Life is just a theory

jtotheizzoe:

The State of State Science Standards

The Fordham Institute released grades on how states’ science education standards stack up. We know that students need to do better when it comes to STEM education. But when states are undermining science education, how can we even begin to improve?

What grade did your state get?

(via Greg Laden’s Blog)

Oh, Pennsylvania…”I’m not angry, I’m just disappointed.” Except I really am angry about this…

crookedindifference:

The “Most Important Algorithm Of Our Lifetime” Could Change This Modern World

Math breakthroughs don’t often capture the headlines—but MIT researchers have just made one that could lead to all sorts of amazing technological breakthroughs that in just a few years will touch every hour of your life.

Here’s a quickie explainer: Fourier transforms are a mathematical trick to simplify how you represent a complicated signal—say the waves of sound made by speaking. They work by reducing the complex wave pattern to a simple and pretty short list of numbers that, when run through the system again, result in a very good approximation of the original signal. FFTs (Fast Fourier Transforms) are simply a way of making this magic happen in a digital computer, but the combination of math and machine means the FFT has revolutionized science and many industries that have technology at their core. Which is why it’s been labeled the “most important algorithm of our lifetime.”

Now, you should remember that sound waves, and both picture and video signals, are all handled by processors in your TV, PC, and phone, and that the radio waves that whizz through the air to keep us all connected to the Internet need digital processing too. That’s every compressed sound signal that you listen to as an MP3 or similar format, most every image that you snap with your smartphone or DSLR, every image frame in the video you’re watching on your TV streamed over the Net, many images—such as those from an MRI—your doctor uses to diagnose your disease and every burst of radio that connects your cell phone to the nearest tower or your PC to its Wi-Fi router. 

So calculating FFTs up to ten times faster is a big deal. It means that if you use existing hardware to do the math, it’ll be quicker at solving the problem you’ve set—so you need less compute time to do the task. If you’re talking about a portable computer like the one in your smartphone, that means it can spend more time doing other things instead. And with the valuable computing and battery resources of these portable devices under such pressure (you wouldn’t want your phone to be laggy now, would you?) that’s a good thing.

jtotheizzoe:

objectbreastcancer:

The first large plastic 3D print of a tumor

Object Breast Cancer is a science/art project with the mission of giving a shape and form to an otherwise enigmatic danger. Caraballo-Farman sculpt shapes derived from 3-D MRI images of tumors, giving a “face” to a frightening enemy 

From their website: 

1.3 Million women in the world are diagnosed with breast cancer each year.

For most, the tumor has no image.

It’s an invisible monster, an unseen malignancy.

This is such a cool application of 3D printing!

fuckyeahfluiddynamics:

Two jets of sugar syrup collide and interact to form very different patterns.  On the left, the two jets have a low flow rate and create a chain-like wake.  The jets on the right have a higher flow rate and produce a liquid sheet that breaks down into filaments and droplets. The result is often likened to fish bones. (Photo credit: Rebecca Ing)

jtotheizzoe:

The HMS Beagle Project

An effort to rebuild Darwin’s research vessel in modern times, and use it for education and continued survey of the world’s oceans. Follow at their blog or website to learn about the mission and efforts to build the tall ship.

(via The HMS BEAGLE PROJECT, image by John Chancellor)