Last posts on Science

'Mexican Waves'

2008-09-21T03:37:11+02:00

Giant Honeybees Use Shimmering 'Mexican Waves' To Repel Predatory Wasps!The phenomenon of "shimmering" in giant honeybees, in which hundreds—or even thousands—of individual honeybees flip their abdomens upwards within a split-second to produce a Mexican Wave-like pattern across the bee nest, has received much interest but both its precise mode of action and its purpose have long remained a mystery.The shimmering—a remarkable capacity of rapid communication in giant honeybees—acts as a defensive mechanism, which repels predatory hornets, forcing them to hunt free-flying bees, further afield, rather than foraging bees directly from the honeybee nest.Shimmering relies on the unique principles of information transfer and is a compelling example of self organization. Further study could potentially provide insights for a range of hot topics in the biology of social systems, such as in cooperation, task partitioning, or collective decision-making, with possible implications for the study of social communication and social defense.more...

The Hadron Collider

2008-09-10T21:55:00+02:00

Geneva, 10 September 2008. The first beam in the Large Hadron Collider at CERN was successfully steered around the full 27 kilometres of the world’s most powerful particle accelerator at 10h28 this morning. This historic event marks a key moment in the transition from over two decades of preparation to a new era of scientific discovery.Starting up a major new particle accelerator takes much more than flipping a switch. Thousands of individual elements have to work in harmony, timings have to be synchronized to under a billionth of a second, and beams finer than a human hair have to be brought into head-on collision. Today’s success puts a tick next to the first of those steps, and over the next few weeks, as the LHC’s operators gain experience and confidence with the new machine, the machine’s acceleration systems will be brought into play, and the beams will be brought into collision to allow the research program to begin.LHC experiments will also try to probe the mysterious dark matter of the universe – visible matter seems to account for just 5% of what must exist, while about a quarter is believed to be dark matter. They will investigate the reason for nature's preference for matter over antimatter, and they will probe matter as it existed at the very beginning of time.more...

Preparing to rescue Hubble

2008-09-09T18:10:00+02:00

The Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to launch next month (October 8th), carrying new instruments, batteries and gyroscopes to the Hubble Space Telescope. This will be the final servicing mission to Hubble, the 30th flight of the 23-year old Atlantis, and one of the final 10 flights of the Space Shuttle program, which will be retired in 2010. Even though Shuttle launches may seem to have become commonplace, their preparation and execution is still a months-long process, requiring the work and diligence of thousands to make sure the aging, complex systems are all in perfect condition for launch. Here are some photos of the ongoing preparations for the launch of this mission, STS-125, some of the people involved in making it work, and the crew, who will assume the risks to help keep Hubble alive.see more pictures...

Buddhism and science

2007-03-28T18:26:40+02:00

Buddhism, the only real science

Venerable Ajahn Brahmavamso Mahathera

I used to be a scientist. I did Theoretical Physics at Cambridge University, hanging out in the same building as the later-to-be-famous Professor Stephen Hawking. I became disillusioned with such science when, as an insider, I saw how dogmatic some scientists could be. A dogma, according to the dictionary, is an arrogant declaration of an opinion.

Night Falls

2006-09-20T21:49:15+02:00

Will we go quietly into the deep dark night?I am asking this question because it seems to me that America is on the verge of falling into the Dark Ages. I am sure that the Romans never felt like their empire would crumble, but it did. It took a while as the thinking and questioning of the Greek intellectuals was replaced by the non-questioning anti-intellectual religious that came to lead the Roman Empire into the Dark Middle Ages.Yesterday, I was startled by a comment on my recent “Global Warming” post. The commenter, that I regard as quite thoughtful on many subjects, wrote, “it comes as no surprise there would be disagreement on such a politicized issue as global warming.” He went on to suggest that bureaucrats tended to be left leaning Democrats, therefore it would be natural that government scientists would promote the idea of Global Warming.This sentiment should frighten us all.First of all we should examine why we have government scientists at all. Is it because each issue needs to create a means to support its pre-determined agenda? If that is the case, then we should not have government scientists at all. Each political party should just pay additional science consultants to create their personal fiction to support their own ideas. Of course this is stupid from the point of view of an American citizen, but not the politician. No, Americans have government scientists for the same reason they have government intelligence agencies and government ambassadors. Government scientists among the many things that they do they look at the science and determine the risks of policy on our country, and based on those risks they offer suggestions for policy proposals and the risks of those policy proposals. If the scientists are influenced by the politics, then their assessment of the risks are as flaw as the CIA’s intelligence on the WMDs in Iraq.The charter of government is to provide security, and if the risks are not studied in a fair non-political light the policy based on those assessments will certainly be flawed.So, to think that government scientists are mainly left leaning Democrats flies in the face of the entire point of having government scientists at all.But, it is easy to see how someone might come to this conclusion in a culture that is moving further away from science. When I was in college during one of those late night philosophical discussions that generally involve a bit of alcohol a friend told me that she had no idea how a TV worked. Well, I knew a bit about how a TV worked and I offered to explain it to her, but she told me that she didn’t care because she was happy to believe that it all worked by magic. And, I realized that I was in the minority and she was in the majority of the American people.However, if we begin to fall back on the idea that we don’t care how things work and we can imagine them working by some mysterious magic called “science” we are not to far away from the dark ages. Because if we don’t think about how things work, we can easily begin to mix up the ideas of science and the fantasy ideas of magic that are removed by impossibility from the truth. And, if we allow our minds to intermingle these concepts based in reality and these concepts based in fiction our culture will be more susceptible to leaders who justify their actions with fiction and lies.Perhaps that is the true reason we now find ourselves under the power of this regime, the extreme right wing coalition of neo-cons and fundamentalist Christians. These people have an agenda and they only need to search for the justification. They discredit science as a rule so that they can pick the things that they like, but then they can deny the rest as “only a theory” or “inconclusive.” Aristotle was the main scientific philosopher of ancient Greece. His work was based on observation of the world around him and reasoning that allowed him to understand that the world was round long before Christopher Columbus. He estimated the circumference of the Earth by measuring the difference in the length of a shadow cast by the sun at noon on uniform sticks placed in two different locations across the Mediterranean Sea from each other. But, the works of Aristotle were lost in the burning of the libraries brought on by the religious leaders. If it weren’t for the Muslim clerics who found value in these writings we may have never heard of Aristotle today.Similarly, if we lose the culture of scientific inquiry our people will be doomed to memorize texts and believe what they read without questioning. If these religious zealots that continue to plant seeds of doubt in the general public continue to grow in strength everything we know about the world will gradually be lost. If the value of science continues to be reduced our children will be pushed away from pure science.In fact, I have heard arguments from the right claiming that only science with a known economic benefit should be pursued. But, if you know that it has economic benefit, then it isn’t science anymore, it is called engineering. Engineering uses what science has discovered and applies that to known problems. And, if we push our children away from pure science this “new” knowledge will not exist for the engineers who want to build “new” projects. Engineers will eventually be reduced to repeating old engineering ideas over and over again. Progress will only be made by accident, instead of by applying “new” science. And, slowly we will become a stagnant culture relying on other cultures to provide “new” things for us.Even the fall into the Dark Ages wasn’t instantaneous. And, I wouldn’t expect America’s fall to be any different. Those scientists that are alive today will continue to use the science that they know and understand. They will continue to publish their work, but fewer young people will read their work. And over time these scientific reports and papers will have less influence on the American culture. Things on the fringe will be the first to be lost, but as time goes on fewer people will be able to understand more common things like Particle Physics, General Relativity, Physical Chemistry and Organic Chemistry. Some ideas about genetics will continue, because with the birth of every baby the parents look for the influence of genetics. But, the idea of evolution will certainly disappear from the main culture. Instead conversations will center on the idea that the different races must have descended from the different sons of Noah, or some other malarkey.People will be happy to know that the wizards at Apple will continue to recite the incantations to create the same iPod that has existed for a hundred years, but it still plays the same 10,000 songs, because someone lost the recipe for downloading new ones. -----------------------------------------------------

