Archive for December, 2007
I only read it for the comics
Posted by docbushwell in We're Doomed on December 31, 2007
So John Lynch (Stranger Fruit), Chad Orzel (Uncertain Principles – edited for egregious spelling error *smacking my forehead*) and PZ (Pharyngula) already tacked up The 50 Most Loathsome People for 2007. Because of crossreadership (the Refuge begging for scraps from aforementioned blogs) or simply because every acid-hearted cynic who reads the Refuge might also be inclined to read The Beast, you’ve likely already perused through the list. I’d say the selection must have been rather easy for The Beast’s staff. Fish in a barrel and all that jazz.
The text is funny, but I’m partial to artwork accompanying the 50 Most Loathsome. Ian Murphy is the illustrator.
I only read it for the comics
Posted by in We're Doomed on December 31, 2007
So John Lynch (Stranger Fruit), Chad Orzel (Uncertain Principles – edited for egregious spelling error *smacking my forehead*) and PZ (Pharyngula) already tacked up The 50 Most Loathsome People for 2007. Because of crossreadership (the Refuge begging for scraps from aforementioned blogs) or simply because every acid-hearted cynic who reads the Refuge might also be inclined to read The Beast, you’ve likely already perused through the list. I’d say the selection must have been rather easy for The Beast’s staff. Fish in a barrel and all that jazz.
The text is funny, but I’m partial to artwork accompanying the 50 Most Loathsome. Ian Murphy is the illustrator.
The Wrong Way to the Correct Conclusion
Posted by jim in We're Doomed on December 28, 2007
Astrology. Classic woo. Not much to say about it other than the fact that for some very strange reason a lot of people still believe in it, at least a little. Maybe it’s because almost every newspaper in the country still has an astrology column. I don’t know. For the sake of my students, several years ago I wrote a little analysis on astrology and why it’s utter bullshit. You can find it here. To be blunt, no one should put any stock in astrology.
Today I stumbled across an explanation of why astrology is to be ignored, but from a completely different perspective, namely that of the fundamentalist Christian nut-job. This delicious bit of woo reaches essentially the same conclusion (ignore astrology) but does so in a most bizarre fashion. The basic argument is that the purpose of astrology is to gain knowledge of the future. According to the author, god and the bible declare that information to be off limits for humans. Consequently, “good Christians” should not make use of astrology. The argument has nothing to do with the efficacy of astrology or its supposed mechanism. In other words, even if it works, you shouldn’t do it because it will upset god’s plan. Interesting logic, eh?
See? Who says science and religion can’t agree on some things?
Recite Your ZYXs
Posted by jim in My Bent Brain, Pattern Juggling on December 27, 2007
As readers of this blog may have noted, I have a thing for patterns and sequences. Maybe it’s my musical training (e.g., inversion, retrograde, and retrograde inversion of a motif) or my love of palindromes, but I have a habit of reading signs and whatnot backwards (right to left). Sometimes funny things pop up. The other day I was riding my bike (on the mag trainer, not in the snow) and sometimes I will count revolutions to pass the time. That gets boring so I might count “alphabets” (hey, it’s easier than counting to 26 over and over). I thought about reciting the alphabet backwards. This proved to be not so easy. I found myself reciting small bits forward, and then spitting them back out in reverse. Not very efficient. Then I hit on something. I discovered that if I created a mental picture of the alphabet, as if I was looking at it on a blackboard, reciting it backwards became much easier. I could “see” the letters in my head, so reciting them became much easier. Then, I started to link the letters to the familiar cadence of “The ABCs” that is taught in grade school (groups of 7, 9, 3, 3, 2 and 2):
ABCDEFG
HIJKLMNOP
QRS
TUV
WX
Y and Z
Now I’ve said my ABCs,
tell me what you think of me.
Given the way this is usually recited, I’d wager that half of all children think “LMNO” is a single letter. For my own part, I like to envision it as the name of a Mexican superhero from the 1800′s: “Why look! It’s El Emeno! We’re saved!”
OK, so apply the same cadence to the backward alphabet and you get:
ZYXWVUT
SRQPONMLK (roll that onmlk together)
JIH
GFE
DC
B and A
Now I’ve said my ZYXs,
tell me what you think of Texas.
