What We're Talking About Sunday, April 24, 2011
Making Waves
On Built on Facts, Matt Springer writes that "there's really no such thing as a purely continuous monochromatic light wave" and "any pulse of light that lasts a finite amount of time will actually contain a range of frequencies." Pass this pulse of light through a medium such as glass, which "can have a different refractive index for each frequency," and some very weird things start to happen. On Life at the SETI Institute, Dr. Lori Fenton explains her study of "aeolian geomorphology - how wind shapes a planetary surface." As it does on Earth, weather makes wave patterns in the dunes of Venus, Mars, and Saturn's moon Titan, leaving a record of the meteorological forces at play. On Uncertain Principles, Chad Orzel takes a step back from wave-particle duality. Researchers have observed wave interference in molecules that "contain up to 430 atoms, and are several nanometers across, making them by far the largest objects anybody has ever seen displaying wave behavior." This brings the "quantum-classical boundary" a little closer to the human scale. But for now, we still behave a lot like particles.
A Weird Refractive Index
Built on FactsApril 18, 2011
"'Woah, that can't be right,' you might say, 'That refractive index drops below 1 for certain values. Would light with a frequency of 7 really be moving at 2c?' And this ought to bother you, it's by no means an easy question to resolve. You might suspect that my made-up refractive index curve is simply wrong and that a refractive index of less than 1 is impossible forever and ever amen. But in fact it is possible, and it's not even that uncommon."
Sand Seas of the Solar System
Life at the SETI InstituteApril 19, 2011
"My current project involves looking at wind patterns in a particular area on Mars. Near Mars' equator, there is a large interconnected set of canyons. Some of them have mysterious materials, or sediments that have formed inside them that seem to indicate they were formed in the presence of water. That's very exciting since Mars is now a dry and desolate place. However, evidence like this tells us that it was once much wetter."
Wave Nature Gets Bigger: "Quantum interference of large organic molecules"
Uncertain PrinciplesApril 18, 2011
"The first grating is a material grating—a nanofabricated silicon nitride structure with slits 90 nm in width separated by 266 nm. This lets only a small fraction of the molecules through, and provides a cleaner source for the second grating to work with. "
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In Conversation
“Endosymbiosis drove the evolution of the eukaryotic kingdom with the mitochondria and the chloroplast, perhaps endosymbiosis will play a role in the evolution of the synthetic kingdom as well.”
Channel Surfing
Life Science
My New Neighbours, the Beavers
Over the past decade or two, beavers have multiplied in my area, much as the wild boar population has exploded in this part of Sweden.
Disagreeing with the IPCC's approach
There is a very interesting article on Nature.com that provides an example of something a bit uncommon in...
Experimental Biology 2011 - Hibernation and Fasting
Here are highlights of my favorite abstracts covering the topics of hibernation and fasting that were presented at...
The Life Science Channel RSS FeedPhysical Science
Happy Earth Day, 2011 Edition!
"We came all this way to explore the moon, and the most important thing is that we discovered...
Saturn is connected electrically to Enceladus
PASADENA, Calif. -- NASA is releasing the first images and sounds of an electrical connection between Saturn...
There is way more CO2 in Martian Polar Cap than previously thought
A newly found, buried deposit of frozen carbon dioxide -- dry ice -- near the south pole of...
The Physical Science Channel RSS FeedEnvironment
What It is Like to Live in a Developed Nation Struggling with Food Issues
One of the things I like about this article is that it is very clear about the issues that arise from both perception and actual contamination and shortfall. Those things are sometimes separable with various strategies, but more often they are deeply intertwined.
More Fun With Fracking
I intended to do a big book-sales post today, but our DSL modem may be dead, so there...
Open Farm Days!!!
Ok, have you always wanted to come to see the farm? Here's your chance. On Sunday, May 22,...
The Environment Channel RSS FeedEducation
On Becoming a Domestic and Laboratory Goddess
Things That Warm My Heart...
One of my dear friends shared this with me and I thought I would post it here. Seeing...
'High-Stakes' Testing and What Education 'Reformers' Need to Learn
It seems, in many schools, the incentives are already adequately aligned.
Yes, We Should Have National Universities
Making educational supply meet educational demand.
The Education Channel RSS FeedPolitics
Dispatches from the Culture Wars
The Real Bachmann Turner Overdrive
I feel the need to apologize to you all in advance....
Dispatches from the Culture Wars
Who Attends a Bachmann Rally?
These people do....
More on IKEA: Mistaking What Is Legal with What Is Ethical
IKEA's behavior is legal, but not ethical.
