Richard Dawkins, the Oxford evoÂluÂtionÂary biolÂoÂgist, has a new book comÂing out this fall. This time, it’s a chilÂdren’s book called The MagÂic of RealÂiÂty: How We Know What’s RealÂly True. InterÂviewed in Der Spiegel in March, Dawkins talked a litÂtle about what he hoped to accomÂplish here, sayÂing:
Each chapÂter is a quesÂtion like: What is an earthÂquake? What is a rainÂbow? What is the sun? Each chapÂter begins with a series of myths seemÂingÂly answerÂing those quesÂtions, and then I counter that with explaÂnaÂtions about the true nature of things. There is someÂthing very cheap about magÂic in the superÂnatÂurÂal sense, like turnÂing a frog into a prince with a magÂic wand. RealÂiÂty has a grander, poetÂic magÂic of its own, which I hope I can get across.
Already you can see some preÂlimÂiÂnary artÂwork for the book. We have one covÂer design above, and anothÂer one here. We’ll have more on the book when it comes out…
Nick Risinger, an amaÂteur astronomer from SeatÂtle, quit his day job last year, packed his bags and camÂeras, and began a 60,000 mile jourÂney, movÂing across the AmerÂiÂcan West and down to the westÂern Cape of South Africa (twice). His voyÂage would end with a 5000-megapixÂel phoÂtoÂgraph of the entire night sky, proÂduced from 37,440 sepÂaÂrate expoÂsures, and it yields a stagÂgerÂing 360-degree view of the Milky Way. Even betÂter, the image now lives online in an interÂacÂtive forÂmat, givÂing you the abilÂiÂty to wanÂder through the cosÂmos.
For more on this, be sure to visÂit PhoÂtopic Sky SurÂvey. Here Risinger gives you the perÂsonÂal and techÂniÂcal backÂstoÂry on his project, and also gives you the chance to purÂchase phoÂtos, or even lend finanÂcial supÂport to the sky surÂvey.
The cenÂtral intelÂliÂgence of ants – the way ant colonies orgaÂnize themÂselves withÂout a leader and get things done – conÂtinÂues to amaze sciÂenÂtists and sciÂence writÂers alike. Back in 2003, DebÂoÂrah GorÂdon, a StanÂford biolÂoÂgist, gave a whole TED Talk called “How Do Ants Know What to Do?,” which sheds light on how ants can form stunÂningÂly comÂplex, leadÂerÂless sysÂtems. Then, sevÂerÂal years latÂer, RadiÂoÂLab conÂtinÂued to mull over GorÂdon’s fasÂciÂnatÂing research in one of its very first episodes.
Now we get this great bit of video. It comes to us via researchers at the GeorÂgia InstiÂtute of TechÂnolÂoÂgy, and it shows how ants, when placed in water, can form a comÂpleteÂly waterÂtight raft in under two minÂutes. “They’ll gathÂer up all the eggs in the colony and will make their way up through the underÂground netÂwork of tunÂnels, and when the flood waters rise above the ground, they’ll link up togethÂer in these masÂsive rafts,” says Nathan J. Mlot, an engiÂneerÂing stuÂdent involved in the project. AmazÂingÂly, even the ants at the botÂtom of the raft nevÂer get subÂmerged. They all surÂvive, which raisÂes the quesÂtion: Can this research lead to new floataÂtion devices for the rest of us to use?
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The 2009 docÂuÂmenÂtary TranÂscenÂdent Man: The Life and Ideas of Ray Kurzweil is curÂrentÂly screenÂing both online and in select venues, and proÂvokÂing exactÂly the wide range of responsÂes one would expect from a film about a futurÂist who has claimed, among othÂer things, that man would soon learn how to extend his life “indefÂiÂniteÂly.” The New York Times recentÂly comÂpared his theÂoÂries with 2nd and 3rd cenÂtuÂry gnosÂtiÂcism, and since this film was made by an avowed believÂer in Kurzweil’s phiÂlosÂoÂphy and theÂoÂries, it’s no surÂprise that SciÂenÂtifÂic AmerÂiÂcan faults the movie for its revÂerÂence, and VariÂety wishÂes “It were not so transÂparÂentÂly on [Kurzweil’s side].”
MeanÂwhile, the “highÂly sophisÂtiÂcatÂed crackÂpot,” as you see him described in the movie’s trailÂer, has been proven right more often than wrong. His fans are legion, and often wealthy. LarÂry Page, the founder and CEO of Google, helped estabÂlish SinÂguÂlarÂiÂty UniÂverÂsiÂty with Kurzweil in 2008, and there many entreÂpreÂneurs and investors take 10 week coursÂes to the tune of $25,000.
If you’re not interÂestÂed in shelling out $5 to rent the movie online (scroll down to the botÂtom of the page), then Kurzweil’s 10 answers to Time MagÂaÂzine’s 10 quesÂtions will give you a taste of what the fuss has been all about.
SheerÂly Avni is a San FranÂcisÂco-based arts and culÂture writer. Her work has appeared in Salon, LA WeekÂly, MothÂer Jones, and many othÂer pubÂliÂcaÂtions. You can folÂlow her on twitÂter at @sheerly
We think of space as a silent movie, someÂthing we see but nevÂer hear. Yet space creÂates a soundÂtrack of sorts (even if sound waves can’t realÂly travÂel through the cosÂmos), and now sciÂenÂtists and musiÂcians want to play that soundÂtrack for you.
