Benjamin Franklin’s phonetic alphabet

on 2013/05/16 in Articles, Culture & the World, History, Technology

Benjamin Franklin was many things. Politician, scientist, inventor, printer author, he was a visionary whose ideas helped shape America. But he also had some notions that, while founded on sound logic and pragmatism, seem quite bizarre in retrospect. For instance, there’s his suggestion that the turkey was a more appropriate national symbol than the eagle, which he saw as “a bird of bad moral character.” Franklin’s vision for American didn’t stop with independence and iconography. He also proposed a redesigned alphabet – a new language for a new nation.

10 new things science says about Moms

on 2013/05/15 in Articles, Culture & the World, Psychology & Health

Here then are 10 recent studies or surveys that give a bit more insight into the institution of 21st century moms.

Why music moves us

on in Biology & Chemistry, Culture & the World, Lectures, Psychology & Health

Why does music make us feel happy or sad? Or angry or romantic? How can simple sound waves cause so much emotion? I went from my comfy chair to the streets of Austin to investigate how it might be written into our neuroscience and evolution. Modern neuroscience says our brains may be wired to pick certain emotions out of music because they remind us of how people move!

25 famous numbers and why they are important

on in Culture & the World, Media, Psychology & Health

Ever since the development of arithmetic people have been fascinated with numbers. Some view them for their esoteric meaning while others see them through a mathematical eyes. Either way, numbers are everywhere and there is no way of escaping them. Some numbers, however, are found more often in our universe than others. These special numbers typically have some unique property that influenced us to add it to our list of 25 famous numbers and why they are important.

Macoto Murayama’s intricate blueprints of flowers

on 2013/05/14 in Articles, Biology & Chemistry, Culture & the World

The worlds of architecture and scientific illustration collided when Macoto Murayama was studying at Miyagi University in Japan. The two have a great deal in common, as far as the artist’s eye could see; both architectural plans and scientific illustrations are, as he puts it, “explanatory figures” with meticulous attention paid to detail.

Biofuels and bioprospecting for beginners

on in Biology & Chemistry, Culture & the World, Environment, Lectures, Technology

Biofuels can provide energy without the reliance on environmentally harmful fossils fuels — but scientists are still searching for a plentiful source. Craig A. Kohn demonstrates how cellulose, the naturally abundant tough walls of plant cells, might be the solution.

Illegal Numbers

on in Culture & the World, Lectures, Technology

An illegal number is a number that represents information which is illegal to possess, utter or propagate. Any piece of information is representable as a number, and therefore if the information itself is illegal in some way, the pure number itself may be illegal

Virus vs. Superbug – Fight!

on in Biology & Chemistry, Culture & the World, Lectures, Psychology & Health

We typically think of viruses as harmful. After all, they cause epidemics like influenza, smallpox and AIDS. But bacteriophages, the viruses that kill bacteria, may soon be coming to our rescue. Scientific American editor Anna Kuchment explains.

What phone companies are doing with all that data from your phone

on 2013/05/13 in Articles, Culture & the World, Technology

Cell phones are so many things now–computer, map, clock, calculator, camera, shopping device, concierge, and occasionally, a phone. But more than anything, that little device that never leaves your person is one amazingly prolific data engine.

How the human brain tracks a 100-mph fastball

on in Articles, Biology & Chemistry, Culture & the World

The one feat even more difficult than throwing a fastball, though, might be hitting one. There’s a 100 millisecond delay between the moment your eyes see an object and the moment your brain registers it. As a result, when a batter sees a fastball flying by at 100 mph, it’s already moved an additional 12.5 feet by the time his or her brain has actually registered its location.

Countries inside countries: bizarre borders (Part 1)

on 2013/05/12 in Culture & the World, History, Media

Scientists recreate Egyptian town Heracleion

on in Articles, Culture & the World, History, Technology

For centuries, the city of Heracleion believed to be a legend, one of the most important trade centers in the Mediterranean area before it disappeared 1,200 years ago, in area of the Bay of Aboukir, near Alexandria. Now has been brought back to the surface with the help of 3D.

3 rules to spark learning

on in Culture & the World, Lectures

It took a life-threatening condition to jolt chemistry teacher Ramsey Musallam out of ten years of “pseudo-teaching” to understand the true role of the educator: to cultivate curiosity. In a fun and personal talk, Musallam gives 3 rules to spark imagination and learning, and get students excited about how the world works.

My big fat european family: what genomics tell us about shared ancestors

on 2013/05/11 in Articles, Biology & Chemistry, Culture & the World, Psychology & Health

The study reveals that just about any two random people from anywhere in Europe, even those living on opposite sides of the continent, share hundreds of genetic ancestors from only 1,000 years ago. In fact, a person living in the United Kingdom shares a chunk of genomic material with someone living in Turkey 20 percent of the time.

78,000 applications for One-Way trip to Mars

on in Articles, Astronomy, Culture & the World, Technology

Mars One will set up a permanent human settlement on Mars in 2023, and in two weeks received 78,000applications for the One-Way trip to Mars.

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