In other universe, the biggest science story of the past month would be the discovery of yet another hint at the possibility of life on Mars. Yes, we've been down that road (and parallel paths for other celestial bodies) before, without definitive results. And this latest find is still far from first contact; we have observed chemical patterns that are associated with life on Earth, but which technically could result from abiotic processes as well. It's another bread crumb, an encouraging sign that we should keep … [Read more...] about Science Corner: Climbing the Fruit Tree of Science
complexity
Science Corner: Who is My Neighbor?
By the time you read this, the United States will be learning the outcomes of midterm elections. Obviously I don't know the results to comment. Regardless of the outcome, though, I think it is likely we will continue to hear about the partisan divide or variations thereof. And that is a topic which science can offer some insight into, specifically the impact of social media on polarization--specifically, our increased sorting into homogeneous groups with little in common between them. If you suspect social media isn't … [Read more...] about Science Corner: Who is My Neighbor?
Science Book Review: Complexity – A Guided Tour
When I reviewed Underbug a couple of weeks ago, I supposed many readers would enjoy the storytelling skill of author and journalist Lisa Margonelli even though I was hoping for more science. Complexity: A Guided Tour by Melanie Mitchell has plenty of math and science, which is fine by me yet may not be to everyone's taste. As it happens, the subjects of both books overlap; the complexity of termite mounds is one stop on Mitchell's tour. Notably, neither book offers a compelling conclusion to the search for unifying … [Read more...] about Science Book Review: Complexity – A Guided Tour
Science in Review: The Open and Closed Case of Steve v Steve
Exhibit A: During a beach vacation with my extended family, I repeatedly heard my mom, my sister and my wife discussing the complexities of food shopping. These are three intelligent women, each with a Masters' degree in their respective field, each with a minimum of 10 years' experience buying and preparing food for themselves and at least some experience doing so for a family, and yet all three find this basic task increasingly overwhelming. Optimizing for sustainability, personal cost, global resource consumption, … [Read more...] about Science in Review: The Open and Closed Case of Steve v Steve
Science Corner: I Can’t Believe I Ate That Whole Thing
Eating well in academia can be challenging. On any given day there's probably pizza or donuts or cookies somewhere on campus. When either your time or your money (or both) are limited---and for students and faculty alike they often are---it's hard to beat "free" and "right here." But even with unlimited funds to buy whatever you wish and unlimited time for shopping and preparation, eating well still poses a challenge. There is an educational component as well; you have to learn or be taught what choices to make. And as … [Read more...] about Science Corner: I Can’t Believe I Ate That Whole Thing