Don't forget what Stephen Colbert said, "Reality has a well-known liberal bias."Cross Posted @ Bring It On, tblog, Blogger and BlogSpirit
Politics, Science, Religion, History, Global Warming

How to win a Nobel Prize

2006-07-11T00:40:00+02:00

It's almost time for me to find another job now. After the high-risk career-suicidal decision I made last time, I really have to think hard this time round. Something that'll last for the next ten/twenty years... something that's hot enough to give me a tenure position... But how? How do people decide?Which field to revolutionize?Which paradigm to shift?Which disease to cure?Trying again to fly b4 I grow wings, I naturally wander to nobelprize.org...First Ever Antibiotic - Penicillin: Alexander Fleming: MouldAction Potential: Hodgkin+Huxley: Giant SquidCut & Paste Gene Splicing: Phillip Sharp: AdenovirusMemory: Eric Kandel: Sea SnailProgram Cell Death - Apoptosis: Sydney Brenner: RoundwormJumping Gene - Transposon: Barbara McClintock: MaizeCell Cycle: Paul Nurse: YeastEmbryo Development: Ed Lewis: Fruit FlyPrions: Stan Prusiner: RodentsBone Marrow Transplant: Donnall Thomas: DogsSo here we have the answer to "How to win a Nobel Prize?"."Choose the right animal!!!"

Preason OR Has Science gone mad?

2006-06-08T07:40:00+02:00

I know there is no such word as preason... But there is prison and there is reason... And by combining you can reach the status of some modern scientists. Let me explain my line of thinking!I was reading the other day a respectable science book referring to vision and how art is perceived by the brain... The excerpt I am referring to goes more or less like this:"But why do we need to see?"The author after saying how some others might answer this question gives the following answer..."We see in order to have the ability to acquire knowledge about the world".And why do I feel offended by such an explanation? Why do I think reason is a prison when trying to expain the inexplicable?The truth is I find it hard to believe that any human could possible have the answer of "why do we need to see". Maybe I would listen to somebody offering an explanation like that if he/she said that he had contact with more intelligent extra terrestrials or has been "channelling" entities from another plane of existence and that's what they told him... But how unfortunate it is to try to explain the mystery of our world by mere logic and reason. How god-like to offer explanations about things we know nothing about. How can we now the "reason" just by knowing the results? We can say that vision is guided by the brain or anything but how can this be in any way connected to "why" we see?I could go on and on about this but the important thing is that "reason" is not a panacea. It doesn't hold the keys to every door. It holds the key however to the golden door of its own self-defeat.Bon Voyage!

Sleeping Pills Wake Up Vegetables

2006-05-23T23:40:00+02:00

OMG! This has to be the most fascinating story of the day!! lolClinical researchers have discovered that they can rouse semi-comatose patients by giving them, bizarrely, a common sleeping drug. If more wide-ranging tests are successful, the drug could become the first effective treatment for 'persistent vegetative state', the condition at the centre of the US legal battle over sufferer Terri Schiavo last year.British and South African doctors have reported the cases of three semi-comatose patients who were revived for several hours at a time by zolpidem, marketed to millions of insomniacs under the brand name Ambien. The drug allows the semi-comatose patients to talk with friends and family for several hours before the effect wears off, they report in the journal NeuroRehabilitation1.1. Clauss R.& Nel W. NeuroRehabilitation, 21. 23 - 28 (2006).http://www.nature.com/news/2006/060522/full/060522-9.html

In-Nerd-tia

2006-05-22T11:25:00+02:00

I have finally overcome my in-nerd-tia and subscribed to the New Scientist and Nature Podcasts. They're not bad at all!Did you know that bottleneck dolphins call each other by "names"? Or that on average Wikipedia only has one more factual error per entry than Britanica on average?http://www.nature.com/nature/podcast/index.html

Trail Running Part II

2006-05-16T22:05:00+02:00

After rereading what I wrote yesterday I found myself being disappointed that I never actually described the experience of the race itself. What I wrote about it did not communicate why I liked the trail run. So, I am going to try to write about the run as a description of my personal experience.

