Author: Josh Witten

http://www.thefinchandpea.com

Get a Library Card

September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month. Even if you don’t think you will use your library card (you will), it is a great way to show support for your local public library (it needs it).

And like all causes that people are passionate about, the use of libraries has inspired some fantastic art. Ann Leonard, a librarian at the Pinal County Library District (AZ) created a series of promotional images celebrating the benefits of owning a library card in the style of classic Penguin paperback covers. This is my favorite:

“Benefit # 29: Free Wifi Access” by Ann Leonard

There is also one featuring a DNA double-helix. I was happy to note that it is correctly pictured as a right-handed double-helix, but it is a bit too elongated to my pedantic eye to be my favorite as one might expect. Frankly, you are spoiled for choice.

*Hat tip to Cory Doctorow at BoingBoing.

Troubleshooting Replication Studies (in Music)

We’ve already reposted Marie-Claire’s post on Tegan & Sara’s rendition of Walking with a Ghost, which, depending on your pedantic devotion to the definition of irony, may or may not have been ironic. Marie-Claire’s post used the comparison between Tegan & Sara’s original and The White Stripes cover to talk about replication studies in science.

On Wednesday, The Nerdist Podcast released an interview with Tegan & Sara, in which they talk about their careers, motivations, inspirations, pet giraffes, and asteroid-induced apocalypses. This reminded me of a key principle of understanding replication studies in science: you need to understand not only what the people were doing, but also the people. Continue reading “Troubleshooting Replication Studies (in Music)”

Meet the Caecilians

Yellow-Striped Caecilian, Thailand (Photo Credit: Kerry Matz; CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

There are three orders within the class Amphibia; Anura (frogs and toads), Caudata (salamanders) and Gymnophiona (caecilians). Caecilians are the least well-known group even though there are 184 known species with a widespread distribution in Africa, Asia, South and Central America. They have the appearance of worm-like snakes and can be small like worms or up to 1.5 meters. Caecilians can be fossorial or aquatic and below there is a video of each example. Continue reading “Meet the Caecilians”

We are all heretics

heresy (her-i-se); n; An opinion or a doctrine at variance with established religious beliefs… – Free Online Dictionary

A Pew survey in the UK indicates that there is far greater diversity within religions (and the non-religious) and far greater similarity between religions (and the non-religious) than is commonly portrayed in public discussions. Take a look at the highly contentious issue of abortion limits (an issue on which religious opinion is often portrayed as monolithic):

Even the religions that are somewhat distinct are biased toward “Don’t Know” rather than an extreme position on the issue.

It is notable that the opinions of the religious folks in this survey are diverse despite the official teachings of some of these religions explicitly endorsing a “correct” answer. The members of the religion may fiercely defend their faith, but they also can feel rather free to disagree with their leadership, whether they are technically “allowed to” or not.

This is not a new revelation to anyone who has spent a substantial amount of time interacting with the actual members of many different religious denominations and creeds.

It is time we realize that the “spokespeople” for religions (and atheism) are about as representative of the people in their religion as Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is for some of us in the Palmetto State.

Kenan Malik has a lot more about this survey over at his blog Pandaemonium.

*Hat tip to that Ed Yong.

Get your art on(line)

The Getty has made 1000s of images of artwork that is in the public domain available online. Like Philosophy Presenting the Seven Liberal Arts to Boethius (c. 1460-1470CE) by the “Coëtivy Master”*:

“Philosophy Presenting the Seven Liberal Arts to Boethius” (c. 1460-1470CE) by the Coetivy Master

Like other museums that share portions of their collection online, this make an experience of the Getty’s collections available for people around the world, who cannot actually visit the Getty. While the works of art themselves are in the public domain, the Getty might claim copyright over the scans/photos of the art. Instead, they have taken the step of making clear that this images are available for the public to use and adapt as we see fit.

The Getty makes available, without charge, all available digital images to which the Getty holds the rights or that are in the public domain to be used for any purpose. No permission is required. – The Getty “Open Content Program”

I don’t know if letting me print 300dpi images of classic art will hurt The Getty’s bottom line due to reduced gift shop sales of postcards (not from me, the gift shops never have the pieces I want). Hopefully, The Getty’s program will inspire other museums to consider following suit.

*The results of a search for “science” were a bit disappointing, but I suspect that this is mainly due to the age of many of the works. Using a historically relevant term, like “philosophy” was much more productive.
**Hat tip to Hannah Williams.