Archive for February, 2010
The Science/Liberty Nexus
2010/02/22“You can’t get good democracy without science, and you can’t get good science without democracy. That’s why great political and scientific revolutions have historically gone hand-in-hand. It’s an intriguing argument that Timothy Ferris (UC Berkeley) makes in his new book, The Science of Liberty, and debates in an interview with Michael Krasny, aired last week on KQED in San Francisco. You can stream the interview below, or access it via mp3 or iTunes.”
in OpenCulture
PCs Around the World Unite To Map the Milky Way
2010/02/22“At this very moment, tens of thousands of home computers around the world are quietly working together to solve the largest and most basic mysteries of our galaxy.”
in Rensselaer Polythecnic Institute
10,000 Galaxies in 3D
2010/02/22“In 2004, the Hubble Space Telescope captured 10,000 galaxies in an image that’s now called the Ultra Deep Field. It’s our deepest look into the universe. The video above animates the Deep Field image and puts it into 3D. No need to read more. Just watch.”
in OpenCulture
And the Academy Award Goes to … a Computer Scientist
2010/02/22“Paul E. Debevec may be the only research professor whose laboratory subjects have included Charlize Theron and Will Smith. The University of Southern California computer scientist is about to take another unlikely step—from academe to the Academy Awards, for special effects. His pixel wizardry has been featured in films such as Spider-Man 2 and Avatar.”
in The Chronicle of Higher Education
Can your computer make you happy?
2010/02/22“Being made angry by your PC is nothing new, but what if hardware could actually improve your mood? Machines that read emotions are coming to a desktop near you. Anna Leach reports”
in The Independent
Time Travel with Google Earth
2010/02/22“Google Earth’s historical imagery feature now includes aerial footage of the aftermath of World War II, allowing users to comprehend the extent of post-war destruction by comparing photos of cities as they are today to those of bombed out cities immediately after the war.”
in OpenCulture
Ponteiros 