tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42840783346914830982012-01-29T17:00:33.810-06:00Science, Statistics, and Silliness. Occasional opinions with very wide confidence intervals. On a good day there might even be complete sentences.EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.comBlogger2811100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-11219075750326607222011-12-18T09:37:00.000-06:002011-12-18T09:37:08.941-06:00

I just discovered BadgerStats,  an organization that presents data driven commentary on Wisconsin's economy, education, business climate, and other topics. http://badgerstat.org/2011/jobs/ Our work is motivated by our belief that: Many Wisconsinites want credible, nonpartisan information about their state, including insights into what’s working and what’s not, and about our state’s

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com1Wisconsin, USA43.277205501855626 -89.375604244557440.98277250185563 -92.4383377445574 45.571638501855624 -86.31287074455739tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-34711767742063244752011-11-12T22:25:00.001-06:002011-11-12T23:22:52.895-06:00

I just returned from the local Drinking Liberally event, which I learned about from reading local political blog Waukesha Wonk. Lately I've been to buried in work to be very motivated about anything, much less politics. However, this meeting was very informative about some behind the scenes goings-on, and it makes me realize how little I know about how politics actually works. The more I know,

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-54239145904263700282011-09-24T09:24:00.000-05:002011-09-24T09:29:18.033-05:00

Simply too good not to share. Image: Darryl Cunningham Investigates That's merely the first in a series. Take a few minutes and read the whole thing.

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-52303432750474490752011-08-24T18:14:00.023-05:002011-08-24T18:14:00.338-05:00

I just participated in the Science Bloggers Census. There was some question in my mind if this blog really qualifies, but Edward was kind enough to link me to an article answering that question of "Just what is a Science Blog?". Looking back at my recent posts, I haven't been posting very much science related content recently, but I'm also counting some of my mathematical posts at my other

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-76688792391517748962011-08-11T07:42:00.000-05:002011-08-11T07:42:34.638-05:00

Some commentary on our local politics from the Daily Show. Crisis in Dairyland - Recall Edition

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-30555720410219148852011-07-16T06:04:00.019-05:002011-07-18T12:44:40.710-05:00

Given the recent space toilet troubles, I am reminded of similar troubles aboard the space shuttle Challenger nearly 30 years ago (November, 1981), and comedian Robin Williams commentary on the solution to the problem. The relevant part starts at 2:35. Thirty year ago, this put me in stitches. It's still a good one.

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-40877978423139066602011-07-15T07:16:00.001-05:002011-07-15T07:16:00.197-05:00

The greatest human talent is self-delusion. (Often propped-up by another, our penchant for self-righteousness.) Across recorded history, delusional leaders were responsible for countless horrific errors of statecraft, though it was common folk who suffered. Yet, ruling castes always made it their top priority to limit criticism, the only thing that might have corrected their mistakes. This dire

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-4315156427477859252011-07-15T05:52:00.001-05:002011-07-15T05:52:00.866-05:00

Say the following three times fast, I dare you. 20-Iodo-14,15-epoxyeicosa-8(Z)-enoyl-3-azidophenylsulfonamide: photoaffinity labeling of a 14,15-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid receptor. Or for that matter, once, without pausing for breathe. The next time someone tells they think statistics are hard to understand, I'm going to send them to a biochemist.

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-58320206278464751692011-07-13T18:30:00.001-05:002011-07-13T18:30:01.275-05:00

Credit and copyright, wikimedia commons Borrowing (maybe stealing) a regular feature at Futility Closet, a quote for our times: If you have a weak candidate and a weak platform, wrap yourself up in the American flag and talk about the Constitution. -Matthew Stanley Quay, senator (1833-1904)

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-84915548772254147152011-07-12T07:44:00.000-05:002011-07-12T07:44:29.285-05:00

Michael Shermer on The Colbert Report

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-63422369542042665482011-07-03T10:47:00.001-05:002011-07-03T10:48:27.886-05:00

Back when I played D&D, we had a special place for that most silly sounding weapon: the Bohemian Earspoon. My wife recently related to me that an earspoon is a tool once used for cleaning the ear, and putting the wax so acquired to other industrious uses (Eeeewww!) So the suggestion is that a large polearm be used for cleaning the ear is kind of funny (at least if it's not your

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-10816338106175061802011-06-15T07:46:00.000-05:002011-06-15T07:46:45.350-05:00

Oh the horror! from The Daily Show.

