If you've noticed, the last few posts have come from a tech blog called Boing Boing. I found it on a list of 50 best tech blogs, and I have to say that I've kind of come to like it. This particular blog posts a lot more science related stories than other tech blogs. And let's be honest, I really don't care about technology. I do care about science on the other hand. So, I guess Boing Boing is a good fit for me.
Anyway, my post this week again comes from Boing Boing. And again it has to do with science...but this time it's physics, not biology. This particular story just made me laugh, so I decided to talk about it a little bit. Here's the link: http://www.boingboing.net/2011/04/20/euthanasia-coaster-a.html
Alright, I don't know much about physics, so I don't know if this roller coaster would ACTUALLY kill someone, but it would be pretty hilarious if it did...hypothetically, of course. I guess what really got me is the fact that there's someone out there who decided to design a roller coaster that, as the article says, "with elegance and euphoria" actually kills its riders. I just keep asking myself, "Why?" But, you know there are stranger things that have come out of the human brain. Let's just hope roller coaster designers (?) don't get any crazy ideas.
The Near-Death Coaster! You'll get so close to death you'll see the pearly gates!
I don't know.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
I'm kind of want to read this book.
Yes, this is another post about science, not technology. Oh well. Being someone who studies anthropology and biology, I'm obviously interested in evolution. Actually, I'm extremely interested in evolution. I'm also extremely interested in the evolution-creationism debate that's still going on in high schools across the country. When I read about arguments that are posed by creationists to disprove evolution I find myself getting very, very angry. It's clear that evolution education in many parts of this country is lacking. People simply don't understand how it works, even though it's a painfully simple process. That being said, I encourage everyone to better educate themselves before making outlandish claims.
As I'm sure you can imagine, I'm also a fan of anyone out there who tries to make the concept of evolution easier for people to understand. It's a basic principle in biology, but also one of the most important. The book "Written in Bone" by Brian Switek is a new book that explains the evolution of evolution. It goes through the entire history of evolutionary thought, including all the things they got right and all the things they got wrong.
I think this is an excellent way to present the theory of evolution to those who know little about it. Some arguments that arise from creationists are ones that science as already rejected, it's just that nobody keeps up the scientific world enough to realize it. By presenting the entire history of the theory, Switek shows people all of the things science got wrong, but then shows what it did to correct itself. And that's what science is all about. Seeking new knowledge. I hope there are people out there who read books like these and educate themselves. Understand how science and evolution work. By educating ourselves we can educate others.
Here's the link to the review of Switek's new book: http://www.boingboing.net/2011/04/12/read-this-written-in.html
As I'm sure you can imagine, I'm also a fan of anyone out there who tries to make the concept of evolution easier for people to understand. It's a basic principle in biology, but also one of the most important. The book "Written in Bone" by Brian Switek is a new book that explains the evolution of evolution. It goes through the entire history of evolutionary thought, including all the things they got right and all the things they got wrong.
I think this is an excellent way to present the theory of evolution to those who know little about it. Some arguments that arise from creationists are ones that science as already rejected, it's just that nobody keeps up the scientific world enough to realize it. By presenting the entire history of the theory, Switek shows people all of the things science got wrong, but then shows what it did to correct itself. And that's what science is all about. Seeking new knowledge. I hope there are people out there who read books like these and educate themselves. Understand how science and evolution work. By educating ourselves we can educate others.
Here's the link to the review of Switek's new book: http://www.boingboing.net/2011/04/12/read-this-written-in.html
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Exploring the Unexplored
Just yesterday, Virgin Group teamed up with an explorer, a submarine designer, and Google to launch Virgin Oceanic. This project is an attempt to explore one of the last frontiers on Planet Earth, the bottom of the oceans, places where no people have ever been or even ever seen before. Here's the link to the blog post, complete with a video with dramatic music and pictures of the project: http://www.boingboing.net/2011/04/05/sir-richard-branson.html
I find this absolutely fascinating. First because of how little we know about that part of the world, and second, because of how difficult this task really is. We discover new species from the deep sea all the time. With every new and deeper dive someone makes, a world of unknowns become known. Just as the post describes, the surface of the moon has had more human visitors and is better studied than the deep sea. The post also includes a post from Sir Richard Branson, which states that only 10% of all the lifeforms living on Earth are known to us at this time. Leaving 90% under the water, unexplored. This is craziness to me!
