Science is Awesome!

A nifty little vid on how to freeze liquid nitrogen

Theory of Everything

Heres the Isaac Asimov annual debate on the current state of the Theory of Everything, with a whole panel of physicists, string theorists and cosmologists discussing the topic. Interesting stuff is youve got the time

Transhumanism

What are your thoughts on transhumanism?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transhumanism

Bio-Hackers

I recently picked up a book called "Bio-punk" (http://www.amazon.com/Biopunk-Scientists-Hack-Software-Life/dp/1617230022/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304978113&sr=8-1) that discusses the movement of DIY biologists "hacking life" in the style they describe as similar to the pirates of silicon valley. They have found some great ways to reduce the costs of excessively pricey items to do experiments in their garage, closet, basement, etc, mostly through the use of e-bay or other auction based procedures to grab equipment leaving the lab environment.

So, this brings me to two things.

1) Can this happen with a field that has not even fully developed in the lab community (bio-nano-technology). Actually, skip that question and go straight to this one: How can this happen in a field that is not even fully developed.

2) Why is there only vague communities of people doing things like this. There is a great deal of discussion in this book about communities that exist, but nothing that is very well organized (though, if I am wrong, please do point it out). What is standing in the way? Apathy? The strange paradox that we as a generation have between being in communication 24/7 and being unable to accomplish anything together? It seems that this line is being crossed though-- things are being done via the virtual world. Revolution, innovation, art, it can all happen, but someone needs to do it. What is necessary to take that step? Can we, here, accomplish something without meeting in person, or can we do something together?

There needs to be a direction here: a goal, a method, a way to define why so as to avoid the Sisyphean tragedy. We must imagine Sisyphus happy.

Are YOU ready for Neo-Evolution?

An interesting TED talk on the possibilities genetic manipulation. It will be interesting exactly how this transforms into reality. Certainly there is great potential, and we are busily genetically modifying all sorts of things, but doing it to humans is something else entirely.

Physics

Heres a couple of interesting videos I found around on the net dealing with the current status of the Dark Energy debate (if you have 2 hours) and Sean Carroll's current thoughts on the possibilities of the multiverse

and from Ted.com

Talking to God

I’ve been recently asked what I would have to say to God if I were to die and find myself standing in front of him. How would I explain my lack of belief? I think what I would say, and what in my mind is the most damning indictment of any knowledgeable, powerful entity with the ability to interact with human beings and our world, would be why he saw fit to leave mankind in such a sorry state of ignorance. Ignorance which so readily lends itself to suffering, both through our inability to comprehend the processes by which famine, disease, and natural disasters occur, and in leading people to commit such acts of horrific cruelty in the name of utterly wrong and misguided causes and beliefs. With even modest instruction or information, humanity could have benefited immeasurably. Yet this supposedly powerful being saw fit to watch humanity wallow in ignorance for thousands of years, ignorant of even the most basic understanding of biology, medicine, or physics, and all this despite thousands of years of very active interaction and communication. What I was taught in my 6th grade science class would have been invaluable information 200 years ago, let alone 2000, and I would like to think that if you could have plucked me from my 6th grade science class, transported me back in time 2000 years, I would have had more insightful things to say than the human incarnation of an omniscient superpower, although I would probably have had to pretend to be one to be listened to0.

No, I could not respect a being that so casually withheld such vital education, with such readily apparent and horrific consequences. In the last 2000 years we have suffered the consequences of violent, cruel, but convincing men, men who advocated the merits of horrific ideas like slavery, racism, genocide, and war, and we were, and continue to be, persuaded. I think, with proper information, fewer of us would have been convinced, and humanity would have had much less to do with catastrophe.

However, I don’t think I have to worry much about what I would say as I was dangled above the pits of hellfire; he would most likely cut the cord and let me drop long before I managed to get all this out. The guy doesn’t seem to take criticism all that well.