Science

Oliver Sacks talks about what hallucination tells us about the brain

by

It’s windy today, and cold.  Well, not as much as it will be soon, but there’s a notable fall chill.  It feels like a learning kind of day.  In fact, I have my first arts reporting class tonight, and I’ve been reading about obituaries all day. And while drinking coffee at my desk, I came … Read more

Photos from the International Museum of Surgical Science

by

Today, Kat and I went to view the wonders on display at the International Museum of Surgical Science, here in Chicago. What an excellent way to spend an afternoon.  They have piles and piles of bonesaws.  Was everybody into amputation back in the olden days? Other highlights — a full recreation of a 19th century … Read more

Yudkowsky – A Technical Explanation of Technical Explanation

by

This came my way because of a thread on Less Wrong about recommended reading for new rationalists.  Eliezer Yudkowski is a very bright fellow, and this little quote comes from somewhat mathematical lesson on what constitutes a “technical explanation,” as opposed to a verbal explanation. “Remember Spock from Star Trek? Spock often says something along … Read more

Trip to Fermi Lab

by
The view from the 15th floor of the main Fermi Lab building
 

So on Friday, my health and science reporting class took a road trip to Fermi Lab, about an hour outside of Chicago.

They’ve got a particle collider there, and they smash protons and anti protons together to see what happens.

Over the years, they were responsible for the discovery of three primary particles, including the bottom and top quarks.

It was a fascinating trip, even though the weather was against us.  The campus is large, and primarily looks like prairie.  You wouldn’t know there was a particle collider there, unless you saw the huge earth birms from above.

Here’s a trailer for a PBS special that was filmed there called “The Atom Smashers”.  Bonus — the special was scored by Ghostly International’s Kate Simko.

Want to see some more pictures I took at Fermi?

Read more

Nano-writing technique leaves a very small impression

by

In April, scientists from Northwestern University published a new technique for drawing nano-scale structures on a surface, using an atomic force microscope.  In this video, the authors of the paper demonstrate and explain the technique and some of it’s potential applications. [podcast format=”video”]http://www.ianmonroe.com/flash_video/NANOFAB.flv[/podcast] Note: This story was first published on the Medill Reports website, on 5/14/2009. … Read more

Practicum week, or, slaving away in the science factories

by
Testing what polymers came out of the experiment with Emily Pentzer
�

So, I spent the last week working on a practicum assignment, which was basically to hang out with some scientists, and watch and learn what the day-to-day work looks like in the universe of nanotechnology.  Luckily, Northwestern University has one of the most advanced nanotech facilities in the nation, and I was lucky enough to get to spend the week with researchers there.

First of all, I should say that the entire experience was a made much more pleasant and practical by Denise Dooley, the outreach coordinator for the International Institute for Nanotechnology. She helped set up various meetings with scientists at the Institute, and arranged for me to observe several experiments by their researchers. She was quite helpful and very courteous through the entire experience, and I owe her a big thanks.

Want to know the gory details?  Hit the jump for more:

Read more

Digital media competition encourages educational experiments

by

Whether it’s mapping an ancient Roman burial route over time, constructing a homemade flashlight or learning how to make art from recycled materials, HASTAC and the MacArthur Foundation are helping fund the digital media experiments that could provide innovative learning opportunities for youngsters. In an effort to bring education up to speed with the digital … Read more

Artificially intelligent robot scientist makes discovery

by

Wow, this is awesome.  Some folks in England invented a robot that does science — from hypothesis, to testing, to conclusion — and it actually generated new knowledge autonomously!  Outstanding. “The scientists at Aberystwyth University and the University of Cambridge designed Adam to carry out each stage of the scientific process automatically without the need … Read more