I guess that I have to begin with getting up in the morning. Since the race was at 9:00AM and according to MapQuest it was almost two hours away we had to leave at 6:00AM to allow time for registration, changing clothes and finding the place. We got out of the house at 6:20AM and stopped for hot chocolate. But, we were on the road by 6:30AM with only a small room for error.

Fortunately, the times given by MapQuest seem to assume that a little old lady from Pasadena would be driving and we made the trek with plenty of time to spare. We were early and found a place to park that was quite close to the registration area. The surroundings were wonderful. The run was in a park set in the middle of a redwood forest in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The air was cool, but not uncomfortable for running, I would guess that the temperature was in the upper 50s Fahrenheit. We got our numbers, pinned them on and used the clean convenient restrooms.

It was announced that we would wait a few minutes longer than the scheduled race time to allow for stragglers that might have gotten lost. The pause wasn’t a problem as we had the beautiful park everywhere we looked.

My daughter, wife and a friend from the athletic club we train at were with me. But, the rest of the people at the race were quite friendly. The director of the race gave us instructions, like follow the signs pertaining to your distance. Our group had all signed up for the 5.5-mile race. The other races were 10.5 miles and 16 miles which was once around 5.5-mile and 10.5-mile course. He also told us that the trail Marathon had been cancelled this year because it had taken some of the people seven hours to complete.

Then he went down the road a bit with the group that would run the 10.5-mile race. He would start them first, and we would wait 5-minutes for them to get down the path before we would start. As we waited I began to shiver. I just wanted to get started so I could get warm.

Finally the moment happened when the director of the race said, “Go!” But, we only moved slowly through the gate at the beginning of the trail. The trail was only wide enough for two or three people, so squeezing over 100 people through that tiny opening took some time. This was probably the worst part of the race, because our group had been standing at the back of the pack and we had to wait until almost everyone got started before we could actually begin to run. I looked at my watch and I believe that it took nearly 5 minutes before I got up to a jogging pace, only to be stopped at another traffic jam on the path.

After traveling only a short distance of walking and slow jogging we made it to a road crossing where I could pass by a large number of people and begin to pick up my pace. But right across the road was the first hill. It wasn’t very steep, but it did require a bit more energy to accelerate and pass by some of the runners on the path. At this point my wife called out, “See you later,” as I began to pick up speed. My daughter and our friend had been stuck in the crowd and they were already behind us.

It quickly became apparent that running on a trail was different than running on the street. There were sticks, mud and logs lying across the path in places. When you are walking a stick isn’t a big deal, but when you are running and step on a stick your foot will roll and you may lose your balance. This happened to a person directly behind me at the beginning of the race. I heard a thump, and turned to see someone on the ground. I asked if they were OK, and they said yes as they got up and began to run. “I’d better be careful,” I thought to myself.

Over the next mile or so I passed quite a few people, one by one and I finally managed to get to a good pace. I saw the first mile marker on the path and I was certainly in a groove. I heard heavy breathing behind me, and I anticipated that someone was about to pass me so I moved over. But they just stayed behind me for quite some time. I was looking for the mile 2 marker for quite some time, but I never saw it. Based on what I expected my pace to be I had guessed that I had passed it quite some time ago, but the race didn’t seem that clear anymore. In fact the rest of the race is blurred together in my memory.

I do know that the racecourse took us to a waterfall that must have been 30 feet high. The race went down a set of stairs to the observation platform, then turned around and went back up. It was a bit disappointing to see some of the runners going halfway down the stairs, then turning around, but it wasn’t like we were trying to win the gold medal in the Olympics or anything.

Then we made it to “Slippery Rock” the sign proclaimed. This was certainly the steepest part of the race. From the race profile posted on the Internet I learned that this steep climb was about 300 feet up in about two tenths of a mile. Most of the people were walking up the rock, and I was with them. I don’t know how anyone could actually run up this rock. But, I took long strides and I passed by about ten people just on the face of this rock. The three-mile mark was not posted, but it was somewhere on the face of this rock based on the race profile.

My wife had passed me by before we had gotten to the rock, but I thought that I might be able to catch her. But she maintained her speed and I remained behind her as we climbed the rock. At the top of the rock was the mid-course water station. I ignored it as I usually do. I don’t particularly like water sloshing around in my stomach as I am running, so I put off the water until the end of the race.

Then the course took us down the backside of the rock, which was a nice downhill run with only a few obstacles in the way. One interesting obstruction was a tree leaning against a cliff and the path went under it. I certainly had to duck, and I imagined that if I were too tired I might not have been able to find the strength to duck. Then I would have “hit the tree.” I began to think that it was funny to have “hit the tree.” I began to amuse myself by thinking that Marathoners “hit the wall” but trail runners “hit the tree.”

I know, it wasn’t really that funny, but that’s what happens when you exert yourself too these extremes. And, while I was thinking this I saw that I was getting close to my wife. I ran past her and told her to be careful not to “hit the tree.” She didn’t think that it was funny.

Of course the end part of the race is even foggier. I know that my wife passed me again on another uphill stretch. She certainly does quite well on the climbs. But, I didn’t let her get too far ahead of me. And, we passed the 4.5 mile marker very close together. I told her that we had less than a mile to go, and I passed her on an uphill climb for the first time. It wasn’t long after that that I saw the flags and the clock showing that we had reached the end of the trail. I saw that my time was 1:02:20 and I turned around to wait for my wife to finish behind me. When she did I saw that she finished at 1:02:35.

They had snacks and water set up at the finish, but it wasn’t for those of us who had just finished the race. Instead it was for the 16 milers who were just passing through on to the 10.5-mile loop. I wanted to get some water that was located up the hill at the registration table. My wife waited for my daughter and our friend to finish while I went to get some snacks and water. They had fresh fruit, trail mix, water and even candy. I grabbed some stuff and headed back to wait at the finish line. And, my daughter finished the race about ten minutes behind us. We had fun talking about the details of the race and eating snacks.

