If you read
Geek Logik,
you may have found, at least for a while, that you lost control over your own decision-making ability.
There is a conversation about evolution that I’m apparently doomed to replay over and over with various family members, friends and acquaintances.
I tell a friend that the evidence for evolution is overwhelming - everywhere in biology you find the signature of evolution; in every little bizzare, unexpected nook of biology you find unmistakeable evidence that all life is related, descended from common ancestors that lived long ago and took forms that were very different from what we observe in today’s organisms. We swim in a deluge of evidence, and I’m baffled that anyone can disregard the pervasive stamp of evolution in nature.
Whoever I’m having this conversation with is equally baffled. How can I look around at the unparalleled complexity of nature, at the amazing adaptations possessed by millions of species, and think that this all came about through an unintelligent process?
Leading statistician Professor David Spiegelhalter claims today that the number of murders in London last year was not out of the ordinary and followed a predictable pattern. Spiegelhalter's report, published today in Significance, the magazine of the Royal Statistical Society, argues that shocking headline numbers are not as surprising as one might think.
Violence in London attracts headlines. After four people were murdered in separate incidents in London on July 10th, 2008, BBC correspondent Andy Tighe said "To have four fatal stabbings in one day could be a statistical freak." But could it? On July 28th thelondonpaper had the front-page headline: "London's murder count reaches 90". But Professor Spiegelhalter states that this number was predictable.
Two guest writers on Olivia Judson's blog offer
an interesting idea for spending stimulus money on research:
Instead of simply funding more grants, we suggest using some of the windfall to provide an opportunity for fresh college graduates to pursue two years of research in the nation’s service while the job market is bottoming out. Call it “Research for America.” Our proposal would put young Americans to work and support science — without setting off a later bust cycle in research support, as previous funding booms have done.
People have always been fascinated by bats, but mostly in their erratic flying and their bizarre habit of sleeping upside down. But landing with bad eyesight is not so easy either and a research team is the first to document the landing approaches of three species of bats — two that live in caves and one that roosts in trees. What they found was that bats landing are like people parallel parking their cars; we recognize it, but they don't all do it the same way.
Evolutionary theorist Alastair Clarke says eight patterns are the basis of all the humor that has ever been imagined or expressed, regardless of civilization, culture or personal taste.
That's right, if you thought you heard that Seinfeld joke before, it's because it is part of your collective unconscious.
Clarke has stated before that humor is based on the 'surprise' recognition of patterns but now he has gone further and identified the precise nature of the patterns involved, addressing the deceptively simple unit and context relationships at their foundation. His research goes on to demonstrate the universality of the theory by showing how these few basic patterns are recognized in more than a hundred different types of humor.
Researchers at the University of Florida have introduced 'Delicious', a new muscadine grape cultivar. 'Delicious' ripens early, produces high yields, and is disease-resistant. The black fruit features exceptional taste and texture with an edible skin, making it well-suited for fresh fruit consumption and the potential for wine production. The name 'Delicious' was selected based on the comments of vineyard visitors who sampled the fruit.
A new study published today in the journal Addiction shows that drinking alcohol is the greatest risk factor for acetaldehyde-related cancer. Heavy drinkers may be at increased risk due to exposure from multiple sources.
It seems that music has extraordinary magical powers. Famed for being able to tame wild beasts, set a romantic mood, keep you exercising for longer and make babies smarter, music has taken a multifaceted and complex role in our society. Our search for the panacea of our times may lie in your iPod.
