Weather forecasters on exoplanet GJ 1214b would have an easy job. Today’s forecast: cloudy. Tomorrow: overcast. Extended outlook: more clouds. That's the implication of a study led by researchers in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Chicago who have definitively characterized the atmosphere of a super-Earth class planet orbiting another star … Continue reading UChicago researchers use Hubble Telescope to reveal cloudy weather on alien world | UChicago News
Tag: Science
‘Just Babies – The Origins of Good and Evil,’ by Paul Bloom – NYTimes.com
Is morality innate? In his new book, “Just Babies,” the psychologist Paul Bloom draws from his research at the Yale Infant Cognition Center to argue that “certain moral foundations are not acquired through learning. . . . They are instead the products of biological evolution.” Infants may be notoriously difficult to study (rats and pigeons … Continue reading ‘Just Babies – The Origins of Good and Evil,’ by Paul Bloom – NYTimes.com
Consciousness and the Social Brain: A review
What is consciousness? What is the inner experience that we all feel we have? Is it an illusion or an ontological reality? Michael Graziano thinks it is a reality, and he thinks he has found a scientific theory for it, which he describes in his book: 'Consciousness and the Social Brain'. The quest for a … Continue reading Consciousness and the Social Brain: A review
Anti-ageing compound set for human trials after turning clock back for mice | Science | theguardian.com
Australian and US researchers hope an anti-ageing compound could be trialled on humans as early as next year, following a key breakthrough that saw the ageing process reversed in mice. The study, involving Harvard University and the University of NSW, discovered a way of restoring the efficiency of cells, completely reversing the ageing process in … Continue reading Anti-ageing compound set for human trials after turning clock back for mice | Science | theguardian.com
Evolution and altruism
In this episode, a question that haunted Charles Darwin: if natural selection boils down to survival of the fittest, how do you explain why one creature might stick its neck out for another? The standard view of evolution is that living things are shaped by cold-hearted competition. And there is no doubt that today\'s plants … Continue reading Evolution and altruism
Brainlike computers, learning from experience | NDTV.com
Computers have entered the age when they are able to learn from their own mistakes, a development that is about to turn the digital world on its head. The first commercial version of the new kind of computer chip is scheduled to be released in 2014. Not only can it automate tasks that now require … Continue reading Brainlike computers, learning from experience | NDTV.com
Ask Ethan #17: The Burden of Proof – Starts With A Bang
Perhaps no word in the English language generates as much misunderstanding as the word theory. In scientific circles, this word has a very specific meaning that’s different from everyday use, and — as a theoretical astrophysicist myself — I feel it’s my duty to help explain exactly what we mean when we use it. via … Continue reading Ask Ethan #17: The Burden of Proof – Starts With A Bang
TRANSHUMAN – Do you want to live forever? | Machines Like Us
Philosopher Anders Sandberg does not accept death as a foregone conclusion. According to him it will become possible this century to upload your mind into a computer. He is a member of a small group that calls itself the transhumanists. TRANSHUMAN is a short documentary film by director Titus Nachbauer. It is about radical life … Continue reading TRANSHUMAN – Do you want to live forever? | Machines Like Us
Singularity assumptions that should be questioned
The upcoming movie, Transcendence, looks like it will be interesting, but the trailer includes common assumptions about the singularity that I'm not sure are justified. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY-cc1MLAI4 To be sure, the assumptions are held by a lot of singularity believers. Below I offer some reasons why these assumptions shouldn't be taken as self evident. Assumption 1: … Continue reading Singularity assumptions that should be questioned
The History and Future of the Everything — Time
Wow! If you enjoyed my little post the other day on perspectives on deep time, you'll definitely want to check this video out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XkV6IpV2Y0 An awesome blog entry with much the same content is at the Wait but why blog. Related articles Time: The History and Future of Everything (milkandcookies.com) [Video] The History and Future … Continue reading The History and Future of the Everything — Time
SelfAwarePatterns 