streaming video

The Secret Powers of Time

grrlscientist — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 04:59:23 +0000

The Secret Powers of Time

tags: The Secret Powers of Time, time, hedonism, future orientation, education, personality type, popular psychology, society, culture, lucifer effect, teenage pregnancy, Philip Zimbardo, Royal Society of Art, RSA, streaming video

In this video animation, Professor Philip Zimbardo conveys how our individual perspectives of time affect our work, health and well-being. Time influences who we are as a person, how we view relationships and how we act in the world.

Learn more about RSA Animate.

grrlscientist Tue, 07/20/2010 - 00:59

Fascinating and even more so for those of us who have grandchildren and will have to understand them in the decades to come.

My ex-wife's whole family is 100% Sicilian descent. Now I finally understand! :)

Amazing insights! It seems possible that throughout our lives as individuals we can go from being present/hedonistic to future oriented to past positive/negative, depending on the situations or locations we find ourselves in. Lots of food for thought...thanks!

Excellent!
I especially liked the way the drawings impact the listener, very clever.
This talk touches on so many fine point but in particular the need for the educational system in the US to start to use immersive virtual worlds (gaming technology) as a way of reaching the children that are dropping out, not only school, but society. However the hope that this will happen is slim. In the US eduction is a religion that resists change.
Another talk I recently heard, by a fellow named Leadbeater. discussed how the developing worlds will be where innovation in education will come from, for several reasons; they cannot afford traditional western systems, and the cost of technology will continue to down. Cell phones, and small computers will become learning devices in poorer countries that like schools and teachers. This innovations will drive the change in the western systems, albeit only after we lose a generation of children.

Fascinating talk. My one question is that I tried to track down the USA Today study that Dr. Zimbardo mentions. I was only able to find a sidebar to an article dated 8/5/08 that displayed some stats from an "online poll at usatoday.com." They seem to quote some of the stats that Dr. Zimbardo references, but an online poll doesn't strike me as statistically rigorous. Perhaps there is another piece of research that I couldn't find?

A Rocket of His Own

grrlscientist — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 03:59:40 +0000

A Rocket of His Own

tags: A Rocket of His Own, TIME magazine, astronomy, AMNH, American Museum of Natural History, space travel, Saturn V rocket, The Seven Wonders of America, Marshall Space Flight Center, Neil deGrasse Tyson, streaming video

TIME magazine recently went to interview astronomer Neil deGrasse Tyson and noticed a huge crate had been delivered to his office at the American Museum of Natural History. He was kind enough to open it on-camera. The back story of this gift is that Neil was adamant that ABC News include the Saturn V Rocket on its list of The 7 Wonders of America. The folks at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama were so grateful, they sent Neil a replica.

This video just goes to show that boys never really grow up, but their toys sure do [listen to the entire audio recording]

grrlscientist Mon, 07/19/2010 - 23:59

Tags

American Museum of Natural History

AMNH

Astronomy

Marshall Space Flight Center

The Seven Wonders of America

-Space Geek Alert-
It's amusing that the model has the painted roll pattern for SA-500F, the non-flight Facilities Integration Test stack. :)

I do so love his enthusiasm. His recent lectures at The Rose Center were fascinating, in part because of that irrepressible enthusiasm.

that is SO cool... i'm in the wrong business... :)

I love it! Despite being this big TV star and media personality, despite being this world-renowned astrophysicist and head of the Haden Planetarium and all, he is, at his heart, still the little nerd kid who gets a thrill out of big rocket ships.

That simple, child-like thrill is what still drives me in what I do. I too get to play with expensive toys just so I can make really cool looking space ships.

Neil is truly one of my heroes. A man of many accomplishments who still knows how to be a little kid; still in touch with that simple thrill to this day. I love this.

These guys are actually building their own rockets:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copenhagen_Suborbitals

Their first test launch is scheduled to take place about a month from now at sea off the coast of the Danish island Bornholm.

They built their own sea launch platform for that...

