Author: Josh Witten

http://www.thefinchandpea.com

Broken Shells

photo 2 (1)For Spring Break, I took my three year old daughter1 to Holden Beach, NC. It was not warm enough to spend much time splashing in the water. So, we spent a lot of time looking for shells.

Over nearly thirty-five years, I have had the platonic ideal of a “sea shell” crammed into the forefront of my consciousness. I’m supposed to find “perfect” shells, unmarred by the unforgiving motions of the sea that bring the shells within my reach. Shells that will look pretty on the shelf. Shells like this one that used to be a whelk’s home2.

Based on the weight of shell fragments my daughter deposited in my pockets, it is clear that she has a more expansive ideal of beauty than her old man. We collect a lot of “broken” shells, because my daughter sees the innate beauty in these broken things. This may explain why she still likes me3.

You know what? You can learn a lot from broken shells and three year-olds. Continue reading “Broken Shells”

Science for The People: Internet Things

#263 - Internet Things
#263 – Internet Things

This week, we’re looking at controversies over connectivity, both online and in the physical world. University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist walks us through the arguments over net neutrality. And we’ll speak to researcher Rob van Kranenburg about his book The Internet of Things: A critique of ambient technology and the all-seeing network of RFID.

Ball Pit of DOOM!

“Ball Pit” by eldeeem (CC BY-NC-SA)

A fellow graduate student in my thesis lab at Washington University in St. Louis once told me about a fraternity brother of his who had a ball pit in his room at the frat house. I believe this LEGO creation from eldeeem is a metaphor for how creepy and gross that would be.

*Hat tip to Tromas at The Brothers Brick

The Cutting Edge

If you are in the DC area tomorrow, the AAAS is hosting an interesting event that piggybacks off the Voyage of Discovery art installation by Jessica Beels, Ellyn Weiss, and our own Michele Banks called Cutting Edge: Art & Science of Climate Change:

Join AAAS for an evocative exchange as artists and scientists come together to interpret the effects of climate change on the poles…This live event features talks by two leading Arctic researchers, followed by a panel discussion on communicating climate change to the public.

“Cutting Edge: Art and Science of Climate Change” coincides with the art installation, “Voyage of Discovery,” currently in the lobby of AAAS headquarters. This remarkable exhibition, featuring works by Michele Banks, Jessica Beels, and Ellyn Weiss, explores a “hypothetical journey” to the poles where climate change has caused the ice to recede, reawakening life that has been frozen for millennia.

Cutting Edge will be held on Thursday, May 1 at 6:30PM at the AAAS Headquarters in Washington, DC.

Science for The People: Me, Myself & Why

#262 - Me, Myself & Why
#262 – Me, Myself & Why

This week, Science for The People is exploring genetics, neuroscience, and psychology, to find out what makes every person – and personality – unique. They’ll talk to science writer Jennifer Ouelette about her newest book “Me, Myself and Why: Searching for the Science of Self.” And science writer Ed Yong takes a critical look at the hype surrounding the hormone oxytocin.