Science and Inquiry discussion

I finished Decoding the Heavens last week. It tells the history of the discover and the works to understand the uses of the Antikythera mechanism . Rescued from a roman ship wreck in 1901, the Antikythera mechanism is a complex analytical computer for astronomical uses, estimated to have been built around 100 bce.

The use of gears in this object is far advanced when compare to what supposedly was known about the Mediterranean civilizations of that time.

The book describes the majors attempts to decipher the uses and inscriptions of the artifact and tries to put its technology in historical context, retrieving old texts and some antique buildings which could provide some clues that the mechanism is part of an evolution in ancient mechanical technology, which was lost with the collapse of the Roman empire.

Since the works in this object is still in progress, the book shows how the knowledge on the mechanism functioning and purpose grew along the development of advanced technology for archeology.

The book finishes trying to establish where the object was built and who could have done the work.

Overall, a very good book which, I think, goes very well along with The Archimedes Codex.

Oh cool Marcelo - I've always been fascinated by the Antikythera mechanism.

I'm in the middle of reading The Information: A History, A Theory, A Flood. Terrific tracing of the path to our computer age, covering everything from the development of the written word to entropy. There is indeed a 6 degrees of separation and a consilience of knowledge. I like this book so much, I added Gleick's other book, Chaos: Making a New Science, to my reading queue.

I always thought the library or the bookstore as a temple. I always get this wonderful peaceful feeling when I'm surrounded by books. It's a curious feeling when combined with a feeling of enthusiasm of discovery. What will I find out about next!

Susanna wrote: "I come from a family of book addicts. This is a good thing.

But my mother thinks we have 5000 books in our house! I don't think she's exaggerating."

I've been reading a lot of politics and history lately, but I am embarking on Heaven And Earth: Global Warming - The Missing Science. The author seems to be a geologist by training, and I do love me some geology, so I'm pretty stoked about this book.

Recently, I found a book on the Bayes' theorem which seems interesting and just got published this May (The Theory That Would Not Die: How Bayes' Rule Cracked the Enigma Code, Hunted Down Russian Submarines, and Emerged Triumphant from Two Centuries of Controversy ). The book is for people that enjoy statistics and matehmatics, maybe the same that liked The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives, The Lady Tasting Tea: How Statistics Revolutionized Science in the Twentieth Century or even Gould's Full House: The Spread of Excellence from Plato to Darwin.

I bought it and wait to receive next month. Does anyone here use Bayesian statistics in work instead the traditional approach? I attended a seminar some time ago on the subject but I didn't think it would be useful for me.

Marcelo wrote: "Does anyone here use Bayesian statistics in work instead the traditional approach? I attended a seminar some time ago on the subject but I didn't think it would be useful for me."

Marcelo,
Yes, I use Bayesian methodology in my daily work. For some applications, it is a necessity. The mathematics involved is not difficult, but one must be careful to apply it correctly.
--David

David wrote: "Marcelo,
Yes, I use Bayesian methodology in my daily work. For some applications, it is a necessity. The mathematics involved is not difficult, but one must be careful to apply it correctly.
--David "


That's great, David. I expect to see some practical applications in this book and maybe, if I get interested, get an academic book.

People at the transportation department of the university where I did my master is studying the application of bayesian statistics to improve models for traffic forecast. I wasn't convinced that the bayesian approach would give any better results, but I'm too rusty in academics subjects. I'm waiting them to publish papers to learn more.

I would rather to learn resampling/bootstrapping and be free of the statistics distributions.

But anyway, what are your thoughts on the book?

I am currently reading Winged Obsession: The Pursuit of the World's Most Notorious Butterfly Smuggler, by Jessica Speart. I won this book as a goodreads giveaway, and I'm about halfway through and have enjoyed it so far. It doesn't have any groundbreaking science in it, but it has opened my eyes to the world of illegal animal smuggling. This is Spearts first nonfiction book, and you can tell, because it kind of reads like a novel.