Try it. It’s fun once you get the hang of it and people will think you have some kind of talent if you do it at parties because most people never ever try to do familiar things in alternate ways.
It also gives you a chance to make snide remarks about the Lone Star State if you so choose.
Dawkins Going to the Bible Belt
Posted by jim in Hootworthy on December 24, 2007
Richard Dawkins is heading to the US heartland for a series of speaking engagements:
He is to address a series of 2,000-seater venues in the American heartlands. The tour will coincide with the publication of his best-seller The God Delusion in paperback in the US in January and act as a prelude to a series of global events to mark the bicentenary of Charles Darwin in 2009.
I wish he’d take a detour to central New York, but it’s good to see him walk straight into the belly of the beast.
Thanks to hopper3011 for the heads-up!
Combining C With Assembly
Posted by jim in Techies & Technology on December 22, 2007
The latest issue of Embedded Systems Design has an interesting article on combining C code with assembly code for DSP applications. In some cases, they show an ten fold speed up for an assembly plus C implementation versus straight C code.
Now before anyone starts hollering, please remember that embedded programming is not at all like normal desktop application programing. Generally you’re operating in a “slim” (i.e., resource poor) environment. Heck, some embedded processors only have a few hundred bytes of RAM available and you might be talking about a clock frequency of just a few MegaHertz. Squeezing everything as much as possible becomes paramount. For larger apps, C is the standard environment and assembly is sometimes added for time-critical segments. In general, I don’t like to add assembly because it reduces portability and readability, increases code maintenance, and is generally more time-consuming. But I understand places where it is needed. What I think needs to be done, though, is to squeeze as much out of standard C as is possible before going down the assembly path. What follows is an example of two code variations on the ubiquitous string copy function. In C, strings are nothing more than a contiguous packed array of bytes. Both functions do the same thing: they copy bytes from the source string to a destination string until (and including) a null character is reached (which signifies the end of the string). The first variation is the way a newbie would typically approach the problem. First, initialize an array index to 0, and then copy the bytes one at a time, incrementing the index and checking for the null at each iteration. When you reach the null, quit the loop and add a terminating null to the destination. Pretty simple, right?
Graph Your Daylight
Posted by jim in Hootworthy on December 22, 2007
Given the arrival of winter solstice, you might be interested in this. It graphs sunrise, sunset, length of day, angle of sun, and other items given your location. And although most people may be aware that winter solstice is the day with the shortest daylight of the year, I’d guess that not many are also aware that it is not the day with either the latest sunrise nor earliest sunset.
And finally, to help celebrate the holiday, I am reminded of an old school-yard Christmas tune (feel free to finish the verse your own merry way):
Chester’s nuts roasting on an open fire,
Jackie’s nipple on your nose…
Graph Your Daylight
Posted by jim in Hootworthy on December 22, 2007
Given the arrival of winter solstice, you might be interested in this. It graphs sunrise, sunset, length of day, angle of sun, and other items given your location. And although most people may be aware that winter solstice is the day with the shortest daylight of the year, I’d guess that not many are also aware that it is not the day with either the latest sunrise nor earliest sunset.
And finally, to help celebrate the holiday, I am reminded of an old school-yard Christmas tune (feel free to finish the verse your own merry way):
Chester’s nuts roasting on an open fire,
Jackie’s nipple on your nose…
Seasons Greetings from the Chimp Refuge
Posted by in Fun Is Where You Find It on December 17, 2007
This past weekend found a denizen of the Chimp Refuge brachiating, feeding and feeding yet again, grooming, being groomed and otherwise socializing in the home of its grizzled old matriarch. The photo below the fold illustrates one way in which godless atheists (and bonobos) celebrate Christmas – or Saturnalia or whatever one wishes to call the holiday surrounding the solstice; Festivus works, too. Yes, they decorate a Christmas tree. Here is erstwhile co-blogger Kevin fondling Betty Boop’s butt.
Happy Birthday Sir Arthur
Posted by jim in Hootworthy on December 16, 2007
Arthur C. Clarke is 90 today. He has three wishes:
Science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke listed three wishes on his 90th birthday Sunday: for the world to embrace cleaner energy resources, for a lasting peace in his adopted home, Sri Lanka, and for evidence of extraterrestrial beings.
