Carl Sagan - speaks about 4 billion years of evolution

this may be one of my first spiritual experiences. This man is who I want to be when I grow up.

the only CONSTANT is CHANGE

WHAT PEOPLE SAID ABOUT BOOKS IN 1498 This is a little peek into the 42 years right after Gutenberg printed his first bible. Millions of books, tens-of-thousands of titles. We always think our times are the best/worst, most rapidly changing/deteriorating... So while it is true that the only constant is change. It is equally true that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

3D Deutz engine animation

at first it seems a little long, and kinda slow, but once you realize they are going to build EVERY bit of a very REAL engine, it just carries you along... The assembly gives serious context, and then at the end the animations really spell out what is going on inside an internal combustin engine. This is gorgeeeeoouus..

scientific beauty

I haven't even finished looking through this, but it sure is the right kind of stuff for this blog (stolen from Armistead ;)

The Eyes of Nye: Bill Nye is back

oddly I was not very familiar with Bill Nye growing up, perhaps I am older than his demo. Though being outside the demo didn't hurt my love for Fraggle Rock or the early Blue's Clues. Anyway, I am certain that Bill Nye and I share certain ideals regarding who science belongs to (hint: everyone). Check out the site, which is pretty well done btw.

10 dimensions explained VISUALLY

one of my core beliefs is that people, even young children are capable of understanding very complex ideas if they are presented correctly. I say "correctly" because I firmly believe it is the responsibility of those who know to communicate effectivley to those that don't know since (obviously) it doesn't work the other way. It is wasteful arrogance to assume that other people can't understand something that you do.

Muppets teach children a land mine lesson

I am no bigot for technology. A puppet is technology as much as a computer is technology. Anyway, even if it weren't my love for Jim Henson's work and appreciation for the way a (m/p)uppet can do and say things that might be ignored if said by a normal human, I'd still appreciate this effort.

V&A - Leonardo da Vinci: Experience, Experiment and Design

A wonderful exhibition site devoted to the incomparable Leonardo da Vince.
DO NOT MISS THE ANIMATIONS. Very approachable and wonderfully illustative of the concept Leo was discussing.
And who can argue with Leo... one of the most potent influences on my early scientific thoughts. (thanks Armistead)

anatomy of a wave - animation

a well done, step-by-step, description of a tsunami. I like it for its simple explanation of wavelength and amplitude, which apply to all waves.

Memoirs of a Skepchick � How to create a new generation of scientists.

an interesting and humorous anecdote. But does illustrate the possibilities of pitching science to the younger set.

irreverence is required!!!

iTunes Store link (launches iTunes)

a little dry but an entertaining and irreverent look at current events from an irreverent scientific perspective.

I have just discovered "Seed" magazine so if there is something I should know about it, let me know.

repulsive ;)

as usual, very little explanation... but half the battle is getting their attention. Towards the end when he picks it up with what I thought was a purely repulsive force...

The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon

sort of continuing with the theme of understanding HOW we think, so that we can (attempt to) eliminate our own prejudice from the discovery process.

I personally experience this every time I get a new car or cell phone.

it really hints at some underlying structure in our minds.

Occam's Razor

is an excellent tool for empowering people to examine (critically) what they perceive. This little article does a nice job of clarifying the concept made famous by Carl Sagan's story "CONTACT".

high-end animation as 'ignition source'

absolutely beautiful animation depicting common cellular operations. This specific video (link after the jump) is very short on explanation, but as a primer... show this to learners before they learn a thing about cellular biology and then refer back to it during teaching. You might also prime the inquisitive process by asking which part is 'bunk', which part isn't a real biological process.

"strange" behavior + video = excellent teaching opportunity

Holiday video isn't exactly a method of teaching technology, but animal/insect behavior is such an excellent way to engage folks and introduce all sorts of complex concepts. In my estimation good teaching can be accomplished by piquing the learner's interest (by shocking their auto-cynicism into taking a break) and then being available to answer the inevitable questions. Especially if the teacher can answer the questions with those meaty 'answers' that are mostly 'questions'

I think this would be an excellent intro to information technology, biology, human-psychology, networking, etc...

not rubik's cube... ruben's tube

a little short on actual explanation, and he doesn't account for the (music) volume of the speaker BLOWING the gas out of the tube, but the tone effecting flame height at the beginning is really cool.

This is THE interface of the future: teaching aid, research tool, toy/game, rapid prototyper.

A Pale Blue Dot
For no reason at all, the day I graduated from college, I decided that my entire education was dedicated to Carl Sagan and Jim Henson. I have no idea what that means. But they certainly embody my intellectual strivings... Sagan for his efforts to expose the beauty and wonder of humanness and Henson's love of the the art of human interaction. They both brought a humble, yet profound character to a world that rarely rewards either humility OR character.

This link (and most notably Sagan's comment) epitomize that humble truth of man's existence... but also the wondrous possibilities that await out tiny selves.