Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with science

The Origin of the Matrix

madmamasmith — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 00:30:53 -0800

Origin of the Matrix relating to a Science Fictional setting... I am reading Neuromancer by William Gibson and the main character mentions "the matrix", as something he "jacks in to". Now this is my first foray into sci-fi and I am only about 20 pages in but I was wondering where the term originated. Did The Matrix movie steal this term and its meaning from Gibson or was it already being used in previous sci-fi works? I have only ever heard it used in a sci-fi context so that's why I;m wondering. I'm admitting my lack of knowledge in this area, so please don't make me feel like a ding dong if the answer to this question is blindingly obvious to you! Also, while on the topic of Sci-fi, the last book I read in the genre was Ender's Game in junior high and I loved it, so please suggest any sci-fi reads I should check out.

If it does exist, I imagine the school crest is something like duct tape, a paper clip and a mullet

rileyray3000 — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 08:09:30 -0800

Is there a REAL MacGyver School in the world? Is there the equivalent of a MacGyver School anywhere in the world? Say tomorrow I wanted to learn, for lack of a better term, “Improvisational Engineering”…where would I go? Is there a real class anywhere out there or a major or even a specific school that teaches these things? Even if it’s an informal collective of engineers that occasionally takes apprentices, that’s fine.

What to do when it's really cold?

leahwrenn — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:24:32 -0800

Cool things to do when it's 40 below? Moved to Fairbanks Alaska. It's cold here. Are there interesting things I can do that take advantage of lots of access to really cold temperatures?

Ideally, this would be kitchen-sciency stuff that doesn't actually require me to spend a lot of time in the cold, like the you-tube videos of taking hot water outside and turning it into ice fog. Or, if you fill up a balloon with water and put it outside it turns into an ice sphere, good for using in holiday punch.

Most effective means of moving hot air?

ascetic — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:24:48 -0800

What is the best way to move hot air? Would it be blowing air across the heat source (ex: wood stove) or suck the air away from the heat source? I use a wood stove to heat my home which works perfectly, but it occasionally gets too hot in the living room (where the wood stove is). I want to disperse some of this excess heat into the other rooms.

Why is EndNote so bad at finding the full text of references?

one_bean — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:45:31 -0800

When I click on "Find Full Text" in EndNote, it only finds about 1/4 of the references. Is there a way to increase the number of journals it can find? Unfortunately it doesn't seem to know of Science, or Ecology, or Evolution. Is this just a Thomson-Reuters contractual thing?

Recomendations for class podcasts

loryjade — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 21:48:42 -0800

Looking for recommendations of learning podcasts similar to "Physics for future presidents" I just finished listening to the podcasts of the class "Physics for Future Presidents" taught by Richard Muller at UC Berkley and it left me thirsty for more knowledge. For those not familiar with it, the class explains many physics concepts in a way that non-physics students can understand, including many of their day to day applications. I graduated with a biology degree more than 10 years ago and would like to broaden my knowledge of various fields for personal enrichment. The podcast format works great for me because I can listen to them while at work in the lab. Does anyone know of any other podcasts that would give you an overview/refresher of a field like chemistry, psychology, ecology, etc? I would like to be able to have intelligent conversations about other things besides genetics and photography.

Soda Popinski

meadowlark lime — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 04:31:10 -0800

When you pour soda into a glass, is the head / froth / bubbly stuff at the top actual soda that is being turned into froth and then wasted? I have a debate with my girlfriend. I say that when she pours soda into a glass without tipping it, the head / froth / bubbly stuff that fills half the glass and then disappears downward is actual soda that is somehow combining with air and being wasted when it disappears.

She says that it's not soda, it's just something that comes out of the soda when you pour it that way.

Who's right?

"Science: When You Got It, Flaunt It"

inoculatedcities — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 10:55:53 -0800

Volunteering opportunities with organizations that promote science education in Boston? I am an undergraduate biology student in Boston looking to volunteer a few times per month to help an organization (similar to the [url=http://ncse.com]National Center for Science Education[/url]) that promotes science education. I'm happy to help out in any way I can but am having a difficult time finding such organizations nearby. Any ideas?

spelling troubles: Master of Science vs. Master's of Science

figTree — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:22:09 -0800

Confused on spelling variations: Master of Science vs. Master's of Science. I am preparing some resumes, and found out that I have never needed to spell many varations of Master of Science.