The second thing I wanted to say about this project is how difficult it will be to design a craft that will be able to operate (with people inside) at such great depths. This is a huge technological advance. The post states that at the greatest depths of the oceans, the pressure is greater than 1000 atmospheres. One small part of the craft is under 13,000 million pounds of pressure alone! The ability to create something that can withstand that kind of pressure safely enough to hold people is extraordinary. But with this little bit of technology, so much can be learned about our planet that no one knows, and with that knowledge, hopefully we'll be able to better protect our oceans and the rest of our planet.
I find this absolutely fascinating. First because of how little we know about that part of the world, and second, because of how difficult this task really is. We discover new species from the deep sea all the time. With every new and deeper dive someone makes, a world of unknowns become known. Just as the post describes, the surface of the moon has had more human visitors and is better studied than the deep sea. The post also includes a post from Sir Richard Branson, which states that only 10% of all the lifeforms living on Earth are known to us at this time. Leaving 90% under the water, unexplored. This is craziness to me!
The second thing I wanted to say about this project is how difficult it will be to design a craft that will be able to operate (with people inside) at such great depths. This is a huge technological advance. The post states that at the greatest depths of the oceans, the pressure is greater than 1000 atmospheres. One small part of the craft is under 13,000 million pounds of pressure alone! The ability to create something that can withstand that kind of pressure safely enough to hold people is extraordinary. But with this little bit of technology, so much can be learned about our planet that no one knows, and with that knowledge, hopefully we'll be able to better protect our oceans and the rest of our planet.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Sometimes making things simpler can be so incredibly easy.
I found a video for this application called Divvy on Boing Boing. It works for Mac and Windows and it's so incredibly simple. But still kind of cool. Here's the link: http://www.boingboing.net/2011/03/28/divvy-an-ocd-suffere.html
And the video by itself is below.
It's basically just as application to resize windows so they fit perfectly together on your computer screen. The blog post calls it the OCD sufferer's delight, which I would have to agree with. For me, this application would really come in handy. I don't actually have OCD, but I consider myself close enough. There are so many times when I'm trying to type and look at a webpage at the same time (or when jstor won't let me copy and paste) and this application could really help.
These are the types of advances I usually like to see. That sounds awful, but I'm NOT a technological person, so most of the stuff on these tech blogs I either don't care about or just don't understand. Applications like Divvy that make something I already have to do all the time a little simpler with an easy-to-use format make me happy. Unlike blogs posts titled "Researchers manage 448Gbps on commercial hardware, coming soonish to a trunk near you" or "German students make life-sized VR Fruit Ninja, declare war on digital produce." Come on...
Divvy Screencast from Mizage on Vimeo.
And the video by itself is below.
It's basically just as application to resize windows so they fit perfectly together on your computer screen. The blog post calls it the OCD sufferer's delight, which I would have to agree with. For me, this application would really come in handy. I don't actually have OCD, but I consider myself close enough. There are so many times when I'm trying to type and look at a webpage at the same time (or when jstor won't let me copy and paste) and this application could really help.
These are the types of advances I usually like to see. That sounds awful, but I'm NOT a technological person, so most of the stuff on these tech blogs I either don't care about or just don't understand. Applications like Divvy that make something I already have to do all the time a little simpler with an easy-to-use format make me happy. Unlike blogs posts titled "Researchers manage 448Gbps on commercial hardware, coming soonish to a trunk near you" or "German students make life-sized VR Fruit Ninja, declare war on digital produce." Come on...