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-67108357107527557492011-06-09T10:09:00.002-05:002011-06-09T10:16:56.792-05:00

Heads up Waukesha - Today's Google Doodle is a tribute to to local legend Les Paul. The best parts is you can play it! (Not this image tho, go but go to Google.com and try it.) This will appear on Google.com for the rest of the day, and starting tomorrow it should be archived at http://www.google.com/logos/ . Here's a Forbes article with more details about this tribute to Les Paul, and

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-35263617383904434792011-06-06T22:26:00.000-05:002011-06-06T22:26:50.968-05:00

Caution: The topic of todays' post is entirely scatological. This is evidence of a coyote marking it's territory, with the territory in question being the sidewalk by my house. I knew there were coyotes nearby; I've seen the scats when out walking on some undeveloped land by a nearby quarry, and actually spotted a few roaming by the highway. However, this is the first evidence they are actually

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-47590140288474811562011-05-21T10:03:00.004-05:002011-05-21T10:37:34.079-05:00

In the unlikely event that Harold Camping is correct, wouldn't it be nice to go out humming along with some appropriate music? The selections are presented here in alphabetical order by artist, because I think it especially silly to be highly organized in my response to the apocalypse. Barry McGuire: Eve of Destruction(does double duty as a protest song) Billy Joel: We Didn't Start The Fire(or

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-9967661360145029182011-04-29T22:19:00.001-05:002011-04-29T22:19:26.238-05:00

A blogging-friend, who goes by the name of Ogre MkV, is debating another blogger, JoeG, on the topic: Is Intelligent Design Anti-Evolution? Ogre's opening statement is up now at Cassandra's Tears: Intelligent Design is Anti-evolution (Support Opening) Having read that, I wanted to get some thoughts down before I read JoeG's response. 1) Ogre MKV makes a strong case that ID is anti-evolution

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-5928464622260797642011-04-05T07:49:00.000-05:002011-04-05T07:49:11.415-05:00

Just this quick note for a BUSY election day. Cognitive Dissidence reports some excellent detective work on how the Koch brothers are operating behind the scenes in Wisconsin. Check it out, and go vote. Maybe not in that order. *

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-52691349855017391052011-04-03T15:11:00.001-05:002011-04-03T15:11:11.388-05:00

"An activist judge stubbornly insists that Wisconsin's legal system must be obeyed, even if Republicans disagree with it." Or see it at Colbert Nation. Wisconsin's Tuesday non-partisan elections are turning out to be anything but. The intensity and nastiness of 3rd party television advertising cannot be understated. I'm getting really tired of one sided calling the other stupid, ignorant,

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-52575390770715206662011-02-19T08:04:00.000-06:002011-02-19T08:04:21.328-06:00

What Would Woody Do? Simply amazing political events in Wisconsin this week (a few samples: 1, 2, 3). I have been recalling the words of a wise man - a business professor and amazingly good teacher - and I recall them as: Unions are bad, but if your company has a union, they probably deserve it. It's not too hard to see how unions might cause inefficiency, and if business and workers all

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-19765716870956175562011-02-17T21:20:00.002-06:002011-02-18T06:46:54.303-06:00

There are extraordinary events in Wisconsin politics this week. Our new Governor's anti-union legislation has ignited an amazing response, turning normally placid Cheeseheads into a melting pot of political turmoil.  Here is a sampling: Daily Kos: Scott Walker's Pants Spontaneously Combust! The Political Environment: Republicans in Madison are Flailing Fleeing, Failing Brew City Brawler: 

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-9964544505226388672011-02-12T08:00:00.006-06:002011-02-13T07:41:39.066-06:00

Something a little different for Darwin Day (Charles Darwin's 202th Birthday!); I'd like to introduce my new co-blogger, Darwin the Cockatiel. Darwin likes to assist me by landing on the keyboard while I am typing and supervising my fingers. This supervision consists of nipping at my fingers if he feels are not moving in an appropriate manner. By his definition, "appropriate" means they ought

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-21981347634386934682011-02-11T18:00:00.002-06:002011-02-11T18:00:01.370-06:00

Fail #4 refers to an editorial published in the Idaho Press-Tribune. It is copyrighted, so you will need to follow the link to the article, or you can just take my word that it is some amazingly stupid stuff. Much of it refers to old arguments that even Creationist are embarrassed to have even supported. Evidence doesn’t support theory of evolution [Via Greg Laden's Blog] Bonus Section:

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-73859525006344726552011-01-25T07:24:00.002-06:002011-02-07T17:50:08.450-06:00

And now for our next musical number!  [Found on Pharyngula] edit - forgot a title! Silly me. edit = forgot the video! Doh!!

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-54187017626850967932011-01-21T10:02:00.000-06:002011-01-21T10:02:41.064-06:00

Good Stuff.

