Robocup 2009: Rescue Robots Save The (Some)Day

Robocup 2009: Rescue Robots Save The (Some)Day

Robots, lacking families and pensions, will rush into scenarios where humans fear to tread, like rescue missions following natural disasters.   So they need our support.   RoboCup Rescue is…
Colicins - Bacterial Warfare That Can Save Lives

Colicins - Bacterial Warfare That Can Save Lives

Six groups of scientists from the Departments of Biology and Chemistry at the University of York and the Astbury Centre for Structural and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, at the…
What Formal Logic CAN do

What Formal Logic CAN do

Philosophers have the embarrassing habit of apologizing for formal logic. Mathematicians don’t bother because they don’t care -- they’re just interested in the pretty pretty symbols and waste no part…
Freedom and Free Will

Freedom and Free Will

Despite the glib use with which people invoke the idea of freedom. Freedom is a scary concept. The ability to do absolutely anything one wishes is simply overwhelming. Of course, in practice this isn…
Answers to Selected Questions

Answers to Selected Questions

As I promised a week ago, I am posting answers to a few of the 42 questions which constituted the first part of an the exam selecting experimental particle physicists for the INFN (the italian…
MANTRA - Monster Trucks For Really Smart Kids

MANTRA - Monster Trucks For Really Smart Kids

Have a really smart kid who loves big trucks but you can't stand loud, growling voices with too much reverb in stadiums?   You're in luck.    MANTRA (The Manufacturing Technology…
Let's send The Fossil Huntress to Antarctica!

Let's send The Fossil Huntress to Antarctica!

Look what I found on Quark Expedition website! http://www.blogyourwaytoantarctica.com/blogs/view/257 In a nutshell, Quark is sponsoring a competition to send someone on an eco-cruise of Antarctica in…
Self-interest versus Selfishness

Self-interest versus Selfishness

What seems to be the problem in recognizing these words as being separate concepts?  Everytime I look there's another abuse of the word "selfish" when "self-interest" is intended.  Ranging…