science magazine roundup
Jan. 18th, 2006 05:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bunrabThe stack of magazines is building up - need to get more of them into recycling bin - so let's hear from the good bits, in no particular order:
from Natural History, July/August 2005: a book review of The Elements of Murder: A History of Poison by John Emsley. Recommended for fans of murder mysteries. Antimony, arsenic, lead, mercury, thallium, barium, chromium, selenium, tellurium. (Sounds like Tom Lehrer, doesn't it?) Looks like a fascinating book, and if someone wants an idea for getting me a present, this would be something.
From Natural history, September 2005: the "nature.net" column discusses thermodynamics. There are two web sites where you can play a game of Maxwell's demon. "At absolutist.com/online/demon/, you have to register to play (for free) but it's more fun that playing at the site of Sitabhra Sinha, a professor at India's Institute of Mathematical Sciences (www.imsc.res.in/~sitabhra/research/persistence/maxwell.html), where no registration is necessary."
From New Scientist, 7 January 2006: they have a "Feedback" column at the end of each issue, somewhat like Consumer Reports' "Selling It" column, of science absurdities and errors, to which readers contribute sightings. One such filler:
From Natural History, December 05/January 06: the "nature.net" column this month has web sites featuring bonobos. Places where you can watch videos of bonobos (sometimes referred to as pygmy chimpanzees) include
www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-bonobo.html
www.greatapetrust.org/media/avclips.php
www.greatapetrust.org/bonobo/meet/index.php
williamcalvin.com/teaching/bonobo.htm
From New Scientist, 14 January 2006: two letters to the editor refer to an article that was in an issue before my subscription started; nonetheless, the content of the article is pretty easy to infer from the letters.
from Natural History, July/August 2005: a book review of The Elements of Murder: A History of Poison by John Emsley. Recommended for fans of murder mysteries. Antimony, arsenic, lead, mercury, thallium, barium, chromium, selenium, tellurium. (Sounds like Tom Lehrer, doesn't it?) Looks like a fascinating book, and if someone wants an idea for getting me a present, this would be something.
From Natural history, September 2005: the "nature.net" column discusses thermodynamics. There are two web sites where you can play a game of Maxwell's demon. "At absolutist.com/online/demon/, you have to register to play (for free) but it's more fun that playing at the site of Sitabhra Sinha, a professor at India's Institute of Mathematical Sciences (www.imsc.res.in/~sitabhra/research/persistence/maxwell.html), where no registration is necessary."
From New Scientist, 7 January 2006: they have a "Feedback" column at the end of each issue, somewhat like Consumer Reports' "Selling It" column, of science absurdities and errors, to which readers contribute sightings. One such filler:
We have almost all seen the explanation: "The card security code is a unique three or four-digit number printed on your debit/credit card." It took Tim Shapcott to point out that this means, if true, that there are no more than 10,000 credit cards in the world. Sorry to break it to you this way, Tim, but you're living in The Truman Show. There aren't that many people who have cards. The rest are just played by extras.
From Natural History, December 05/January 06: the "nature.net" column this month has web sites featuring bonobos. Places where you can watch videos of bonobos (sometimes referred to as pygmy chimpanzees) include
www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-bonobo.html
www.greatapetrust.org/media/avclips.php
www.greatapetrust.org/bonobo/meet/index.php
williamcalvin.com/teaching/bonobo.htm
From New Scientist, 14 January 2006: two letters to the editor refer to an article that was in an issue before my subscription started; nonetheless, the content of the article is pretty easy to infer from the letters.
[1] I was delighted to discover that I am not the only one to knilb (Feedback, 19 November 2005). I now have a name for this instinctive reaction of suddenly opening my eyes in the middle of the night, as an interesting - or disturbing - thought creeps into my mind, only to close them quickly again and resume my sleep. Cambridge, UK
[2] As an example of an emordnilap, I propose the verb "to wollaws," as in "he wallowsed his curry." Vermand, France