Like many of my generation I first became familiar with his works via his collaboration with Stanley Kubrick on the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. It remains one of my favorite movies (and books). ACC shares this birthday with Ludwig van Beethoven, who also shared a collaboration of sorts with Kubrick via A Clockwork Orange.
The Four Horsemen: Dawkins, Dennett, Harris & Hitchens at a Coffee Klatsch
Posted by in We're Doomed on December 16, 2007
On the 30th of September 2007, Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens sat down for a first-of-its-kind, unmoderated 2-hour discussion, convened by the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science and filmed by Josh Timonen. I must say that Hitchens is looking quite resplendent. I wonder if this conversation was filmed after Hitchens’ self-improvement project was completed?
Please view at your leisure and talk amongst yourselves. And really, don’t you have two hours to spare during this tranquil time of the year?
Pant-hoots, grooming session and a carafe of piping hot La Minita Estates coffee to erstwhile co-blogger Kevin for calling this to my geriatrically challenged attention.
Hour One
Hour Two
Saturday Political Science – Who’s Afraid of Big Bad Huck?
Posted by docbushwell in We're Doomed on December 15, 2007
Courtesy of Salon.
“Snit” is ever so much cuter than Huck. Tee hee!
Wait for it…Wait for it…It’s Teh Gay Gene!
Posted by in Brains and Behavior on December 10, 2007
So does anyone want to lay odds on how long it will be before “discovery of the gay gene” gets spread like a crazed rhinovirus through the popular media? A recent press release announces the discovery that male fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) with mutations in the GB (genderblind) allele not only mate with female flies but also were attracted to – and try to mate with – male flies.
The mutation apparently alters perception of chemosensory cues. Two of the major chemical attractants in the world of fruit fly sex are 7-tricosene and cis-vaccenyl acetate: the flies taste the former and smell the latter. Flies unable to produce either or both of these chemicals are courted by males. Male flies who can’t sense these attractants court other males and attempt to copulate with them.
Science Debate 2008 – Just Say “Yes!”
Posted by docbushwell in We're Doomed on December 10, 2007
Through the initiatives of citizens – and voters – who take a keen interest in science and technology and governmental policies directed toward these, a proposal for a presidential candidates’ debate on issues of science and technology is now on the table. The background for this initiative may be found at The Intersection here on Science Blogs: Call for a Presidential Science Debate. SciBlings Chris and Sheril, along with Matthew Chapman, Lawrence Krauss and many others have teamed together to sound the clarion call for genuine responses from the candidates. Krauss has written an op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal outlining why this debate is critical. In Dr. President (highly recommended by the Refuge with 5 pant-hoots out of 5), Chris Mooney articulates the failed legacy of the current administration’s policies toward science and technology and the impending need to repair the damage incurred. As Chris states so well, we need a “reality based president.” The proposed debates have the potential to contribute to such a selection in a big way.
Business Week asked the candidates about their views on innovation; the candidates’ responses may be found here. These are no more than canned sound-bytes. A robust debate is needed one considering what is at stake.
Republican, Independent, Democrat or Libertarian, voters must be aware of the candidates’ positions on science and technology. These are complex issues which deserve far more than token bits sent off to a business magazine. A presidential hopeful who has supported isolation of HIV positive individuals, underscores the need for careful scrutiny of the candidates’ positions.
Here is the statement of purpose from Science Debate 2008 initiative:
A Call for a Presidential Debate on Science and Technology
Given the many urgent scientific and technological challenges facing America and the rest of the world, the increasing need for accurate scientific information in political decision making, and the vital role scientific innovation plays in spurring economic growth and competitiveness, we call for a public debate in which the U.S. presidential candidates share their views on the issues of The Environment, Health and Medicine, and Science and Technology Policy.
A number of luminaries from the spheres of science and government support this initiative, among them Shirley Tilghman, the president of the local cow college, and Rush Holt, the representative of my congressional district (12th-NJ). A bunch of us Science Bloggers, here and elsewhere, support the measure. Here’s hoping you, our readers, will support it, too. Brachiate your way on over to the Science Debate 2008 site (click on the graphic above or below) and just say YES!
