Category Archives: Science

Engineers in the Workplace

Vivek Wadhwa again addresses the question: Engineering Gap? Fact and Fiction. This is a question that deserves a continued look – I still believe we do need more focus on educating more engineers:

Additionally, the positive macro-economic effects of a strong scientific, engineering and technology community to an economy are not necessarily directly correlated to high salaries for those workers. That is one positive factor, but even if those salaries were not high the other benefits of innovation, manufacturing leadership, invention, etc. would still benefit the economy. So a country that is investing in the future could sensible target investments in science and engineering education even without increasing salaries pointing out that the supply and demand in the market was indicating a shortage of those workers.

From Vivek Wadhwa’s most recent article:
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CERN Tour webcast

Tour the underground accelerator at CERN – webcast led by the scientists who work there.

Featuring interviews with physicists Brian Cox (University of Manchester), Jon Butterworth (University College London) and Albert de Roeck (Antwerp University), Lords of the Ring explains why so many scientists are pinning their hopes on this experiment’s potential to answer some of the biggest questions in science.

More science and engineering webcast posts.

Bacteria Living in Glacier

photo of sulfur stained snow in the Artic

Arctic Expedition lead by the Arctic Institute of North America to explore bacteria living in an artic glacier. The photo shows sulfur site with living bacteria.

More information on the study:

Grasby also sent some of the water and mineral samples to specialized laboratories to investigate whether bacteria or other microbes may have been involved in the precipitation of native sulfur and vaterite. Cell counts and DNA analyses confirm that cold-loving bacteria are present in the spring system. It appears that complex communities of bacteria live within the ice system, and that microbially mediated sulfate reduction is probably widespread.

NASA took interest in this evidence of life in extreme conditions.

Following publication of a first article describing the new discovery, astrophysicists and planetary scientists associated with NASA expressed the views that this unique example of life in an extreme ecosystem (bacteria living within or beneath a glacier and performing mineral transformation on Ellesmere Island is an extreme ecosystem) may actually be a perfect analogue to what life may look like on another planetary body of our Solar System – Europa – a moon of Jupiter.

Women for Science

A new report, Women for Science, is available from the InterAcademy Council:

Realizing that the low representation of women in science and engineering is a major hindrance to global capacity building in science and technology, the IAC formed an Advisory Panel on Women for science with the mandate to review previous studies, provide examples of effective projects already implemented, and issue a set of actionable recommendations addressed particularly to the world’s science and engineering academies.

The report is a comprehensive report. The report includes a large list of online resources.

The InterAcademy Council:

In May 2000 all of the world’s science academies created the IAC to mobilize the best scientists and engineers worldwide to provide high quality advice to international bodies – such as the United Nations and the World Bank – as well as to other institutions.

In a world where science and technology are fundamental to many critical issues – ranging from climate change and genetically modified organisms to the crucial challenge of achieving sustainability – making wise policy decisions has become increasingly dependent on good scientific advice.

Related (added when I had to update the link to the report – when are people going to learn to keep urls as permanent addresses?): Engineering Education at Smith College – Diversity in Science and Engineering – Women Working in Science – Girls in Science and Engineering

Weekly Science Podcasts

This Week in Science offers podcasts of around an hour covering many topics. Recent topics include:

  • July 4th: Kangaroo Repellent, Gazelles Give Up, Super Jellyfish To the Rescue!, CO2 Sludge, Neurons Need Love Too, Circus Ants, Interview w/ William Gurstelle re: Thing That Go Boom
  • May 2nd: Pollen Pretenses, Sonar Beach, Big Wierd Booms, Oil No More, Body Power Alternatives, Baby Alcoholics, Birth Canal Benefits, and Two Interviews!!! Interview with Joel Primack and Nancy Abrams, Authors of “The View from the Center of the Universe”, and with Marine Geologist, Dr. Steven Scott, about Deep Sea Mining.
  • March 21st: Callers Galore!, Slimy Sexy Snails, Earth-spermia?, Talk to Aliens, Sexy Healthy Birdies, Rubbernecking Dino, Justin’s Glass Ceiling, Interview w/ Dan McCleese, Chief Scientist for Mars Research at JPL

via: Easternblot

Bonobo’s Using Language?

bonobo with a symbols board she uses to communicate

A Voluble Visit with Two Talking Apes by Jon Hamilton, NPR.

