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Sexism In Math Education: A Feminist Sociology Journal Finds Some

Sexism In Math Education: A Feminist Sociology Journal Finds Some

Apr 09 2012 | comment(s)

During the educational reform efforts of the No Child Left Behind Act, females achieved parity with males on math tests for the first time in history, yet stereotypes die hard.  Some people think females are just not as good at math.  Is there truth to it?
Euphorbia tirucalli L.: has medicinal properties also.

Euphorbia tirucalli L.: has medicinal properties also.

Apr 09 2012 | comment(s)

Euphorbia tirucalli L.: Family: Euphorbiaceae Genus: Euphorbia Species: tirucalli, insulana Common names: English: Indian tree spurge, Milk hedge, Petroleum-plant, aveloz, milk bush, pencil tree, Sehund, Thohra, and Konpal-sehnd. E. tirucalli is a succulent cactus-like plant growing to a height of about 10 m. It was introduced from Africa as a garden plant; and it is now naturalized in tropical areas and rainforests in the Amazon, Madagascar, and South Africa. The main trunk and branches are woody and brown, but the younger branches are green and cylindrical, looking like many pencils and earning the plant its common name - pencil tree. Leaves are minute and are shed early, and the function of the leaves is taken over by the green branches.
Why There Is More Matter Than Antimatter

Why There Is More Matter Than Antimatter

Apr 09 2012 | comment(s)

Matter annihilates antimatter, mostly resulting in light (no, not “pure energy”, whatever that is supposed to be). Matter and antimatter can also come into existence together via a process that is the reverse of annihilation. Yet our universe has almost no antimatter. How can such be if they come into existence in exactly equal amounts, each particle together with its antiparticle?


What Blindsight Can Tell Us About The Architecture Of The Brain

What Blindsight Can Tell Us About The Architecture Of The Brain

Apr 09 2012 | comment(s)

Everyone has heard of hindsight - where the context of past events is much clearer in memory than they were at the time - but a new study of the blindsight phenomenon, where a person is cortically blind yet they can still discriminate visual information without any awareness, could make the architecture of the brain a lot clearer. 

Toward that end, Tony Ro, a neuroscientist at the City College of New York, is artificially recreating blindsight in his lab. Sound scary? Just wait.
Pick Four: Gravity, Quantum, Length, Width, Depth

Pick Four: Gravity, Quantum, Length, Width, Depth

Apr 09 2012 | comment(s)

In my late teenage years I grew fond of Scientific American. Although language caused a barrier, and while I could digest and understand only some of the articles, the popscience presented opened my eyes to exciting developments and invited me to study further the subjects presented.

These days, many years later, I still glance through the magazine, but generally with less enthusiasm. Today's editions seem packed with rather superficial information, and the articles tend to be less inviting towards further studies. Yet, once in a while, a hidden jewel attracts my attention. Such is the case this month with an article by Steve Carlip from UC Davis. Subject is quantum gravity. Quantum gravity in a pancake universe, that is. 
A Stroll in the park with Bente

A Stroll in the park with Bente

Apr 08 2012 | comment(s)

As I had announced in my blog, I spent four days in Oslo before Easter, visiting museums with my kids and my fiancee, and enjoying the place -new to all of us.
Californians Worry About Extreme Genetic Engineering

Californians Worry About Extreme Genetic Engineering

Apr 08 2012 | comment(s)

What happens when genomics and synthetic biology labs get together?  Anti-science people flip out.  Because, you know, anti-science hippies think scientists are inhuman crazies without families who only care about breaking the laws of nature (maniacal laugh).
Eileen Riley-Hall’s Parenting Girls On The Autism Spectrum

Eileen Riley-Hall’s Parenting Girls On The Autism Spectrum

Apr 08 2012 | comment(s)


As almost every parent of an autistic child knows, there is no shortage of books out there on autism, but true gems are rare. Eileen Riley-Hall’s new book Parenting Girls on the Autism Spectrum is just that, though, a true gem and a must-have book for anyone with daughters on the spectrum.
Parenting Girls on the Autism Spectrum
Bad Advice And Bombs

Bad Advice And Bombs

Apr 07 2012 | comment(s)

A few months ago, I read Electric Universe by David Bodanis (ISBN 1400045509).  There are two chapters on radar during the Second World War, #7 dealing with Britain’s defences and #8 dealing with the area bombing of Germany, a tactic down to ‘Bomber’ Harris, which to this day gives rise to doubt in Britain, such that we feel a conflict between honouring the bomber crews who sustained the heaviest proportional loss of all our armed forces, and disturbance at the methods of their commander, who went for mass

Heart Attacks Caused By Viewing Soccer Matches - The Science

Heart Attacks Caused By Viewing Soccer Matches - The Science

Apr 07 2012 | comment(s)

“Viewing a stressful soccer match more than doubles the risk of an acute cardiovascular event.”

This disturbing conclusion was published in a 2008 study based on data regarding 4,279 Bavarian medical emergency cases. The number, and character, of adverse cardiovascular events which occurred during the FIFA World Cup (held in Germany from June 9 to July 9, 2006) were compared with those in a control period. Not only was there double the incidence of cardiac problems, but their time of onset starkly correlated with the beginning of the matches. [see graph at right]

Michigan Grad Students Can't Unionize

Michigan Grad Students Can't Unionize

Apr 06 2012 | comment(s)

If you get into a Ph.D. program, are you there to learn and do research, like an academic, or are you there to earn a wage, like a corporate researcher?  Basically, are you still a student or are you an employee?