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-90599508253258447172011-01-08T08:58:00.000-06:002011-01-08T08:58:32.304-06:00

How to tell the difference between a theoretical statistician and an applied statistician? A theoretical statistician knows all about measure theory but has never seen a measurement whereas the actual use of measure theory by the applied statistician is a set of measure zero. --- Stephen Senn Found on Statistical Modeling, Causal Inference, and Social Science

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-74202379599703348552011-01-06T16:00:00.003-06:002011-01-06T16:58:20.563-06:00

This is a second-hand fail, but still a winner loser. This was posted by RetiredSciGuy in the comments on the Sensuous Curmudgeon post: Theocratic Terror in the Classroom. The Curmudgeon is always a good read. Now prepare for failure! RetiredSciGuy writes ... I didn’t have any aggressively ignorant students trying to bait me into a science vs. religion discussion while I was teaching. Had

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-48962088812981147502010-11-16T08:07:00.000-06:002010-11-16T08:07:23.227-06:00

image found here. source? History suggests that if you rescale, shift, and truncate two time series, it's usually quite easy to make them look very similar. This does not mean anything at all, it's simply fishing***. The graphic is suggesting that the US is following Japan into economic deflation, which would be bad. However, this is showing a subset of inflation data (food and energy*)

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-80517125448049154502010-11-07T17:52:00.000-06:002010-11-07T17:52:22.998-06:00

A link from Terrence Tao's blog (hat-tip!) sent me to this article by Issac Asimov: The Relativity of Wrong. The whole article is great, and it contains a quote I especially like and have used a time or two. I think I had forgotten the where first read it, so I'm glad to be reminded of the source. I have quoted the relevant part below, with my favorite part in bold. The young specialist in

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-20153561451866532702010-11-06T08:28:00.073-05:002010-11-06T08:28:00.199-05:00

This Science Fail shtick is harder than I realized. Apparently really good fails don't just grow on trees, and it took me much longer than expected to turn this up. For entry #2 I delved into this short SCIAM news article mentioning a historical climate warming event. Fortunately for me, most any mention of "climate" these days is very likely to bring out the worse in people. "Without people

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-31814308822475098432010-11-03T14:34:00.001-05:002010-11-19T12:25:58.667-06:00

You you have ever: A) participated in a near endless online discussion with someone who has their own definition of science and reason, and B) happen to have some computer programming skills, then it may have occurred to you to write an automated program to automate replies to bad arguments. I have certainly thought about it more than once, but I don't have the right set of programming skills to

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-84102221090825455332010-10-30T12:17:00.000-05:002010-10-30T12:17:39.894-05:00

I found an interesting series of blog articles, starting here: The Real Secret of the Super Rich What caught my interest isn't so much that this reveals any surprising secrets, but that it is a reasonable mathematical analysis of the value of education and ability explained in simple terms. Simplified, but it makes a good point all the same. I am less certain about the author's holistic

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-60718434463944536902010-10-23T17:06:00.001-05:002010-10-29T14:25:15.468-05:00

I'm borrowing the schtick of another blogger, who has not been actively lately. I hope he won't mind? The idea of a "Science Fail" is to post a statement comment that fails in a completely self-explanitory way. Editing on my part is not allowed; each quote must fail on its own merits, or lack thereof. Go see Dirty Harry's Science Fail blog for many shining examples. So what is this, Reality Show

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-34438475845656849152010-10-13T18:24:00.020-05:002010-10-13T18:24:00.172-05:00

Image Nature News The latest Nature News has an article titled Computational Science: ... Error, describing the increasing difficulty scientists face as the computer programming required for research becomes more and more complex. I face a similar prob in my work. Much of the work I do requires a fair amount of database management as a precursor to the analysis. Most of this is basic SAS

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-18441996952114152922010-09-29T17:43:00.004-05:002010-09-29T17:43:00.802-05:00

I bring you Helen Pilcher of Nature.com on the rise of science comedy: The comedic potential of particle accelerators or neurotransmission may not be obvious, but in the right hands they can be a recipe for mirth. And science has its own cast of wacky characters — from bongo-playing physicist Richard Feynman to gold-nosed astronomer and moose owner Tycho Brahe.Moose owner? Now I'm, jealous! The

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-24534538568736860532010-08-30T21:34:00.001-05:002010-08-30T21:40:38.222-05:00

280,951 Post-It Notes, and a lot of spare time. EepyBird's Sticky Note experiment from Eepybird on Vimeo. Or click here to view it full screen (worthwhile).

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-38312683461023699612010-08-27T17:42:00.000-05:002010-08-27T17:42:21.417-05:00

I had this same conversation just this morning! Somehow I doubt the full humor of the situation will be apparent to most people, but this conversation occurs at my job on an occasional basis. A sample size of N=3 is a barest minimum for even a t-test, and on that basis alone probably isn't enough, but I'm willing to set that aside for the bigger issue, because it depends on the question. It

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-61828736567757849022010-08-18T18:03:00.006-05:002010-08-18T18:03:00.928-05:00

From POPSCI - Trapping Lightning in a block of acrylic. There are many unusual things to see around Newton Falls, Ohio—the Wal-Mart with hitching posts for Amish buggies, the Army base with helicopters and tanks proudly arranged on hills—but I was here for the most unusual thing of all: the local Dynamitron. I was here to make frozen lightning.Click over to POPSCI for the full story and a video.

