Category Archives: Science and Technology

The future of drones is here

Posted on December 15, 2020 by Jim deMaine

Two examples: firefighting and planting trees!

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The Smellicopter

Posted on December 15, 2020 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Ann M. – fascinating! One huge advantage of drones is that these little robots can go places where people can’t, including areas that might be too dangerous, such as unstable structures after a natural disaster or a region … Continue reading →

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Jupiter And Saturn Will Be Together Again For The Holidays

Posted on December 11, 2020 by Jim deMaine

From NPR by Colin Dwyer. Thanks to Mike C. for finding this! If popular culture has taught us anything about the holidays, it’s that this is a season of reunions: a time when people conquer great distances and lengthy separations … Continue reading →

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Epigenetics and the differences between identical twins

Posted on November 17, 2020 by Jim deMaine
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Epigenetics and the passing of a trauma experience to the next generations

Posted on November 17, 2020 by Jim deMaine
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Crosscut begins a series on trustbusting – focusing on Amazon

Posted on October 25, 2020 by Jim deMaine

by Katie Wilson at Crosscut It’s been a long time since America has thought very much about trustbusting. The phrase still calls to mind a grinning, cartoon Teddy Roosevelt, swinging his big stick at Standard Oil. But as of this … Continue reading →

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How would we communicate with alien life? Carl Sagan

Posted on October 19, 2020 by Jim deMaine
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Changing a light bulb

Posted on October 9, 2020 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Linda W. to send this! Husband: “I changed a light bulb today.” Wife: “That’s all? I did the laundry, vacuumed the house, washed windows, cooked three meals, and the list goes on and on … and you changed a single light … Continue reading →

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Breakthrough for blindness using AI

Posted on October 2, 2020 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Sybil-Ann. Ed note: Although this appears to be a promo for Microsoft, I think innovations like this are amazing. Please note the appearance of Satya Nadella at the end–Microsoft’s CEO. In the book about him “Hit Refresh,” his … Continue reading →

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Scientific American Endorses Joe Biden

Posted on September 17, 2020 by Jim deMaine

From the Editors of the Scientific American, a prestigious magazine that brings knowledge to us all. Scientific American has never endorsed a presidential candidate in its 175-year history. This year we are compelled to do so. We do not do this … Continue reading →

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18 Maps to think about

Posted on August 21, 2020 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Paul T. One can spend lots of time thinking about almost any one of these maps.  This is a fascinating set of maps showing a variety of similarities – and differences — in  the world as we think … Continue reading →

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Why don’t we feel pain in dreams? The answer might lie in a new frontier of neuroscience

Posted on August 11, 2020 by Jim deMaine

From Aeon: The UK research scientist Susan Greenfield believes that neuronal assemblies – coalitions of millions of brain cells that activate and disband over a scale of millimetres and milliseconds – could be a Rosetta Stone for explaining shifts and … Continue reading →

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WHY I WEAR A (FASHIONABLE) MASK

Posted on July 16, 2020 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Gordon G.

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“Father of Sleep Medicine” – born in Wenatchee, attended UW, dies at 91

Posted on June 30, 2020 by Jim deMaine

Years ago, I met Dr. Dement and attended lectures given by him. He supported my efforts to move sleep apnea testing into the home, controversial at first but now standard practice. Locally he’s affectionately remembered for having jazz sessions on … Continue reading →

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Nice tour of the Space Station

Posted on June 26, 2020 by Jim deMaine

Thanks Sybil-Ann

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A pact with reason

Posted on June 18, 2020 by Jim deMaine

From Sue H – thanks This is an invitation to participate in an important online lecture series at the Mercantile Library of Cincinnati later in the summer. These free lectures are called A Pact With Reason and are brought to … Continue reading →

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What sex are computers?

Posted on March 22, 2020 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Rosemary W. for enlightening us!

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The crisis of dumping plastics

Posted on February 23, 2020 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Mike C. for send this article to us

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A warning – algae blooms

Posted on February 2, 2020 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Gordon G. When the ocean changes, the planet changes — and it all starts with microbes, says biological oceanographer Angelicque White. Backed by decades of data, White shares how scientists use these ancient microorganisms as a crucial barometer … Continue reading →

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This Man Was Tried in Tennessee for Teaching Evolution

Posted on January 30, 2020 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to The Smithsonian and Ann M. In July 1925, a young science teacher named John Scopes was in court, accused of contravening the Butler Act—a Tennessee law that prohibited the teaching of evolution in schools. Click here for the … Continue reading →

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Carl Sagan talks to Johnny Carson

Posted on January 29, 2020 by Jim deMaine
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30 facts about life in Japan

Posted on January 27, 2020 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Gordon G. Can we learn?

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When you have too much time on your hands

Posted on January 9, 2020 by Jim deMaine
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Singing Mozart in the MRI shows how overtone singers can hit two notes at once

Posted on December 30, 2019 by Jim deMaine

In polyphonic overtone singing, vocalists manipulate their tongue, mouth and throat to produce two tones at once. While the technique has emerged in disparate societies, it is thought to have originated in (and is most commonly associated with) Mongolian culture. … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Science and Technology | 1 Comment

The Watch Is Smart, but It Can’t Replace Your Doctor

Posted on December 28, 2019 by Jim deMaine

The Apple Watch has been quite successful as a smart watch. The company would also like it to succeed as a medical device. The recently published results of the Apple Heart Study in the New England Journal of Medicine show there’s still a long … Continue reading →

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