Sunday, March 11, 2007

Understanding Evolution - Daniel Dennett Interview

Daniel Dennett videos

TheTech.org, Daniel Dennett

Thanks to Ben Hope for the links.

An interview with Daniel Dennett at the Future of Science Conference in Venice, Italy September 2006.

Part 1
What is it about Darwin's idea that is so dangerous?


Part 2
You've described the design of natural selection as "brilliant" but "mindless." Can you explain?


Part 3
How do you explain evolution to skeptics? How can you convince them? Can you?


Part 4
You said earlier that you think secular institutions are failing us? Do you include museums?


Part 5
In discussing your book, Breaking the Spell, you've said that part of what the book does is to "reveal how the magicians do their tricks" when it comes to organized religion. Can you elaborate?


Part 6
You've talked about teaching a course on World Religions in public schools. What do you think that would accomplish?



reposted from: richarddawkins

my: highlights / emphasis / key points / comments

A short history of Dark Energy

Edwin Hubble discovered in 1929 that the universe seems to be expanding
The tool the team would be using was a specific type of exploding star, or supernova, that reaches a roughly uniform brightness and so can serve as what astronomers call a standard candle
The rate of the expansion of the universe was not slowing down. Instead, it seemed to be speeding up.
Michael Turner
called this antigravitational force "dark energy."
Dark energy
does it change over time and space?
quintessence
Does it not change? In that case, they'll call it the cosmological constant, a version of the mathematical fudge factor that Einstein originally inserted into the equations for relativity
universe that is 22 percent dark matter, 74 percent dark energy and 4 percent the stuff of us
Take the observations of supernovae, apply the other cornerstone of 20th-century physics, quantum theory, and you get gibberish — you get an answer 120 orders of magnitude larger than .74
many universes?
10 raised to the power of 500
 powered by clipmarks

A short history of Dark Matter


A history of the discovery of Dark Matter & Dark Energy

universe
is made of only 4 percent of the kind of matter we have always assumed it to be — the material that makes up you and me
The rest — 96 percent of the universe — is ... who knows?
In 1963
discovered a microwave signal that came from every direction of the heavens
might be the echo from the beginning of the universe, as predicted by the big-bang hypothesis
in the 1970s
our own Milky Way were spinning at such a rate that they should have long ago wobbled out of control, shredding apart, shedding stars in every direction
a halo of a hypothetical something else might be cocooning each galaxy, dwarfing each flat spiral disk of stars and gas at just the right mass ratio to keep it gravitationally intact
astronomers called this mystery mass "dark matter
The motions of galaxies don't make sense unless we infer the existence of dark matter
 powered by clipmarks

A history of the discovery of Dark Matter & Dark Energy

Out There

by Richard Pannek

Weirdest Scientific Research

Weirdest Scientific Researches
Friday, February 16, 2007
From time to time some science researchers are trying to research some really weird stuffs.
Most weird is the publishers which publish that trash researches.

«Secret Life: Firsthand, Documented Accounts of UFO Abductions» (1992) Presented by J. Mack (Harvard Medical School) and D. Jacobs (Temple University).
Concluded that people who believe they were kidnapped by aliens from outer space, probably were, and that "the focus of the abduction is the production of children.
"
«The Relationship Among Height, Penile Length, and Foot Size» (1993)
Presented by J. Bain (Mt. Sinai Hospital, Toronto) and K. Siminoski (University of Alberta).
While comparing height, foot size and penile length, Bain said the relationship was minimal. "We found a weak correlation," he said and added this ratio should not be used by anyone to assess the size of a man's penis.

«Elucidation of Chemical Compounds Responsible for Foot Malodour» (1990)
Presented by F. Kanda and others five scientist (Shisedo Research Center, Yokohama).
It concluded that people who think they have foot odor do, and those who don't, don't.

«Navigation-Related Structural Change In the Hippocampi of Taxi Drivers» (2000)
E. Maguire, and others (University College London)
Presented evidence that the brains of London taxi drivers are more highly developed than those of their fellow citizens.



«Interim Report: Results of the National Demonstration Project To Reduce Violent Crime and Improve Governmental Effectiveness In Washington, D.C., June 7 to July 30, 1993» (1993)
Presented by J. Hagelin (Maharishi University and The Institute of Science, Technology and Public Policy).
Concluded that 4,000 trained meditators caused an 18 percent decrease in violent crime in Washington, D.C.

«Survey of Frog Odorous Secretions, Their Possible Functions and Phylogenetic Significance» (2004)
Presented by Benjamin Smith (University of Adelaide, Australia) and others.
It catalogs the peculiar odors produced by 131 different species of frogs when the frogs were feeling stressed.

«Blink-Free Photos, Guaranteed» (2006)
Presented by N. Svenson and P. Barnes (Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organization)
It calculated the number of photographs you must take to (almost) ensure that nobody in a group photo will have their eyes closed.

«Transmission of Gonorrhea Through an Inflatable Doll» (1993)
Presented by E. Kleist (Nuuk, Greenland) and H. Moi (Oslo, Norway).

