Pain Laboratory

Pain Laboratory

Just that I was recovering from a tooth ache and being lectured upon dental anesthetics, that I came across an interesting experiment on understanding pain.  I hope this can alleviate the pain…
The Floating (Dolby) City

The Floating (Dolby) City

If I could do Calliope as a full-tilt project, not just a hobby venture, I would make it involve transmedia and gaming.  As life goes, I had neither opportunity nor talent to come up with, say,…
45

45

Today I turn 45 years of age. Overall, physically I do not feel much different from, say, 15 years ago. I consider myself lucky, since I am generally in good health. Never have I had to sleep in a…
The Stopwatch Test & Productivity

The Stopwatch Test & Productivity

How much actual on-task work do you do on a typically work day? The myth is everyone produces 8 hours of useful, targetted work in an 8.5 hour work day (with unpaid lunch). Staying in the office…
Science talks with beer

Science talks with beer

You can read this story two different ways. Enjoy science and beer, the combination meant to be together. Or Unpaid scientists give lectures at pubs, and don't even get free beer. Science pubs?. Sign…
Flip Mental Switch And Find The Zone

Flip Mental Switch And Find The Zone

Do you live for moments where "you're so absorbed by the task at hand that you lose track of time and place"?  Some call this 'the zone', psychologists call it Flow, and I'll pointlessly coin a…
Marriage Equality

Marriage Equality

Why I believe in marriage equality or no marriage at all.   I have to admit that gay marriage was once an issue I was against, for the reason that I felt it was an issue which unnecessarily…
Entropy and Artificial Life

Entropy and Artificial Life

I used to work in chemical thermodynamics for quite a while. No doubt, I have heard of the informational entropy but I have always thought that it has nothing to do with the entropy in chemical…
Our Progressively Regressive Tax System.

Our Progressively Regressive Tax System.

 It is accepted wisdom that an increasing marginal rate on income taxes serve to balance inequality in our society, while also funding the massive entitlement programs created at the federal and…
Facebook Is Obsessed With A Science Cheerleader

Facebook Is Obsessed With A Science Cheerleader

I'm not sure how many of you out there have Facebook - quite a few, I assume, given their huge participation numbers - but on a frequent basis they introduce changes designed to help us.  …