Taking scientific toys to the next level. I would say the only downside would be the hefty price, currently at USD $160 for 6 pieces at Modular Robotics. Would really cost a bomb to get enough pieces to make something really useful/amusing on a larger scale.
Showing posts with label Science. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Science. Show all posts
Would you invest 36 hours into making a hamburger?
Well, that's the estimate given by modernist cuisine to create the ultimate burger. And boy is it a thorough scientific approach into the reinventing the humble burger, with even custom-made cheese, and cryofrying of the beef patty. Amazing!
Kenneth A. Myers: Cigarette Smoking - An Underused Tool in High-Performance Endurance Training.
Wednesday, November 30
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This is indeed an actual article published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal in December 14 2010. An before you go about dismissing/discrediting/condemning the article, take a read at the abstract. There is indeed a logical and insightful reason as to why such an absurd sounding article would be published in a respectable journal.
" Abstract:
The review paper is a staple of medical literature and, when well executed by an expert in the field, can provide a summary of literature that generates useful recommendations and new conceptualizations of a topic. However, if research results are selectively chosen, a review has the potential to create a convincing argument for a faulty hypothesis. Improper correlation or extrapolation of data can result in dangerously flawed conclusions. The following paper seeks to illustrate this point, using existing research to argue the hypothesis that cigarette smoking enhances endurance performance and should be incorporated into high-level training programs. "
Indeed, with the rise of the internet, science blogs, e-magazines and all, there have been multiple instances where stories are published and republished all over the web, without scrutiny into the facts/details, and ends up being taken as truth.
One recent wildfire occurred earlier in May, about how Canadian researchers cured cancer with DCA and the conspiracy that mainstream media were still not going public about it. Turns out, not only was it stale news, with the study being done in 2007, but the study was so preliminary, with a small sample size, and conflicting results, that declaring DCA as a cure just seemed absurd.
So yes, while peer reviews and all are there to "guard the guards", the responsibility still falls on the individual to look beyond the published findings and question their significance. This article serves as a reminder to us all, how a person of authority can possibly put together a seemingly compelling argument built upon a slippery slope.
So what are the flaws in the argument in this article?
Serum Hemoglobin:
Smoking results in the inhalation of carbon monoxide, arising from incomplete combustion. Carbon monoxide binds strongly to hemoglobin, forming carboxyhemoglobin, and thus hindering the formation of oxyhemoglobin, and subsequent oxygen supply throughout the body.
The body responds to this lack of oxygen by creating more red blood cells, thus increasing the overall serum hemoglobin. However, unlike altitude training, this increase not translate to a richer supply of oxygen. Transversely, this increase in red blood cells, coupled with the increase of cholesterol, clotting factors such as fibrinogen and platelets, results in "stickier" blood and a higher tendency for clots and stroke.
Lung Volume:
In COPD, emphysema occurs, in which the alveolars or air sacs are inflamed or destroyed, and lung recoil is greatly reduced. This "unfolding" process results in a larger lung, with decreased surface area. This decreased surface area, coupled with the weakened lung recoil for expiration, and obstructed airflow, leaves the patient gasping, and constantly out of breath.
Weight Loss:
As stated above, most COPD patients are constantly out of breath. This usually leaves them bedridden or immobilized. As a result, muscle wasting occurs through disuse atrophy. In addition, if the patient develops lung cancer, muscle atrophy could progress on to cachexia, which can be fatal. Thus, despite the weight loss, it is unlikely that the muscle-wasting patient will be performing any endurance sports.
If you have never watched his videos, do yourself a favour and catch them. I really love how he is able to come up with simple anecdotes to scientific concepts, that makes learning light-hearted and totally enjoyable. Totally my idealistic notion of a great lecturer. Really hope that one day I can be like him.
In this video, he touches on Déjà vu, Blindsight, Presque vu, and Jamais vu
Leidenfrost Effect: Goldfish in Liquid Nitrogen / Mythbusters - Molten Lead.
Friday, November 4
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One of those scientific "magic tricks" that never fails to amaze. Yes, it is based on Leidenfrost effect and some demonstrators even go so far as dipping a wet finger into Liquid Nitrogen.
and this was demonstrated really well by the mythbusters too, when they dipped hot iron into water, and human fingers into molten lead.
As quoted from Wikipedia:
" The Leidenfrost effect is a phenomenon in which a liquid, in near contact with a mass significantly hotter than the liquid's boiling point, produces an insulating vapor layer which keeps that liquid from boiling rapidly...
... The effect can be seen as drops of water are sprinkled onto a pan at various times as it heats up. Initially, as the temperature of the pan is below 100 °C (212 °F), the water just flattens out and slowly evaporates. As the temperature of the pan goes above 100 °C (212 °F), the water drops hiss when touching the pan and evaporate quickly. Later, as the temperature exceeds the Leidenfrost point, the Leidenfrost effect comes into play. On contact with the pan, the water droplets bunch up into small balls of water and skitter around, lasting much longer than when the temperature of the pan was lower. This effect works until a much higher temperature causes any further drops of water to evaporate too quickly to cause this effect.
