http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/ Science as a way of life en Copyright 2010 Tue, 22 Jun 2010 04:20:57 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=4.32-en http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss scienceblogs/TheScientificIndianhttp://feedburner.google.com <p>So, the Archbishop of the Russian Orthodox Church wants <em>"the monopoly of Darwinism and the deceptive idea that science in general contradicts religion"</em> to end, just as his friends in the US. [<a href="http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2010/06/godless-communists-embrace-cre.html">New Scientist blog</a>]</p> <p>This is like saying we can't let cleverness have a monopoly, stupidity must have an equal saying in our lives. Excuse me while I knock my head on my desk so I can get stupid enough to understand this. </p> <p>Let us be clear. There is no relativism in some things: Creationism is stupid. Evolution is clever. <br /> However this Universe came into being, I would think that it was by some clever stuff rather than the stupid stuff. It takes a religious mind to turn a fine and clever universe to a stupid one.</p> <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/to_be_clever_or_stupid_that_is.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/TheScientificIndian/~4/1lrFINpflkw" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/scienceblogs/TheScientificIndian/~3/1lrFINpflkw/to_be_clever_or_stupid_that_is.php http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/to_be_clever_or_stupid_that_is.php Prime Stream Tue, 22 Jun 2010 04:20:57 -0500 http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/to_be_clever_or_stupid_that_is.php <p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhopal_disaster">Bhopal.</a> </p> <div style="align: right;"><img src="http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/upload/2010/06/bigger_than_the_us_oil_spill/bhopal.jpg" width="466" height="300" alt="bhopal.jpg"/></div> <p>The <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8727881.stm">recent court verdict</a> is a horrid reflection on the fundamental indecency of humanity. 7000 dead and 25 years later a verdict that is all but a fucking whitewash, thanks to Union Carbide, a US company. American tragedies sink the hearts of everyone everywhere. Their president knows which ass to kick (btw, half of BP directors are american so half the ass to be kicked is made of sons of the soil). That's good. Meanwhile let us not forget the people of Bhopal who are still waiting for justice. </p> <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/bigger_than_the_us_oil_spill.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/TheScientificIndian/~4/lMKP8pJQIlI" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/scienceblogs/TheScientificIndian/~3/lMKP8pJQIlI/bigger_than_the_us_oil_spill.php http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/bigger_than_the_us_oil_spill.php Behind Curtains Fri, 18 Jun 2010 16:57:06 -0500 http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/bigger_than_the_us_oil_spill.php <p><a href="http://edge.org/discourse/mind_media.html">Douglas Rushkoff responding to Steven Pinker at Edge.org</a>: <blockquote> Facebook -- as a way for college kids to meet and greet one another -- was a terrific program. As a mirror through which young people forge an identity, however, the program is lacking the nuance of real life. Facebook -- more than a program to be feared for its code -- is a business plan to be feared for its ubiquity. The object of Facebook is to monetize social interactions. This is the bias of the program, and a bias of which most people are painfully unaware.</blockquote></p> <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/whats_terrifying_about_faceboo.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/TheScientificIndian/~4/FrdYFcRxxlk" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/scienceblogs/TheScientificIndian/~3/FrdYFcRxxlk/whats_terrifying_about_faceboo.php http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/whats_terrifying_about_faceboo.php Prime Stream Fri, 18 Jun 2010 09:39:33 -0500 http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/whats_terrifying_about_faceboo.php <p>Is he really that accurate?</p> <p><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xYjFoCIfyAU&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xYjFoCIfyAU&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object></p> <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/nice_ad.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/TheScientificIndian/~4/Wl9xPNFUcks" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/scienceblogs/TheScientificIndian/~3/Wl9xPNFUcks/nice_ad.php http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/nice_ad.php Creative commons Wed, 16 Jun 2010 05:56:30 -0500 http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/nice_ad.php <p><a href="http://desipundit.com/">Signed-off with an apt message.</a> </p> <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/desipundit_no_more.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/TheScientificIndian/~4/PRFDIYPvWzI" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/scienceblogs/TheScientificIndian/~3/PRFDIYPvWzI/desipundit_no_more.php http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/desipundit_no_more.php Behind Curtains Tue, 15 Jun 2010 11:22:17 -0500 http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/desipundit_no_more.php <p>Apparently there may not be just one God particle but perhaps five of 'em. Shall we say physicists are testing Many Gods Hypothesis. <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/science_and_environment/10313875.stm">See this Beebs report.