I am confused about 2 points: the "'s" and the capitalization of Master

For example:

"I am currently finishing a Master of Science". I think this is wrong?

"I am currently finishing a Master's of Science" - is that right? or is it

"I am currently finishing a master's of science" (no capitalization)

Also, do thing become different when the sentence becomes:

"I am currently finishing a Master of Science degree". It seems to me in this case the possessive nature changes?

another case:

"I am pursuing a Master's degree" (or should it be a small m?")

If it makes a difference I am writing Canadian English.

very confused - thanks for the help.

ps: no i am not pursuing a Master's (master's?) degree in English :P

looking for sci fi book

sorindome — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 10:05:16 -0800

Looking for a science fiction book I read a few years ago. I believe it came out within the past five years. Basic plot was that a guy died and then his mind was uploaded into a robot. I think the main character might have been fairly poor at one time and then started dating an heiress which was why he was able to do the upload after death. I'm actually looking for a specific passage from the book describing color blindness. The main character was colorblind before he died and then the robot was not colorblind. I just remember the 2-3 pages describing the transition as being the best description of colorblindness I've ever read. I've always wished I could remember it to explain to others my own colorblindness.

Crop Science Education

Benzle — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 08:27:56 -0800

I'm going to school to become a weed scientist... I'm at University, finishing undergrad, getting ready for grad school in Crop Science. I'm not positive what direction to go in but one possible future for myself would be working on Vertical Farms, which would be great and very exciting for me. Or, less realistically, I would like to look into working in a laboratory setting with marijuana, I've heard only vaguely of several Universities that do research and breading (I know Harvard at least does studies, (2007 article in Wired Magazine) and Michigan I've heard). Google, marijuana scientist and it only turns up a few old/unreliable articles and occasionally a scientist's name.
Ok, thanks everyone for any direction, take care.

All in your head?

Yakuman — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:33:33 -0800

Does anyone still believe in phrenology?

Quit or Fail: How to pick up the pieces after academic and PhD abandonment?

Gaeacon — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:44:59 -0800

How have you reconciled failure vs. quitting? How have you managed to pick up the pieces of your most passionate undertaking after dropping it? Is the desire to reinvent myself and undertake a new passion/direction just a mechanism to hide the pain of giving up? I recently graduated with a Master's (conciliatory?) in Ecology from a top program. For 2+ of 3 years I dealt with either crippling depression (I think I'll just stay in bed for the week...month...quarter) and second guessing my ability to succeed in my PhD program or the delusion that I could remain cavalier and continue shooting from the hip all the way to the hooding ceremony.

I got tired. I chose not to continue on the PhD path and decided to puruse my "true passion" - communicating environmentalism and inspiring social change within a broader audience. I've done tours of duty with two non-profits that vary widely in their sphere of influence and method of promoting environmentalism/conservation. I haven't been enthralled by either and find myself still looking at the horizon....

I have been feeling nostalgic - I miss collaborators/old friends, I miss exciting tropical field site, I miss comfortable fellowship, and I really miss feeling like I am creating my life rather than just floating by. At the time, I was convincing myself I wanted something different, something more in line with my dreams. Now I look back and think "I had it good! If I just did the work and didn't fall victim to the distraction of something bigger and better....if I would have dealt with the depression (self-induced I think), bad habits, cavalier attitude...I would be well on my way with research".

Maybe it is mostly hindsight and the grass is greener type of thing. I can't rid the nagging feeling that "I want to quit PhD to pursue this, my real passion!" is really just a self-deception disguising "I am failing because I refuse to make positive changes in my life and would rather do nothing". I am tired of this "can't fail if I don't try" attitude, and I basically spend everyday of work at non-profit thinking about how I messed up.

How do I overcome this failure/quitting and regain creative control of my life? Where do I go next? I am drowning with real-world problems (paying bills, finding a new job) and feel like I am inevitably drifting further from pursuing my "true passion" - my supposed reason for getting out of PhD early!

