Showing posts with label Science. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Science. Show all posts
August 13, 2024
August 12, 2022
What Are You Refusing To See?
The Torah was given in 1,312 BCE, before most of the discoveries of the world, modern science, and tools like telescopes and microscopes. Yet, the Torah tells us secrets of the world and science long before they were known.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
November 19, 2020
Vaccine Fears
They tell me that the news is reporting 95% effectiveness and then they pull out their smartphone and show me a cartoon of someone taking the vaccine and their face is all deformed (I won't go into the details).
So I ask him:
Are you going to talk the vaccine?
He says:
"No!"
I ask:
Do you take the flu vaccine?
Again he says :
No, it's poison!
He thinks some more and says (jokingly, I believe):
And if some big burly guys try to hold me down and make me take it, I'll tell them I'm gonna go out and get a gun and come back tomorrow and shoot them.
Bottom line: there is some real fear and apprehension out there about these vaccines.
And surely, some people do have negative effects--whatever that percentage is.
Personally, I will take the vaccine. I would rather try and fail (hopefully not), than never try at all!
How long the vaccine is effective for--that's another matter all together. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
May 2, 2020
Bacteria Vs. Virus--The Cure!
The enemy of my enemy is my friend
Both bacteria and viruses are enemies of people in that they often make us sick.
If they can make us sick, why can't they be used to fight and make each other sick (i.e. destroy each other).
Thus, bacteria can be our friend, if we use them to destroy viruses, like Coronavirus.
Why can't we create a "virus-eating bacteria" (and vice versa "bacteria-eating virus") to destroy these little monsters that are infecting and killing us?
Let our enemies kill each other! ;-)
(Credit Graphic: Andy Blumenthal)
January 9, 2020
Pacemaker No-No!
It generates very high voltage electricity.
The guy setting it up asks me:
Do you have a pacemaker?
I respond in the negative and ask what's the danger zone on this thing.
He says:
You probably wouldn't want to get within 10 feet of this!
Good to know. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
(Please note that blog is not to be taken as medical advice.)
September 26, 2019
Beautiful Measurements
It dates back to 1852!
The weights range from 1 gram to 500 grams.
These are weights, but also a form of art.
It is located at the NIST Museum.
There is something comforting about weights, measures, and standards.
It puts an organized construct unto our universe and creates some objective scientific reality to our world.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
August 6, 2019
Oh Baby, It's Warm Outside?
Truly, a picture is worth a thousand words--probably more.
This was a simple drawing to depict I assume global warming.
- 2000 some nice mountain glaciers.
- 2020 the snow is melted.
It's like the person didn't have to say a word.
But I get it.
Also, I know there is supposedly a lot of scientific evidence for global warming.
But for me personally, I don't see it or feel it.
The summers, if anything, feel cooler and the Winters feel colder to me.
I know that is anecdotal and not representative of the world.
However, it is hard to reconcile what the scientists say, when your own eyes aren't seeing it.
Granted, I'm not in Alaska where, for example, the glaciers are melting,
Still wouldn't we be feeling something here?
Maybe a few degrees really isn't perceptible.
I guess time will tell us for certain.
Hopefully, by the time we do see it, we won't get run over by the speeding train. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
July 23, 2019
Cool Atom Puzzle
With sections for: composition, atomic model, thermonuclear fusion, periodic table, radioactivity, positron emission tomography, fission of uranium, nuclear reactor, and atomic scientists.
Wow that's a lot of information for a Puzzle and one very nicely designed at that.
Congrats on putting this 1,000 piece beauty together.
These things make me realize how very much I still have to learn--and in this case, it starts with all these small things. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
June 26, 2019
Amazing - They Go In And See
It is so amazing that they can go in with camera and everything.
Look around and if necessary, cut out anything bad.
Years ago, people just felt sick or pain and maybe saw some symptoms from outside.
But they had no idea what was happening inside.
So grateful to G-d for the technology and doctors that can make sure all is okay.
We are truly living in miraculous times.
They even send you home with some pictures afterward.
It's interesting to see, but maybe a little TMI. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
May 15, 2019
Success Anchored in Function AND Beauty
"It has always been a principal of our company that function and beauty are inseparable."
If you can make something useful and attractive--you have a real winner!
