Category: science
-
The Extinction of the Dinosaurs
Was the Chicxulub impact really the K–T extinction event that caused the extinction of (non-avian) dinosaurs? Well… probably, yes. However, if you don’t know the background you can do a lot worse than Ethan Siegel’s comprehensive yet succinct account of what wiped out the dinosaurs. via Seed
-
Interpreting Hybrid Images
Remember how the Mona Lisa’s famous smile was painted in low spatial frequencies, hence why we interpret the face differently depending on where we look? Now, Mo of Neurophilosophy takes an in-depth look at how our brains interpret hybrid images and complex visual scenes, shedding more light on this effective imaging technique. He also links…
-
The Art of Sand
I initially passed over this Discover gallery but decided to take a look once @mocost linked to it. Who would have thought that sand had such diversity and beauty? Evidently Gary Greenberg did when he compiled these microscopic photographs of sand for his book, A Grain of Sand. Composed of the remnants of volcanic explosions, eroded mountains, dead…
-
How We Decide
One of my favourite science writers—the editor at large of Seed Magazine, Jonah Lehrer—has been interviewed by The Commonwealth Club about his forthcoming book, The Decisive Moment/How We Decide (UK/US titles, respectively). The video of the interview is full of excellent anecdotes (backed-up by peer reviewed research) on many topics ranging from emotional and rational…
-
Ideology Getting in the Way of Evidence-Based Medicine
Giving beta blockers to a person in the early stages of a heart attack makes sense: the drugs reduce oxygen consumption by calming and slowing the heart; something that is ideal during a heart attack. However despite evidence showing that beta blockers may actually increase heart failure, the practice of administering them continues. As Dr. David Newman…
-
Making a Significant Contribution
Why do so few scientists make significant contributions and so many are forgotten in the long run? That was the question the noted mathematician and computer scientist Richard Hamming (he of Hamming Codes fame) asked and tried to answer in a talk he gave at Bell Labs in 1986. However his educational and inspiring talk,…
-
The Future of Human Health
In seven videos, each between 9 and 19 minutes in length, some of Stanford’s best researchers discuss cutting-edge cognitive science research. Learn about the frontiers of human health from seven of Stanford’s most innovative faculty members. Inspired by a format used at the TED Conference, each speaker delivers a highly engaging talk in just 10-20…
-
The Evolutionary Role of Cooking
Cooking is “the evolutionary change that underpins all others” and is what makes us human, according to Richard Wrangham, Harvard University. The theory: the process of cooking makes our food more digestible, freeing up a huge amount of calories that are then expended on other, more important, activities. And with Homo sapiens, what makes the species unique…
-
The Nun Study
The ‘Nun Study’ is a longitudinal study of ageing and Alzheimer’s that uses data gathered from over 600 nuns over the past 20+ years. Some interesting correlates are starting to appear: The nuns make for a very unique population to study […] because of their similar lifestyles. “They don’t smoke, they don’t drink, so you can…
-
The Birthday Problem
I’ve heard of this ‘problem’ numerous times before, as I’m sure many others have too. Nonetheless, everytime I do hear it, it fascinates me. The birthday problem (or paradox, as it’s often referred), looks at the probability of two or more people from a randomly chosen set of people sharing a birthday. In a group…