«A Man Who Pricked His Finger and Smelled Putrid for 5 Years» (1996)
Presented by C. Mills, M. Llewelyn, D. Kelly, and P/ Holt (Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport).

«Chicken Plucking as Measure of Tornado Wind Speed» (1975)
Presented by B. Vonnegut (State University of New York at Albany).

«Ultrasonic Velocity in Cheddar Cheese as Affected by Temperature» (2006)
Presented by A. Mulet, J. Benedito and J. Bon (Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Spain) and C. Rosselló (Universitat de les Illes Balears).

«The Effect of Country Music on Suicide» (1992)
Presented by S. Stack (Wayne State University) and J. Gundlach (Auburn University).

«Chickens Prefer Beautiful Humans» (2002)
S. Ghirlanda, L. Jansson, and M. Enquist (Stockholm University)

«Demonstration of the Exponential Decay Law Using Beer Froth» (2002)
Presented by A. Leike (University of Munich)
Demonstrated that beer froth obeys the mathematical Law of Exponential Decay.


«Acute Management of the Zipper-Entrapped Penis» (1990)
Presented by J. F. Nolan, T. J. Stillwell, and J. P. Sands.
A quick, simple and non-traumatic approach to the zipper manipulation --the paper says-- is presented in which prepuce is instantly released by lateral compression of the zip fastener, using a pliers.

«Fragmentation of Rods by Cascading Cracks: Why Spaghetti Does Not Break in Half» (2006)
Presented by B. Audoly and S. Neukirch (Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris).
It explaines why, when you bend dry spaghetti, it often breaks into more than two pieces.

«Impact of Wet Underwear on Thermoregulatory Responses and Thermal Comfort in the Cold» (1994)
Presented by M. K. Bakkevig (Sintef Unimed in Trondheim, Norway) and R. Nielson (Technical University of Denmark).
Investigates the significance of wet underwear and compares any influence of fibre-type material and textile construction of underwear on thermoregulatory responses and thermal comfort of humans during rest in the cold. The tests showed that the thickness of the underwear has more of an influence on the thermoregulatory responses and thermal comfort, than the types of fibres tested.

«On Human Odour, Malaria Mosquitoes, and Limburger Cheese» (1996)
Presented by B. Knols
It shows that the female malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae is attracted equally to the smell of limburger cheese and to the smell of human feet.

»Rectal Foreign Bodies: Case Reports and a Comprehensive Review of the World's Literature» (1986)
Presented by D. B. Busch and J. R. Starling (Wisconsin).
Includes reports of, among other items: seven light bulbs; a knife sharpener; two flashlights; a wire spring; a snuff box; an oil can with potato stopper; eleven different forms of fruits, vegetables and other foodstuffs; a jeweler's saw; a frozen pig's tail; a tin cup; a beer glass; and one patient's remarkable ensemble collection consisting of spectacles, a suitcase key, a tobacco pouch and a magazine.

«The Pitch Drop Experiment,» (1984)
Presented by J. Mainstone and the late T. Parnell (University of Queensland, Australia)
An experiment that began in the year 1927 -- in which a glob of congealed black tar has been slowly, slowly dripping through a funnel, at a rate of appro

reposted from: crazylinkz
my: highlights / emphasis / key points / comments

Weirdest Scientific Research - 2

Weird Science research
Weirdest Scientific Research
«The Relationship Among Height, Penile Length, and Foot Size» (1993)
Presented by J. Bain (Mt. Sinai Hospital, Toronto) and K. Siminoski (University of Alberta).
While comparing height, foot size and penile length, Bain said the relationship was minimal. "We found a weak correlation," he said and added this ratio should not be used by anyone to assess the size of a man's penis.
Elucidation of Chemical Compounds Responsible for Foot Malodour» (1990)
Presented by F. Kanda and others five scientist (Shisedo Research Center, Yokohama).
«Navigation-Related Structural Change In the Hippocampi of Taxi Drivers» (2000)
E. Maguire, and others (University College London)
Presented evidence that the brains of London taxi drivers are more highly developed than those of their fellow citizens.
Survey of Frog Odorous Secretions, Their Possible Functions and Phylogenetic Significance» (2004)
Presented by Benjamin Smith
University of Adelaide, Australia
131
frogs
powered by clipmarks

Crazy Innovations!!

crazy!!


Absolute Crazy innovations

Collection of 25 absolute crazy innovations will save some extra money,German guys made all this
Do you love your Baby or you want wrongful death?
Ice Cream shield :)
This innovation it's really helpful
Summer pedals
Stop Brush
Dracula Fork
Modern China chopsticks
Tea Cloth
Windows sleeper
Picture Holder
Tea Aroma for bathroom
Gauge red Flag
New way of belt
Ear Ball
Finger Oil
Thought supports
Good idea for video conferencing!
Dress funnel
Cotton Wool Broom
Wing Light
First you need to read some quick book !
Little Greenause

powered by clipmarks