http://en.unesco.org/events/world-philosophy-day-2014
Making Chemistry Green - NYTimes.com
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/11/10/opinion/making-chemistry-green.html?referrer=
Scientists, and Universe’s Odd Behavior, Are Recognized With $3 Million Prizes - NYTimes.com
There seem to be a lot of women (relatively) in this group of prize-winners.
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/11/10/us/scientists-and-universes-odd-behavior-are-recognized-with-dollar3-million-prizes.html?emc=edit_th_20141110&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=25414714&_r=0&referrer=
A Captured Ice Moon - Video - NYTimes.com
http://www.nytimes.com/video/science/100000003216395/a-captured-ice-moon.html?emc=edit_th_20141106&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=25414714
He’s Glad You Asked - NYTimes.com
super-silly questions actually help us understand problem-solving and complexity.
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/11/04/science/randall-munroe-the-creator-of-xkcd-explains-complexity-through-absurdity.html?referrer=
A Mathematical Thriller and an Exhibition of What Could Go Wrong - NYTimes.com
http://www.the-scientist.com//?articles.view/articleNo/41396/title/Genetic-Data-Clarify-Insect-Evolution/
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Genetic Data Clarify Insect Evolution | The Scientist Magazine®
Researchers create a phylogenetic tree of insects by comparing the sequences of 1,478 protein-coding genes among species.
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It was interesting to view the Ice Moon named Triton. I never knew that things could orbit backwards. I wonder how this orbit occurs? The orbiting backwards is very unique and think scientists should research more about planets or moons that may orbit the wrong way.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the idea of a heavenly body (in this case the ice moon of Triton) seems counterintuitive and should be researched more in the future. What's amazing to me is that we have developed satellites capable of reaching the far recesses of our own solar system. What was once only able to be seen only through the lens of a telescope or theorized about mathematically can now be observed "up close and personal" with the advent of new, increasingly sophisticated technologies. This allows us to move past mere models to develop deeper understandings of the workings of different celestial bodies.
DeleteAlso, I think that the idea of their being possible life under Triton's surface is really interesting and should motivate future space missions. Maybe we need to collect samples at some point to explore the possibility of life outside of our own planet? Only time and improved technology will be able to give us the answers we seek though.
Tritons backward orbit intrigued me. I also was unaware that moons could orbit backwards. Could this be because of Neptune's gravitational pull? Another article that interested me was the article discussing the prize money awarded for the discovery of dark energy. This discovery was monumental, especially because the two teams of astronomers received $36 million in prize money. I thought it was funny that Seth MacFarlane hosted the event in Mountain View, California. How do you go from hosting the Roast of David Hasselhoff and Charlie Sheen to hosting something as serious and ground breaking as the discovery of dark matter?
ReplyDeleteI also find the backwards orbit very interesting. I like your point with Seth MacFarlane. That is very funny and maybe it is an effort to spread interest in science. People know the man can entertain a wall, maybe bringing him in to this discovery had that intention.
DeleteWhile I don't know a lot about space, I was shocked to find out the Triton orbits backwards. I wonder how much information they have on that and why it occurs? I would love to find out.
ReplyDeleteI pulled this article from the "Current News" section on the side of the page. It talks about Mexico's plans to address climate change and reduce the impact of fossil fuels over the next decade or so. According to the article, Mexico has actually been fairly aggressive (at least in word) with its green initiative. The country is currently the 13th largest emitter of carbon dioxide (CO2) has recently made plans to reduce federal entity emissions of CO2 by a whopping 83 million tons between 2014 and 2018. While the public sector is making lofty promises, equivalent measures have yet to be seen within the private sector. Additionally, there is some concern about a possible lack of commitment by the Mexican government to meet their future goals. So far the Mexican government has talked a good game, but have yet to put their money and power where there mouth is. A fund to aid climate change initiatives was started in 2012, but has failed to receive any further funding outside of its initial $78,000 start-up. Likewise, incentives to develop renewable energy has (possibly) decreased because of intrenched interests and growing lack of political will within the government.
ReplyDeleteAll of this comes in the wake of growing climate disasters, which cost about $2.1 billion dollars a year and effect the lives of many Mexican farmers who are unable to support themselves (and their families) because of the unfavorable climate. Clearly action must be taken, but there are deep seated interests outside of the common good that have prevented sufficient action from occurring. It's a shame that money is needed to motivate scientific progress, not just the wellbeing of people and the environment. We kind of talked about this dark underbelly of science in class throughout the semester.. one that was motivated by material gain and not the good of mankind. Hopefully Mexico will carry through with its new green policies, helping not only its people, but the world as a whole.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/30/world/americas/as-mexico-addresses-climate-change-critics-point-to-shortcomings-.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0
The article about Randall Munroe, the creator of XKCD comics, was very interesting. Munroe asks very intriguing questions about science and how the world works. (especially relating these questions to physics and movies) For example, he asks about how much power an X-wing from Star Wars can generate. He then does some research and makes a few estimations so that he can create a physics calculation that can approximate the answers to his questions. He has written an entire book with these interesting questions and explains how he went about answering these questions. In the article, he explained that science can be more fun and interesting when you relate it to situations that people are interested in. I think that this statement is completely true because I know that I am way more likely to be focused on what I am learning if it is a topic that I am interested in.
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