The Politics Channel RSS FeedMedicine & Health
"We've grown up around firearms. We know the safety and we practice it."
Yet the 11-year old girl lies in a coma, the bullet removed from her brain on Friday, with...
Stay tuned to see Steve Novella on The Dr. Oz Show on Tuesday!
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I want you all to tune in to The Dr. Oz...
University of Maryland School of Medicine = Hogwarts?
Steve Salzberg is a man after my own heart. You'll see why in a minute. I've frequently written...
The Medicine & Health Channel RSS FeedBrain & Behavior
The Agony Files: U. S. Championship Edition
I'm sure I don't need to tell you this, but the U. S. Chess Championship is currently going...
Be more wrong
I wrote awhile back about an incredible book, Being Wrong by Kathryn Shultz. The author recently have a...
Two cool optical illusions...
-via neatorama and boingboing- Someone want to build me this table?...
The Brain & Behavior Channel RSS FeedTechnology
iKnowwhatyoudidlastsummer
iPhones know where they are, so they probably know where you are, and these data have been captured...
Fedora 15 and Gnome 3
I'm not sure what I think of Gnome 3's Shell Interface. Imma try it out but I think...
oh, we know where we're going...
...and now we know where we have been iSpy@home...
The Technology Channel RSS FeedInformation Science
Confessions of a Science Librarian
From the Archives: Glut: Mastering information through the ages by Alex Wright
I have a whole pile of science-y book reviews on two of my older blogs, here and here....
Big Open Lab Announcements!
First, the first couple of reviews of the 2010 anthology are now out: by Dr. Alistair Dove at...
Confessions of a Science Librarian
Around the Web: The 4 Stages Of Understanding Twitter, Tweeting presidential doppelgängers and more
The 4 Stages Of Understanding Twitter 5 Myths About the 'Information Age' Presidential Doppelgängers Tweet If You're Not...
The Information Science Channel RSS FeedJobs
A blast from the past and a personal update
I was digging through some of my old blog posts and had almost totally forgot about this artwork...
Your Grant in Review: Appealing the review outcome
A recent Notice from the NIH (NOT-OD-11-064) indicates that there is a need to standardize and refine the...
Are Smaller and/or Newer Labs More Innovative?
Any data on productivity of different sized labs or original awards versus re-resubmissions?
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ScienceBlogs Super Photos
Top Lists
- 1Pipistrelles proper: little bats that glide, sing, swarm and lek (vesper bats part XVIII) : Tetrapod Zoology
- 2No gods, no masters...and NO MARTYRS : Pharyngula
- 3Sleepy or Empathetic: What Does Yawning Mean? : The Thoughtful Animal
- 4Shut the Hell Up About Your Imposter Syndrome : On Becoming a Domestic and Laboratory Goddess
- 5The resident anti-vaccine reporter at CBS News strikes again : Respectful Insolence
- 1Jerry Coyne's open letter
PZ Myers 04.24.2011
- 2Episode CXCVII: Style advice
PZ Myers 04.22.2011
- 3Who Attends a Bachmann Rally?
Ed Brayton 04.24.2011
- 4Serrano Photograph Destroyed in France
Ed Brayton 04.23.2011
- 5"We've grown up around firearms. We know the safety and we practice it."
Greg Laden 04.24.2011
- 1
How Gravitational Lensing Shows Us Dark Matter!
Starts With a Bang! 04.20.2011
- 2
Experimental Biology 2011 - Comparative Physiology of Anoxia, Hypoxia and Hypercapnia
Life Lines 04.20.2011
- 3
Does meditation make people act more rationally?
Thoughts from Kansas 04.20.2011
- 4
(Photo)Synthetic Endosymbiosis
Oscillator 04.20.2011
- 5
Pipistrelles proper: little bats that glide, sing, swarm and lek (vesper bats part XVIII)
Tetrapod Zoology 04.20.2011
From NYTimes.com
Latest science stories | More at nytimes.com
Humanities & Soc. Sciences
Greg Laden's Blog
Lew Binford is Dead
Archaeologist Lew Binford has died at the age of 79 at his home in Kirksville, Mo. He died...
EvolutionBlog
Perceived Atheist Prevalence Reduces Anti-Atheist Prejudice
Update: Saturday, 2:48 am. The original version of this post contained an unkind remark directed towards Josh Rosenau....
Uncertain Principles
How Many Books Is That?: Modeling Amazon Sales Rank
A few months ago-- just before the paperback release of How to Teach Physics to Your Dog-- Amazon...
The Social Sciences Channel RSS Feed