Новости за 13.08.2017

Kevin Hartnett, Quanta

Strike a billiard ball on a frictionless table with no pockets so that it never stops bouncing off the table walls. If you returned years later, what would you find? Would the ball have settled into some repeating orbit, like a planet circling the sun, or would it be continually tracing new paths in a ceaseless exploration of its felt-covered plane?These kinds of questions occurred to mathematical minds centuries ago, in relation to the long-term trajectories of real objects in outer space... Читать дальше...

David Livingstone Smith, Aeon Magazine
Most people think of Sigmund Freud as a psychologist or a psychiatrist. But he was neither. He was trained as a neuroscientist and went on to create a new discipline that he called psychoanalysis'. But Freud should also be thought of as a philosopher and a deeply insightful and prescient one at that. As the philosopher of science Clark Glymour observed in 1991:

Sabine Hossenfelder, Nautilus
That leaked internal memo from James Damore at Google? The one that says one shouldn't expect employees in all professions to reflect the demographics of the whole population? Well, that was a pretty dumb thing to write. But not because it's wrong. Dumb is that Damore thought he could have a reasoned discussion about this. In the U.S.A., out of all places.The version of Damore's memo that first appeared on Gizmodo missed references and images. But meanwhile, the diversity memo has its own website... Читать дальше...

Ethan Siegel, Forbes
Every object in our Solar System that takes the plunge from out beyond Neptune to our inner reaches, where the rocky planets lie, will become a comet. As it nears the Sun, its ices melt, creating the tails we associate with them, and also creating a debris path that can create meteor showers if they cross Earth's orbit. For thousands of years, the most consistent, spectacular meteor shower has been the Perseids, created by Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle.

David Ropeik, Undark
Imagine a news story about a study that detected trace amounts of an industrial chemical in a popular food. The funder of that research claims it shows good news, that the doses of the chemical we're exposed to aren't high enough to worry about. But the funder was the chemical industry. That would set off all sorts of alarms about the honesty of that research, right? And it should, for you and for the reporter.

Heather Heying, Quillette
In the modern world, there are ever fewer reasons to maintain the distinct roles of men and women, which evolved over millions of years. But to imagine that we are not living with that inheritance is to reject not just science, but all forms of logic and reason.The message that liberates women is not: men and women are the same, and anyone who tells you different is oppressing you. The message that liberates women is: men and women are different.

Dean Burnett, Guardian
The BBC has recently come under fire for a Radio 4 programme which featured Nigel Lawson criticising the concept of climate change. This has drawn the ire of many scientists, and rightly so. The science on this matter is settled, there is no meaningful debate to be had, and the evidence is there for all to see should they choose to go and look for it. Basically, Nigel Lawson isn't real.

David Szondy, New Atlas
When the first manned mission to Mars sets out, it may be on the tail of an atomic rocket engine. The Space Race vintage technology could have a renaissance at NASA after the space agency's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama signed a contract with BWXT Nuclear Energy to develop updated Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) concepts and new fuel elements to power them.The Apollo missions to the Moon demonstrated many things. They showcased human ingenuity, determination, and courage. Читать дальше...

David Livingstone Smith, Aeon Magazine
Most people think of Sigmund Freud as a psychologist or a psychiatrist. But he was neither. He was trained as a neuroscientist and went on to create a new discipline that he called psychoanalysis'. But Freud should also be thought of as a philosopher and a deeply insightful and prescient one at that. As the philosopher of science Clark Glymour observed in 1991:

Kevin Hartnett, Quanta

Strike a billiard ball on a frictionless table with no pockets so that it never stops bouncing off the table walls. If you returned years later, what would you find? Would the ball have settled into some repeating orbit, like a planet circling the sun, or would it be continually tracing new paths in a ceaseless exploration of its felt-covered plane?These kinds of questions occurred to mathematical minds centuries ago, in relation to the long-term trajectories of real objects in outer space... Читать дальше...

Sabine Hossenfelder, Nautilus
That leaked internal memo from James Damore at Google? The one that says one shouldn't expect employees in all professions to reflect the demographics of the whole population? Well, that was a pretty dumb thing to write. But not because it's wrong. Dumb is that Damore thought he could have a reasoned discussion about this. In the U.S.A., out of all places.The version of Damore's memo that first appeared on Gizmodo missed references and images. But meanwhile, the diversity memo has its own website... Читать дальше...

Dean Burnett, Guardian
The BBC has recently come under fire for a Radio 4 programme which featured Nigel Lawson criticising the concept of climate change. This has drawn the ire of many scientists, and rightly so. The science on this matter is settled, there is no meaningful debate to be had, and the evidence is there for all to see should they choose to go and look for it. Basically, Nigel Lawson isn't real.

Ethan Siegel, Forbes
Every object in our Solar System that takes the plunge from out beyond Neptune to our inner reaches, where the rocky planets lie, will become a comet. As it nears the Sun, its ices melt, creating the tails we associate with them, and also creating a debris path that can create meteor showers if they cross Earth's orbit. For thousands of years, the most consistent, spectacular meteor shower has been the Perseids, created by Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle.

Sophia Komninou, The Conversation
Clean eating seems ideal for parents who want to establish their children's healthy habits early on. It's no surprise really: clean eating is the perfect buzz term for parents who are faced with supermarket shelves full of baby and toddler food which is high in sugar content and low in nutritional value.But while some clean eating plans are focused on a balanced diet with less processed and more whole foods others are extreme. Some advise cutting out things such as gluten... Читать дальше...

David Ropeik, Undark
Imagine a news story about a study that detected trace amounts of an industrial chemical in a popular food. The funder of that research claims it shows good news, that the doses of the chemical we're exposed to aren't high enough to worry about. But the funder was the chemical industry. That would set off all sorts of alarms about the honesty of that research, right? And it should, for you and for the reporter.

Heather Heying, Quillette
In the modern world, there are ever fewer reasons to maintain the distinct roles of men and women, which evolved over millions of years. But to imagine that we are not living with that inheritance is to reject not just science, but all forms of logic and reason.The message that liberates women is not: men and women are the same, and anyone who tells you different is oppressing you. The message that liberates women is: men and women are different.