After the summer slumber, it is time for a podcast… oh just listen to it, all shall be revealed, including explanations for all the links.
Frankly brilliant episode of The Life Scientific, featuring Dame Ann Dowling
Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Tag: video
In completely different news…
This Higgsdependence Day, there has been Higgsteria of Higgstravagant proportions as us Bo-lievers embraced the making of Higgstory. Too much? I blame my friends who provided the ammunition for the above sentence. (Bo-lievers: geek out!) Of course, some mourn the now slightly less likely prospect of non-Standard Model physics, and personally, of all the videos I found of today’s events, my favourite was probably the one of Prof Stephen Hawking stating that the Higgs has lost him 100 USD.
If you want to be rid of all the Higgsperimental news – and bearing in mind it is nearly 2200 hours where I am, and you probably just want to relax – may I personally recommend the following?
Nikola Tesla in Sound and Light from Marco Tempest on Vimeo – is basically what it says on the tin. Only even better than you think.
Also, Dr Alice Bell spends a thrifty 15 minutes discussing scientific literacy vs better engagement by scientists on R4’s Four Thought – she’s a good speaker; it’s an interesting topic… this is also pretty much what it says on the tin. Would you actually like it better if I did little blurbs when I recommend things?
And another thing, if I may: I was at the dentist earlier in the week for a check-up, and is it just me (it probably is), but does anybody else want to know what the dentist and the dental nurse actually mean when they literally communicate in numbers? “Zero… one…zero… zero…” What does it mean? Do I have cavities? *Hypochondria!*
(I am not really a hypochondriac. Usually.)
Perhaps this is what we are talking about when we group all “experts” and “professionals” into one pot? Experts in one field are – very, dare I say – usually not experts in many fields beyond their own. Not everybody is a Stephen Fry. Of course, I have been out of the pure science loop for a while, but I do feel that I understand certain areas of science better than others. This dental stuff however, I might just have to ask about in person.
Because ignorance is not cool
I feel that I could endlessly apologise for my absence, but what good would that do? That said, I am sorry about the aforementioned absence – it is a particularly busy time at the moment. (Yes, even busier than what sadly seems to be the norm for most people these days.) Sometimes, life also happens, and I opt to go with it.
If for some unfathomable reason, one or more of you have missed my ramblings and postings of video clips, I would like to offer up the following super slow-motion clip, and ensuing discussion, of the physics of slinkies, and how they “hover” above the ground before falling when dropped. The gist is that both ends of the slinky are “attracted” to its centre of gravity, and external forces (gravity, in this case) will pull both ends of the slinky towards the centre of mass of the Earth. There are resultant momentary not-quite-cancellations of forces, which are enough for the slinky to “hover”… Oh never mind me, go watch the super slo-mo, you know you want to!
Finally, we celebrated 100 years since the birth of Alan Turing on June 23rd! Most of us have more to thank him for than that of which we are presently aware. I randomly – seems to a key adverb in my life – came across a letter to the Guardian newspaper sent by a former professor of mine from Imperial, which seems to be a much more coherent description of some of Turing’s achievements than many a big celebratory feature. Worth a read!
On that note: what would you like to read about? Perhaps I should have asked earlier. Hm.
Food Diary – June 11, 2011
Today, I went out. Actually, I spent the largest chunk of the day on a muddy field, listening to shouty rock, and eating a kind festival food. It was awesome.
This clearly did not go for my breakfast. Which continues.
As a responsible student (yes, I insist), I wished to finished the day’s work before setting off for the concert, which of course meant not leaving enough time for lunch.
Of course, upon arriving at said field, it was raining lots of small mammals. So we did what geeks do best – go to the library, buy miscellaneous snack foods, smuggle them into the computer rooms, and watch funny youtube videos.
Then, the shouty rock began. I think I ate an olive somewhere in between that I forgot to photograph.
Hope you cottoned on to the sarcasm there – sometimes it does not get across very well on screen, and I come across as a pompous twat… well, you be the judge of that.
Now, imagine a picture of some Carling here. I would like to declare that I am not an overly big fan of beer, and not a massive fan of Carling within that bracket either. It was a confusing episode where somebody else was starting to get rather jolly, though had wandered off for a moment without their pint, and us others felt we should chip in and drink some so they would drink less. Yes. Morality bites.
Post night out (with amazing fireworks, of which I may share a clip later) food: I am as big a fan as the next girl or boy of the early morning kebab, but my voice felt spent from trying to talk over shouty rock and singing/rapping along, to Fresh Prince in Bel-Air no less, so this had to do.
Water count: ~2l. Did I mention shouty rock?
P.S. Since I mentioned youtube videos, try this on for size.
Very, very special, completely exclusive preview…
… of our very own PROMO REEL!
The Science Communication Group at the University of Kent at Canterbury have been commissioned by the Creative Campus initiative to produce a series of posters using the “scientific artwork” produced (mainly) in the Biosciences laboratory. This is an exclusive preview of the whole series, prepared, in a rough-around-the-edges fashion, by yours truly. (Read: feedback welcome.)
It is an incredibly exciting opportunity for us all; please do not let me amateurish work stop you from visiting our hub science communication funtimes. There are caption competitions, there will be puzzles, science news, prize draws for the competitions, interviews with the scientists behind the images and lots more to come!
The Real World for Young People 