The amazing thing about this race was that the results were being typed in a laptop computer and printed out periodically. They put the results up at the snack table and we could see where we finished. And, that’s when I found out that I actually finished 9th overall in the race. I was surprised, I had never finished that high in the results before. I also found out that our real time was 57:20 and 57:35, because I had forgotten about the 5-minute delay for the start of our race. My wife finished second among the women in the race and I finished 3rd in my age group.

Well, we stood around talking with the other runners for some time and then we felt rested enough to hike a little ways through the woods. We thought that we might take some time to actually look around and enjoy the redwoods, waterfalls and banana slugs. We walked back to the “slippery rock” and the stairs that took us down to the waterfalls. This time we lingered just looking at the falls and the fish swimming in the creek at the bottom. Then we turned around and climbed the slippery rock one more time as we headed back home again.

I hope y’all like that better than what I wrote yesterday…

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Don't forget what Stephen Colbert said, "Reality has a well-known liberal bias."

Cross Posted @ Bring It On, tblog, Blogger and BlogSpirit

Trail Running, Trails, Running, Exercise, Jogging

Trail Running

2006-05-15T21:45:00+02:00

I had such a wonderful experience this weekend that I find the need to write about it. And, you should remember that this is coming from a person who once wrote, “I hate running.”

First, a little back ground for those of you who don’t read every post that I make. I assume that’s most of you. Twenty some years ago I was on a swim team. I was pretty good and I swam for one year on my college swim team. However, because of the time required for swim team I decided that I should put that time toward studies and social activities instead, and my training went from several hours per day to dancing in night clubs over the weekend. When I went to graduate school I did even less dancing and even more studying. Without much more explanation most of you can imagine that I put on some weight and became much less athletic, to put it lightly.

Actually I really like swimming and I should have continued swimming on my own, but even though it was easy to find a pool while I was in school, it was certainly more difficult once I started working in the “real world.” My current employer actually had an option to join a nearby sports club at a discount, but it was difficult to find the time to use the membership. I actually ended up using the membership to play racquetball during lunch with some of the guys from work and injured my elbow in the process. But, over the twenty some years since my swim team days I gained about 50 pounds.

My wife had been trying to encourage me to run with her, but my memory of running always went back to my high school cross-country days. Fall was the off season for swimming, so I ran cross-country to try to stay in shape in the off season, but I always hated running. I hated almost everything about it. I find it boring. I didn’t like the dryness in my mouth. I didn’t like the pushing at the start of the race. I didn’t like the pain of trying to climb the hills. I just didn’t like it, but I hoped that I would be able to maintain my physical fitness during the off season none-the-less.

Back in 2001 when my son had been assigned a school project to write a report on a National Park our family took a trip to Lassen National Park to see the volcanoes. This was the first hiking that I had done in quite a while, and the critical moment of the trip was the family climb of the “cinder cone.” This grueling climb proved that I was truly out of shape, and that needed to be fixed. But like all good intentions that is all that they are until you take action. I started walking a bit more often than I had been, but running was still out of the question. I still had the thought of that pain and discomfort in the back of my mind. I just remembered that I hated running, and even when my wife tried to encourage me to jog a little I scoffed at her and let her run ahead.

But, three years later I was involved in an accident that changed my life. My car was rear-ended and I needed to take the car to the body shop to fix it. And, while I was waiting to drop the car off early one morning I saw an athletic center across the street that had just finished building a pool. The pool wasn’t quite finished, but by the time that they had finished I was a member of the sports club. And, I religiously went to swim laps every morning for at least an hour.

After about a year of doing this I felt much healthier and I had lost about twenty pounds. I wasn’t in a hurry to undo the weight that I had put on over the years, so I wasn’t disappointed with the slow progress. But I did feel that I might be able to run a 5K with my wife and kids one weekend. In fact, my wife actually ran a 10K while I ran/walked the 5K with my kids just to keep them occupied. And, I was so sore the next day, it made me remember why I hated running. However, being the insane person that I am I figured that the 5K was actually good for me, and when my wife entered another 10K I entered the 5K with the kids again. And, once again I was extremely sore for even more than a few days.

I didn’t understand how I could be so sore if I worked out every day, even if it was swimming, and still be so incredibly sore after running a 5K. But that didn’t stop me, because I searched the Internet to find the answer. I came to the conclusion that if I ran at least once a week my running muscles would not become so sore after a race. And, I began to run on the treadmill at the very same club at least once a week. A strange thing happened, I began to like running on the treadmill. I liked running on the treadmill because I could set a pace and push myself just the right amount to get stronger, but not exhaust myself too quickly. I could gradually increase my pace, and best of all I could stop any time that I wanted without having to walk all the way home from some strange place. Of course this worked to keep me from becoming so incredibly sore after running a 5K. Well, I entered a 10-mile race and a 10K in the last few months and I actually enjoyed the runs. I tried to run them as fast as I could. And, over the last couple of months I am still getting better.

This weekend we went to a completely new type of run. It is called a trail run. The idea is to run a race through the hiking trails of a park. Obviously there are advantages and disadvantages of this type of run, compared to the typical street run. The disadvantage is that there isn’t much room on a trail for a large number of runners, so this race was limited to only 250 people. Another disadvantage is that there are hills on the hiking trails that are quite steep. This must be one of the factors that help to limit the number of runners on the trail.

However, the advantage of running through the beauty of the park and the added challenge of the course outweigh any of the disadvantages. Just to give an idea of the grueling nature of the race that I ran, it took me 57:20 minutes to run 5.5 miles up and down hills. There was a slow start at the beginning of the race where over 100 people tried to squeeze into a trail that was only wide enough for two or three people. Last month I ran a 10K, which is 6.2 miles in 47:28 minutes. Of course, every race depends on its terrain and conditions. That is what makes the race unique.

So, after my experience of this race I can’t wait to run the next one. I am hooked on trail running. I find myself needing to write the sentence that I never thought that I could write.

I love trail running.

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Don't forget what Stephen Colbert said, "Reality has a well-known liberal bias."

