Absquatulate

They Might Be Giants: Science is Real

Helen Keller video (!)

YouTube - Open-mindedness

YouTube - Open-mindedness.
Courtesy of SB.

Neuroscience: A History

Often I am want to forget how fascinated I am with neuroscience. Undergrad was tumultuous, for reasons known only to those involved and that's fine. I've finally gotten myself back on track with my graduate degree in Communication Disorders and blog entries like these make me regret my undergrad course of study a little bit. I wasn't ready, I was depressed, I was too far from home. But regardless, it's a big part of who I am and it's not too late to set things right. I'd like to believe there's still a place in this world for the thinker.

Big Dog

I took a course in college on motor control, and yes while that was "way back when" the topic of robotic walking is still a tough nut to crack from an engineering point of view. Walking is incredibly difficult! Balancing meat on four legs (nevermind TWO) is not easy. The fact that we do it at all is a near miracle. I won't attempt to scratch the surface of the complexities behind locomotion, but if there's a lurking physical or occupational therapist who'd like to, be my guest in the comments.

But take a look at THIS: If I saw this in the woods I would run the other way. To me this is way into the uncanny valley. Well done Boston Dynamic, now please use your knowledge for good, not evil.

Which do you choose?

Enjoy this amazing talk from TED from Jill Bolte Taylor, a neuroanatomist who describes her experiences when she suffers a hemmorage and how it changed her.

And quite frankly, it has changed me, and what it means to be treating adults with aphasia.

I missed Brain Awareness Week, having mistakenly thought it was THIS week. But rather than wait another 51 weeks to celebrate it again, I'll push it on into this week and feature a new brainy post each day for your amusement (or consternation :).

Update: Video link fixed.

Learn: Identify constellations, stars, planets and how to navigate at night

Don't be a dumbass any longer; learn the night sky: Identify constellations, stars, planets and how to navigate at night.

Actias luna

Holy CRAP is this a surprising thing to find on your screen door!  If it wasn't an Actias luna then it was some other very, VERY big white-ish moth that was as big as your hand and could probably carry away small children.

ORDER OF THE SCIENCE SCOUTS OF EXEMPLARY REPUTE AND ABOVE AVERAGE PHYSIQUE

Now, if the Girl Scouts were anything like this maybe I would have made it beyond three months of Jr. Scouts: ORDER OF THE SCIENCE SCOUTS OF EXEMPLARY REPUTE AND ABOVE AVERAGE PHYSIQUE.

Truth and Logic: Kindergarten Re-imagined

McSweeny's has a great short essay on a short imagined monologue by Richard Dawkins to a kindergarten class regarding the plausibility of Santa Claus.