Companies like Porsche and Apple get it (many, many others are clueless).
Product development is both art and science and therein lay the foundations of their success or failure. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
April 28, 2019
April 11, 2019
Israel 4th Nation To Reach the Moon Surface - Mazel Tov!
What an unbelievable achievement for Israel.
Even without a soft landing, Israel is the 4th country in the world to reach the moon surface.
The Moon Club of Just Four:
USA - The Most Powerful
Russia - The Largest by Landmass
China - The Largest by Number of People
Israel - The Holy Land!
Mazel Tov on this truly great accomplishment.
We are all so proud of you! ;-)
March 12, 2019
Daylight Saving Time S*cks
It does NOT save us a lot of energy as designed.
Call it the wrong assumptions or bad science.
The law requiring daylight saving--switching the clocks ("Fall Back" and "Spring Forward") is archaic and needs to be repealed.
We're messing with people's sleep cycles and their health.
People waking up groggy all over the country, feeling crappy during the day, and losing much needed productivity.
How about we repeal this stupid law NOW and not waste any more time on the squabbling politics of the day?
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
June 6, 2018
Radio-Activity
It was fascinating to see the reactor, control room, and all the cool experiments--not things you see every day, right?
For safety, we had to wear devices that measured radioactivity and also go through machines that checked us afterward.
When one person in our group went through the scanner, it went off with a red alert, and the poor individual obviously got really scared--like OMG is there some contamination on me or something.
But they went through again and it turned out it was just a false positive, thank G-d.
I guess these really can be dangerous substances to work around, but still so marvelous how the scientists harness these neutron beams and direct them to all sort of fascinating scientific experiments.
Being around all this science makes me think whether if I could do it all again--wondering aloud--whether I would pursue an education in one of these amazing scientific disciplines and work in the lab like a "mad scientist"--exploring and discovering new things and figuring out the mysteries of the universe and how the world really works.
What a fun, fun field to work in! ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal and Art by 4th grader, Phillip Kenney)
May 31, 2018
Trace Amounts of Cocaine
I had a wonderful opportunity to tour a couple of labs at NIST today.
One of them does work in contraband detection.
The scientist asks if anyone has any money in their wallet.
I pull out a dollar and hand it to him.
I ask him what happens if he finds any traces of bad stuff on the money from me.
He says, "A cage will fall from the ceiling" and I'll be in big trouble.
Uh, we all laugh a little.
He unfolds the money and puts it into the machine that looks for the contraband.
Oh sh*t, it comes up in the "red"--positive for cocaine.
Someone else says jokingly, "A little leftover from the weekend?"
I joke back, "Na, It's from this morning before work!"
Ha, ha, I think.
It turns out the scientist explains that 90% of our currency actually tests positive for cocaine.
I'm wondering whether this is a commentary on drug use and even the opioid epidemic in America.
The lab director explains a theory that the automated money counters spread traces of the drugs from bills and contaminates the other currency.
Aside from this little experiment today, I got to learn so much about creating standards for contraband detection systems and equipment and in another lab about magnetism.
It is unbelievable how smart these scientists are--they are so unique and of the best in the world.
I am so happy to be able to learn from them even if it's contraband on money. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
May 14, 2018
Happy Just The Way We Are
Great speaker today at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Mike Reiss, producer and writer for the hugely successful Simpson show--the longest-running series on primetime TV with 30 seasons and over 600 episodes!
The topic was "The Science Behind The Simpsons."
Whether the guest was Stephen Hawkings or Leonard Nimoy--there was no shortage of scientists and science in this animated, comedy show that taught us much about life.
The video clip above was a short capture of the Simpsons singing "We are happy just the way we are."
Incremental change and continuous improvement is so important to our growth and maturation in life.
Yet, there is also a lot to be said for being happy with what you have and who you are.
There is so much to be grateful for and plenty to enjoy at the moment.
Many people are on the proverbial roller coaster to nowhere.
It's nice to get off the roller coaster and finally be somewhere that makes you happy and fulfilled.
Mary Poppins get hit by the airplane at the end of the skit, and you know what, she's not even missed. ;-)
(Source Video: Andy Blumenthal)
March 21, 2018
Measurement And Standards Are Our Friends
And measurement is the foundation of scientific research and creating standards.