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-67293453493236652212010-08-05T10:39:00.000-05:002010-08-05T10:39:08.469-05:00

Many of the diaspora from Scienceblogs have reconvened at a new site, including several I read regularly. Check out Scientopia to see what these science bloggers are up to.

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-69014376339941961012010-07-26T15:50:00.000-05:002010-07-26T15:50:17.771-05:00

An update on the search for our lost bird - We had a false alarm Thursday. A lead on a found cockatiel turned out not to be our bird. Yesterday I spotted our bird flying past th house! It was only for a few seconds, and then he flew out of sight again, leading to much calling about the neighborhood. Very exciting, and very frustrating too. Catching a bird that does not want to be caught is a

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-13967032658938456412010-07-21T06:14:00.003-05:002010-07-21T08:50:09.891-05:00

Escaped on July 19th, 2010, in the vicinity of Greenway Terrace and Empire Drive, Waukesha, WI. We call him “Bird”, a Male Cockatiel, Common Grey in color, 14 years old with full flight feathers, small metal band on right leg. He is unlikely to respond to calls, but he may call to people if he wants attention. A sound clip of a Cockatiel calling can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-43915441031373599202010-07-17T12:32:00.000-05:002010-11-19T12:35:47.321-06:00

This was going to be a longer post, but then I got in a fight with the new Blogger editor, ending in my switching back to the old Blogger editor. Therefore, this post is shorter. This post was going to have a stronger theme, but I used up all my time on the aforementioned editor. Therefore, this post is a loosely themed collection of links. Take it for what it is worth. Class M: Support Honesty

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-10925061507302963502010-07-12T06:21:00.027-05:002010-07-12T06:21:00.235-05:00

"WHAT ... is the airspeed of a laden swallow in flight?"One of the classic questions of science popular culture Monty Python fans, but before weighing down a 20 gram bird with the fruit of a Cocos nucifera, someone really ought to look into how they fly normally. And of course, someone has. "In order to maintain airspeed velocity, a swallow needs to beat its wings forty-three times every second

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-34229032533416609532010-07-09T06:34:00.000-05:002010-07-09T09:37:28.623-05:00

Robot fetches beer. We should all have one of these. [Hat-Tip-2 Terrence Tao (via Google Buzz)]

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-46797385268759193182010-06-26T22:43:00.000-05:002010-06-26T22:43:01.126-05:00

The lights are dimming, everyone take your seats for the show. Or view here [Found on Pharyngula]

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-11932106590000416722010-05-11T05:55:00.049-05:002010-05-11T05:55:00.140-05:00

This is a follow-on to my post of three days ago: The Census Will Be Wrong. We Could Fix it. My friend Matt sort of set me off with his comments - I think he likes to do that :-)  - and my "longer response" has turned into a post of it's own, and inspired another yet to come. Matt writes: I think the author underplays the risk of political/agenda hijinks... The first thing that came to my mind

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-23228188119815763682010-05-10T04:30:00.000-05:002010-05-10T04:30:00.690-05:00

For some unknown reason I occasionally post something dance related. [Found on TED]

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-42437981345245770272010-05-08T22:44:00.002-05:002010-05-08T22:47:37.849-05:00

This is sort of a professional pet peeve among statisticians, and the issue comes up with every census; Jordan Ellenberg writes: Opponents say that statistical adjustment would violate the constitutional requirement of an "actual enumeration" of the population. Justice Antonin Scalia wrote in 1998 that the Constitution's language was "arguably incompatible . . . with gross statistical estimates.

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-916145907550825452010-05-07T23:45:00.001-05:002010-05-07T23:47:36.520-05:00

I get it - I get the whole Atheism versus Religion thing. In matters related to science, the atheists generally have it right, and it's not too hard to find someone who is: A) a kook, and B) religious, that is sadly wrong on a given scientific matter. I'm cool with that. There one thing that bugs me though; this video offers a good example of a bad argument. It is an error to say that because

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-68736604954490288972010-04-23T21:34:00.000-05:002010-04-23T21:34:13.926-05:00

Found on Weird Science - Eight minutes to watch 30 seconds of rocket launch. Enjoy your front-row seat, and be glad you weren't actually ON the front row ... Apollo 11 Saturn V Launch (HD) Camera E-8 from Mark Gray on Vimeo.

