Showing posts with label science. Show all posts
Showing posts with label science. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Commander Chris Hadfield is leaving the International Space Station today. He's been literally orbiting the earth for a long time. A couple of days ago he had to do a space walk to fix an ammonia leak on the station. His last gift to us earthlings is this video, karaoke from outer space.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
I'm totally on board with the point that any "moral" argument about Plan B is bogus. Those preaching about teenagers being unable to understand how to take the drug safely are really just vagina police who are all about denying any form of birth control to teens and oftentimes even to adults. Likewise, I'm sympathetic to the argument that putting up barriers to access to any form of birth control are mainly about controlling women's choices. Nonetheless, I have this nagging concern about Plan B that I can't shake with dispassionate logic. My problem is I can't bring myself to completely trust the science.
I was about eight years old when I first saw photos of thalidomide babies in the sort of tabloids sold in checkout lines. That was supposed to be a safe drug. In fact it's still on the market for many conditions where it's useful. But it turned out to be unsafe for pregnant women and tens of thousands of deformed babies and their parents suffered greatly from that mistaken trust in the science.
Granted we're stricter now about testing pharmaceuticals before they get to market, but the system can certainly be gamed. And even if the studies aren't deliberately skewed for profit, often the adverse effects of drugs don't become apparent until they've become so widely available that enough people are harmed. There's at least ten current class actions suits against drugs that were approved by the science right now.
Not saying access to Plan B shouldn't be eased exactly. Just worrying out loud. The old saw, "be careful what you wish for" keeps playing in my mind like a persistent earworm.
I was about eight years old when I first saw photos of thalidomide babies in the sort of tabloids sold in checkout lines. That was supposed to be a safe drug. In fact it's still on the market for many conditions where it's useful. But it turned out to be unsafe for pregnant women and tens of thousands of deformed babies and their parents suffered greatly from that mistaken trust in the science.
Granted we're stricter now about testing pharmaceuticals before they get to market, but the system can certainly be gamed. And even if the studies aren't deliberately skewed for profit, often the adverse effects of drugs don't become apparent until they've become so widely available that enough people are harmed. There's at least ten current class actions suits against drugs that were approved by the science right now.
Not saying access to Plan B shouldn't be eased exactly. Just worrying out loud. The old saw, "be careful what you wish for" keeps playing in my mind like a persistent earworm.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
The future as envisioned by Science and Mechanics magazine in 1951. Aluminum car via Roger Wilkerson.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Should probably have titled this one, "Smart kid kills the world" because this kid seems a little crazy to me. But that aside I've been trying to visualize how this 3D printer thing works. I've seen dozens of stories about how they're using this technology to build everything from spare body parts to automatic weaponry. Now thanks to Roger Ebert at least I understand, "How to print out a firearm in the comfort of your own home."
Calling it printing is somewhat deceiving. It's more like you design it in 3D and then build the model from the specs with a fairly simple machine. They're using plastic in this video. Not sure how that would work with metal. Would think you need a much different setup to build that. And I'm still mystified on how they would build body parts. I mean what do they use for the human tissue in the construction? Nonetheless, rather astounding technology.
Calling it printing is somewhat deceiving. It's more like you design it in 3D and then build the model from the specs with a fairly simple machine. They're using plastic in this video. Not sure how that would work with metal. Would think you need a much different setup to build that. And I'm still mystified on how they would build body parts. I mean what do they use for the human tissue in the construction? Nonetheless, rather astounding technology.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Saw it on the internet. Don't know anything about this website, but I really hope this Ocean Cleanup Array is real and that it works.
19-year-old Boyan Slat has unveiled plans to create an Ocean Cleanup Array that could remove 7,250,000 tons of plastic waste from the world’s oceans. The device consists of an anchored network of floating booms and processing platforms that could be dispatched to garbage patches around the world. Instead of moving through the ocean, the array would span the radius of a garbage patch, acting as a giant funnel. The angle of the booms would force plastic in the direction of the platforms, where it would be separated from plankton, filtered and stored for recycling.[...]The process would make the patches visible. Hard to believe it could happen that fast but the kid is organized. He also started up The Ocean Cleanup Foundation, a non-profit organization which is responsible for the development of his proposed technologies. Wish the nightly news would be investigating this instead of obsessing on the latest drama in the Amanda Knox case.
It is estimated that the clean-up process would take about five years, and it could greatly increase awareness about the world’s plastic garbage patches.
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