science | This Scientific Life

London Roof Surfing

Sep 03 2010 Published by grrlscientist under London, England, Streaming videos

tags: London Roof Surfing, Fluorine gas, chemists blowing stuff up, periodic table, elements, Eric Hope, University of Leicester, periodicvideos, streaming video

For those of you who are checking in today, wondering where we are and what we are doing, here's a look at one of the fun activities that is scheduled to happen tonight at Science Online London: gathering on a rooftop in London for the FringeFrivolous Unconference (i. e.; "roof surfing"). This video was shot during last year's roof surfing event (which I could not attend, boo!), but I plan to shoot some video of this same event tonight to share with you. Meanwhile, here's some familiar faces to entertain you:

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Phil Plait: Don't Be A Dick

Aug 18 2010 Published by grrlscientist under Cultural Observation, Godlessness, Psychology, Religion, Streaming videos, Teaching

tags: Phil Plait: Don't Be A Dick, faith, religion, scepticism, magic, afterlife, fantasy, reality, science, atheism, believers, Bad Astronomer, Phil Plait, streaming video

In late July 2010, Bad Astronomer and skeptic, Phil Plait, gave a thoughtful public presentation called "Don't Be A Dick." This presentation discusses how one presents their skepticism to the public and how they discuss it publicly. There was a lot of positive reaction to the talk, but also some criticism.
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How To Make a Scientist Shut Up

Aug 16 2010 Published by grrlscientist under Humor, Satire, Streaming videos, Your Inner Child

tags: How To Make a Scientist Shut Up, Ig Nobel Prize, Miss Sweetie Poo, science, research, funny, humor, satire, parody, Annals of Improbable Research, Nobel Prize, science humor, streaming video

The organizers of the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony solved an ancient problem: How to keep speeches from droning on and on... The solution, called "Miss Sweetie Poo", is an 8-year-old girl who tells long-winded speakers to "Please stop. I'm bored. Please stop. I'm bored..." Here are Miss Sweetie Poo highlights from several Ig ceremonies.
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Gulf Oil Spill Still Affects Millions of Birds

Aug 16 2010 Published by grrlscientist under Environment, Streaming videos

tags: Gulf Oil Spill Still Affects Millions of Birds, birds, science, environment, Audubon Society, USFWS, US Fish and Wildlife Service, oil spill, BP, gulf of Mexico, Louisiana, ecology, streaming video

This video discusses how the Gulf of Mexico oil spill continues to claim the lives of unknown numbers of birds. Birds are being coated with oil, which makes it difficult or impossible for them to fly or to maintain their body temperature. Birds are also poisoned by ingesting oil, the dispersants or both, when they forage or groom their plumage. Oil and the dispersant chemicals damage to their kidneys and liver as well as other internal organs, sickening and killing the birds.

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Science Is Wrong ... Only God Knows The Truth

Aug 15 2010 Published by grrlscientist under Evolution, Humor, Religion, Satire, Streaming videos, Your Inner Child

tags: Science Is Wrong ... Only God Knows The Truth, Edward Current, science, astronomy, physics, evolution, creationists, wackaloons, crackpots, religion, fundamentalism, bible, silly, humor, funny, satire, streaming video

We Christians know that science is wrong about a lot of things. But if you just use your own eyes, and your faith, you can make your own scientific discoveries. And you don't have to be a God-hating know-it-all to do it.
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Scientia Pro Publica (Science for the People) #35 is Published!

Jul 20 2010 Published by grrlscientist under Uncategorized

Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est (And thus knowledge itself is power)
-- Sir Francis Bacon.
The most recent edition of Scientia Pro Publica (Science for the People) -- "Scientia Pro Publica 35" -- was just published at the buttcrack of dawn today by John at Kind of Curious.

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Birdbooker Report 127

Jul 18 2010 Published by grrlscientist under The Birdbooker Report

tags: Birdbooker Report, bird books, animal books, natural history books, ecology books

Books to the ceiling,
Books to the sky,
My pile of books is a mile high.
How I love them! How I need them!
I'll have a long beard by the time I read them.
~ Arnold Lobel [1933-1987] author of many popular children's books.

The Birdbooker Report is a special weekly report of a wide variety of science, nature, environment and behavior books and field guides that currently are, or soon will be available for purchase. This report is written by one of my Seattle birding pals and book collector, Ian "Birdbooker" Paulsen, and is edited by me and published here for your information and enjoyment. Below the fold is this week's issue of The Birdbooker Report which lists ecology, environment, natural history and bird books that are (or will soon be) available for purchase.

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Seeking Your Contributions for Upcoming Issue of Scientia Pro Publica

Jul 16 2010 Published by grrlscientist under Uncategorized

Image: wemidji (Jacques Marcoux).

Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est (And thus knowledge itself is power)
-- Sir Francis Bacon.
Since I've been preoccupied with the PepsiCo fiasco, I've not been promoting Scientia Pro Publica as I should be doing. So here's the most recent edition; "Scientia Pro Publica 34", published by Denis at This View of Earth. Let's all head out to Denis's blog to read the carnival and leave some warm fuzzies in the comments thread, then read the linked essays and leave your comments on at least one of those essays, either telling those authors what they did well, or making suggestions for improvements in their writing. Remember, the purpose of this blog carnival is to build a community of people who write and who read about science -- as a reader, you are the experts as to what works best!

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Scientia Pro Publica Needs Your Writing!

Jul 15 2010 Published by grrlscientist under Uncategorized

Image: wemidji (Jacques Marcoux).

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The 2009 Ig Nobel Prize for Public Health

Jul 13 2010 Published by grrlscientist under Humor, Streaming videos

tags: The 2009 Ig Nobel Prize for Public Health, humor, funny, comedy, fucking hilarious, sports, science, technology, invention, public health, gas mask, brassiere, streaming video

I know this is a little late, but the 2009 Ig Nobel Prize for Public Health Prize was awarded to Dr. Elena Bodnar for her invention of a brassiere that, in an emergency, can be quickly converted into a pair of protective face masks, one for the brassiere wearer and one to be given to a needy bystander of her choice. Her acceptance speech is absolutely hilarious (which is the reason I am sharing this with you today), and she also demonstrates the usefulness of her brassiere on Nobel laureates Wolfgang Ketterle, Orhan Pamuk, and Paul Krugman.

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