I want to stop defrauding myself. I know that I was fully capable of doing the work I just "chose" not to. The worst feeling is not knowing if I was justified in that choice - was it because of laziness, fear of failure....or truly because I wanted to do something else (as I struggled for months to finally convince myself and then report to others) - it just all seems like lies

Should I quit or continue?

gadha — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:46:01 -0800

Requesting advice with my career in computer science. Briefly, should I stay or should I go? I love what I do (compsci research, heavily engineering/coding based). I started programming at 13, growing up in EAfrica where I had access to information and tools but no guidance. This meant I had to find my own way through which made me quite tenacious.

At 18, I moved to the UK and did an ugrad in compsci in a mediocre university that aims to churn out mid-level sw engineering types. I did quite well and chose to do a PhD purely because I wanted to learn more about compsci. The net result of this was that (1) I realised that I "get" compsci enough that things make sense (2) that I love lower level stuff (kernels, hpervisors, hardware, systems, etc) (3) that I love to code and love technology (4) I seem to possess a great amount of tenacity at actually getting things working.

However, it also made me absolutely come to terms with my limits. While I can most "do" anything in my field, I find it takes me longer than my peers, my progress is not as quick and while I have some natural ability and affinity it pales in comparison to the other people I work with who are very, *very* good. Across the board I find the people who excel in my field and area seem to have much more natural talent and this translates to more rapid progress and output quicker (sometimes by up to a factor of 5-6). I've also realized that while I can recognize and apply good/clever ideas and understand their impetus, I lack that little bit extra in being able to actually generate the ideas. This leaves me feeling slow, dumb, unworthy and frustrated. It eats away at me a lot.

My top career goal would be to contribute to changing computer science (e.g. a new compression algorithm) or be involved in creating a technology or mechanism that does (c.f. software virtualization in the early 2000s). Half of me thinks I should just trudge on and continue to do what I do as slowly as I do it and I might at some point make this happen. The other half of me just wants to quit and go and do something else, i.e. make a comfortable life for myself -- do more than keep on dreaming and making miniscule progress hoping I can make a contribution.

I absolutely understand that natural ability is inborn and that such people are few and far between (and such mavericks are certainly necessary for the advancement of any field), I'm not aspiring to be one. I'm just wondering, is it possible to make a difference by wanting to make a difference *really* badly and continuing to soldier (hobble?) along? I'd appreciate any personal experiences to help me put this into better perspective.

Seeking clicking mechanism or design...

pallen123 — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:21:02 -0800

What kind of small toys or devices click when you rotate them forwards and backwards? Seeking mechanism or design... I’m trying to help a friend design a small toy and she needs a mechanism that will click in very small increments as she rotates a small (1 inch diameter) dial that turns 360 degrees on its axis. She needs the dial to click precisely as it turns clockwise and counterclockwise in smallish increments. I was thinking a fishing reel mechanism might work, but that just allows turning in one direction. Then I thought a ratchet wrench mechanism might work, but that also turns in just one direction (and I’m not sure how the inside of a ratchet wrench works either). Can anyone think of existing toys or devices that have a clicking mechanism that freely rotate? Novel solutions? Suggestions? Thank you!

Tell me your memorable, exciting learning experiences!

Cygnet — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:10:31 -0800

What are the most fun, memorable, interesting, exciting, and long-lasting learning experiences you have had? I'm talking about academic-type learning here, not "life learning", though I realize that sometimes the two are intertwined. I'm interested in things you did that made a subject, era in history, scientific principle, work of literature, or whatever come alive. The opposite of dry, textbook learning and cramming for tests. Engaging, open-ended, low-pressure, and, most of all, deeply memorable - the kind of learning that really gives you a lasting fondness for the subject.

Examples of the kind of thing I mean:
1. When I was 13 I toured the Castle of Edinburgh, and they had a fantastic audio tour that made me fall in love with the dark and mysterious history of the castle - and the whole region.
2. In high school, I took a European History class that put on a Greek Olympics (complete with Greek drama and hand-made masks, home-made Greek food, sporting events, traditional offerings to the Gods), a Welsh Eisteddfod (poetry, daffodils, Welsh music), and a Sienese Palio (with teams, bribing of the judges, sonnets for each mascot, traditional food, Italian art and architecture), and a Victorian Tea (with Oscar Wilde skits, appropriate outfits and food, Gilbert and Sullivan, and appropriate social and political discussions for the era). Totally memorable.
3. As a kid, I had the magnificent Classical Kids tapes, which introduced music history and the greatest works in story-form, with amazingly good quality acting and musicianship.
4. Carl Sagan's "Cosmos" videos, and Lawrence Blair's "Ring of Fire" videos - informative, beautiful, and memorable.