Cross Posted @ Bring It On, tblog, Blogger and BlogSpirit

Running, Exercise, Health

Puckers in Space

2006-05-03T21:15:00+02:00

On the very basic level the Universe is just puckers in space. These puckers are a little more complex than the puckers sewn into material to make than fancy dress oh just so fine. These puckers are waves in the very space-time continuum, as they like to say in science fiction movies. But, these puckers are the basis for everything that we experience and basically our own existence as well.

About 100 years ago quantum mechanics was born with the discovery that sometimes particles behave as waves and sometime waves behave as particles. This observation lead to confusion among scientists at the time, and it remains a puzzle in many ways to this day. This is because at the quantum level statistics becomes the predictor as to where a particle may go, as opposed to knowing where an object will go based on mass, momentum and forces acting on the particle. The confusion between particles and waves also manifests itself in the looking at very low intensity light waves that build up interference patterns one particle at a time suggesting that time is not what our existence suggests that it is.

But, it all comes down to interactions. Wave particles interact with particle waves. Sometimes these waves create attractive forces, and sometimes these waves create repulsive forces. Two particles near each other share waves that causes these particles to remain together. This more complex structure is just a more complex pucker in the space-time continuum. Sometimes when two of these complex puckers travel near each other the puckers rearrange themselves in a more complex way resulting in new wave puckers and new particle puckers to travel off in different directions. After some time a complex pucker may not have enough energy to maintain the complexity of its structure, and it will change its shape and emit a wave or particle pucker.

The amazing thing about this is that these complex puckers in space find ways to organize themselves into more and more complex puckers. But, every rearrangement of a pucker results in energy in the form of other puckers being generated or absorbed to allow this rearrangement to happen. And again the key to all of this is the interactions of the puckers at larger and larger scales.

If you think about this for a moment or two you will soon realize that we are also very complex puckers in the space-time continuum. And, in being puckers in this Universe we are also part of the Universe itself. We feel as if we are different entities existing apart from the Universe, but observation tells us that we are all part of the one entity - The Universe. We are all puckers in the Universe interacting in very complex ways with all the other puckers in the Universe.

This idea isn’t new at all. Many religions have an idea of humanity as being part of something greater than the self. The goal of meditation and yoga is sometimes expressed as becoming “one with the Universe.” This happens when you let go of all those ideas and things that tie you to the self and you become aware that you are a piece of the Universe itself. The idea is freeing, as is the actual experience of feeling it, not just knowing it. Some people have used drugs to experience this same feeling, and they repeat the procedure of partaking in this ritual in order to continue experiencing this feeling.

Imagination, drugs, ritual and meditation have all been used in an effort to bring people to this concept. All of these methods have problems and pitfalls, but once one has success with any method they wish to share the experience. But not all methods work the same for all people. Even the idea that I have expressed above may leave a sour taste in the mouth of many.

When we step back and look at the night sky with its many stars in the night the view is awesome. When we spend a little more time thinking that each one of those stars contains planets and complex structures and we have no idea what diverse conditions exist. The individual stars in the night that we observe are mainly members of our own galaxy, the Milky Way. But, there are thousands of galaxies, each one of which contains a similar number of stars as our own galaxy. The distances to these places are immense and the energy required to send instruments or people exploring to these places is mind boggling. Each person on Earth could own his or her own star and all the planets associated with it with many more left over. The only problem is to get to any of these stars. But, all those stars are also just puckers in the Universe.

Interactions between the puckers in space have been described as being mediated by the forces found in nature. There is gravitation, strong nuclear, weak nuclear and electromagnetic interactions. Great big puckers warp the space time continuum and cause an attraction between the great big puckers. This is kind of like two puckers on a bed sheet have the propensity to want to become one much bigger pucker.

However, if we think about communities of people (or animals) in terms of this same pucker analogy these large puckers also interact with each other in more complex ways. Communication in its many diverse and complicated ways becomes the mechanism for interaction. Communication becomes an action at a distance, persuading people to act on what they hear or see. Organization of groups of people into families, communities, and larger structures can be viewed as another even more complex systems of interactions between certain classes of puckers in the Universe. The problem or course is that these interactions are complex and difficult to understand at any level other than mere statistics.

In fact, it is funny that the simplest interactions in the Universe and the most complex interactions in the Universe can only be described by statistics.

-------------------------

Don't forget what Stephen Colbert said, "Reality has a well-known liberal bias."

Cross Posted @ Bring It On, tblog, Blogger and BlogSpirit

Science, Philosophy, Complex Interactions

Exhausted!

2006-02-28T07:48:55+01:00

Just finished printing 103 programs of C, each lengthing to 2 pages minimum! The total page count which i would be carrying for my practicals (Damn, i have to give it, against my will!!) is, 210!!

The Printer got heated up and have to restart it several times, printing 210 pages for a useless thing!

Heres a program, its junk really...

main()
       {
        int mat1[3][3],mat2[3][3],mat3[3][3],i,j;
        for(i=0;i<3;i++)
        {
         for(j=0;j<3;j++)
         {
          scanf("%d",&mat1[i][j]);
         }
        }
        for(i=0;i<3;i++)
        {
         for(j=0;j<3;j++)
         {
          scanf("%d",&mat2[i][j]);
         }
        }
        for(i=0;i<3;i++)
        {
         for(j=0;j<3;j++)
         {
          mat3[i][j] = mat1[i][j] + mat2[i][j];
         }
        }
        for(i=0;i<3;i++)
        {
         printf("n");
         for(j=0;j<3;j++)
         {
          printf("t%d",mat3[i][j]);
         }
        }
        }

210 pages, they are a lot, and i have to carry them for a thing i dont wanna do, it seems worthless! but i cant do anything! I wanna laugh at myself... What is going on here!! I have no control on myself.... Heck!

REY!