But linguists still weren’t satisfied. They pointed out that humans invent metaphors and figures of speech when literal meanings aren’t enough.

Savage-Rumbaugh says the bonobos pass this test, as well. For example, Panbanisha once used the symbol for “monster” when referring to a visitor who misbehaved.

Bill Fields, a researcher at the Great Ape Trust and a close friend of Kanzi, recalls another time when Kanzi used language creatively.

Fields says it was during a visit by a Swedish scientist named Par Segerdahl. Kanzi knew that Segerdahl was bringing bread. But Kanzi’s keyboard had no symbol for Segerdahl the scientist. So he got the attention of Savage-Rumbaugh’s sister, Liz, and began pointing to the symbols for “bread” and “pear,” the fruit.

“Liz got it immediately,” Fields says. “She says, ‘What do you mean Kanzi? Are you talking about Par or pears to eat?’ And he pointed over to Par.”

The site also includes more photos and video and audio webcasts.

Cash Awards for Engineering Innovation

This article discusses the recent explosion of cash awards to encourage development of engineering solutions. Want innovation? Offer cash (page deleted by external site – poor usability):

In the early 20th century, prizes in the aviation and automotive worlds were common. Sometimes they were awarded for incremental progress, other times for breakthroughs like the Lindbergh flight.

Open Access Article Advantage

Citation Advantage of Open Access Articles by Gunther Eysenbach:

While more work remains to be done to evaluate citation patterns over longer periods of time and in different fields and journals, this study provides evidence and new arguments for scientists and granting agencies to invest money into article processing fees to cover the costs of OA publishing. It also provides an incentive for publishers seeking to increase their impact factor to offer an OA option.

I agree with all of that. More study should be done. And scientists and sponsors that want the papers they wrote, or funded, to have maximum influence should invest in OA publishing now.

See previous: Britain’s Royal Society Experiments with Open Access

The Future of Science

Speculation on the Future of Science, summary of a Kevin Kelly speech by Stewart Brand (co-founder and co-chairman of The Long Now Foundation. He is the founder of the Whole Earth Catalog).

The articles notes steps along the path to the current state of science, including:

1590 — Controlled experiment (Roger Bacon)
1609 — Telescopes and microscopes
1665 — Repeatability (Robert Boyle)
1665 — Scholarly journals
1687 — Hypothesis/prediction (Isaac Newton)
1926 — Randomized design (Ronald Fisher)
1950 — Double blind experiment

Then he discusses 5 ideas for the next 100 years.

1) “There will be more change in the next 50 years of science than in the last 400 years.”
2) “This will be a century of biology.”
3) “Computers will keep leading to new ways of science.”
4) “New ways of knowing will emerge.”
5) “Science will create new levels of meaning.”

It is wonderful to see such interesting ideas online and easily accessible to over one billion people. Yes there is a great deal of worthless stuff avoid (and some worthless stuff to enjoy) to find all the wonderful stuff. But the amount of wonderful science and engineering material available online provides great hope for what the future will bring.

update: see Kevin Kelly present at Google – more Google Engineering talks.

Singapore Supporting Science Researchers

Grooming research talent seen as crucial for Singapore by Jeana Wong

And to attract overseas talents, it will need to build world-class facilities, attract skilled mentors and focus its research spending on clear areas in which it has a strong hold.

He says it is not unusual for governments to develop infrastructure and talent in the basic sciences at the tertiary education level.

Singapore reportedly is even looking at proposing a grand management plan for an Indonesian island.
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