This is because at temperatures above the Leidenfrost point, the bottom part of the water droplet vaporizes immediately on contact with the hot plate. The resulting gas suspends the rest of the water droplet just above it, preventing any further direct contact between the liquid water and the hot plate. As steam has much poorer thermal conductivity, further heat transfer between the pan and the droplet is slowed down dramatically. This also results in the drop being able to skid around the pan on the layer of gas just under it...
Finally got around to watch this documentary, and gotta say I'm impressed by it. I am normally quite skeptical towards exposé style documentaries. as they are normally quite biased or tilted, and tend to fall towards generalizations.
However, in "Addicted to Plastic" the facts are given to you as it is. Rather than just showing viewers the harmful effects of plastic to the environments and all, it shows you the fuller picture. You end up with a fairly light-hearted documentary, with a humour sprinkled in, that is informative for all, and filled with solutions.
By the end of the 1.5hrs, audience are left to find it within themselves. You could be just a consumer, or a designer, or even a manufacturer, and there will be something to take away from it all. Indeed, there is a sense of hope. This is a growing global issue, and thus, its only natural that actions have to be taken at all different levels of the community.
PS: I guess as a blogger, the question I have here is, how many of you, the readers, will actually watch it, and take an active step to share it over your social media outlets? Be be twitter, facebook, bloggers etc.
We are already sharing/spamming these social outlets daily with all forms of entertainment/LULZ/crap/jokes/quotes/photos. But when it comes to something meaningful as this, will be take the time to share it? Will we take such steps towards changing our society for the better?
For years, scientists have studied the inner workings of a psychopathic killer, trying to isolate traits that could be used to identify one. However, as history has shown through the XYY saga, correlating isolated genetic traits to that of violent behavior, often led to unjustified stigmas, that brought more harm than good.
With scientific advancements, there in an increasing library of markers, both genetic and physiological, that are characteristic of a psychopathic mind. However, even with this wealth of knowledge and tools, the question still remains. If someone actually fits the scientific profile perfectly, possessing all of the identified markers, is he or she definitely a psychopath?
In this documentary, we meet a scientist who discovers that he has the scientific profile of a psychopath, proving that nurture does play a role in shaping nature.
For those really dark and hopeless times when Murphy's law is onto you. Maybe someone can make a Singaporean version online? Would be cool to consolidate all the unique swears in cultural diverse Singapore!
Embedding is sadly disabled, so you'll have to watch it at Vimeo
Ever since Facebook started giving users the option subscribe to someone, the wall feeds have been flooded with quote sharing. In all honesty, subscription was a great idea, but the resultant scene of all the reposts does get a tad annoying.
One of the most common themes seen, I guess would be on lying.
Yes, an honest world may seem really idealistic and all. But realistically, as House puts it, everyone lies. Generalizing that you can never ever trust someone else again after being lied to once, is just unrealistic. Unless you are into radical honesty, it is unlikely that you too have ever been through a day without lying. Common lies like "I'm fine", "It's alright", "Give me 5 minutes", "I've read and agreed to the Terms of Services" are said so often that you probably do not even notice yourself saying them.
There is a Science to spotting liars, as publicized by "Lie to Me". But chances are that, most of us are not even consciously aware of these liars until they are found out, or until they had a destructive effect.
So yes, maybe a more accurate quote would be "I'm against destructive lies/liars". Cause, in the end, idealistic as we may all be, white lies do tend to soften the harsh truths of life. Everyday life is already hard enough without some b*tch coming up to you, in all honesty, to tell you how much you truly suck.
So, about 24 hours ago, Apple did not announce the dawn of the iPhone 5 but rather, the release of the iPhone 4S. And as the truth starts to slowly sink in, the social media is going abuzz with outspoken thoughts if one should get the iPhone 4S, despite the presence of iPhone 5 in the near horizon.
To me, it is just seemed like an adult version of the Stanford Marshmallow Experiment. It is true that in real-life, there is often no end point or eventual goal, as life goes on.
However, similarities can be drawn if we look at such events as independent cases. Such as iPhone 4S now? or iPhone 5 months later? Even as adults, do we suffer from poor impulse control? Is deferred gratification really that abstract and distant?
What are your thoughts?
Sometimes, it's moments like this that really motivate me to work on long hours for research... these awww moments =3
" I was born deaf and 8 weeks ago I received a hearing implant. This is the video of them turning it on and me hearing myself for the first time :) Edit: For those of you who have asked the implant I received was Esteem offered by Envoy Medical. "
and in case you're wondering like dang.. how come she speaks so well? From her blog, she explains that she had been living life barely hearing out of only one ear through a hearing aid.. so yeah, that explains alot =3