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-60704748663428059092010-04-20T07:59:00.002-05:002010-04-20T08:02:15.197-05:00

The first video directed by an octopus, and it's a chase scene! I wonder how long before this is up on Pharyngula? [Tip-O-Hat 2 IO9]

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-44106244687250350662010-04-19T05:28:00.041-05:002010-04-19T05:28:00.905-05:00

For your Monday morning amusement - Fox News never lies - Oh wait ...Mark Evanier writes: The other day, Bill O'Reilly slapped a Congressman around for saying that Fox News was spreading the lie that if you don't buy health insurance, you'll go to jail. Here's an excerpt from that discussion and it's followed by...well, you can guess what it's followed by... [Tip-O-Hat 2 News From ME]

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-80265884280061083312010-04-17T09:53:00.000-05:002010-04-17T09:53:51.434-05:00

I like Anagrams. I like poking fun at Intelligent Design. I like it when good things go together. Discovery Institute --> Service Nutty Idiots Discovery Institute --> It Sired Nutty Voices Irreducible Complexity --> Extol Imbecilic Prudery Irreducible Complexity --> Proudly Exert Imbecilic Irreducible Complexity --> Dourly Imbecilic Expert Answers in Genesis--> Seesawing Sinner Answers in

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-73753807277117701742010-03-08T18:33:00.001-06:002010-03-10T11:46:12.653-06:00

An anonymous commenter replied to a video and comments I posted last June (see Smoking Lettuce). My posting has been lax lately, so the reply gets a whole post to itself.  To briefly summarize, Representative Steve Buyer thinks smoking lettuce is the same as smoking cigarettes. I copied a statement from Buyer's web site stating that the FDA is under-funded and over-stressed and that they have

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-34794578171038375042010-02-27T11:17:00.001-06:002010-02-27T11:19:48.817-06:00

Science is Flattening, at least that what the Flat Earth Society would have us believe.    John Lynch links to this Guardian article about the resurgence of the FES, which is actually a very fair and open treatment of the topic. Here is a tidbit from the front page of the Flat Earth Wiki: Throughout the years it has become a duty of each Flat Earth Society member, to meet the common Round

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-64432712525491979292010-02-26T07:29:00.001-06:002010-02-26T07:31:33.415-06:00

 Improbable Research presents the latest in ongoing research on the link between Caffeine and Breast Shrikage. The real story is that in women that carry a certain allele (CYP1A2*1F, if i grok), caffeine plays a role in regulating a hormone associated with both breast size and cancer risk. See Coffee and Breast Size at Improbable Research, or you can skip the fun and go straight the grounds of

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-5242975611876440432010-02-16T21:01:00.000-06:002010-02-16T21:01:25.215-06:00

Author David Brin has a nice essay up about the difference between Deniers and Skeptics of Human Generated Climate Change. Here's an intro: Distinguishing Climate "Deniers" From "Skeptics" What factors would distinguish a rational, pro-science "skeptic" - who has honest questions about the HGCC consensus - from members of a Denier Movement who think a winter snowstorm means there's ni

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-85208937528682298582010-02-04T07:57:00.000-06:002010-02-04T07:57:00.191-06:00

Tensile versus Shear Strength, from XKCD Don't forget to click thru for the mouse-hover message!

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-14747600187621464522010-02-04T06:59:00.001-06:002010-05-18T16:41:16.640-05:00

Celebrity for the math-geek, and some good advice for students (quoting from memory): Arthur Benjamin: "The number of math courses you take in college is the single best predictor of your future income." Steven Colbert has an answer for that too, but he always has an answer*. The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c Arthur Benjamin www.colbertnation.com Colbert Report Full

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-68164861093844968092010-01-25T05:40:00.004-06:002010-01-28T13:42:50.027-06:00

Found via Improbable Research: Medical attention for Tikosyn

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-88411911460688862502010-01-18T05:24:00.026-06:002010-01-18T05:24:00.243-06:00

Three Particles for the Heisenbergs under the sky, Seven for the von Neumanns in their halls of stone, Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die, One for the Schrödinger on his dark throne In the Land of Dirac where the Strange lie. One Particle to rule them all, One Particle to find them, One Particle to bring them all and in the darkness bind them To give them Mass where the Charms lie.

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-6471403670199468542010-01-16T10:35:00.000-06:002010-01-16T10:38:38.746-06:00

A year ago I wrote about Richard Simmons PE Crusade , and there is recent news of considerable progress. MetaDeb tells me that the legislation is now included in this years No Child Left Behind package. This news come from a recent Today Show interview with RS, but I haven't been able to confirm this thru any other source in a casual search. I'm hopeful that it is true. Richard Simmons'

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-46653320434442928342010-01-15T17:45:00.002-06:002010-01-15T17:45:00.211-06:00

From Discoblog: Alien Math Shows Why Grad Student Doesn’t Have a Girlfriend  PS: This is old news to most grad students.