What other things, places, and experiences would you suggest? I'm interested in pretty much anything, but bonus points for things that are possible for me, a not-so-wealthy female graduate student (in the sciences) in Boston, to do without heroic measures. Even more bonus points if friends could participate in said learning.

Do vaccines bring you closer to death?

foulowl — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:16:09 -0800

Is there a set quota of white blood cells that the human body produces over its lifetime, and if so do routine vaccines (e.g. the flu) tax the immune system enough to significantly shorten the person's lifespan? A while ago I found out that my room mate is, as he put it, "waaaaaaay anti-vaccine." I chalked it up to his occasional wool-headedness and benign (if frustrated) lack of critical thinking, but today he mentioned that he wanted to finish his undergraduate degree in biology sometime in the next couple years.

After dinner I couldn't help myself and asked him, politely, how he squared his science ambitions with his vaccine beliefs. He explained that the human body only creates a limited amount of white blood cells during its lifetime, and vaccines cause the immune system to unnecessarily spend its set quota on a single pathogen (namely, the one being vaccinated against) and thus "make you die quicker."

I kind of nodded and said something like, "Well, at least it's a scientific reason," but that really does not seem right to me. If the human body has a set quota of white blood cells that's honestly so limited that a healthy person is actually at risk of having their life significantly truncated due to routine vaccinations wouldn't medical practitioners screen patients much more thoroughly to prevent unnecessary damage? Plus, isn't one of the reasons to get a vaccine not just for your own health as an individual but the health of everyone around you?

Add in the hypocrisy factors of a) room mate smokes, b) had a serious case of bronchitis in the last six months that c) nearly developed into pneumonia and I am smelling some concentrated bullshit here. (I feel like his immune system wasted more white blood cells fighting off a contracted case of preventable bronchial infection than it would have during a few years of flu vaccines.) Am I right? Is he right?

Does anyone with a background in biology/immunology/medicine have a definitive answer?

Caffiene snooze

divabat — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:58:53 -0800

Why does one cup of coffee make me sleepy? I've seen this thread, but it was more about confirming the effect rather than explaining it.

I've had an interesting history with coffee. I like the taste, and when I was a teenager I regularly had a cup of 3-in-1 coffee a day with no particular effects. In my late teens I was diagnosed with panic disorder, and I could no longer take any coffee without feeling jittery and anxious. Within the past five years I've slowly reintroduced coffee into my life, and now I can comfortably have a cup a day.

However, instead of either getting a buzz or being jittery, coffee makes me really really sleepy. As soon as I have a cup I have a deep need to take a nap, and I can be knocked out for a couple of hours. It's not particularly restful or refreshing sleep, but it's hard to fight back the urge to snooze. This is a recent development (and slightly annoying because there are times where I could use the buzz!!).

I'm usually described as "hyper" by my friends and peers, though that usually depends on the situation - in fun energetic environments I can be very vibrant and exuberant, though when I'm at home I'm usually sloth-like and lazy. I sleep about 7-8 hours a night; the sun awakes me, so I'm usually up just before 5, and for the first few hours (if I'm not having to be awake early for any particular reason) I vacillate between mucking around on my laptop and snoozing. I don't deal well with late nights - if I'm not distracted by something I usually clamour for my bed by midnight at the latest.

Guarana, ginseng, and other energy drinks & supplements of that ilk give me a headache. There is one particular Aussie brand of energy drink (can't recall the name offhand) that hasn't effected me either way; however I've only had a small tin so I don't know if it's a fluke. I have been suspected of having ADD but have never been on treatment for it or tested professionally.

What's happening with my hormones and my brain that makes me have the opposite reaction to caffiene? Is it something I need to worry about? If caffiene makes me tired, what can I do to get a buzz (assuming that I haven't already scared people off by being highly energetic!)?

Picture Book of Humans?

alice_curiouse — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:55:21 -0800

I am looking for a large picture book on anatomical differences of humans around the world... I am looking for a large book that has lots (hundreds?) of photos or drawings of what humans look like in different parts of the world.

I am not sure if National Geographic makes anything like this? Does anyone know of such a book?

