bit of light on the best of the year.
All the previous 2011 lists are here.
This post includes the following:
Readings Best Non-Fiction of 2011
The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
Seattle Times 32 of the year's best books
Fire Season -- Field Notes from a Wilderness Lookout by Philip Connors
Never Say…
jdupuis | December 30, 2011Another list for your reading, gift-giving and collection development pleasure.
Every year for the last bunch of years I've been linking to and posting about all the "year's best sciencey books" lists that appear in various media outlets and shining a bit of light on the best of the year.
All the previous 2011 lists are here.
This post includes the following: NPR Best Books 2011
Theodore Gray's Elements Vault: Treasures of the Periodic Table With 20 Removable Archival Documents, a Model Pop-up Atom, a Poster, Plus 10 Real Elements Including Pure Gold! by by Theodore Gray and Nick Mann…
jdupuis | December 29, 2011Another bunch of lists for your reading, gift-giving and collection development pleasure.
Every year for the last bunch of years I've been linking to and posting about all the "year's best sciencey books" lists that appear in various media outlets and shining a bit of light on the best of the year.
All the previous 2011 lists are here.
This post includes the following:
Kansas City Star Top 100 Books of 2011
Founding Gardeners: The Revolutionary Generation, Nature, and the Shaping of the American Nation by Andrea Wulf
The Quiet World: Saving Alaska's Wilderness Kingdom, 1879-1960 by…