I just finished reading the hidden reality by Brian greene. interesting book where string theory and multi universes are being discussed. interesting addition to me how the predeterminism got introducd into the subject

Parasite Rex by Carl Zimmer was proposed as a Book of the Month for June. It wasn't selected by the group, but I read it anyways. I posted a review on my blog.

Later, John.

I just got The Hidden Reality: Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos. I don't know when I'll get to it, but I had to have it. I have a lot in my currently reading to get to. Some girls hoard shoes, I hoard books in all formats. I actually only have 3 pairs of shoes, one for winter, one for exercise, and one flip-flop for the summer.

Okay, I do have heels, but I don't wear them.

I just finished
Death from the Skies!: These Are the Ways the World Will End . . . I learned a lot about stellar nucleosynthesis.

you will enjoy it. a nice book to go through

Aloha wrote: "Okay, I do have heels, but I don't wear them."




you will enjoy it. a nice book to go through

I recently finished Gen-e-sis: The Scientific Quest for Life's Origins. What a wonderful overview of the state of origins research. Here's my review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/....
That book provided a perfect segue into my next one, Life: A Natural History of the First Four Billion Years of Life on Earth, which (presumably) will take me from the time of the origin of life until the present. So far, it is just as fascinating as the Origins book. I love Fortey's style. This is my fourth of his books.

This book looks great. I'm going to look it up.

Emanuel wrote: "I just finished
Death from the Skies!: These Are the Ways the World Will End . . . I learned a lot about stellar nucleosynthesis."

Oh, nice Steve! Gen-e-sis has been on my TBR list for ages. Guess I'll bump it up a few notches on the priority list.

I read Fortey's Life a few years back. Yeah, I really dug it. That dude is a major trilobite geek.

Aloha, you're funny. I have few shoes, too. Books, though, almost too many!

We can always attach our books to our feet to give our legs nice length! Kind of like a geta.

I'm excited as I just finished reading The Calculus Diaries: How Math Can Help You Lose Weight, Win in Vegas, and Survive a Zombie Apocalypse(which was funny, accessible etc and ideal for me in my basic maths level studies), which meas FINALLY I'll be able to read a group read at the same time as everyone else in the group. Yay.

Not so fast, Jenny. For you to join in with us, you need to solve this problem:

a^n+ b^n = c^n

But don't worry, you can call this number for help:

1-800-[(10x)(13i)2]-[sin(xy)/2.362x]

I read Fortey's Life a few years back. Yeah, I really dug it. That dude is a major trilobite geek.

I've been meaning to read this book, maybe I should move it up the to-read pile.

Aloha wrote: "Not so fast, Jenny. For you to join in with us, you need to solve this problem:

a^n+ b^n = c^n

That's easy; n=2, a=3, b=4, c=5 :-D

Emanuel wrote: "Aloha wrote: "Not so fast, Jenny. For you to join in with us, you need to solve this problem:

a^n+ b^n = c^n

That's easy; n=2, a=3, b=4, c=5 :-D"

He he, thanks Emanuel!

Emanuel, you're supposed to make it look really, really hard! You're ruining our credibility. Now, try that for n>2...he,he....

I'm timing you, too.

For those who read, or are going to read, or would rather see the movie based on Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of his Time, I just borrowed the NOVA/BBC documentary on DVD from our library. It is wonderfully narrated by Richard Dreyfuss, has interviews with Dava Sobel (and others) and has some beautiful footage of a large schooner at sea. It was great to see a re-enactment of Harrison's struggles as well as views of the actual H1, H2, H3 and H4 clocks.

Just finished Nature's Ghosts: Confronting Extinction from the Age of Jefferson to the Age of Ecology. It's thorough, mostly historical look at the study of natural history and later ecology. It's pretty long, sometimes flies by, sometimes drags. I'd only recommend it if you REALLY like this subject.

Now starting
Post Carbon Cities: Planning for Energy and Climate Uncertainty, which I expect to be much better.

Does technology count? I just finished The Filter Bubble and I strongly recommend it. See My Review.

I'm finishing up Laura J. Snyder I think the author has to stretch some to try to say these four changed the world. It gives a somewhat different view of the Royal Society than what I had gotten from some of the books about it.