Divvy Screencast from Mizage on Vimeo.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Technology and Wildlife
Article link: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/03/animal-camera-trap-gallery/?utm_source=UniBulCEO&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wired%2Findex+%28Wired%3A+Index+3+%28Top+Stories+2%29%29&pid=1124
This article discusses a project done by the Smithsonian Institute, called Smithsonian Wild, that set out to gain information on our more elusive creatures living in the wild. The best way to study these creatures is by using camera traps, which have been used for a long time, but are actually advancing quite a bit technologically. The article mentions that these traps can cost anywhere from $200-$600, which means they must be pretty special. A lot of people might think that camera traps are simply cameras with motion detection, but some of the new traps on the market today can do much more than that. As the article mentions, the traps used in this particular project actually detect specific heat signatures of animals and only snap pictures when those are recognized. Oh, and they're weatherproof, which is pretty important for cameras that sit outside all the time.
This technology reminds me of the mammalogy class I took last semester, where we had to come up with a fake research and grant proposal. In this assignment we had to have detailed notes about the types of equipment we would need to use to track or capture our species of choice. Everyone in the class proposed that they would need camera traps in order to learn about their specie's behavior and home range. So, clearly these devices are extremely important to wildlife biologists. The proposed camera traps were also technologically advanced, as were other types of devices. For example, a researcher could also buy a seismic trap that records minute movements on the earth's surface, then matches those movements to certain herds of animals within a few miles radius. Another device that helps track behavior and movements of elusive animals.
The reason I decided to discuss these camera traps has to do with both their importance and their ease of use. As I've mentioned before, these devices are extremely important to wildlife biologists and it makes their job of protecting and helping elusive and often endangered species a lot easier. However, even though these traps are technologically advanced, they can still be used by anyone. As the article says, learning how to use camera traps only takes a couple hours and can even be done by children. To me, having something so important, yet also so accessible is a win-win and hopefully it will lead to greater interest in and greater protection of our endangered species in the wild.
This article discusses a project done by the Smithsonian Institute, called Smithsonian Wild, that set out to gain information on our more elusive creatures living in the wild. The best way to study these creatures is by using camera traps, which have been used for a long time, but are actually advancing quite a bit technologically. The article mentions that these traps can cost anywhere from $200-$600, which means they must be pretty special. A lot of people might think that camera traps are simply cameras with motion detection, but some of the new traps on the market today can do much more than that. As the article mentions, the traps used in this particular project actually detect specific heat signatures of animals and only snap pictures when those are recognized. Oh, and they're weatherproof, which is pretty important for cameras that sit outside all the time.
This technology reminds me of the mammalogy class I took last semester, where we had to come up with a fake research and grant proposal. In this assignment we had to have detailed notes about the types of equipment we would need to use to track or capture our species of choice. Everyone in the class proposed that they would need camera traps in order to learn about their specie's behavior and home range. So, clearly these devices are extremely important to wildlife biologists. The proposed camera traps were also technologically advanced, as were other types of devices. For example, a researcher could also buy a seismic trap that records minute movements on the earth's surface, then matches those movements to certain herds of animals within a few miles radius. Another device that helps track behavior and movements of elusive animals.
The reason I decided to discuss these camera traps has to do with both their importance and their ease of use. As I've mentioned before, these devices are extremely important to wildlife biologists and it makes their job of protecting and helping elusive and often endangered species a lot easier. However, even though these traps are technologically advanced, they can still be used by anyone. As the article says, learning how to use camera traps only takes a couple hours and can even be done by children. To me, having something so important, yet also so accessible is a win-win and hopefully it will lead to greater interest in and greater protection of our endangered species in the wild.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
The Birds and the Bees (which is awful comparison since their methods of reproduction are entirely different than ours)
This article isn't really that interesting (ok, maybe a little bit) but it reminded me of my ecology class today. Here's the link: http://www.boingboing.net/2011/03/08/extinct-invertebrate.html
This isn't really about technology at all, but as I'm sure you've all figured out by now, I don't have much interest in technology anyway. I'm a fan of biology and other things like that.