SAS Programming by Example (Paperback)

2006-02-23T14:47:28+01:00

SAS Programming by Example (Paperback)
by Ronald P. Cody, Ray Pass, Sas Institute

Paperback: 360 pages
Publisher: SAS Institute, Incorporated (March 8, 1995)
Language: English
ISBN: 1555446817
Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.5 x 0.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds. (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review

The Little SAS Book: A Primer, Third Edition (Paperback)

2006-02-23T14:45:15+01:00

The Little SAS Book: A Primer, Third Edition (Paperback)
by Lora D. Delwiche, Susan J. Slaughter

Paperback: 350 pages
Publisher: SAS Publishing; 3rd edition (November 1, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN: 1590473337
Product Dimensions: 9.0 x 7.5 x 0.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds.

SAS System for Mixed Models (Paperback)

2006-02-23T14:41:49+01:00

SAS System for Mixed Models (Paperback)
by Ramon C. Littell, George A. Milliken, Walter W. Stroup, Russell D. Wolfinger

Book Description
At last! A comprehensive, applications-oriented mixed models guide for data analysis. Discover the latest capabilities available for a wide range of applications featuring the MIXED procedure in SAS/STAT software. This practical guide integrates the theory underlaying the models, the specific forms of the models for various applications, and examples from many different fields of study using appropriate SAS code with interpretation of results.

Specific models discussed include: simple random-effect only, simple mixed with a single fixed and random effect, split-plot, multilocation, repeated measures, analysis of covariance, random coefficients, and spatial correlation.

With a background in two-way ANOVA and regression and basic knowledge of linear models and matrix algebra, you will benefit from the discussion of basic to advanced topics in this book. A working knowledge of experimental design is also helpful.

Supports releases 6.09 and higher of SAS software.

Product Details

Paperback: 656 pages
Publisher: SAS Publishing (July 16, 1996)
Language: English
ISBN: 1555447791
Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.6 x 1.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds.

”We Want Your Brain”

2006-02-20T08:20:00+01:00

"We want Your Brain", that's the current recruitment slogan of the biotech company Applied Biosystems.I don't want a job from AB. I don't even know what they do. But that was not the main reason why this BioSpaceJobs.com science career fair I went to was a complete waste of time. Only after half an hour queuing up would you realise that only HR people were there to talk to. These brainless suit-wearing-CV-photocopying-60K-a-year-zombies have absolute ZERO knowledge of any specific sicentist jobs, but would happily accept your 100gms quality paper CV before telling you that the best way of getting a job is to apply online.Worse off, their level of hospitality was rather like a slave trade in a grand waterfront hotel.As lunchtime approached, instead of a stream of food steadily flow into the conference hall, you'd see company representatives streaming out to get their lunch, for there was no food!Have you ever been to a milkround that only serves water? They didn't even coffee or tea with powder creamer like those in a cheap motel!So not surprisingly, the best thing I got out of this crappy job fair is a freebie. This brain-puddy from AB. You're supposed to throw it onto the wall let it'd slowly roll down in a slimy motion. Yummy. May be that's what an AB job would do to my brain...BioSpaceJobs.com? More like WasteOfSpace.com!

Statistics (Cliffs Quick Review) (Paperback)

2006-02-11T12:43:40+01:00

Statistics (Cliffs Quick Review) (Paperback)
by David H. Voelker, Peter Z. Orton, Scott Adams

Paperback: 160 pages
Publisher: Cliffs Notes (June 15, 2001)
Language: English
ISBN: 0764563882
Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces.

Principles of Statistics (Paperback)

2006-02-11T12:32:31+01:00

Principles of Statistics (Paperback)
by M.G. Bulmer

Book Description

The best intermediate-level explanation of classical statistics on the market! From basic dice probabilities to modern regression analysis and correlation, Professor Bulmer provides explanations, graphs, charts, problems (with answers). Equal stress is given to theory and applications. The author assumes no previous knowledge of statistics or probability; only basic calculus is needed. Ideal college-level or supplementary text.　

Paperback: 252 pages
Publisher: Dover Publications (March 1, 1979)
Language: English
ISBN: 0486637603
Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces

Applied Statistics and the SAS Programming Language (5th Edition) (Paperback)

2006-02-05T01:30:31+01:00

Applied Statistics and the SAS Programming Language (5th Edition) (Paperback)
by Ron P. Cody, Jeffrey K. Smith

Book Description

As the SAS© programming language continues to evolve, this guide follows suit with timely coverage of the combination statistical package, database management system, and high-level programming language. Using current examples from business, medicine, education, and psychology, Applied Statistics and the SAS Programming Language is an invaluable resource for applied researchers, giving them the capacity to perform statistical analyses with SAS without wading through pages of technical documentation. Includes the necessary SAS statements to run programs for most of the commonly used statistics, explanations of the computer output, interpretations of results, and examples of how to construct tables and write up results for reports and journal articles. Illustrated with SAS Graph™ output. Provides readers with ample models for developing programming skills. For anyone interested in learning more about applied statistics and the SAS programming language.

Paperback: 592 pages
Publisher: Prentice Hall; 5 edition (March 30, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN: 0131465325
Product Dimensions: 1.0 x 7.0 x 9.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds

SAS Certification Prep Guide: Base Programming (Paperback)

2006-02-05T01:27:31+01:00

SAS Certification Prep Guide: Base Programming (Paperback)
by SAS Institute

Book Description
Prepare for the SAS Base Programming Exam with the only guide authorized by the SAS Certified Professional Program. Increase your credibility as a technical professional, expand your knowledge of SAS software, and increase your career options and marketability by becoming a globally recognized SAS Certified Professional. Designed for new and experienced SAS users who want to prepare for the SAS Base Programming certification exam, this comprehensive guide covers all of the objectives tested on the exam and more. Major topics include basic concepts, producing reports, creating and modifying SAS data sets, and reading various types of raw data. Each chapter includes a quiz on the chapter's contents. Answer keys are included. Includes a free CD-ROM with tutorials, practice data, and sample programs to test your SAS skills!