Scientific research and measurement are about exploration, discovery, and innovation.
Further, it is about finding the facts; it is objective; it is truth; it is essential to maintaining integrity.
Standards also help to ensure dependability, because there is a common reference and you know what you are getting.
A great true story that demonstrates the importance of measurements and standards is the Great Baltimore Fire of 1904.
This was the third worst urban inferno in American history.
It destroyed over 1,500 building across 140 acres.
Fire engines responded from as far as New York and Virginia.
But the problem was that they invariably could not help.
Why?
Because their fire hose couplings could not fit on the Baltimore fire hydrants--they were not standardized.
Without standards, we don't have interoperability.
We don't have a reference that everyone can go by.
It's as if we're all working on our own desert islands.
This defeats the power in numbers that make us together greater than the sum of our individual parts.
Science and technology help us advance beyond just ourselves and today.
Measurement and standardization help us to build a better and stronger society. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
May 28, 2017
Arguing The Negative
It says:
"Those who reject Jesus do so because of sin, not science or evidence."
Overall, religion is a matter of personal faith not to be argued, but rather when based to good, to be wholly respected.
This argument though was basically saying, not to reject this particular tenet of faith of a major religion because there is "not science or evidence" from which to reject.
But usually, don't we look for science or evidence to accept or do something.
In other words, the default usually is that if you want me to believe in something or somebody, prove to me why I should.
It's a bad argument when you ask me to prove to you why you shouldn't believe in something.
Very often this is the same argument people use in relationships and in organizations.
We do the same thing everyday or over and over again, and we often don't ask ourselves why we do it this way or believe this is a good way of doing something...we just do it.
And in fact, when someone new comes in with "fresh eyes" and questions why we do it a certain way or have we considered another approach, we ask them to prove to us with "science or evidence" why their way is better, rather than reexamine our own ways and means.
I'm not in any way questioning here G-d or religion, but rather simply our approach to self-examination, introspection, and betterment.
Don't ask me to prove to you why you should reject something, but rather be prepared to defend your hypothesis. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
January 27, 2017
A Little Wear and Tear
Danielle Ofri in the New York Times points out:
"Our bodies evolved to live about 40 years and then be finished off by a mammoth or a microbe. [However,] thanks to a century of staggering medical progress, now now live past 80, but evolution hasn't caught up; the cartilage in our joints still wears down in our 40s and we are more obese and more sedentary that we used to be, which doesn't help."I hear from so many people in their 40s that they are already getting knee and hip replacements; they have high blood pressure, diabetes, and are having heart attacks, and many even are seeing their first bouts of cancer.
So in many ways, the 40s really sucks!
Many of us would be dead many times over already, if not for G-d's grace and the miracles of medical science and technology these days.
So life is prolonged, and we even often get pain relief, while we are able to continue forward with our families, communities, and careers.
As we read in Psalms 39:4
"Show me, LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is."Perhaps that's what illness is...G-d showing us that we are just mortal and that life is short and we need to make the most of every minute.
When everything is going just swell, how easy it is to become arrogant and forget how mortal we really are.
My father used to say:
"G-d doesn't let any tree grow into the heavens."By our 40s, when most of us are growing our families, careers, wealth, and stature--unfortunately, maybe we sort of need that kick in the pants from Above.
G-d is our maker and our teacher, and he guides us to the end of our days, and hopefully they are reached with wisdom, meaningful contributions, piety, and love. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
December 14, 2016
Life After Death
British physicists and research scientists are claiming that the soul exists at a sub-atomic quantum particle level.
Evidence, they say, points to information (our consciousness) "stored in microtubles within human cells."
When a person dies, the quantum particle information is released from the body into the universe.
If it's a near-death experience, the consciousness leaves only temporarily, but is then brought back to the cells in the host, and the patient revives.
However, if the person dies, "it's possible that this quantum information, can exist outside the body, perhaps indefinitely, as a soul."
This theory is endorsed by researchers at the renown Max-Planck Institute, Germany's most successful research organization with 18 Nobel laureates and 15,000 scientific publications a year.
This is certainly one of the most hopeful and uplifting ideas that any of us can maintain--that life is not just finite, but that we are part of something infinitely larger, enduring, meaningful, and G-dly. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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