And they are going to tow the platform + rocket out from Copenhagen with their own submarine...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UC3_Nautilus

Their blog is well worth a look if you can read Danish/Norwegian/Swedish or if you can stomach a google translation:
http://ing.dk/blogs/rumfartpaadenandenmaade

No pun intended, but I love how down to Earth Neil is in his explanations. He really is an inspiration in how to communicate science to the general public.

Zircons: Time Capsules from the Early Earth

grrlscientist — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 04:59:03 +0000

Zircons: Time Capsules from the Early Earth

tags: Zircons: Time Capsules from the Early Earth, science bulletins, geology, AMNH, American Museum of Natural History, hadean eon, zircon, rocks, age of the earth, history of planet earth, streaming video

Zircons are tiny crystals with a big story to tell. Some of these minerals are the oldest Earth materials ever discovered, and therefore yield clues about what the planet was like after it formed 4.5 billion years ago. In this new Science Bulletins video, travel to a remote island off Greenland's coast and a zircon-making lab in New York State to learn how geologists are using these time capsules to build new hypotheses about the early Earth.

Science Bulletins is a production of the National Center for Science Literacy, Education, and Technology (NCSLET), part of the Department of Education at the American Museum of Natural History. Each Bulletin is produced by AMNHs curatorial and scientific staff and a team of video producers, designers, writers, and educators using state-of-the-art technologies such as high-definition video, data visualization, and 3-D computer graphics to present the latest research

grrlscientist Mon, 07/19/2010 - 00:59

Tags

streaming videos

age of the earth

American Museum of Natural History

Zircons: Time Capsules from the Early Earth

streaming videos

that's cool (no pun intended)...

Just WOW, Thanks for that Grrl. Science is amazing.

Wow, those are really old! I like the analogy of time capsules. That is really cool.

Zircon dating is no doubt the reason why my favorite fossils, from the early Upper Ordovician Edinburg formation of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, are dated at 455 to 456 Myr, a precision that could not have been dreamed of when I first used HCl to etch remains of trilobites and other things out of the Edinburg formation exposed in Strasburg, VA in 1967. For a citation on the date, see the paper in one of the 2005 issues of the Journal of Paleontology (I think it was April) on the new trilobite genus and species Strasburgaspis. Of course some of my friends and acquaintances in Texas would claim a greater precision, yet, based on a literal reading of Biblical texts, i.e., some time after 4004 B.C. but before or during the Noachian Flood.

Late For Work

grrlscientist — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 03:59:19 +0000

Late For Work

tags: Late For Work, jobs, employment, humor, funny, comedy, fucking hilarious, social observation, streaming video

It's hot, you were up late drinking with your friends and now it's Monday morning -- again! Unlike some videos that I share with you, this one gets straight to the point -- a point that we've all achieved at some time during our lives.

grrlscientist Sun, 07/18/2010 - 23:59

Tags

hahahahahahahahahahahahaha. that's me, every day!

hahah its so accurate

Magic Mormon Underwear

grrlscientist — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 04:59:04 +0000

Magic Mormon Underwear

tags: Mormonism, religion, cults, mind control, Magic Mormon Underwear, moron, offbeat, humor, funny, comedy, silly, beliefs, insanity, education, streaming video

I've lived among mormons for more years than I care to think about, and yes, the magic underwear was one of those mysteries that us kids speculated on when the adults weren't around. As if they were flies upon the walls of my childhood, the Thinking Atheist has made this video that discusses the the Mormon church's most famous "secret."

grrlscientist Sun, 07/18/2010 - 00:59

I never realised how much Mormonism had in common with Freemasonry. (But then I've never really paid a lot of attention to the details of the LDS.)

I'm not a big fan of the Masons, so they hae that in common too. Secret societies seem like a dodgy idea to me. There were a lot of allegations of local government corruption here in the past centred around Masons. Not directly due to the organisation itself; rather that people who are members of the same secret society are placed in a position to get up to mischief. Much like membership of an exclusive golf club, only a bit more extreme.

I don't understand why you have to bleep any fucking thing out.

Simon G at #1:

I'm not a big fan of the Masons, so they hae that in common too. Secret societies seem like a dodgy idea to me.