EarÂliÂer this year, JanÂna Levin, ProÂfesÂsor of Physics and AstronÂoÂmy at Barnard College/Columbia UniÂverÂsiÂty, described how we can mathÂeÂmatÂiÂcalÂly modÂel the sounds made by black holes. Fast forÂward to the 10:27 mark of her TED Talk above, and you will hear what it sounds like when a lighter black hole falls into a heavÂier black hole. The litÂtle guy bangs against space, kind of like a drumb playÂing faster and faster … which brings us to MickÂey Hart, a forÂmer drumÂmer for The GrateÂful Dead.
In 2010, Hart teamed up with George Smoot, a Nobel Prize-winÂning physiÂcist at the Lawrence BerkeÂley NationÂal LabÂoÂraÂtoÂry, to reproÂduce the sound of The Big Bang and superÂnovas. (BerkeÂley Labs postÂed this superÂnoÂva clip above.) You can read more about the unlikeÂly pairÂing and the “Rhythms of the UniÂverse” project here, then expeÂriÂence more celesÂtial sounds recreÂatÂed by Hart here.
We turned off the lights and switched to the biggest monÂiÂtor in the house, to get the full planÂeÂtarÂiÂum effect of this wonÂderÂful webÂsite. It’s called the Solar SysÂtem Scope, and gives you a chance to observe space from withÂin it, rather than dutiÂfulÂly studyÂing it in a textÂbook or on a screen.
ClickÂing on the teleÂscope icon to the left lets you togÂgle between three difÂferÂent perÂspecÂtives: The helioÂcenÂtric view, with the planÂets and stars spinÂning around you; the panoramÂic view, which repliÂcates the feelÂing of watchÂing the skies from the GreenÂwich obserÂvaÂtoÂry; and, since after all we are the cenÂter of the uniÂverse, the geoÂcenÂtric view, which puts the rest of the cosÂmos firmÂly in their place, orbitÂing the earth.
In a secÂtion called “What’s Next” the site’s creÂators (who are you, mysÂtery designÂers?) tell us that they are workÂing on a kid-friendÂly verÂsion of the site as well, but we’re not sure that’s even necÂesÂsary. When we let a curiÂous 8‑year-old try it out earÂliÂer today, it took us about an hour to get our comÂputÂer back.
SheerÂly Avni is a San FranÂcisÂco-based arts and culÂture writer. Her work has appeared in Salon, LA WeekÂly, MothÂer Jones, and many othÂer pubÂliÂcaÂtions. You can folÂlow her on twitÂter at @sheerly.
On March 11th, Japan sufÂfered a 9.0 earthÂquake, folÂlowed by a masÂsive tsunaÂmi. Just weeks latÂer, NOVA has proÂduced a 47 minute docÂuÂmenÂtary that does an impresÂsive job of explainÂing the sciÂence behind these twin geoÂlogÂic catÂaÂstroÂphes. The proÂgram folÂlows Roger BilÂham, a seisÂmolÂoÂgist at the UniÂverÂsiÂty of ColÂorado, who arrived in Japan two days after the quake. And what you get is a blow-by-blow account of the unfoldÂing events, couÂpled with some sound analyÂsis and stunÂning footage (like the ground splitÂting open and pushÂing water to the surÂface.) This is by far the most subÂstanÂtive treatÂment of Japan’s quake/tsunami that we’ve encounÂtered to date…
SciÂfoo is an annuÂal “unconÂferÂence” c0-hostÂed in MounÂtain View, CalÂiÂforÂnia by Google, O’ReilÂly Media and Nature pubÂlishÂing. It’s parÂticÂiÂpant-driÂven, cross-polÂliÂnatÂing, and highÂly unstrucÂtured, relyÂing more on brainÂstorms and erasable white boards than PowÂerÂPoint preÂsenÂtaÂtions and lecÂture halls. AccordÂing to Nature’s page for SciÂfoo 2011:
200 leadÂing sciÂenÂtists, techÂnolÂoÂgists, writÂers and othÂer thought-leadÂers will gathÂer once more at the GoogleÂplex for a weekÂend of unbriÂdled disÂcusÂsion, demonÂstraÂtion and debate.
SomeÂthing that should inspire teachÂers: A good chunk of these experts’ dream projects involved pushÂes for wideÂspread eduÂcaÂtion reform and disÂsemÂiÂnaÂtion of existÂing knowlÂedge, rather than financÂing for advances in their parÂticÂuÂlar speÂcialÂties. We parÂticÂuÂlarÂly liked skepÂtic Michael SherÂmer’s vision of worldÂwide critÂiÂcal thinkÂing proÂgrams that would teach stuÂdents “not what to think, but how to think.” (2:34)
For more inforÂmaÂtion on SciÂfoo Camp, click here.
SheerÂly Avni is a San FranÂcisÂco-based arts and culÂture writer. Her work has appeared in Salon, LA WeekÂly, MothÂer Jones, and many othÂer pubÂliÂcaÂtions. You can folÂlow her on twitÂter at @sheerly.
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