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-81300763647380816032010-01-13T18:16:00.001-06:002010-01-13T18:16:00.382-06:00

I like it when science and humor cross-pollinate, but sometimes it's even funnier when it's completely serious. You just can't make up stuff like this: Br Med J  1980;281:1676-1678 (20 December), doi:10.1136/bmj.281.6256.1676 A polymorphism of the ability to smell urinary metabolites of asparagus.M Lison, S H Blondheim, R N Melmed The urinary excretion of (an) odorous substance(s) after

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-68077707578466993572010-01-13T05:34:00.000-06:002010-01-13T05:34:00.107-06:00

Some interesting things I found, with no particular theme: String Theory Illustrated [found at Not Even Wrong] Andrew Gelman comments on Climate change as a religion, and the more general use of "religion" as a term of insult. Can US Skiing be saved?  As an avid skier, even tough transplanted to the lowlands, it would be fair to say I don't give a damn if the ice caps melt and cities are

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-46804323591048882532010-01-12T18:28:00.001-06:002010-01-12T18:28:00.474-06:00

She never considered herself a hero. Would that we could all be so heroic. (CNN) -- Miep Gies, who ensured the diary of Anne Frank did not fall into the hands of Nazis after the teen's arrest, has died. She was 100. (NPR) Miep Gies, the office secretary who defied the Nazi occupiers to hide Anne Frank and her family for two years and saved the teenager's diary, has died, the Anne Frank

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-30697444217940727532010-01-09T18:44:00.006-06:002010-01-09T18:52:26.205-06:00

In addition to doing statistical analysis, a big part of my job is explaining the meaning of the results. I am privileged to work with a lot of really smart people on all manner of biomedical and translational research. However, "really smart" does not always mean that everyone is highly numerate; some people just are not good at expressing themselves that way. That's OK too, not everyone can be

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-18537834331538152922009-12-31T12:31:00.002-06:002009-12-31T12:35:08.474-06:00

Hat Tip 2 The Endeavour

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-7213272621489331252009-12-28T20:44:00.000-06:002009-12-28T20:44:51.947-06:00

Actually, it's how the Earth's Mightiest heroes would deal with the impending doom that is Galactus, but you get the idea. Click thru to read full size. Matt Bors comics Part 2 Part 3 [Hat Tip 2 Comics Alliance] 

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-27155808047061101082009-12-24T08:33:00.004-06:002009-12-24T09:58:14.885-06:00

    Wee Fish Ewe   A Mare Egrets    Moose Panda Hippo Gnu Deer! Hint: It helps if you sing it. "Wee fish ewe a mare egrets moose panda hippo gnu deer"  [All photos Animals Pictures Archive]  

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-79187836298454949962009-12-12T23:01:00.003-06:002009-12-19T08:51:14.135-06:00

This is an appeal to my readers and fellow bloggers for some advice. I've already pitched this to two prominent bloggers I occasionally correspond with, but I don't have direct contact with everyone I'd like to poll via email or Facebook, so this is my open call for responses. I would like your opinions, in a Science blogger/Dear Abby sort of way, and anyone else that is likely to read this is

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-9957224720696073822009-12-11T17:50:00.003-06:002009-12-11T17:50:00.166-06:00

Bach's Crab Cannon: forwards, backwards, looped, and twisted. [Hat Tip 2 Newton Excel Bach]

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-10314727489194907542009-12-07T05:07:00.014-06:002009-12-07T05:07:00.151-06:00

I was having a conversation with a friend about organ transplantation. The conversation actually followed the post I link to, so this is a bit out-of-sequence. To paraphrase his question, he asks why there is not an open market for people to sell their own organs as they wish? My short answer is, it is not ethical. Organ transplantation is a difficult decision all around, for the patient, and

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-59284933561537702892009-12-06T09:02:00.000-06:002009-12-06T09:02:34.644-06:00

ScienceNOW has a short summary of research on monkey calls. An Introduction to Monkey Grammar?: "Primates produce new alarm calls in a way that might resemble human language [Read more]" Hardly a surprise though, even some humans demonstrate this ability. [Image Credits: 1, 2, and found on 3 (origin unknown)]

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-9703441821715793272009-12-03T07:43:00.001-06:002009-12-03T07:43:45.364-06:00

 Check out this online magnifying glass (use the slider!).   Some cells are visible to the unaided eye The smallest objects that the unaided human eye can see are about 0.1 mm long. That means that under the right conditions, you might be able to see an ameoba proteus, a human egg, and a paramecium without using magnification. A magnifying glass can help you to see them more clearly, but they

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-72451389404778261392009-12-02T19:00:00.002-06:002009-12-02T19:00:02.655-06:00

