braindecoder As We May Think: A 1945 Essay on Information Overload, "Curation," and Open-Access Science by Maria Popova “There is a new profession of trail blazers, those who find delight in the task of establishing useful trails through the enormous mass of the common record.” Tim O’Reilly recently admonished that unless we embrace open access over copyright, we’ll never get science policy right. The sentiment, which I believe applies to more than science, reminded me of an eloquent 1945 essay by Vannevar Bush, then-director of the Office of Scientific Research and Development, titled “As We May Think.” Much of what Bush discusses presages present conversations about information overload, filtering, and our restless “FOMO” — fear of missing out, for anyone who did miss out on the memetic catchphrase — amidst the incessant influx. Professionally our methods of transmitting and reviewing the results of research are generations old and by now are totally inadequate for their purpose. Assume a linear ratio of 100 for future use. The memex Donating = Loving Share on Tumblr
Online Tools Science A 21st-century education revolves around the Internet for everything from collaboration, tools, lessons, and even earning degrees online. If you are looking for ways to integrate online learning into your science class or science degree programs, then take a look at these cool online tools that are just perfect for both teachers and students. Science Tools to Use with Students These tools offer opportunities for learning about climate, cells, the human body, nature, and more. ChemiCool. AP Tools Whether you are setting up a new AP curriculum or are just looking for additional material to use with your AP science students, these tools will help. Advanced Placement Biology. Websites and Resources for Science Teachers These websites are chock full of amazing resources and tools for science teachers. Discovery Education. Calculators Use these informative environmental calculators with your students. Ecological Footprint Quiz. Online Games Online Science Games. Google Earth Google Earth Ocean.
thelogicalleap Universe Grows Like A Brain | Social Networks The universe may grow like a giant brain, according to a new computer simulation. The results, published Nov.16 in the journal Nature's Scientific Reports, suggest that some undiscovered, fundamental laws may govern the growth of systems large and small, from the electrical firing between brain cells and growth of social networks to the expansion of galaxies. "Natural growth dynamics are the same for different real networks, like the Internet or the brain or social networks," said study co-author Dmitri Krioukov, a physicist at the University of California San Diego. The new study suggests a single fundamental law of nature may govern these networks, said physicist Kevin Bassler of the University of Houston, who was not involved in the study. [What's That? Your Physics Questions Answered] "At first blush they seem to be quite different systems, the question is, is there some kind of controlling laws can describe them?" Similar Networks Brain cells and galaxies
NOVA Can Wind Turbines Make You Sick? Residents living in the shadows of wind turbines say the sound is making them sick. But so far the science isn't there. From NOVA Next | Jun 27, 2018 Thirty Years Ago Today, Global Warming First Made Headline News On June 23, a NASA climate scientist, James Hansen, told a U.S. From NOVA Next | Jun 23, 2018 New Middle Eastern Particle Accelerator’s Motto is “Science for Peace” In a region in turmoil, an unprecedented joint venture of scientists and policymakers is working together on Jordan’s new particle accelerator under the motto "science for peace." From NOVA Next | Jun 21, 2018 Psychological Damage Inflicted By Parent-Child Separation is Deep, Long-Lasting Here's what happens in the brain and the body when a child is forcibly separated from his or her parents.
The Brains Blog | Since 2005, a leading forum for work in the philosophy and science of mind (65) Facebook Scientific American Weird things start to happen when you stare into someone's eyes for 10 minutes Giovanni Caputo recruited 20 young adults (15 women) to form pairs. Each pair sat in chairs opposite each other, one metre apart, in a large, dimly lit room. Specifically, the lighting level was 0.8 lx, which Caputo says "allowed detailed perception of the fine face traits but attenuated colour perception." The participants' task was simply to stare into each other's eyes for 10 minutes, all the while maintaining a neutral facial expression. When the 10 minutes were over the participants filled out three questionnaires: the first was an 18-item test of dissociative states; the other two asked questions about their experience of the other person's face (or their own face if they were in the control group). The participants in the eye-staring group said they'd had a compelling experience unlike anything they'd felt before. Caputo thinks the facial hallucinations are a kind of rebound effect, as the participants in the eye-staring group returned to "reality" after dissociating.
Last Week At Science-Based Medicine Here is a recap of the stories that appeared last week at Science-Based Medicine, a multi-author skeptical blog that separates the science from the woo in medicine. NIH funds training in behavioral intervention to slow progression of cancer by improving the immune system (James Coyne) The NIH is funding training in psychoneuroimmunological interventions for cancer, questionable treatments based on flawed studies. This highlights the pseudoscience and heavy-handed politics in this field. There is no credible evidence that any psychosocial intervention reduces risk of cancer recurrence or improves survival. Andrew Weil/AAFP Article Rejected by Slate (Harriet Hall) Slate magazine asked Dr. CAM and Creationism: Separated at Birth? Trackback(0)