A group of Michigan students who had sought to unionize a year ago has been denied. A few weeks back, Gov. Rick Snyder signed legislation clarifying that graduate student research assistants are not public employees as recognized by the state Public Employment Relations Act. So they can't form a union.
Global Warming In 12,000 B.C.

Global Warming In 12,000 B.C.

Apr 06 2012 | comment(s)

A dramatic sea-level rise occurred at the onset of the first warm period of the last deglaciation, known as the Bølling warming, approximately 14,600 years ago. This event, referred to as Melt-Water Pulse 1A (MWP-1A), corresponds to a rapid collapse of massive ice sheets 14,600 years ago and resulted in global sea-level rise of ~14 m. 

The Tahiti Sea-Level Expedition 310 of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) was carried out in 2005 by the European Consortium for Ocean Research Drilling (ECORD) and the ECORD Science Operator (ESO) on behalf of IODP. 
Interplanetary Colonization: I Don't Think So

Interplanetary Colonization: I Don't Think So

Apr 06 2012 | comment(s)

Periodically it seems that the subject comes up regarding human colonization of space and then all manner of problems and difficulties are discussed with various people taking their respective sides on the physics that's possible and what isn't.

However, I would offer a different perspective on this and argue that it isn't a physics problem.  This isn't about speed, about time, or about energy, although these are problems.  The problem is about biology.

More specifically, the problem is about the passengers we have to take.  Not humans, not embryos, or not some cryogenically preserved individuals.  The problem is bacteria.
News Mob: A Flash Mob With Actual Value

News Mob: A Flash Mob With Actual Value

Apr 06 2012 | comment(s)

Usually, when the majority of reporters in a newsroom rallies around coverage of a single story or event something really big is breaking. Maybe a mass shooting, a tsunami, or a terrorist attack.

Or, if you happen to work for the Orange County Register, it’s opening day for the Los Angeles Angels — April 6, 2012 — and you’re part of the newspaper’s first official “news mob.”

So what exactly does an Angels news mob cover?
Future Versus Past: Google Searches Correlated To GDP

Future Versus Past: Google Searches Correlated To GDP

Apr 06 2012 | comment(s)

Countries with a higher per capita gross domestic product (GDP) are more likely to have searches for information about the future than information about the past, according to an analysis of Google search queries in Scientific Reports.

Is there a link between online behavior and real-world economic indicators?  Maybe.
Mystery Of Modeling Sand - Part Fluid, Part Solid

Mystery Of Modeling Sand - Part Fluid, Part Solid

Apr 06 2012 | comment(s)

Sand is so fundamental it seems simple - like a magnetic field, just because an industry is built around something doesn't mean we understand it - but granular material like sand is actually tricky to model. From a distance, flowing sand resembles a liquid, streaming down the center of an hourglass like water from a faucet, but up close individual grains slide against each other, forming a mound at the base that holds its shape, much like a solid. 
Guar gum from Cyamopsis tetragonoloba : a success story of Professor Randhawa at IIT, Roorkie.

Guar gum from Cyamopsis tetragonoloba : a success story of Professor Randhawa at IIT, Roorkie.

Apr 06 2012 | comment(s)

"This gum prevents ice crystal formation and also creates the smooth, silky sheen in shampoos.
Baseball, Beanballs And The Psychology Of Revenge

Baseball, Beanballs And The Psychology Of Revenge

Apr 06 2012 | comment(s)

It's baseball season.  That means some time this week you are sure to witness the following; a pitcher hits a player with the ball.  The opposing pitcher retaliates by hitting another player with a ball.  The benches look like they are about to clear, an umpire will issue a warning (or not) and things will escalate until, surely, a fight breaks out.

The Iron Dice of World War I and the many mysteries of how it actually came to fighting has nothing on the psychological machinations of America's national pastime.
Teaching Skepticism In Science Classes Instead Of Facts

Teaching Skepticism In Science Classes Instead Of Facts

Apr 06 2012 | comment(s)

Every few years, an international test is given and American students finish in the middle of the pack.  They went up during the 2000s but American kids have never been at the top - international students learn facts and American kids learn 'how to think'. Americans were 11th out of 12 countries taking the international assessment the first time it was given in the early 1960s.  They are not testing what American students are learning.

Given the rampant criticism educators, the government and students get from cultural pundits ('dismal', 'being left behind', etc.) each time one of those assessments is given, it seems like a non-starter to try and change education to teach more critical thinking.
Remeber National Flag and remain healthy ?

Remeber National Flag and remain healthy ?

Apr 06 2012 | comment(s)

In a meeting at Varanasi one emienent scientist pointed out that remember the nantional flag of India and remain healthy.I have due respect and regards to whatever meaning was ascribed to our founders of the nation but this write up is for associating the national flad colours to health food. I want to share with you what he said. He said our Natoinal flag has three colours 1. Kesaria ( somewhat reddish orange) at the top row. 2. White in the middle row 3. Green in the lower row 4. A spoke in the centre. Our body needs a variety of vitamins, minerals , and nutrients and what he said that if we take all these three colours in our diet regularly meaning thereby that a. Take orange, reddish , or coloured fruits which contain high amount of flavonoids and other vitamins .