Category Archives: Science

Paean to Science Communicators

by Jesse Galef
As you have probably realized by now, I have a deep appreciation for the majesty of the universe and great admiration for those who can express and communicate it well.  I grew up watching Bill Nye instead of Carl Sagan, but they can both make me smile and inspire a sense of wonder.  [...]

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How Observant Are You?

by Jesse Galef
I’m always astounded at how poor data-gathering devices we humans are.  Forget all the hallucinations and misinterpretations, we simply don’t notice or retain most of what happens around us.  Here’s a great demonstration (via Richard Wiseman’s blog)

I was pretty pathetic. How did you all do?
This is one of the reasons we developed [...]

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Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Contagious Enthusiasm

by Jesse Galef
Those of you who also follow my posts at FriendlyAtheist know I’m a huge fan of Neil deGrasse Tyson. I think he’s an excellent science communicator and role model. He’s so enthusiastic about science and he makes others interested through his exuberance.
Back story (taken from the youtube info):
TIME recently went to interview [...]

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Aliens vs Demons

by Jesse Galef
Can you tell the difference between Aliens and Demons?  If you were visited in the night by an intelligent, non-human entity, could you really distinguish between them?  (In a sidenote I’m not addressing right now, how would you know the voice in your head is God and not a tricky demon?  How do [...]

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Super Monkey Collider Loses Funding

This is a huge setback for scientific research:
Congress voted Monday to cut federal funding for the superconducting monkey collider, a controversial experiment which has cost taxpayers an estimated $7.6 billion a year since its creation in 1983.
The collider, which was to be built within a 45-mile-long circular tunnel, would accelerate monkeys to near-light speeds before [...]

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Evolution Is a Fact

Richard Dawkins explains why evolution is a fact beyond reasonable doubt in his latest book, The Greatest Show On Earth:
Evolution is a fact. Beyond reasonable doubt, beyond serious doubt, beyond sane, informed, intelligent doubt evolution is a fact. The evidence for evolution is at least as strong for the evidence for the Holocaust, even allowing [...]

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How Much Power Does The Human Brain Require To Operate?

A lot, at least if we were to replicate it with our current technology:
According to Kwabena Boahen, a computer scientist at Stanford University, a robot with a processor as smart as the human brain would require at least 10 megawatts to operate. That’s the amount of energy produced by a small hydroelectric plant. But a [...]

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Praying Mantis Eats Grasshopper

Just be thankful they’re small.

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