To give secret societies their due, they only seem like a dodgy idea from the viewpoint of an open society - but they originated in Europe in the age of Absolutism. In those days of blasphemy and lese majeste laws, many forward-looking ideas could only be discussed in secret or strict privacy and a good deal of the seminal thinking of the Enlightenment originated from secret societies (naturally, not all of the secret societies were progressive think-tanks, though - there were also enough that were conservative, mystical, irrelevant or outright scams). So let's not call them a bad idea, let's just call them a good idea whose day has passed.

What differentiates the Mormons from the Masons, though, and makes them more problematic in my view, is their strictly hierarchical organization. Masonic lodges are mostly independent, so their specific nature varies wildly from lodge to lodge - some (probably most) are harmless social gatherings, some are power networks, and a few have been outright criminal (like the Italian lodge P2). The Mormon Church, by contrast, is completely hierarchical and authoritarian in structure, even if it's not particularly large - so when the wrong people are in charge, they can do a lot of damage.

Yes, keeping yourself secret is a lot more reasonable when the powers that be really are out to get you. It's hard to argue with that and I could see secrecy being important even today in some nations.

Heirarchical structures - like the Mormons, as you say, and many other churches - are always dangerous. I think that some of the Mormons' problems come because they're not very large. A larger organisation would be liable to dissent and schism: the Mormon leadership can exercise tight control.

Imagine how bad the RCC would be if the Pope and his pals had the same degree of control.

"the Mormon leadership can exercise tight control."

How exactly, besides the consent of the governed? Its not like the LDS Church has any policing or political power over individuals to leave and form their own Church if they are so inclined. For that matter, to leave the church altogether. Lots of people do. The biggest problem would be family and peer pressure, but what groups don't have that? Maybe you could say there was some power over membership during the formative years, but currently that is nonsense.

And if you think the secret LDS Temples are in any way places to make secret plans and alliances, then its obvious you have no idea what takes place in them. And I mean facts about them that aren't secret that could explain how stupid such an idea can be. Every minute of the Temple is occupied by religious devotions and rituals. Once those end there is a short space of time for reflection, but that usually lasts at most ten minutes before moving on for the next group. If the Mormons are a "secret society," then its a very poor one because the membership is pretty open about who they are. As for recognizing each other by some things done in the Temple? If a Mormon was to mimic anything outside the Temple related to it, then they would be called out for blaspheme of the sacred. As for the sacred garment, again its not hidden. Ask a Mormon if they are wearing a garment and they will be honest about it and tell you yes or no. In fact, its not that hard to tell if they are if you know someone is Mormon.

Jettboy: You seem rather defensive. I didn't say that the Mormons are especially secretive, just that they have some ritual elements in common with the Masons, who are.

As for the element of control, peer pressure can be extremely powerful. There is also the element of education, (ask a Jesuit). And whilst such forces can (and do) apply to other religions and churches the Mormons seem to be particularly intollerent of dissenting opinions.

As I tried to point out, the RCC is probably just as intollerent of unapproved ideas but being so much larger it is unable to exercise the same degree of control.

I think that the issue of recruitment is also important. The RCC, like many churches actively recruits new members. These members will come from a wide variety of different backgrounds and will have grown up with similarly varied educations and opinions. The impression I get is that the Mormons recruit a lot less and a larger proportions of their membership are descended from a long line of Mormons. These people will have grown up in the church and so be much more susceptile to the church's sway.

Frankly, if the Mormon leadership wasn't able to exercise tight control I think the religion would largely die out in a couple of generationa as no sane woman would want anything to do with them, given a truly free choice.

Atheists at Prayer

grrlscientist — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 03:59:29 +0000

Atheists at Prayer

tags: Brother Sam Singleton Atheist Evangelist, Atheists at Prayer, prayer, atheism, agnosticism, humor, funny, comedy, fucking hilarious, satire, streaming video

This video features the colorful language and thoughts of my new boyfriend, Sam Singleton Atheist Evangelist as he discusses prayer-time etiquette for atheists.

grrlscientist Sat, 07/17/2010 - 23:59

A year ago I was in the hospital, following surgery for a life-threatening condition, and then complications, and after I got a few tubes taken out of me (out of a total of six) my wife's minister came to visit.

Knowing I am "not a regular attender" he said; "I don't know where you are spiritually but I'd like to pray with you."

"It's complicated," I said, not wanting to encourage such a thing or get into a discussion of any kind. This is the same clown who once buttonholed me with a question about his computer when I was three feet inside the door of the church for a friend's funeral.

"Oh well, that's not like you're an atheist or anything", he said.

Mind you, while the morphine is just barely taking the edge off the pain from the infection in my peritoneum, I am pretty much stoned off my ass. Any other time, I'd have never let it get that far. But I couldn't let that one go.

"All right, you got me - I'm an atheist. I just don't believe in god."

And then he said something else, I don't remember what, and damned if he didn't go ahead and pray in Jesus name and everything. I was in no condition to dignify the affront with an argument or even a loud stream of profanity. I just lay there in silence.

A while back my brother was assigned the task of giving the prayer at a Toastmasters Meeting. I don't know if he's religious or not. The theme of this meeting was humor. So he gave the shortest prayer I've ever heard:
For good food
For good meat
Good Lord
Let's Eat!

At large public prayers, I like to use the opportunity to look around the venue for other people who are also looking around the room. Make eye contact, smile, and give 'em a nod. You'd be surprised how many people in a group of say, 1000 people, are doing the same thing.

I go ahead and pray, and I can say a mean Grace. I've stopped confronting people with harsh reality; I never did convert anybody anyhow. I say "thank god", and I tell people I'll pray for them when what I really mean is I wish them well. Helps to keep social interactions flowing. I'm not closeted though, if anybody asks me for my opinion on any spiritual matter, I immediately tell them there is no such thing. And I love to prattle on about evolutionary biology and neuroscience and WHY I'm convinced there is no such thing.

But I'm one of those atheists that thinks that belief in an afterlife is pretty much innate for H. sapiens, so I have no hopes of ever living in a rational world.

I don't advocate for other atheists to do the same as me, I believe in freedom of speech, and many people (though luckily not me) are oppressed by religious intolerance, so I support those who fight the good fight. CFI gets my donations.

I guess my 2 cents is that it's ok for atheists to play along with the religious conventions of the society at large to which they belong. "I was in no condition to dignify the affront with an argument or even a loud stream of profanity", said @george w. I don't get that, the priest was (in his mind) praying for your salvation. That's kind of a nice thing to do, I don't see why you're offended.

My favorite is Catholic mass. No body of Christ for me!

I don't get that, the priest was (in his mind) praying for your salvation. That's kind of a nice thing to do, I don't see why you're offended.

I guess you're the type of ass who sees no problem in offering a Hindu a hamburger.
Does being basically held hostage in a hospital bed and and enduring some prat prate on about some childish and irrational belief mean nothing to you? What if the guy had been pushing Scientology or his brand of racial supremacy? In his mind he's doing something nice. *headdesk*

I don't pray nor do I encourage others...in their delusions...to do the same. If I am in someones home (for dinner for instance) and they wish to pray over the food...I remain silent with my arms crossed waiting for the nonsense to stop. If someone is in my home and asks if I mind if they "say grace" at my table...I tell them if it turns em on...go for it. In the meantime...I'm filling my plate and eating. If I am ill and some moron wants to pray for my healing...I usually laugh and tell them to keep their voodoo witchdoctors BS to themselves.

Candid Camera

grrlscientist — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 03:59:35 +0000

Candid Camera

tags: Candid Camera, Hidden Camera, Bloody Arm, prank, humor, funny, silly, streaming video

This cute video captures people's reactions when they are pranked by twins.

grrlscientist Fri, 07/16/2010 - 23:59

Tags

This is far better a prank than ones using a single pair of twins.

The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

grrlscientist — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 04:59:42 +0000

The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

tags: The surprising truth about what motivates us, tasks, simple tasks, complex tasks, commissions, innovation, mastery, economics, financial rewards, purpose motive, blog writing, making the world a better place, RSA, streaming video

This video is really interesting for two reasons: first, it's a hand-drawn animation that evolves in front of your eyes, and second, I think it explains why scientists like to write blogs for the public about science -- for free! Adapted from Dan Pink's talk at the RSA, this fascinating video illustrates the hidden truths behind what really motivates us at home and in the workplace.

Learn more about RSA Animate.

grrlscientist Fri, 07/16/2010 - 00:59

Wow...that was spectacular! Maybe that is why they pay science graduates so little... to stop them loosing motivation :p

Seriously though that looks like some very interesting research for business models.

The first time watching this the animation was distracting. I looked away and just listened. The second time watching this the animation was helpful.

However I still REALLY enjoyed this information.

awsome I'm still in highschool and I wish there'd be video like this to every kind of subject (biology:photosynthesis,dna replication..)

the animation is a bit distracting in the first couple of minutes but then you start enjoying it..

keep it up

This is replicating basic Self-Perception research from the '60s and '70s. Congrats, economists, you're now only 40 years behind psychologists.

Kudos to Aly for that comment. I couldn't agree more

So what is the implication for grades (in middle and high school especially)? Especially for students who have intrinsic motivation, sometimes grades are de-motivating, especially when you don't have to work to get an A. Frequently, once you get the A, you stop learning.

What could be done instead?

I taught high school for 3 years, and when I first started, I asked around for guidance on what grades should mean, how should I assign grades, and some teachers just kind of looked at me not understanding the question. The general feeling seemed to be that grades were pretty arbitrary, and idiosyncratic according to the teacher and subject. But, I was also told in no uncertain terms that I could not allow more than a certain percentage of kids to get a failing grade.

Nobody told me that grades should reflect learning or mastery.

BP Executives Deeply Affected by OilSpill Parody

grrlscientist — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 03:59:45 +0000

BP Executives Deeply Affected by OilSpill Parody

tags: BP Executives Deeply Affected by OilSpill Parody, oilspill, petroleum, Gulf of Mexico, television, Ray Suarez, NewsHour, Bob Dudley, parody, streaming video

As part of an hour-long live online interview with the NewsHour's Ray Suarez, BP executive Bob Dudley responds to questions from the public, including a video parodying the BP response effort.

I do feel sympathetic towards the BP peons -- you know, those people whom the executives depend upon but who are constantly trying not to be screwed out of pay raises, or their health insurance or retirement benefits as the result of the executives' continuing scummy efforts to increase their own bottom line. However, I am completely unmoved by Bob's whining in view of the fact that BP's gross negligence directly caused this disaster in the first place.

grrlscientist Thu, 07/15/2010 - 23:59

Tags

BP Executives Deeply Offended by OilSpill Parody

Puke-making. From the Casual Friday look to the appeal to patriotism ("part of the fabric of America") to the crisis-management team's required we-feel-the-pain look in his eye. Fuck him and his criminal corporation.

Y'know, if some stranger happened to see Tony Hayward walking down the street minding his own business, and stepped up and just beat the living crap out of him - that person would go to jail, but would also become a global hero.

Not that I'm trying to put any suggestions into anyone's mind, of course...

TEDTalks: Matt Ridley: When Ideas Have Sex

grrlscientist — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 04:59:40 +0000

TEDTalks: Matt Ridley: When Ideas Have Sex

tags: When Ideas Have Sex, imagination, innovation, group intelligence, exchange of ideas, cumulative ideas, evolution, sexual reproduction, technological specialization, free trade, Matt Ridley, TEDTalks, TED Talks, streaming video

At TEDGlobal 2010, author Matt Ridley shows how, throughout history, the engine of human progress has been the meeting and mating of ideas to make new ideas. It's not important how clever individuals are, he says; what really matters is how smart the collective brain is.

TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes, Pattie Maes on the "Sixth Sense" wearable tech, and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts.

grrlscientist Thu, 07/15/2010 - 00:59

My Dad knows Matt Ridley