Columbia Science Review
  • Home
  • About
    • Our Team
  • Blog
  • Events
    • 2022-2023
    • 2021-2022
    • 2020-2021
    • 2019-2020
    • 2018-2019
    • 2017-2018
    • 2016-2017
  • Publications
  • COVID-19 Public Hub
    • Interviews >
      • Biology of COVID-19
      • Public Health
      • Technology & Data
    • Frontline Stories >
      • Healthcare Workers
      • Global Health
      • Volunteer Efforts
    • Resources & Links >
      • FAQ's
      • Resource Hubs
      • Student Opportunities
      • Podcasts & Graphics
      • Mental Health Resources
      • Twitter Feeds
      • BLM Resources
    • Columbia Events >
      • Campus Events
      • CUMC COVID-19 Symposium
      • CSR Events
    • Our Team
  • Contact

wikipedia gets more legit

5/3/2009

0 Comments

 
Earlier this week, The Society for Neuroscience launched the Neuroscience Wikipedia Initiative, a call for neuroscientists around the world to “harness the power of Wikipedia and support the Society’s mission of promoting public education about neuroscience.”

We all know that wikipedia is “not a reputable source.” But I must admit that, when curiosity strikes, wikiing is my first line of defense.

I’m not alone either: Wikipedia consistently makes ranks amont the top 10 most-visisted-websites, and currently stands as the most popular reference in cyberspace. The SfN is taking advantage of this massive audience to improve people’s knowledge and understanding of neuroscience- if they’re interested.

It’s really about time. Wikipedia can’t be beat, so we might as well get it right. I hope that this initiative prompts other science organizations to edit their pages as well. This is a great opportunity for scientists to impact education and ensure that people are always getting the best and most current information available.

Also, I just wikipediaed Wikipedia.
​
-ER
0 Comments

cyborg beetles

5/2/2009

0 Comments

 
Researchers at UC Berkeley have engineered a biomechanical remote-controlled beetle. By implanting tiny electrodes into the insect’s brain and muscles, they are able take control of all of it’s natural movements.

check out a picture of one in this Discover article:
http://discovermagazine.com/2009/may/30-the-pentagons-beetle-borgs

The research is funded by the “Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency,” a sector of the Department of Defense formed after the launch of Sputnik in order to promote American technological superiority.

Although these cyborgs are little more than million dollar remote-control helicopters at the moment, the DARPA sees great potential. Next, they plan to equip a beetle with a tiny recording device or other sensor to create an incredibly discrete and agile little spy- literally, a fly on the wall. Eventually, they think they will be able to produce these creature-robots cheaply and in large numbers.

The researchers are also experimenting with inserting machine components into insects at much earlier stages of development. For example, implanting electrodes into caterpillars and then letting them develop into completely normal looking butterflies.

This is really cool, but I do worry sometimes that the Department of Defense watches too much science fiction…
​
-ER
0 Comments

what do pablo picasso and jonas salk have in common?

5/2/2009

0 Comments

 
Apart from revolutionizing the respective fields these two gentlemen worked in: Françoise Gilot. 
Gilot met Picasso when he was an old man, had two children with him and after a 9 year relationship she became one of the few women who would dump him. Yes, Pablo Picasso was dumped. 
And she’s no idiot – she went to Cambridge! 

After marrying and divorcing someone else, Gilot eventually met and married Jonas Salk in Paris – Salk – of the whole polio fame – was pretty old back then as well. Do we see a trend?
The coolest part? Gilot lives in NYC and Paris and she’s a painter. 
-YL
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Françoise_Gilot
​
0 Comments

gertrude stein

5/1/2009

0 Comments

 
Did you know Gertrude Stein was almost a doctor?

After her undergraduate years at Radcliffe College, she worked at Woods Hole Laboratory and then went to Johns Hopkins medical school for 3 and a half years. 

During her time at Radcliffe, she worked with the venerable William James on Normal Motor Automatism (Craziness – Stein and James???)

Check out an interesting look at her medical student years:
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/hmn/S02/annals.html

She escaped before graduation and fled to Paris where she began her illustrious literary and social career. 
​
Wiki her for more information.
-YL
0 Comments

    Categories

    All
    Artificial Intelligence
    Halloween 2022
    Winter 2022-2023

    Archives

    April 2024
    January 2024
    February 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    June 2022
    January 2022
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    July 2009
    May 2009

Columbia Science Review
© COPYRIGHT 2022. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Photos from driver Photographer, BrevisPhotography, digitalbob8, Rennett Stowe, Kristine Paulus, Tony Webster, CodonAUG, Tony Webster, spurekar, europeanspaceagency, Christoph Scholz, verchmarco, rockindave1, robynmack96, Homedust, The Nutrition Insider
  • Home
  • About
    • Our Team
  • Blog
  • Events
    • 2022-2023
    • 2021-2022
    • 2020-2021
    • 2019-2020
    • 2018-2019
    • 2017-2018
    • 2016-2017
  • Publications
  • COVID-19 Public Hub
    • Interviews >
      • Biology of COVID-19
      • Public Health
      • Technology & Data
    • Frontline Stories >
      • Healthcare Workers
      • Global Health
      • Volunteer Efforts
    • Resources & Links >
      • FAQ's
      • Resource Hubs
      • Student Opportunities
      • Podcasts & Graphics
      • Mental Health Resources
      • Twitter Feeds
      • BLM Resources
    • Columbia Events >
      • Campus Events
      • CUMC COVID-19 Symposium
      • CSR Events
    • Our Team
  • Contact