Thank you!

Too Hot Not To Handle

Ash3000 — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:39:33 -0800

A friend, who leans Ron Paul libertarian, was recently trying to convince me that anthropogenic global warming is largely a myth. A central part of his argument was his claiming that there was recently a petition signed by 40,000 independent climate scientists saying that, in his words, "so-called global warming is bullshit." More inside. I'm no climate scientist, but I feel like I have a fairly good layman's grasp on the basics of climate change, and have heard of a few such "petitions" that generally end up being filled with non-scientists, or those on the fringe, or those who are corporate-sponsored - but I'd never heard of this petition.

I asked him to cite what exactly he was referring to, and he said he couldn't remember the sourcing at the moment (it was a loud bar night), but rest assured that the whole idea of a consensus about climate change is part of the push for one-world government.

The one-world-paranoia aside, does anyone know what he might have been referring to? I couldn't find anything googling for the number 40,000, but 30,000 yielded this. Might that be it?

I think he absorbs a fair amount of fringe-right media - can anyone give me the straight dope on the sort of things that are being circulated as "proof against climate change" that this may have been a part of, and what the common refutations are against this specific petition (if you know it), or such petitions generally? Or just a way to use this as an excuse to learn more? I'd like to continue these conversations with him, but I feel like he keeps on citing research that he reads in newsletters and the like.

(Also, while I'm here, he claimed that carbon taxation, especially in its current legislative form in Congress, is a secret tool to constrict all industry, and that Al Gore is just trying to profiteer for his private business. What're the arguments against these specific claims?)

HY=EY to you too, buddy

ailouros08 — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:00:44 -0800

I'm being outsmarted by a personalized license plate (I think)! I was driving through Durham, NC last Saturday when I saw a truck with a personalized license plate reading HY=EY. The truck also had some math bumper stickers on it. What, if anything does HY=EY mean?

What's a good non-geeky present for a scientist?

daelin — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:12:49 -0800

GiftFilter: What would be a great present for someone who loves science, but not in a geeky/campy way? My boyfriend (a 2nd-year undergrad in biochemistry)'s birthday is coming up and I am completely stymied as to what to get him - the only thing he's really mentioned is that he would like something science/biology-related. The problem is that he's not into science in the geeky sort of way that would appreciate things like this xkcd shirt, giant microbes, or a periodic table shower curtain.

He doesn't read all that much, so books are so-so; I'd get him a subscription to Nature but he already has one. He has aspirations of someday having a basement lab, so the best idea I've had so far is putting together a gel electrophesis box for him, but a) it's a bit pricey and b) it wouldn't be of much use without pipets to load it with and actual gels to put in it.

I'm terrible at thinking of good gifts, so I throw myself upon the mercy of the hive mind. Any suggestions you can offer would be deeply, deeply appreciated!

Remembering the name of a scifi book

Political Funny Man — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:34:25 -0800

I'm trying to remember the name of a sci-fi book. I read it like 10 years ago, so my memory of it's a bit fuzzy. One of the major topics was something about the religion of science. I remember a guy who was able to trick people, a traveling salesman of sorts, who sold someone a machine that turned lead into gold. The machine actually worked, but would stop working after he got away with his money. I don't *think* I'm imagining this book, but who knows...

Science for a non-science major

madforplaid — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:06:55 -0800

I am returning to college to complete my bachelors degree and need to take a natural science class to fulfill general education requirements. Which class is the best choice for someone who is utterly intimidated by science? I am an accounting major and have not studied any type of science since high school (approximately 10 years ago). It was always my least favorite class in school because I thought it was boring and I never had the aptitude for it.

Biology is required, and I must choose an additional class from Astronomy, Chemistry, Physics, or Geology. All four are equally terrifying to me. Which of these fields is the most accessible and/or has the shallowest learning curve for a science dunce such as myself?

The Diamond Age of Wireless

mouthnoize — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:24:03 -0800

I would like to understand the dynamics of radio waves like a bird understands air currents. What would be the best way as a middle-aged learner to gain this insight?

Some previous discussions indicate a degree in electrical engineering, but I'm pretty much done with academia - I'm looking for a more kinesthetic approach. I really want to intuitively understand the ways that radio waves bounce, jostle and jive!

Any thoughts appreciated! :)