</a> </p> <p><img src="http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/upload/2010/06/many_gods_hypothesis/turtle.jpg" width="200" height="339" alt="turtle.jpg"/> <br /> Here's a question that has assailed our collective primate head all through its history: <em>Do truly fundamental constituents of matter exist or is it turles all the way?</em> Some ancient Greeks took a bold and bogus stand. They abstracted the idea as Atom and said it's the end of all matter splitting but we now know better (or maybe not). We have been continuing that splitting tradition. Is it possible to think that there are no fundamental constituents and still do meaningful physics? </p> <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/many_gods_hypothesis.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/TheScientificIndian/~4/IUNlnaDNYO8" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/scienceblogs/TheScientificIndian/~3/IUNlnaDNYO8/many_gods_hypothesis.php http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/many_gods_hypothesis.php Prime Stream Tue, 15 Jun 2010 09:51:10 -0500 http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/many_gods_hypothesis.php <p>TheScian Science Fiction Anthology - a collectible very first paperback edition is now available for purchase. </p> <p><strong>For eye-candy, preview and to buy visit the <a href="http://www.thescian.com/sf-book/">book page</a>.</strong></p> <p><a href="http://test.thescian.com/sf-book/"><img src="http://www.thescian.com/sf-book/images/cover-front.png" /></a></p> <p>Shipping to US is 2-3 days (one day with Amazon Prime), to Europe and UK takes about 5 days. Kindle eBook edition and an Indian paperback edition will be available in a few weeks if you don't want to spend more on shipping. That said, I think you'll enjoy this 150 page volume more on real paper.</p> <p><a href="http://twitter.com/thescianbooks">Follow us on Twitter</a> where we talk about books, publishing and more. <em>(How do you handle spam on twitter? I just created the account and already have some strange followers.)</em></p> <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/science_fiction_anthology_book.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/TheScientificIndian/~4/NZ23YoE0KQc" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/scienceblogs/TheScientificIndian/~3/NZ23YoE0KQc/science_fiction_anthology_book.php http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/science_fiction_anthology_book.php Creative commons Tue, 15 Jun 2010 03:56:09 -0500 http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/science_fiction_anthology_book.php <p>A <a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18999-binge-drinking-rots-teen-brains.html">New Scientist note</a> (points to PNAS paper): <blockquote>Post-mortems of binge-drinking adolescent monkeys have produced the best evidence yet that heavy drinking at an early age can do lasting damage to the brain. </p> <p>The worst damage was to stem cells destined to become neurons in the hippocampus, the brain area responsible for memory and spatial awareness.</blockquote></p> <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/binge_drinking_makes_you_an_id.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/TheScientificIndian/~4/peEGREMx5K8" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/scienceblogs/TheScientificIndian/~3/peEGREMx5K8/binge_drinking_makes_you_an_id.php http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/binge_drinking_makes_you_an_id.php Prime Stream Thu, 10 Jun 2010 12:52:23 -0500 http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/binge_drinking_makes_you_an_id.php <p>Over the weekend dug and tilled a patch of land in the garden to plant some herbs. It took an hour and the effort was rewarded with a rich harvest of pebbles, worms and roots of various sizes that ran underground like highways carrying nutrients to far away places (one can imagine trees as cities here, the analogy seems to fit quite well). Just beneath one's feet lurks a world that we are oblivious to most of the time. Sometimes, to feel human, we must plant our feet an inch into the ground and let our head and shoulders soak in the air and sun.</p> <p>I planted sage, peppermint (top) and basil, thyme (bottom).<br /> <div style="align: center;"><img src="http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/upload/2010/06/the_world_beneath_our_feet/herbs.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="herbs.jpg"/></div></p> <p>A few earthworms are exposed and wriggle on the solid clumps unable to get back into their dark damp world. I bury them so they can live. Daughter wants to hold an earthworm in hand. I place one on her palm, she admires it and drops it in a hurry when it starts moving. I am reminded of a poem by Seamus Heaney called <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2009/04/poem_digging_by_seamus_heaney.php">Digging.</a> </p> <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/the_world_beneath_our_feet.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/TheScientificIndian/~4/DMxZ2KrYYv8" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/scienceblogs/TheScientificIndian/~3/DMxZ2KrYYv8/the_world_beneath_our_feet.php http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/the_world_beneath_our_feet.php Creative commons Wed, 09 Jun 2010 04:43:33 -0500 http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/the_world_beneath_our_feet.php <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/05/the-burger-lab-how-to-make-perfect-mcdonalds-style-french-fries.html">A fabulous article on potato fries at Serious Eats.</a> For the sheer depth and mad commitment, this is surely one of the best food hacking I have come across so far this year. </p> <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/tinkering_with_potato_fries.