Anyway, so in ecology today we were talking about intraspecific communication, which of course involves mating, and we were discussing different forms of internal fertilization. (I hope this doesn't make anyone uncomfortable...reproducing is a fact of life and there's really nothing to be embarrassed about.) Apparently male bed bugs and some male parasitic worms just have these spikes that they stab the female's body wall with because she doesn't have a genital opening. Then, they just insert the sperm that way. Kind of violent, yeah? Oh and they can also stab other males with these things and inject a cement-like substance that breaks down their reproductive system. That's some serious male-to-male competition.
That was probably the most interesting example we talked about in class. I won't get into the spiders and salamanders...then you really will be uncomfortable. I'll leave you with a joke:
A duck walks into a bar. The bartender asks, "So, what'll it be?" The duck doesn't say anything...because it's a duck.
Yes, I have an odd sense of humor. Deal with it.
This isn't really about technology at all, but as I'm sure you've all figured out by now, I don't have much interest in technology anyway. I'm a fan of biology and other things like that.
Anyway, so in ecology today we were talking about intraspecific communication, which of course involves mating, and we were discussing different forms of internal fertilization. (I hope this doesn't make anyone uncomfortable...reproducing is a fact of life and there's really nothing to be embarrassed about.) Apparently male bed bugs and some male parasitic worms just have these spikes that they stab the female's body wall with because she doesn't have a genital opening. Then, they just insert the sperm that way. Kind of violent, yeah? Oh and they can also stab other males with these things and inject a cement-like substance that breaks down their reproductive system. That's some serious male-to-male competition.
That was probably the most interesting example we talked about in class. I won't get into the spiders and salamanders...then you really will be uncomfortable. I'll leave you with a joke:
A duck walks into a bar. The bartender asks, "So, what'll it be?" The duck doesn't say anything...because it's a duck.
Yes, I have an odd sense of humor. Deal with it.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Hacking Kinect
It's possible that someone in class has already talked about all the people out there hacking into the Kinect camera and trying to use it as a 3D camera for a computer. Here's a link to a video of a guy doing just that: http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/14/hack-turns-kinect-into-mindblowing-3d-video-capture-tool/
Now, I realize that that particular post is kind of old, but it's important to know that bit of information before I talk about the tech post that I found from yesterday. In this post, they have actually hacked the Kinect camera to operate as, not only a 3D camera, but also a 3D scanner. Here's the link to that one: http://www.boingboing.net/2011/02/27/kinect-as-3d-scanner.html
Anyway, back to the post. Apparently someone is trying to use the Kinect camera as a 3D scanner that can recognize 3D images so that users can fabricate themselves. Of course, the project still needs improvement, which you'll see if you watch the video. The resolution isn't high enough to get any kind of detail as of now. BUT, if you're really jonesin' for a tiny 3D replica of yourself, then this project is for you.
Kidding aside, I can see how this project could be used for some interesting things. What comes to mind for me is architecture and the ability for team members to be in two locations. Being able to construct a 3D image of a remote object could be important in the future. Of course, I don't really know anything about architecture, and there's really not much information on that tech post, so I'll leave you to ponder.
"Muse upon it further, I shall return!" Hilarious Little Britain skit. You should watch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mCbIz10PK8
Now, I realize that that particular post is kind of old, but it's important to know that bit of information before I talk about the tech post that I found from yesterday. In this post, they have actually hacked the Kinect camera to operate as, not only a 3D camera, but also a 3D scanner. Here's the link to that one: http://www.boingboing.net/2011/02/27/kinect-as-3d-scanner.html
Anyway, back to the post. Apparently someone is trying to use the Kinect camera as a 3D scanner that can recognize 3D images so that users can fabricate themselves. Of course, the project still needs improvement, which you'll see if you watch the video. The resolution isn't high enough to get any kind of detail as of now. BUT, if you're really jonesin' for a tiny 3D replica of yourself, then this project is for you.
Kidding aside, I can see how this project could be used for some interesting things. What comes to mind for me is architecture and the ability for team members to be in two locations. Being able to construct a 3D image of a remote object could be important in the future. Of course, I don't really know anything about architecture, and there's really not much information on that tech post, so I'll leave you to ponder.
