Homely Scientist

 D.light design is taking a problem head on.  Kerosene lanterns are nearly universal light sources for much of the world.  But, kerosene is dangerous, expensive, and probably not the best choice.  LED lights on the other hand: 
D.light Design was born out of a Stanford University class project, and it currently has five employees. Chief Executive Sam Goldman spent four years in the Peace Corps in West Africa, where he says he lived with a family that used kerosene lamps to light its home after sundown. Goldman discovered firsthand that not only are the lamps dangerous–one of the children was permanently disfigured in a …read more

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Pope Benedict XVI might not get kudos, or even consideration, for his green leanings, but he can certainly put his money (not to mention buildings) where his mouth is:
Yes, indeed, it’s a definite move toward green as the roof of the Pope Paul VI auditorium will be replaced next year with solar panels, a reflection of Pope Benedict XVI’s concern about energy use and conservation. Source: » The Vatican Goes Green » Blog Archive   Alice Hill’s Real Tech News – Independent Tech
So why, frankly, aren’t more places doing this?  How many large roofs are just sitting there doing nothing but …read more

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 There are very few medical advances that hold both tremendous promise and equal controversy as embryonic stem cells.  Stem cells have the ability to “become” (grow into) any cell in the body.  Embryonic stem stems are the most powerful stem cells, for obvious reasons–they need to make a complete person.  One problem, the only source of embryonic stem cells are human embryos and obtaining them, means destruction of the embryo.  I will not get into this controversy here.  I read today that scientists have been able to take stems cells from mice skin and make them behave like embryonic ones:
(AP) Three …read more

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Yeah I know lots of people think earthworms are yucky, but they are essential to plants and good soil.  The cool thing is that you can have worms in your kitchen chomping away at your veggie waste and all the while making kick-butt fertilizer for your garden!  It’s called vermiculture.  I had a worm bin for a while and it was pretty successful for a while (I got it and the worms from these folks), I had trouble keeping the stuff moist and such.  I think I bit off more than I could chew.
Well, worm poop is big business you …read more

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 Every summer NASA flies over the Greenland ice sheet to determine its “health”–that is thickness, size, and height.  Essentially how fast is it shrinking:
This summer’s NASA expedition to Greenland has returned with fresh data. Now the analysis begins. One piece of equipment used is an ice-penetrating radar that can find bedrock up to 2 miles below the ice surface. NASA estimates an average drop of 9 inches in the height of Greenland’s glaciers would result in a 0.12-inch rise in global sea levels. Source:Greenland’s ice sheet: The annual checkup | Tech news blog – CNET News.com
 I’m sure when the …read more

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One of the weaknesses of science is the ability of others to take legitimate questioning of results and twist them to their own ends. For example, Global Warming. For a long time some scientists took the stand that all the data wasn’t in, etc. I think they thought they were doing a service to science, but in reality they did a disservice to humanity. The dissention and delay has made progress difficult until recently and well, maybe it’s too late.
I saw today this great YouTube video that illustrates how science can be perverted by others:

Granted, some …read more

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This Beyond the Beyond post really only the title, because the text is a letter from Dick Armey encouraging people to stop Al Gore, et al and their evil Global Warming hysteria.
Hysteria, hmm, stuff like the Northwest Passage once a fable now becoming a potentially viable sea lane? Like increasingly intense weather events? Like growing problems with consistently good weather in the major food-growing areas of the world?
Naw, nothing to worry about. Let me just shoo these tropical birds off my deck…in Canada.
 
Tags: Global Warming, Global Warming is real, global climate change

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We all know that TV and movies often don’t jive with science, as Star Wars turns 30 this week Bob MacDonald of the CBC reflects on how lots of Star Wars really didn’t jive with science.

Don’t get me wrong: Science fiction is wonderful. The imaginations of fantasy and fiction writers carry us beyond the ordinary to places where the good guys wear white, the bad guys are cloaked in black, good triumphs over evil, hero and heroine make a perfect couple … it’s Roy Rogers riding a white spaceship, the Three Musketeers with light sabres, what fun. But Star Wars, …read more

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Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species …
Love it or hate it, if you do anything related to living things, you know it. Today, then, is a special day:

Most scientists say that 272 years after it was introduced, the naming system works just fine. Evolutionary theory and molecular biology have transformed our understanding of life. Computers and digital media have more recently upended longstanding theories of information management. But, over nearly three centuries, the classification system used to organize much of our biological knowledge has remained remarkably arbitrary and ancient: The so-called binomial system of genus and species that …read more

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Satellite communications are essential in disaster areas, war zones, and many other places. The problem is that typically a satellite system with enough oomph to power reall communications (Internet, video, VoIP) were huge, heavy, and really didn’t like being dropped into rough terrain. Enter the GATR-Com:

“You just can’t do effective disaster relief without decent satellite communications,” says Eric Rasmussen, a U.S. Navy physician and commander whose relief experience includes the Indonesian tsunami of 2004 and the aftermath of battles in Bosnia and Iraq. “But when the mud is two feet deep, if you can’t pack a dish on …read more

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