No Faith in Romney’s “Faith in America”
Posted by jim in We're Doomed on December 6, 2007
Mitt Romney gave his speech on religion today at the George Bush library. Read it here. It’s filled with the usual horseshit that one might expect from a man like Mitt:
“Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom. Freedom opens the windows of the soul so that man can discover his most profound beliefs and commune with God. Freedom and religion endure together, or perish alone.
Really? Freedom requires religion? What a novel concept. It always appeared to me that religion suppresses freedom. Does anyone really need to subscribe to dogma in order to “discover (their) most profound beliefs”? If anything, I think it would serve to stunt the process.
The Sudan Teddy Bear Flap
Posted by jim in Hootworthy on December 4, 2007
A new Pat Condell video regarding the “inappropriately named teddy bear” fiasco in the Sudan. As usual, it’s vintage Condell:
“What a waste of an Enlightenment”
Posted by jim in Hootworthy on December 4, 2007
Pat Condell answers some critics in the atheist community regarding so-called “hard line” atheist arguments to believers in the supernatural. It’s six and a half minutes well spent:
Flipping the bird: Guido Daniele’s handimals
Posted by in More Art, Then Science on December 3, 2007
Guido Daniele is a superb illustrator. I’ve seen some of his sportswear bodypainting, for example, check out this track suit:
Yes, he is naked.
I had not encountered his hand critters. This really gives a whole new meaning to flipping the bird.
If you can tolerate the barrage of advertisements, Animal Planet features videos of Signor Daniele creating handworks.
I realize that these images have made the blog rounds before, but hey, we geriatrics tend to repeat ourselves. The level of detail is amazing and straddles the boundary between the avant-garde and scientific illustration. Most striking are the eyes. Heck, the peepers of Signor Daniele’s “handimals” are better than the cold dead orbs of performance capture animation (I know; I’m being obsessively critical.)
Zombie conductor from The Polar Express
Cross-body Co-ordination
Posted by jim in Pattern Juggling on December 1, 2007
Readers of this blog know that, as a drummer, I am very keen on left-right symmetry of co-ordination. The drummer’s world is often filled with patterns (get the pun?) and being able to execute them equally well from the left versus right side opens creative possibilities. Time to get those mirror neurons up and running! Today’s question, how’s your co-ordination between hands and feet?
Audio Island & Pattern Juggling
Posted by jim in Audio Island, Catablogic Blathering, Pattern Juggling on December 1, 2007
I have added two new categories to the refuge, Audio Island and Pattern Juggling, for the convenience of those interested in a couple of my “off the beaten path” jaunts. I have gone back and retagged a bunch of old posts and will use these tags in the future. Audio Island is basically a catch-all for audio/acoustics/electronics gear, new technologies, observations, and the like. Pattern Juggling is the location for my ramblings regarding the intersection of drumming, co-ordination, art and so forth (for example, the DIY Neuromotor Experiments posts). Audio Island is perhaps a bit obvious, Pattern Juggling less so. In PJ you’re likely to find a little math, maybe some neuro-science, music/art, fine motor control, limb independence and interdependence, and how it all comes together for the drummer or percussionist.
I don’t want anyone to think that Pattern Juggling is aimed only at drummers, though. Anyone, musician or not, can try some of the experiments and tricks that I have/will brought/bring up, and I’m interested in the results of your experiments and trials, musical or otherwise.
Granted, while I am not a renowned expert practitioner of the subject, I trust there will be items to stir your imagination. Who knows, maybe some day, a member of the highly co-ordinated set such as Bill Bruford, Joe Morello, Chad Wackerman, Terry Bozzio, or Vinnie Colaiuta will be cruising the net, happen across our little discussion, and offer some kernel of insight. Well, one can hope anyway…
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- Doc Bushwell is a biochemist and a medical writer who serves as a slavering minion of the dark lords of Big and Little Pharma; Jim is an engineering professor with a fondness for running shoes and drumsticks; and Kevin Beck is a self-exiled member of the clan who refuses to stay gone.
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