Paperback: 848 pages
Publisher: SAS Publishing; Bk&CD-Rom edition (September 1, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN: 1590473353
Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.5 x 1.4 inches
Shipping Weight: 3.5 pounds

An Introduction to Time Series Analysis and Forecasting: with Applications of SAS and SPSS (Hardcover)

2006-02-05T01:23:49+01:00

An Introduction to Time Series Analysis and Forecasting: with Applications of SAS and SPSS (Hardcover)
by Robert A. Yaffee, Monnie McGee

Hardcover: 528 pages
Publisher: Academic Press (April 1, 2000)
Language: English
ISBN: 0127678700
Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds

Using SAS in Financial Research (Paperback)

2006-02-05T01:20:21+01:00

Using SAS in Financial Research (Paperback)
by Ekkehart Boehmer, John Broussard, Juha-Pekka Kallunki

Book Description
Researchers, graduate students, and practitioners in the financial market now have the first reference-style handbook detailing the mechanics of statistical testing on financial and accounting data. This one-of-a-kind book illustrates how to use SAS software to conduct basic empirical analyses of stock market and financial statement data. It covers various research topics, including investigating the predictability of stock returns, estimating the risk of common stock, and analyzing the impact of earnings and other financial statement information. The use of the SAS language to investigate these issues is demonstrated with numerous real-world examples employing traditional to state-of-the-art analytical estimation techniques. Main topics covered are variance ratio testing, capital asset pricing model, event studies, value versus growth, earnings response coefficients, and microstructure analysis. Readers will find the merging of theoretical and practical concepts unique and informative. The format of this book enables users to go directly to the research tools and techniques required by the task at hand. In addition, a line-by-line discussion of all SAS code is provided, enabling users to interpret all variables and syntax easily.

Paperback: 182 pages
Publisher: SAS Publishing (March 1, 2002)
Language: English
ISBN: 1590470397
Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
Shipping Weight: 15.0 ounces

Excel for Engineers and Scientists, Second Edition (Paperback)

2006-02-04T01:36:34+01:00

Excel for Engineers and Scientists, Second Edition (Paperback)
by S. C. Bloch

Book Description
Using an informal, conversational style, this "how to" book guides beginning students from spreadsheet basics through the robust engineering and scientific applications of EXCEL, including using EXCEL in the lab.
Students learn how to compose structured, efficient, documented workbooks with data entry cells, summary results and statistics cells, and commented cells. Throughout the book, they'll find innovative techniques for composing spreadsheets, solving problems, analyzing data, and presenting results that will help them in their courses and professional careers. End-of-Chapter problems not only show how to use EXCEL, they also relate directly to topics in engineering and the sciences. Plus, a CD, which is packaged with the text, contains sample workbooks, links to online EXCEL resources, and text updates via the book's web site.

Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Wiley; 2 edition (January 6, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN: 0471256862
Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.5 x 0.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds

Excel Data Analysis : Your visual blueprint for analyzing data, charts, and PivotTables (Visual Read Less, Learn More) (

2006-02-04T01:26:49+01:00

Excel Data Analysis : Your visual blueprint for analyzing data, charts, and PivotTables (Visual Read Less, Learn More) (Paperback)
by Jinjer Simon

Book Description
Excel Data Analysis 2nd Edition Welcome to the only guidebook series that takes a visual approach to professional-level computer topics. Open the book and you'll discover step-by-step screen shots that demonstrate over 100 key Excel data analysis techniques, including: Creating PivotTables and PivotCharts Importing and linking data Compiling data from various sources Filtering a list Creating an amortization table Manipulating data within a chart Editing external database tables Using an Excel function in a macro Building PivotTable formulas Using Analysis Toolpak add-ins High-resolution screen shots demonstrate each task Succinct explanations walk you through step by step Two-page lessons break big topics into bite-sized modules "Apply It" and "Extra" sidebars highlight useful tips

Paperback: 301 pages
Publisher: Visual; 2 edition (May 27, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN: 0764597809
Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8.1 x 0.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds

Calculus: Student Solutions Manual (Paperback)

2006-02-04T01:23:09+01:00

Calculus: Student Solutions Manual (Paperback)
by Deborah Hughes-Hallett, Andrew M. Gleason, William G. McCallum, David O. Lomen, David Lovelock, Jeff Tecosky-Feldman, Thomas W. Tucker, Daniel E. Flath, Joseph Thrash, Karen R. Rhea, Andrew Pasquale, Sheldon P. Gordon, Douglas Quinney, Patti Frazer Lock

Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons (November 25, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN: 0471659975
Shipping Weight: 1.0 pounds

John Walkenbach's Favorite Excel Tips & Tricks (Paperback)

2006-02-04T01:13:55+01:00

John Walkenbach's Favorite Excel Tips & Tricks (Paperback)
by John Walkenbach

Book Description
Want some advice from Mr. Spreadsheet? Here it is! Nobody knows Excel like John Walkenbach. For this one-of-a-kind collection, he's handpicked over 200 of his favorite shortcuts, secrets, and workarounds for Excel 2000, 2002, and 2003. He'll help you tame automatic toolbars, create charts you thought were impossible, find what you need in Excel's help system, and deal with function arguments. You'll learn to streamline routine procedures and create complex solutions. Build dynamic charts. Transform data with or without formulas. Troubleshoot common setup problems. Create custom add-ins, hide field buttons in a PivotChart, and control automatic functions. Record and run macros with workbooks. And more. Mr. Spreadsheet knows how to make Excel work for you. Tip # 39 Creating a drop-down list in a cell Tip # 59 Setting up alternate row shading Tip # 96 Displaying a calendar in a range Tip # 118 Creating a picture chart Tip # 153 Reducing the size of a workbook

Paperback: 538 pages
Publisher: Wiley (July 8, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN: 0764598163
Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.3 x 1.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds.