"Muse upon it further, I shall return!" Hilarious Little Britain skit. You should watch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mCbIz10PK8
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Hard Science Meets Science Fiction
Once again, I had a difficult time finding a purely tech post to talk about today, but I managed to find a scientific one on a tech blog. Here's the link: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/02/seti-dolphins/#more-50710
Now, this particular post gives a rather unusual and far-fetched reason why communicating with dolphins could be useful (apparently it's absolutely imperative that we learn how to communicate with extraterrestrials very soon), but it still brings to light an interesting question. Why haven't we learned how to communicate with some of the planet's most intelligent creatures? Obviously everybody knows about chimpanzees and the progress we're making there, but when it comes to actual two-way communication, our knowledge is lacking, especially in intelligent animals other than chimps.
So often we simply try to teach an animal the language we're used to. Training a dog is probably a good example. But we haven't really ventured into the idea of creating a language to share. That's what this article is talking about.
I think continuing on in this endeavor is a fantastic idea. There has already been some success with chimpanzees and, according to this post, dolphins are also right around the corner. And you never know where these kinds of things could lead. Maybe one of these days two-way communication between humans and animals will become so advanced your dog will be teaching you tricks.
Now, this particular post gives a rather unusual and far-fetched reason why communicating with dolphins could be useful (apparently it's absolutely imperative that we learn how to communicate with extraterrestrials very soon), but it still brings to light an interesting question. Why haven't we learned how to communicate with some of the planet's most intelligent creatures? Obviously everybody knows about chimpanzees and the progress we're making there, but when it comes to actual two-way communication, our knowledge is lacking, especially in intelligent animals other than chimps.
So often we simply try to teach an animal the language we're used to. Training a dog is probably a good example. But we haven't really ventured into the idea of creating a language to share. That's what this article is talking about.
I think continuing on in this endeavor is a fantastic idea. There has already been some success with chimpanzees and, according to this post, dolphins are also right around the corner. And you never know where these kinds of things could lead. Maybe one of these days two-way communication between humans and animals will become so advanced your dog will be teaching you tricks.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Apps, Apps, Apps...And More Apps.
The particular app I'm talking about has actually been around for awhile now, but Google has finally developed one specifically for the iPhone. Here's the link to the post: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/08/google-translate-for-iphone-hits-the-app-store/
Now, this probably doesn't seem very interesting...and it kind of isn't. However, as a person who despises foreign language classes it is intriguing. This app reminds me of something I saw a few months ago (posted below) and it makes me wonder how important this required foreign language business really is. Maybe (hopefully) it won't turn out to be such a big deal after all. I understand that I'm being lazy, not wanting to learn a foreign language, shame on me. But that's kind of a consequence of going to a public school in the United States, right? Not really anything I could do about it. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I think this app is pretty awesome...that's about it. Oh, and it reminded me of this video I saw awhile back. Enjoy!
You thought it was real for a second, didn't you? (If you've never seen that video before.) Don't feel bad, I did, too. It's actually an ad for Nova Scotia (instead of getting everything you want in one phone, you get everything you want in one place). Anyway, it kind of makes you think, doesn't it? Who knows, maybe one day we will have a phone, cafe, and blues band all in one...all in the palm of our hand.
Now, this probably doesn't seem very interesting...and it kind of isn't. However, as a person who despises foreign language classes it is intriguing. This app reminds me of something I saw a few months ago (posted below) and it makes me wonder how important this required foreign language business really is. Maybe (hopefully) it won't turn out to be such a big deal after all. I understand that I'm being lazy, not wanting to learn a foreign language, shame on me. But that's kind of a consequence of going to a public school in the United States, right? Not really anything I could do about it. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I think this app is pretty awesome...that's about it. Oh, and it reminded me of this video I saw awhile back. Enjoy!
You thought it was real for a second, didn't you? (If you've never seen that video before.) Don't feel bad, I did, too. It's actually an ad for Nova Scotia (instead of getting everything you want in one phone, you get everything you want in one place). Anyway, it kind of makes you think, doesn't it? Who knows, maybe one day we will have a phone, cafe, and blues band all in one...all in the palm of our hand.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Anthropology Wins This Week
So, I looked over about five different tech blogs looking for something to talk about today and I couldn't find anything I'm interested in other than this anthropology video.
Anyway, this video was filmed by BBC in the remote jungles of the Amazon. Apparently they've captured on video a tribe of uncontacted natives. Now, I can see this going both ways: good and bad. Let's start with the bad. First of all, now that these people have been discovered, you can bet that there are going to be a lot of researchers wanting to study them. Therefore, I don't think they will remain 'uncontacted' for very long. I can understand the curiosity out there, but sooner or later you're going to get people who want to change the way these tribes live, and that's never a good thing. Just by introducing new technologies and ideas you can change the way they live. Yes, they are completely different from all of you...they eat differently, they dress differently, they talk differently, they worship differently, all in all they live differently. But that doesn't mean they need to change, and contact will most likely do just that.
Now, for the good. Most of what I have to say here is discussed in the video. By proving that these tribes do exist, it is possible to get the government to take notice. Who knows if having that knowledge will persuade the government to do anything, but at least they're giving it a shot. So, basically, there is the potential for protection against invasion and disease if there is proof of existence.
Here's the video:
Anyway, this video was filmed by BBC in the remote jungles of the Amazon. Apparently they've captured on video a tribe of uncontacted natives. Now, I can see this going both ways: good and bad. Let's start with the bad. First of all, now that these people have been discovered, you can bet that there are going to be a lot of researchers wanting to study them. Therefore, I don't think they will remain 'uncontacted' for very long. I can understand the curiosity out there, but sooner or later you're going to get people who want to change the way these tribes live, and that's never a good thing. Just by introducing new technologies and ideas you can change the way they live. Yes, they are completely different from all of you...they eat differently, they dress differently, they talk differently, they worship differently, all in all they live differently. But that doesn't mean they need to change, and contact will most likely do just that.
Now, for the good. Most of what I have to say here is discussed in the video. By proving that these tribes do exist, it is possible to get the government to take notice. Who knows if having that knowledge will persuade the government to do anything, but at least they're giving it a shot. So, basically, there is the potential for protection against invasion and disease if there is proof of existence.
Here's the video:
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Moving Too Fast?
I recently read an article about iPads in classrooms. Here's the link: http://gizmodo.com/5742925/why-ipads-arent-ready-for-classrooms-yet.
The basic summary is that there's some prep school in Tennessee that's requiring kids to have an iPad. Meaning their parents have to buy one for them. Now, I'm against this (and so is the author) for quite a few reasons.
First of all, iPads are expensive. I think the article says $500 at the cheapest. That's ridiculous! And the parents have to buy these things themselves. Of course, if you've enrolled your kid in a prep school, money probably isn't much of an issue, but still. If you're able to afford one of those, then you're definitely able to afford the books your kids will need for class.
The author does a fine job at outlining all the negative things about introducing this device into the classroom and I have to agree with him. Yes, maybe a good student can read textbooks from an iPad and use it as a calculator when they need one, but what about the not-so-good students? They're just going to be very easily distracted. Heck, I'm a good student, but I know if I had an iPad sitting in front of me in every class my mind would wonder.And kids will be kids (I know that's stereotyping, but I think we all know it's true).
There were also a few things that came up in reader's comments that I thought were interesting. First, in middle school or high school there are often math classes where you aren't allowed to use a calculator. Yep, good ol' long hand calculation. How are kids supposed to do that with an iPad at the ready? The same goes with another comment about handwritten notes and papers and how penmanship increased. When information is so readily available, people resort to it, instead of doing it the hard way and figuring it out themselves.
So, I guess what I'm trying to say here is this; will the iPad improve education or will it just make kids more lazy about learning? I know the education in this country is lacking compared to others, and I think it's important to try to counteract that problem, but I'm not sure if this is the answer.
Some may say that maybe I'm just too old-fashioned, I don't know. I'm 20 years old and still in school myself! I didn't own even a laptop until I got to college and probably the most advanced piece of technology I used in all my years before college was a graphing calculator. I feel like one of my grandparents talking about how much things have changed since they went to school. There are plenty of smart, successful people out there, and guess what? They didn't have iPads when they went to grade school...or any school for that matter.
P.S. The article goes through even more things that are wrong with this idea. Give it a looksy.
The basic summary is that there's some prep school in Tennessee that's requiring kids to have an iPad. Meaning their parents have to buy one for them. Now, I'm against this (and so is the author) for quite a few reasons.
First of all, iPads are expensive. I think the article says $500 at the cheapest. That's ridiculous! And the parents have to buy these things themselves. Of course, if you've enrolled your kid in a prep school, money probably isn't much of an issue, but still. If you're able to afford one of those, then you're definitely able to afford the books your kids will need for class.
The author does a fine job at outlining all the negative things about introducing this device into the classroom and I have to agree with him. Yes, maybe a good student can read textbooks from an iPad and use it as a calculator when they need one, but what about the not-so-good students? They're just going to be very easily distracted. Heck, I'm a good student, but I know if I had an iPad sitting in front of me in every class my mind would wonder.And kids will be kids (I know that's stereotyping, but I think we all know it's true).
There were also a few things that came up in reader's comments that I thought were interesting. First, in middle school or high school there are often math classes where you aren't allowed to use a calculator. Yep, good ol' long hand calculation. How are kids supposed to do that with an iPad at the ready? The same goes with another comment about handwritten notes and papers and how penmanship increased. When information is so readily available, people resort to it, instead of doing it the hard way and figuring it out themselves.
So, I guess what I'm trying to say here is this; will the iPad improve education or will it just make kids more lazy about learning? I know the education in this country is lacking compared to others, and I think it's important to try to counteract that problem, but I'm not sure if this is the answer.
Some may say that maybe I'm just too old-fashioned, I don't know. I'm 20 years old and still in school myself! I didn't own even a laptop until I got to college and probably the most advanced piece of technology I used in all my years before college was a graphing calculator. I feel like one of my grandparents talking about how much things have changed since they went to school. There are plenty of smart, successful people out there, and guess what? They didn't have iPads when they went to grade school...or any school for that matter.
P.S. The article goes through even more things that are wrong with this idea. Give it a looksy.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Reflecting on 2010
Alright, here goes.
Since it's pretty typical of me not to understand really anything about technology, I've decided to discuss (in this post and most likely many future posts) a subject I'm more familiar with and more interested in. That would be science, which goes along with technology, right? Anyway, I'm specifically interested in the biological sciences, so I'm primarily going to talk about that.
I've titled this post 'Reflecting' because I found an article that outlined the "top scientific breakthroughs of 2010." A few of these caught my eye.
First, dinosaur colors. Um...awesome. Here's a little summary in case you haven't heard. Paleontologists can now compare pigmented cells in dinosaur fossils with cells from living birds and get a pretty good guess as to what color they were. According to the post, they've only been able to do this with one fossil and they're currently working on another, but it's a good start regardless. As cool as this is, one thing does disappoint me. It's too bad they've only been able to figure out how to do this on feathered dinosaurs. According to the images we already have of dinosaurs, the feathered ones are the prettiest anyway. However, I doubt this is actually the case. Anyway, one thing I can always count on is that science will keep marching forward and keep learning new things. Maybe this time next year we'll know what a brachiosaurus actually looked like (that's my favorite).
Next, and perhaps most exciting for me (biological anthropology nerd here), the discovery of a new extinct hominid in South Africa. This particular fossil was given the name Australopithecus sediba, which puts it in the same genus as a number of other human ancestors that have already been discovered, including the famous Lucy. As to be expected the fossil has characteristics that are both human-like and ape-like making it hard to determine whether or not it is a direct ancestor of modern humans. Of course, this dilemma arises pretty much every time a new fossil is discovered, and only more time and much more research will give us the answer. One thing is for sure, though. Our family tree just keeps getting bushier and bushier.
