gregladen | March 11, 2008You know that old Bradbury story, and the Simpson's redo of it, where someone goes back in time, steps on a butterfly, and when they return, everything is slightly different? Has this happened?
I look at Google's Press Center, and I find no mention of this, but things have changed ever so slightly. For instance, in Google Analytics, over the last couple of days, the current day no longer shows up on the graph even if you specify it in the date selection drop down box. Even stranger, the layout of the Advanced Search Page is different. This morning, I was trying to parse out the URL code…
gregladen | March 11, 2008I had a plan, to get on board with Sciencwoman, who is putting out a series of posts on Racial Diversity, Race and Racism, with a post on this topic. However, Friday was a tough day, Saturday was a no-blogger (because of something else I was doing that I'll tell you about later), I don't remember a thing about Sunday, I had a late meeting Monday, and I'm teaching tonight. So I have not had time to spend the effort this post needed. (Aren't you glad I don't usually write blog posts telling you what I had for breakfast and why I blogged more or less on a given day?)
But I still want to get…
gregladen | March 11, 2008Photosynthesis; This is how the British to it (teaching, not photosynthesis).
From Crackle: Biology Education - Photosynthesis for GCSE / K12 ...
I'm not sure why he says we don't know how photosynthesis works.
Look at how well behaved the students are. You can tell this is not America, even without noticing that the guy talks funny.
The graph on the rate of photosynthesis is idealized. This is not the graph for all plants. This won't work for your Alaskan Peas, for instance.
Notice the maximum value for effect on increased CO2. I wonder what ever happened to the old chap..
gregladen | March 10, 2008I've been pressured to supply a photograph of Dancing Boys to gender balance the Dancing Girls provided earlier. I can do this. But you have to understand, that Dancing Boys and Dancing Girls are not the same thing. Dancing Boys in Drag are like Dancing Girls, but otherwise, Dancing Boys are usually a bunch of frat symps at a kegger. At least that's what you get when you put "Dancing Boys" into the Google Box.
So if you want Boys in Drag, you may be out of luck this time around. But I did find a viable alternative to frat symps at the kegger. Feast your eyes:
DANCING BOYS!!!!!
gregladen | March 10, 2008It turns out that most of our elected representatives, in the U.S., are going to hell. I just found out. Do you want to know why?
Do you remember the dust up regarding newly elected Congresmember Keith Ellison (of the Fabulous Fifth District, Minnesota)? Ellison is a Mild Muslim (has never been seen wearing a suicide bomb belt, etc.) liberal democrat. When he was on his way to Washington, the right wing crazy people got all upset over the prospect of Ellison taking the Oath of Office on the Quran instead of the Christian Bible. My advice to Ellison, which I think he summarily ignored…
gregladen | March 10, 2008You may have noticed that I've been entirely silent about the movie Expelled. This is because of something that I do: Utterly ignore certain aspects of reality because my level of interest does not exceed my level of annoyance. I also ignore entire chunks of reality because I find them too interesting yet don't have the available time or energy to invest at the moment. Like the Maya. I've totally ignored the Maya for this reasn.
But, here's the thing: If you go to my old blog, which is a dormant archive, I've got a few Google ads set up, and they tend to display ads for Ben Stein,…
gregladen | March 9, 2008It almost seems like there are two separate research project under way regarding the evolutionary history of Homo sapiens. One focuses on recent humans, tends to use DNA as a major source of information, and from this base projects back into the past. This approach tends to confirm the idea that humans share an African origin with a subsequent spread from Africa, with various degrees of complexity in that series of historical events. The other focuses on early human remains, sometimes including remains that would be placed by some in a separate species or sub species. This sort of…
gregladen | March 9, 2008Illustrious jugglers the Raspyni Brothers show off their uncanny balance, agility, coordination and willingness to sacrifice (others). Now, if you'll just stand completely still...
gregladen | March 9, 2008Loons are the fish eating canaries of secluded northern lakes. Actually, over the last several decades, loons seem to have gotten more used to people then they used to be, but are still not really big on development.
My personal belief (based on anecdotal observation) is that loons can identify, to at least some degree, individuals. When I am alone with the loons, at the lake, strange things happen that don't happen to others or when others are around.
For instance, when I'm at the end of the dock fishing, the loons will commonly forage underneath the dock and all around me. The first…
gregladen | March 9, 2008There are two books called "Icons of Evolution." One is by Jonathan Wells. The best way to learn about Well's Icons of Evolution is to watch Randy Olson's Flock of Dodos. It is an anti science piece of dreck.
The other is a more recently published is Icons of Evolution [Two Volumes]: An Encyclopedia of People, Evidence, and Controversies (Greenwood Icons), and it is an entirely different book. I have heard about this book, but not read it. Since it came up in a comment I thought I'd give you a direct link and a little bit of information. Info from the publisher:
Students and the…
gregladen | March 8, 2008Today is PZ Myers birthday. I live roughly in PZ's neighborhood, so I broke into his house last night and scanned a couple of images from the Myers family photo album. I thought you might enjoy them...
There is a LINKFEST growing of other LOL PZ posts (and perhaps other items) at A Blog Around the Clock.
gregladen | March 8, 2008A Ryerson University freshman set up a Facebook study group for his Chemistry class. He now faces 147 counts of academic misconduct.
The computer engineering student has been charged with one count of academic misconduct for helping run the group - called Dungeons/Mastering Chemistry Solutions after the popular Ryerson basement study room engineering students dub The Dungeon - and another 146 counts, one for each classmate who used the site.
Avenir, 18, faces an expulsion hearing Tuesday before the engineering faculty appeals committee. If he loses that appeal, he can take his case to the…
gregladen | March 8, 2008Creationism's Trojan Horse: The Wedge of Intelligent Design is a must read for those interested in the Evolution - Creationism controversy. In particular, this volume is an essential part of the personal library of every science educator, for reasons that I will describe below. If you know a Life Science Teacher, this is a perfect birthday present. If you have a child in the public K-12 education system in the US, or the analog somewhere else, donate a copy of this book to the appropriate life science teacher!
In this important book published by Oxford University Press in 2004, Forrest…
gregladen | March 8, 2008The age of the Universe is 13.73 billion years, plus or minus 120 million years. Some people might say it doesn't look a day over 6000 years. They're wrong.
The quote above is from Bad Astronomy, where Phil explains the latest WMAP results. Highly recommended. A very nice history of the study of the universe, accessible to all, is Big Bang: The Origin of the Universe (P.S.) by Singh.
The big bang and stuff that happened in connection with this cosmic event, the so-called origin of the universe, left a signal that is visible today to instruments on earth. Careful analysis of this signal can…