Professional Excel Development : The Definitive Guide to Developing Applications Using Microsoft(R) Excel and VBA(R) (Pa

2006-02-03T15:36:01+01:00

Professional Excel Development : The Definitive Guide to Developing Applications Using Microsoft(R) Excel and VBA(R) (Paperback)
by Stephen Bullen, Rob Bovey, John Green

Paperback: 936 pages
Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional; Bk&CD-Rom edition (February 1, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN: 0321262506
Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.8 x 1.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds

Excel 2003 Power Programming with VBA (Excel Power Programming With Vba) (Paperback)

2006-02-03T15:31:28+01:00

Excel 2003 Power Programming with VBA (Excel Power Programming With Vba) (Paperback)
by John Walkenbach

Book Description
"Today, no accomplished Excel programmer can afford to be without John s book. The value of Excel 2003 Power Programming with VBA is double most other books simultaneously the premier reference and best learning tool for Excel VBA." Loren Abdulezer, Author of Excel Best Practices for Business Everything you need to know about: Creating stellar UserForms and custom dialog box alternatives Working with VBA subprocedures and function procedures Incorporating event-handling and interactions with other applications Building user-friendly toolbars, menus, and help systems Manipulating files and Visual Basicandreg; components Understanding class modules Managing compatibility issues Feel the power of VBA and Excel No one can uncover Excel s hidden capabilities like "Mr. Spreadsheet" himself. John Walkenbach begins this power user s guide with a conceptual overview, an analysis of Excel application development, and a complete introduction to VBA. Then, he shows you how to customize Excel UserForms, develop new utilities, use VBA with charts and pivot tables, create event-handling applications, and much more. If you re fairly new to Excel programming, here s the foundation you need. If you re already a VBA veteran, you can start mining a rich lode of programming ideas right away. CD-ROM Includes Trial version of the author s award-winning Power Utility Pak Over one hundred example Excel workbooks from the book System Requirements: PC running Windowsandreg; 2000 SP3 or later, or Windows XPandtrade; or later. Microsoft Excel 2003. See the "What s on the CD" Appendix for details and complete system requirements.

Paperback: 1056 pages
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons; Bk&CD-Rom edition (January 13, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN: 0764540726
Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.4 x 2.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds.

Elementary Differential Equations and Boundary Value Problems (Hardcover)

2006-02-03T15:20:57+01:00

Elementary Differential Equations and Boundary Value Problems (Hardcover)
by William E. Boyce, Richard C. DiPrima

Book Description
Take advantage of valuable study resources to succeed in your course This new edition of Boyce and DiPrima's Elementary Differential Equations and Boundary Value Problems, 8/e , and the accompanying supplements have been carefully developed to give you the support you need to succeed in your course. The Eighth Edition gives you a CD-ROM with powerful ODE Architect modeling software and an array of web-based learning tools to support your studies. The CD-ROM includes: The award-winning ODE Architect software. The software's 14 modules enable you to build and solve your own ODEs, and to use simulations and multimedia to develop detailed mathematical models and concepts in a truly interactive environment. The ODE Architect Companion. The Companion extends the ideas featured in each multimedia module. The web-based learning tools include: Review and Study Guidelines. The Chapter Review Guidelines will help you prepare for quizzes and exams. Online Review Quizzes. The quizzes enable you to test your knowledge of key concepts and provide diagnostic feedback that references appropriate sections in the text. PowerPoint Slides. You can print these slides out for in-class note taking. Getting Started with ODE Architect. This guide will help you get up-and-running with ODE Architect's simulations and multimedia.

Hardcover: 800 pages
Publisher: Wiley; 8 edition (April 20, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN: 0471433381
Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.2 x 1.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 3.7 pounds

Statistics for the Utterly Confused (Utterly Confused Series) (Paperback)

2006-02-03T15:07:05+01:00

Statistics for the Utterly Confused (Utterly Confused Series) (Paperback)
by Lloyd R. Jaisingh

Book Description
Statistics for the Utterly Confused is your user-friendly introduction to elementary statistics, designed especially for non-math majors Required courses in statistics are cause for alarm among more than 500,000 undergraduates in such disciplines as nursing, allied health, pre-law, pre-medicine, business administration, and criminal justice. This super-accessible book demystifies the dreaded subject for non-math majors. Statistics for the Utterly Confused provides a logical, step-by-step approach to introductory statistics, stripping away confusing material and clarifying key concepts without long, theoretical discussion and includes: Handy icons throughout the text offer easy visual aids 500 self-testing questions Technology Corner sections explain the latest software Provides more than 200 examples and solved problems

Paperback: 318 pages
Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (May 25, 2000)
Language: English
ISBN: 0071350055
Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds

Disgusting!

2006-02-03T08:45:00+01:00

I recently came across with this pic, and i was shocked to see it!It is a real picture, Showing the impact of Poison on the body.... Its horrible aint it??REY!

Cartoon Guide to Statistics

2006-02-01T16:42:02+01:00

Cartoon Guide to Statistics

Paperback: 230 pages
Publisher: Collins; 1st HarperPerennial ed edition (February 25, 1994)
Language: English
ISBN: 0062731025
Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces.

Cartoon Guide to Statistics

2006-02-01T16:42:01+01:00

Cartoon Guide to Statistics

Paperback: 230 pages
Publisher: Collins; 1st HarperPerennial ed edition (February 25, 1994)
Language: English
ISBN: 0062731025
Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces.

Cartoon Guide to Statistics

2006-02-01T16:40:03+01:00

Cartoon Guide to Statistics

Paperback: 230 pages
Publisher: Collins; 1st HarperPerennial ed edition (February 25, 1994)
Language: English
ISBN: 0062731025
Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces.

Robust Statistical Methods with R (Hardcover)

2006-02-01T16:30:46+01:00

Book Description
This book provides a systematic account of robust statistical methods-an area where the existing literature is dated, narrow, or treated in an overly theoretical manner. The authors discuss the entire range of robust statistical methods at an accessible level appropriate for students at a Master's level or beyond. The treatment covers differentiable statistical functions, influence functions, asymptotic distributions, and much more. It also provides numerous examples and exercises, as well as computational algorithms using the R software package for applications of robust statistical methods. Outstanding for course work, this text is also a valuable reference for statisticians and quantitative scientists.

Hardcover: 216 pages
Publisher: Chapman & Hall/CRC (November 29, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN: 1584884541
Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 0.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds