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.
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