In order to find out what our world will look like in the not so distant future, Kevin Kelly questions what drives progress?
What is the origin of our progress?
There are several factors but chief among them is the invention of what we loosely call science. The ancient world accumulated many fabulous inventions [that] were distributed unevenly throughout the ancient world because each was discovered in a trial and error fashion, and the dissemination of their benefits was haphazard and unlikely. Geographical and cultural boundaries often prevented many innovations from spreading far.
Science entails not only the canonical process of observation and experiment, but also the systematic accumulation of what worked and why. A large system of peer-review journals, science societies, and reference libraries was more essential to the uplifting influence of science than was the notion of a predictive hypothesis. By systematically recording the evidence for beliefs, and investigating the reasons for why things worked, and then carefully distributing proven innovations, science quickly became the best tool for making new things the world had ever seen. Science was in fact a superior method for a culture to learn. It beat the best trail and error approach of the past.
via Seed
Even though some of these would be well-known to someone with a passing interest in astronomy, the passion Phil Plait writes with makes me love everything he produces. This time, Bad Astronomy on ten things you don’t know about black holes.
- It’s not their mass, it’s their size that makes them so strong
- They’re not infinitely small
- They’re spheres. And they’re definitely not funnel shaped
- Black holes spin
- Near a black hole, things get weird
- Approaching a black hole can kill you in fun ways. And by fun, I mean gruesome, horrifying, and really really ookie
- Black holes aren’t always dark
- Black holes aren’t always dangerous
- Black holes can get big
- Black holes can be low density
via Seed
I’m considering treating someone (possibly myself!) to David Attenborough’s The Life Collection: the full set of David Attenborough’s Life series, consisting of over 60 hours of some of the best nature footage in history.
As is the norm when I’m intrigued by anything, I head over to Wikipedia and read all I can on a subject. This time I was interested more in Attenborough himself, and came across the following:
In a December 2005 interview […] Attenborough stated that he considers himself an agnostic. When asked whether his observation of the natural world has given him faith in a creator, he generally responds with some version of this story:
“My response is that when Creationists talk about God creating every individual species as a separate act, they always instance hummingbirds, or orchids, sunflowers and beautiful things. But I tend to think instead of a parasitic worm that is boring through the eye of a boy sitting on the bank of a river in West Africa, [a worm] that’s going to make him blind. And [I ask them], ‘Are you telling me that the God you believe in, who you also say is an all-merciful God, who cares for each one of us individually, are you saying that God created this worm that can live in no other way than in an innocent child’s eyeball? Because that doesn’t seem to me to coincide with a God who’s full of mercy’.”
If you’re a newcomer to Attenborough, I suggest these YouTube videos, courtesy of the BBC. One not to miss is the call of the lyrebird, voted as ‘the best Attenborough moment’.
My favourite fact: Attenborough’s reputed to be the most travelled person on Earth: while filming The Trials of Life he travelled almost a quarter of a million miles in just over three and a half years.
‘Mr. Green Genes’ is a transgenic cat that glows in the dark. As a huge fan of both cats and science, I think this may be my ideal pet.
From the ScienceBlogs Weekly Recap:
The cat’s DNA [has been injected] with a gene for green fluorescent protein (GFP), to easily visualize whether the protein was localized as desired in the cat’s body. The Audubon Center team who gave Mr. Green Genes his glow hope to use their technique to develop gene therapy methods for cystic fibrosis treatment.
It reminds me of a letter PETA sent me a few months ago. Trying to persuade me to give them money, they wrote, “animal experiments [include] inserting jellyfish genes into the genetic code of pigs to make the pigs glow in the dark.” My response: give me the address for these ‘genetic tinkerers’ at once, I feel compelled to send them a big, fat cheque.
I’ll admit I may have overstretched myself slightly with this sensationalist title. What it should say is, “How the Toxoplasma Gondii Brain Parasite May Influence Human Culture“; but that’s not nearly as fun.
Toxoplasma gondii is a single-celled brain parasite spread by cats. Our feline companions are its preferred home and […] like most parasites, T.gondii has a complex life cycle designed to get it into its final host. If it finds itself in another animal, it travels to the brain and changes the host’s behaviour to maximise its chances of ending up in a cat. For rodents, this means being eaten and infected individuals are less fearful of cats and more active, making them easier prey.
[Human] carriers tend to show long-term personality changes that are small but statistically significant. Women tend to be more intelligent, affectionate, social and more likely to stick to rules. Men on the other hand tend to be less intelligent, but are more loyal, frugal and mild-tempered. The one trait that carriers of both genders share is a higher level of neuroticism - they are more prone to guilt, self-doubt and insecurity.
The article goes on to note that it would be imprudent to suggest that T.gondii is the major driver of human culture, and points out that we shouldn’t confuse correlation with causation. However, when infection rates can be as high as 67% (as in Brazil), it’s worth paying attention to.
via Mind Hacks