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/TheScientificIndian/~4/fFgSAoHzbCE" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/scienceblogs/TheScientificIndian/~3/fFgSAoHzbCE/tinkering_with_potato_fries.php http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/tinkering_with_potato_fries.php Creative commons Mon, 07 Jun 2010 08:17:20 -0500 http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/tinkering_with_potato_fries.php <p><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8339647.stm">A report on BBC on a psychology study done in Australia.</a> <blockquote>The University of New South Wales researcher says a grumpy person can cope with more demanding situations than a happy one because of the way the brain "promotes information processing strategies".</blockquote> Information processing strategies! That rings the bullshit bell in my grumpy head, loudly and clearly. I don't intend to discredit the study. It is unfortunate that everything in psychology seems questionable. Many of these studies appear misleading even when they may lead us down a useful path. That's this subject's bane. </p> <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/feeling_grumpy_is_good_for_you.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/TheScientificIndian/~4/c5DkBA7Wh4g" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/scienceblogs/TheScientificIndian/~3/c5DkBA7Wh4g/feeling_grumpy_is_good_for_you.php http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/feeling_grumpy_is_good_for_you.php Prime Stream Thu, 03 Jun 2010 05:12:12 -0500 http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/feeling_grumpy_is_good_for_you.php <p>Watched the match between Soderling and Federer. Soderling is a brute, and he played a brilliant game. Distastefully aggressive play that never let Federer in the game.</p> <p>A quick tech note that may be of some interest to geeks. I am at a place where there is no TV and no broadband internet. I carry a vodaphone mobile internet dongle to use in such places. Unfortunately, the dongle does not have linux support (I run Ubuntu on my laptop). Still, it is possible to read the dongle in Ubuntu and work out the username, password and other details to make use of the dongle (it's just a mobile phone with no call voice calling, that's all). So I did and here we are. Connected to the internets from Ubuntu using a vodaphone dongle.</p> <p>While on geek things, there's one other thing. The subscription on eurosport.co.uk that I have only works with Windows media player for streaming. But then, the latest VLC Player can catch windows media stream (Gnome Mplayer doesn't do audio well) and since the eurosport folks use a simple url token for authentication, it was not too hard to sort that out and stream the video through to VLC.</p> <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/watching_french_open_1.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/TheScientificIndian/~4/IBTPKrwI6sw" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/scienceblogs/TheScientificIndian/~3/IBTPKrwI6sw/watching_french_open_1.php http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/watching_french_open_1.php Behind Curtains Wed, 02 Jun 2010 05:01:56 -0500 http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/06/watching_french_open_1.php <p>A little poem I wrote for the little ones (5 year old niece Nethra and 2 1/2 year old daughter Nidhi). </p> <p><big><big><strong>Small Finger of a Lady Singer</strong><br /> <em>I am the small finger<br /> Of a lovely lady singer.<br /> When her voice goes south<br /> She puts me in her mouth<br /> Or strikes up a pose<br /> And puts me in her nose.</em></big></big></p> <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/05/small_finger_of_a_lady_singer.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/TheScientificIndian/~4/ObKDHA9_DkY" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/scienceblogs/TheScientificIndian/~3/ObKDHA9_DkY/small_finger_of_a_lady_singer.php http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/05/small_finger_of_a_lady_singer.php Creative commons Wed, 26 May 2010 11:58:28 -0500 http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/05/small_finger_of_a_lady_singer.php <p>Behold this book title: <strong>Traveller's Manual for French Persons in Germany and German Persons in France.</strong> Such clarity of purpose! This was a French-German phrase book Published in 1799 in France by one Caroline-Stephanie-Felicite Du Crest de Saint-Aubin.</p> <p>Learnt about this remarkable manual from another more contemporary book I have been reading, <em>The Discovery of France</em> by Graham Robb, a brilliant and engaging exploration of France and Frenchness.</p> <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/05/travellers_manual.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/TheScientificIndian/~4/qOuWb3Effvg" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/scienceblogs/TheScientificIndian/~3/qOuWb3Effvg/travellers_manual.php http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/05/travellers_manual.php Creative commons Wed, 26 May 2010 04:36:26 -0500 http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/05/travellers_manual.php <p>I hear this phrase often from people and immediately start wondering if their normal mode of speech is dishonesty and in this instance they are favoring me with honesty.</p> <p>The phrase itself is usually just a verbal tick--a watered down conspirational tone--to draw others to one's side. To be honest, it is best avoided.</p> <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/05/actually_to_be_honest.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/TheScientificIndian/~4/TWo1dqM6-1o" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/scienceblogs/TheScientificIndian/~3/TWo1dqM6-1o/actually_to_be_honest.php http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/05/actually_to_be_honest.php Creative commons Fri, 21 May 2010 07:21:20 -0500 http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2010/05/actually_to_be_honest.php