Wondering whether I should go for the PhD that I wanted when I went back to school, or whether it's more sensible to stay where I am and do a Master's first.
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posted by Scientist
on Jul 1, 2012 -
18 answers
I cooked some near-rotten potatoes and they offered a flavour far surpassing other potatoes. I long to taste it again.
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posted by Algebra
on Jun 26, 2012 -
19 answers
What is happening in the body when food poisoning occurs? Are the symptoms defensive actions or purely symptomatic?
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posted by distorte
on Jun 25, 2012 -
13 answers
Why is it so hard to quickly count from 1 to 100 alternating between 2 different languages on each digit? Any cognitive scientists want to explain this?
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posted by querty
on Jun 25, 2012 -
13 answers
Great non-fiction books for a smart 9 year old search: my kindle owning niece is embarking on summer vacation. I'd like to gift her some good books to fill up her summer days... she reads a huge amount, and I'd really like to encourage this. She's nine but has a roughly 9th grade reading level, so she's definitely capable of handling somewhat advanced books, and she's curious about a wide range of things. Really I'm looking for pretty much anything non-fiction & interesting.
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posted by lyra4
on Jun 24, 2012 -
27 answers
Help me find some informative scientific podcasts/lectures/audio books/videos about the future of man and technology.
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posted by gregoryg
on Jun 21, 2012 -
4 answers
Trying to locate a study in which they gave a chimpanzee (or other ape?) all the hard drugs he wanted (though it may have just been cocaine and/or heroin?) and found that with sufficient care, the subject actually lived a perfectly healthy and long life.
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posted by imagineerit
on Jun 18, 2012 -
4 answers
A couple months ago I found a very long document talking about academic networking. I believe it was written over 20 years ago but still seemed incredibly relevant. As a young student trying to get his footing in academia, I'd love to find this networking primer again, as well as other things to read that would be helpful.
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posted by Strass
on Jun 14, 2012 -
5 answers
What are some things that most scientists once suspected to be true that most scientists today know to be false?
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posted by Lownotes
on Jun 9, 2012 -
32 answers
I'd like to learn about data science. Things like predictive modelling, regression and classification and so on. What would be good books or online courses to start with?
posted by gwynp
on Jun 8, 2012 -
9 answers
What is the most environmentally friendly way to boil water for, e.g., tea?
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posted by acm
on Jun 6, 2012 -
23 answers
What are some science-y experiments that would be fun (and impressive) for a 4 year old?
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posted by imabanana
on Jun 5, 2012 -
34 answers
Was reading about microchips that are designed to allow a few mistakes (known as '
Sloppy Chips'), and pondering equivalent kinds of 'coding' errors and entropy in biological systems. Can a fair comparison be made between the two?
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posted by 0bvious
on Jun 5, 2012 -
4 answers
I need to know what sort of equipment one uses to "entangle" particles. Where would I find this sort of information?
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posted by AdamCSnider
on May 28, 2012 -
4 answers
Transfer, the 2010 German movie: questions! (big spoilers inside; avoid if you haven't seen this awesome movie)
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posted by lorimer
on May 25, 2012 -
0 answers
Can anyone tell me which institution offered the first computer science degree in Australia and when that was? My Google hand is not working.
posted by mattoxic
on May 21, 2012 -
3 answers
I've always been drawn to science and research and I'm strongly considering going to graduate school to get a master's degree in computer science (location: Sweden) and maybe even aim for an academic career. But my recent experiences with academia has left my disillusioned, sad and angry. Can I get my degree without GRARing all the time? How?
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posted by Foci for Analysis
on May 21, 2012 -
11 answers
How and why do we become accustomed to smells? What makes some odours personally super-pungent one day and unnoticed 'background noise' later on, despite the smell remaining objectively unchanged?
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posted by peacay
on May 19, 2012 -
7 answers
Explain alternating current distribution across "the grid" to me in terms an educated layman can understand. Specifically, I have a question about how to talk about which power plants are providing power to a particular consumer.
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posted by 256
on May 17, 2012 -
20 answers
In the final episode of James Burke's "Connections", he describes a
secret experiment mixing CuSO4 and NaOH, and the potential uses for the result. That was the late 1970s--I am curious what actually happened since then.
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posted by This_Will_Be_Good
on May 9, 2012 -
8 answers
I'm trying to get my five year old step son interested in gardening. We made a special flower bed for him and I to grow plants in together and he is really excited to grow "rainbow blossoms" in it. Help me make this as rewarding for him as possible!
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posted by gwenlister
on May 9, 2012 -
38 answers
Help me find an article about bacteria modeling human behavior at a macro level. My google-fu is failing me.
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posted by gauche
on May 7, 2012 -
4 answers
I am in my 7th year of a science Ph.D. at MIT and I need to graduate. I have invested an incredible amount of time and energy in this process, and I definitely have a Ph.D. level of skills and knowledge by now. 7 years is not outside the norm for my department. The problem is that a number of circumstances occurring in a row have lead to a bad/toxic relationship with my advisor and slow performance on my part.
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posted by anonymous
on May 7, 2012 -
11 answers
I replaced old 6 ohm woofers with new 8 ohm ones. Now, my amplifier overheats. Can someone here explain the science of what I have done wrong?
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posted by shipbreaker
on May 6, 2012 -
19 answers
I want to learn more about the philosophy of science, the validation of its methods, its relation to faith and our core existence, its weaknesses, its controversies, its fundamental warps and wefts into the fabric of our society.
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posted by Peregrin5
on May 3, 2012 -
32 answers
I would like to pursue research in supramolecular chemistry, but I am a couple years out of school and do not have a chemistry background. Also, I lack letters of recommendation. I am certain I cannot get into a decent Ph.D. program, but do I have a shot at getting in a Master's program? Or must I resort to taking classes at a university somewhere?
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posted by nhamann
on Apr 29, 2012 -
14 answers
I'd really love a detailed explanation of the terms and humor in this math / science related XKCD cartoon.
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posted by lazaruslong
on Apr 25, 2012 -
14 answers
There was a great series about the history of physics on PBS in the late 80s. It featured a combination of very clear explanations of each of the fundamental equations in physics throughout history presented by a very calm, level voiced (almost reverent) narrator and accompanied by fantastic very BBS Hitchhiker's Guide style animation. What was this show? And where can I find it now?
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posted by smallerdemon
on Apr 18, 2012 -
14 answers
Please recommend novels that deal with Uplifting sentient species, bootstrapping technology, a la David Brin's Upllift novels and Vernor Vinge's Zones of Thought series.
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posted by kittensofthenight
on Apr 18, 2012 -
22 answers
Seeking 2nd Bachelor's degree in Applied Mathematics from UCLA, then PhD.
Details below.
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posted by Hassoon
on Apr 17, 2012 -
5 answers
I want to mainline wonder! Recommend me nonfiction books or films (science, nature, history, culture, the human mind) that will make me fall in love with the world we live in.
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posted by stuck on an island
on Apr 15, 2012 -
35 answers
Can you recommend good science sets or paint (non-watercolor) sets for an 11 year old girl? She likes to experiment and dabble in her room, and has asked about them as gifts. Thanks!
posted by Clyde Mnestra
on Apr 14, 2012 -
11 answers
What type of pump do I need to buy to remove air from an animal cage and deliver it at a controlled rate to an experimental setup?
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posted by keelyellenmarie
on Apr 10, 2012 -
4 answers
