Category Archives: sciences

race and medicine

In an advertisement for a new drug, I was mildly surprised to hear something to the effect that “Black people are more likely to have an adverse reaction.” Is this new? I’ve long noticed that PSAs about hypertension tend to … Continue reading

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there’s antimony, arsenic, aluminum, selenium

Theodore Gray built a wooden Periodic Table table, containing samples of 81 elements (so far). Look around for amusing anecdotes about how the samples were acquired, and what you might do if you have too much sodium to store safely. … Continue reading

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if Deep Space Nine had been made in 1968

Paper wormhole model by Hop David

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two more dimensions

Assuming full eye transplant (or artificial replacement) becomes possible: What happens when a colorblind man receives a normal eye? Has science-fiction addressed this question?

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hard stars

Vladimir Bulatov has made some awesome stellated polyhedra in wood. When I showed the small stellated dodecahedron to my housemate, she asked, “Did you make that in PoV-Ray?”

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a little Latin and less Greek

Today I started a course in medical terminology (aiming to make myself more marketable). I have to restrain myself from speaking up too often, as I know more Greek and Latin (and which is which) than the teacher does. Evidently … Continue reading

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the economic puzzles of rivers

New Scientist: Europe’s worst ever floods linked to poor land management: Engineers have channelled all the major rivers that flooded this month – draining wetlands, straightening meanders and cutting them off from their flood plains with high banks. The aim … Continue reading

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