Lolcats help you understand teh cell division. First, basic mitosis:
A slightly different interpretation:
lolcats via cheezburger.com
If you want a paradigm shift, don’t go looking for it
“In science… novelty emerges only with difficulty, manifested by resistance, against a background provided by expectation.” – Thomas Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
Organizations that fund scientific research love to call for paradigm-shifting proposals. And scientists love to think that their latest work is smashing down staid, old paradigms. But this focus on paradigm shifting gets Thomas Kuhn exactly backwards. If you want a paradigm shift, don’t go looking for it.
That’s Kuhn’s major point in this week’s The Structure of Scientific Revolutions reading. Last week, we had a broad discussion of Kuhn’s ideas about pre-paradigm science, what a paradigm is, and why normal science is like solving puzzles. This week we’re going to be a little more focused: we’re going to talk about four pages – p. 62-65 – instead of four chapters.
Read these four pages, and you’ll understand more about Kuhn’s view of science than just about anyone who talks about paradigm-shifting. Continue reading “If you want a paradigm shift, don’t go looking for it”
Creme Brulee: The Science of Sexy
Yesterday, I promised you sexy food and the science behind it. Therefore, crème brûlée. Look at all those accent marks! Sexy, right? And, why not start with eggs – queen of ingredients, bringers of life, denizens of diner griddles, the heart of fluffy meringues, and the soul of silky custards. Crème brûlée is sexy because it is simple. Smooth, creamy custard1 contrasts with a thin, crisp layer of smoky caramel. Every flavor and texture is a balance – creamy and crisp, sweet and bitter, light and deep – harmonizing to enhance and elevate the dish.
If you want to know the steps to making crème brûlée, use the recipe below (PDF – 115kb). If you want to know how crème brûlée becomes sexy keep reading. The science of sexy can be unlocked by through an understanding of a few properties of these few, simple ingredients. Continue reading “Creme Brulee: The Science of Sexy”
Waiter, There’s a Science in My Soup
Food is sexy. You may take a moment to absorb this.
There are two kinds of people in the world. Those saying, “Damn straight!”, and those saying “Meh. I don’t know about sexy…”
To you “damn straighers” out there, damn straight. To those who say “meh”, sorry, you are wrong. Food is sexy and I can prove it.
Eat a piece of chocolate mousse cake and then tell me food isn’t sexy. I dare you. Think about it…
…the feeling of soft, rich mousse on your tongue. Chocolate coating the roof of your mouth – deep, dark, slightly smoky. A whiff of mild spice makes your nose crinkle and the back of your throat tingle ever so slightly. Whipped cream blends the flavors until you can no longer tell where one stops and another starts. And, and, is that a hint of orange zest? Then the crust. The hazelnut-brown butter toffee crust. Eyes closed you turn the fork over as your lips desperately search for just one last morsel clinging to the tines of the fork. A sigh that brings back a whisper of the spice and orange. When was the last time you made that look?
Food. Is. Sexy. Continue reading “Waiter, There’s a Science in My Soup”
Linkonomicon IV
1. Curiosity Mars Rover descent in real time – via Xeni Jardin.
2. Dog Topography – via Maria Popova.
3. Sculptural Feynman diagrams by Edward Tufte – via Joe Kraus via David Pescovitz.
4. “Atheists Ignore Islamophobia at Their Peril” by Chris Stedman.
The Finch and Pea 