The last breakthrough I wanted to mention was the discovery of self recognition in rhesus macaque monkeys (again with the biological anthropology). This concept may seem extremely simple to those with highly evolved brains, but self recognition is actually pretty rare in the animal kingdom. So far the only creatures who have been able to do it are humans, chimps, dolphins, and elephants. The smartest of the smart. And if you don't know, they determine this by sticking an individual in front of a mirror with a colored spot on their forehead, then seeing if the individual touches the spot on their own forehead or reaches out to the individual "in" the mirror. The discovery that a, once thought to be lower, primate has the ability of self recognition is changing the way scientists think about intelligence in the animal kingdom or, as the article says, making them realize that maybe we just can't understand it. I'm starting to think it might actually be the latter.
Ok, that's really all I wanted to mention about the "top scientific breakthroughs of 2010." If you want to know about the millions of tons of water they found on the moon or the habitable exoplanet they may have discovered, you'll have to go read the article yourself (http://gizmodo.com/5721504/the-top-scientific-breakthroughs-of-2010). Bye-bye for now.
Since it's pretty typical of me not to understand really anything about technology, I've decided to discuss (in this post and most likely many future posts) a subject I'm more familiar with and more interested in. That would be science, which goes along with technology, right? Anyway, I'm specifically interested in the biological sciences, so I'm primarily going to talk about that.
I've titled this post 'Reflecting' because I found an article that outlined the "top scientific breakthroughs of 2010." A few of these caught my eye.
First, dinosaur colors. Um...awesome. Here's a little summary in case you haven't heard. Paleontologists can now compare pigmented cells in dinosaur fossils with cells from living birds and get a pretty good guess as to what color they were. According to the post, they've only been able to do this with one fossil and they're currently working on another, but it's a good start regardless. As cool as this is, one thing does disappoint me. It's too bad they've only been able to figure out how to do this on feathered dinosaurs. According to the images we already have of dinosaurs, the feathered ones are the prettiest anyway. However, I doubt this is actually the case. Anyway, one thing I can always count on is that science will keep marching forward and keep learning new things. Maybe this time next year we'll know what a brachiosaurus actually looked like (that's my favorite).
Next, and perhaps most exciting for me (biological anthropology nerd here), the discovery of a new extinct hominid in South Africa. This particular fossil was given the name Australopithecus sediba, which puts it in the same genus as a number of other human ancestors that have already been discovered, including the famous Lucy. As to be expected the fossil has characteristics that are both human-like and ape-like making it hard to determine whether or not it is a direct ancestor of modern humans. Of course, this dilemma arises pretty much every time a new fossil is discovered, and only more time and much more research will give us the answer. One thing is for sure, though. Our family tree just keeps getting bushier and bushier.
The last breakthrough I wanted to mention was the discovery of self recognition in rhesus macaque monkeys (again with the biological anthropology). This concept may seem extremely simple to those with highly evolved brains, but self recognition is actually pretty rare in the animal kingdom. So far the only creatures who have been able to do it are humans, chimps, dolphins, and elephants. The smartest of the smart. And if you don't know, they determine this by sticking an individual in front of a mirror with a colored spot on their forehead, then seeing if the individual touches the spot on their own forehead or reaches out to the individual "in" the mirror. The discovery that a, once thought to be lower, primate has the ability of self recognition is changing the way scientists think about intelligence in the animal kingdom or, as the article says, making them realize that maybe we just can't understand it. I'm starting to think it might actually be the latter.
Ok, that's really all I wanted to mention about the "top scientific breakthroughs of 2010." If you want to know about the millions of tons of water they found on the moon or the habitable exoplanet they may have discovered, you'll have to go read the article yourself (http://gizmodo.com/5721504/the-top-scientific-breakthroughs-of-2010). Bye-bye for now.
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