[From Information is Beautiful] Visualising the Guardian Datablog: I’m doing a regular weekly visualisation for the excellent Guardian Datablog, the front-end for an amazing library of statistics and data, lovingly hand-gathered by The Guardian. My first post is about Deadly Drugs. [...]  IiB presents this chart: Check out the article on The Guardian blog for detail and data. You want

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-74942564235858299952009-11-29T18:42:00.002-06:002010-11-19T12:48:49.848-06:00

From Probably Bad News. Bad math from Fox News is not news either. Also at FlowingData, with flame war discussion to boot! source Breaking News: 193% Is The New 100%: [post repaired November 2010]

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-68810929744354007372009-11-27T12:44:00.002-06:002009-11-27T16:32:50.623-06:00

Found in an online SPSS guide (very near the bottom): SPSS gives you many exciting tables for repeated measures ANOVA, most of which you can ignore in whole or at least in part. [emphasis added] Wow! Not only is it an exciting statistical result, but you can probably just ignore it??? WHAT!?! Likely anyone who isn't a statistician won't see the humor in that -  But to see these described on

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-65835424931986886792009-11-26T11:36:00.001-06:002009-11-26T11:37:19.250-06:00

From The K Chronicles [Hit-Tip-2-Phyrangula] 

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-36855162107932112592009-11-26T05:40:00.000-06:002009-11-26T05:40:00.430-06:00

The winner and runners up to the Discovery Magazine contest.

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-62251882316503311752009-11-25T05:46:00.002-06:002009-11-25T05:46:00.129-06:00

Help! I'm a Rocky Mountain skier trapped in the flat-lands! At Improbable Research I found this story describing how moguls - those bumpy things on a ski slope, gradually work their way uphill. That should make sense to experience skiers, though now there is an article at Physics Today that makes it more than just anecdotal belief. The video below illustrates the movement over the course of the

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-67607307751982222072009-11-24T05:29:00.000-06:002009-11-24T05:29:00.515-06:00

I'm trying to decide what to think of this. On one hand resistance to kuru it's a hopeful sign. On the other hand, the mere existence of a disease that turns you into a laughing zombie could put a damper on your next mortuary feast. Selecting for kuru resistant cannibals New Scientist reports on a new study on how a gene that gives protection against the deadly brain disease kuru became more

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-66558128145545995122009-11-23T05:09:00.001-06:002009-11-23T05:09:00.415-06:00

Very nice! Check out The Symphony of Science for more. [Tip-o-the-Hat to RabidApe]

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-86807315474135741022009-11-12T21:47:00.005-06:002009-11-13T13:31:04.838-06:00

I was reading an article at Smithsonian.com: Evolution in the Deepest River in the World which I found quite interesting. What really caught my attention though was the comments. Third comment to appear was this: evolution is a biggest HOAX in world history ... and I think the commenter might be fairly called a Creationist. I won't mince words though, this commenter is a troll. There are

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-76131883427674523662009-11-11T22:28:00.000-06:002009-11-11T22:28:56.648-06:00

Found by happy accident at Visual-Literacy.org, A Periodic Table of Visualization Methods: Each element represents a different type of data visualization, and hovering the mouse-pointer over any of them will pop-up an example. "Hi" stands for Histogram as demonstrated in the captured pop-up below. Very nicely done! See for yourself. This happy accident occurred while I was searching for "

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-60254289181527418032009-11-10T07:34:00.002-06:002009-11-10T07:49:29.841-06:00

 Todd Wood, a Young Earth Creationist, has this to say: Evolution is not a theory in crisis. It is not teetering on the verge of collapse. It has not failed as a scientific explanation. There is evidence for evolution, gobs and gobs of it. It is not just speculation or a faith choice or an assumption or a religion. It is a productive framework for lots of biological research, and it has

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-25800194569870815862009-11-01T09:11:00.002-06:002009-11-01T19:46:45.081-06:00

 I just discovered a nice blog tribute to ... oh ... but telling would spoil some of the fun. This series of posts at The Armchair Generalist is still fun, even if it is after Halloween. Here, have some more fun: How Superman Defeated the Ku Klux Klan TV Shows Little Girls Watch Monkey Business: Scientist Monkeys Around With The Economy Internet Rules Piano Stairs are fun too. I Love the

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-61349963663493840792009-10-30T23:40:00.005-05:002009-12-09T16:47:23.576-06:00

Scientific American has this online article - Idle Moments Turn into Tons of Air Pollutants at Schools - the point of which is to point out the enormous amounts of pollutants produced by idling truck engines, and that New York City has a law regarding this that really ought to be enforced. I have little doubt that this really is a significant source of pollutions, but this statement made me

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-37280936932634267282009-10-26T05:37:00.005-05:002009-10-26T10:11:24.923-05:00

Proof positive the Man and Dinosaur co-existed! FOR NO PARTICULAR REASON OUR STORY IS LAID IN THE "STONE AGE" - MILLIONS AND BILLIONS AND TRILLIONS OF YEARS AGO - PROBABLY BEFORE ANY OF YOU PEOPLE WERE EVEN BORN Check out the video for the full story: The Real story being Chuck Jones 1939 debut as the director of Daffy Duck - and so history was made.

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-26492175494398027562009-10-23T21:34:00.000-05:002009-10-23T21:34:55.242-05:00

Its Rationality Vs. Moronity over at Mike's Weekly Skeptic Rant. Mike would seem to be a very patient man.

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-5082219558479984382009-10-21T05:33:00.005-05:002009-10-25T08:26:09.388-05:00

The hazards of zoology! I suppose every now and then it may accidentally shag a female of its own species. No wonder it's endangered. [Via A Simple Prop] 

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-75681264076882907012009-10-19T20:59:00.001-05:002009-10-19T21:17:17.124-05:00

This is a bit much to explain, but Carl Zimmer hosts an enlightening response from biologist Joe Thornton to creationist wannabee Michael Behe's lastest brain-fart. This is the same Michael Behe who, when Thornton published the first half of this research, declared it “piddling.” Why the change of heart? Because Behe thinks that the new research shows that evolution cannot produce anything more

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-50244211749231279312009-10-19T05:07:00.012-05:002009-10-19T05:07:00.414-05:00

Just because it's cool. [HatTips2 dancohen, Open Culture, @hughmcguire, and MetaDeb] Not to ruin the nice Coltrane vibe, but compare that to a saxophone playing robot. The video below shows the robot in action. The tone is awful, but it will give you some idea of what Coltrane is doing on the keys. Unfortunately it only shows the left-hand keys and we miss out on all the right-hand action,

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-55251851018597043752009-10-15T15:32:00.001-05:002009-10-15T15:33:27.853-05:00

From the Dresden Codak webcomic, the work of the very talented Aaron Diaz. There is more to see, and you can see it bigger, at Dresden Codak.  

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-879924833711065282009-10-14T18:26:00.001-05:002009-10-14T18:26:00.317-05:00

[Via Discoblog] Military Blob-bot to Ooze Its Way Past Enemy Lines  

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-75373592090120059772009-10-12T05:32:00.002-05:002009-10-15T19:48:36.170-05:00

After reading this recent offering from The Sensuous Curmudgeon . . . The Worst Creationism Book Ever? I took it upon myself to visit the scene of the crime. I went to the Probed Minihysteries site and ended up reading the "Tuning Up Your Baloney Detector" article. To briefly summarize, they encourage the faithful to protect themselves from errors in critical thinking by "filtering the facts"

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-47381096961498281872009-10-08T20:26:00.002-05:002009-10-08T20:42:59.332-05:00

David Brin has long been one of my favorite authors, but I only recently discovered my more socio-political ramblings. I'm don't agree with all that he says (and I don't think I am supposed to), but he really make me think about think in a different way. This post is actually an experiment in publishing from Google Sidewiki. A new service that allows you to post comments about any web page. It

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-21234705540806250462009-10-06T05:05:00.000-05:002009-10-06T05:05:00.283-05:00

There is SOMETHING happening on the internet! OK, so maybe that wasn't specific enough. Phil Plait of Bad Astronomy Objects, MarkCC of Good Math, Bad Math calls him on it, and I'm honestly not quite sure what they are on about. Something philosophical, I think. What I do know is that it started off with a comment about the meaning of gravity. Silly people! Douglas Adams explained all this to

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-3234364640581427292009-10-04T12:01:00.002-05:002009-10-04T12:49:45.441-05:00

[Reposting with updated links] Is Organic food really better? Ask any hamster ... ... and be sure to visit The Cooks Den for the out-takes video and comments too. Me though, I want the data! Here is the response I posted over at The Cooks Den. First, I applaud this experiment. Flaws and all, this is great fun, and any discussion taking it seriously or impprove suggesting how to improve the

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-26221118821922355262009-10-01T17:04:00.003-05:002009-10-01T17:34:08.169-05:00

[From Nature News] At 4.4 million years, Ethiopian fossil clarifies human–chimp relationships. Rex Dalton In a far-reaching reordering of human evolution, researchers report today the discovery of the oldest hominid skeleton, a fairly complete 4.4-million-year-old female from Ethiopia.

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284078334691483098.post-4175366285083400332009-09-25T05:47:00.016-05:002010-05-08T11:24:25.122-05:00

  But isn't that what they are supposed to do? 'Flammable' bras hold back Swedish female conscripts [Found on The Local - Sweden's News in English] You just can't make up stuff like this. Some humorously risque comments below the story too. [Hat Tip 2 Ohiomike]

EastwoodDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105563883467108602noreply@blogger.com1