I recently started and then abandoned Before the Dawn: Recovering the Lost History of Our Ancestors. Weirded me out a little because I really liked it - it's a terrific book with interesting revelations on every page - but for some reason I couldn't get into it anyway. I kept giving Jane Eyre sidelong glances.

I've learned (through painful experience) not to fight myself on stuff like this. Apparently I'm in a novel phase right now. I'm sure I'll get back into a science phase at some point. I'll just roll with it.

Alex wrote: "I recently started and then abandoned Before the Dawn: Recovering the Lost History of Our Ancestors. Weirded me out a little because I really liked it - it's a terrific book with int..."

Alex, I am almost finished reading the book. It isn't an easy book to read, but I've learned a lot about our ancestors. I had never realized how warlike they were in the distant past. We took after chimpanzees in that regard. Also, our ancestors were often cannibals, afraid to say.

The most interesting aspect of the book is the synthesis of a wide variety of evidence; archaeology, genetics, linguistics, anthropology/sociology, animal behavior and anatomy.

I finished "Stiff" by Mary Roach. Entertaining and educational. I posted a review on my blog. To see it, just click on my little picture, up there to the left.

Later, John.

Cool, David! It felt perfectly readable; I like the dude's style and all. I think it was me, not the book. I'll definitely give it another shot whenever I'm slightly less novel-crazy.

I wasn't surprised by the cannibal part; I've eaten the odd person myself. It's tempting! Many of them look delicious.

I finished up Post Carbon Cities: Planning for Energy and Climate Uncertainty, definitely a book for people who work in a local government or are just really interested in the subject.

Still reading a lot of history and politics right now, but I just picked up a copy of Strange New Worlds: The Search for Alien Planets and Life beyond Our Solar System that I am REALLY looking forward to reading.

I finished Christof Koch's The Quest for Consciousness: A Neurological Approach, and am reading Antonio Damasio's The Feeling of What Happens. Both are good introductions to consciousness from a neuological perspective.

I am currently re-reading "Earth" by Richard Fortey.
I think it, like all of Richard Forty's books are brilliant. he explains geological processes with clarity.He has visited and describes his journeys to important geological sites.
I also recommend his other books; "Life, an unauthorized biography" and "Trilobites"

Finally getting around to reading A Short History of Nearly Everything...I have high hopes. Also starting Honeybee Democracy for which I also have high hopes.

I recently finished Deadly Companions: How Microbes Shaped Our History. My review: "A straightforward account of the history of diseases caused by bacteria, viruses and fungi and how they have impacted human life and society. It was sobering to see how helpless we have been for much of our history in the face of the attacks of these tiny life forms. And the H5N1 virus continues to pose a serious threat. Enlightening."

I just finished The Making of the Atomic Bomb. What a great book. I bought it last year but have put off reading it mainly because it weighs so much! I am so glad I finally committed to it. It is easy to see why it's still the definitive book on the subject. I highly recommend it.

The Making of the Atomic Bomb is first-class, and I found it an enthralling read.

I just finished reading The Evolutionary World: How Adaptation Explains Everything from Seashells to Civilization. The author is a professor at University of California, and a true expert in the field of evolution. It's not an easy read, but it is packed with unique insights. Here is my review of the book.

Finishing up Strange New Worlds: The Search for Alien Planets and Life beyond Our Solar System, and it's pretty rad. Definitely recommend it to my space oriented folks. Review posted shortly.

About to start Shadows on the Gulf: A Journey through Our Last Great Wetland...saw it on the new book shelf at my library and thought it looked interesting. Especially in light of the BP disaster and all that.

Oh, nice! I've had my eye out for a book about new developments in the search for ET. Now I have one. Thanks, Kirsten!

Not strictly scientific, but it mixes two Genres that I like
Newton and the Counterfeiter
I had just recently read Isaac Newton where I learnt about this facet of Newtons life.

Oh cool, Paul. How'd you like it?

And how'd you like Gleick? I thought it was okay but not brilliant.

Douglas Starr Interesting story about a serial killer in France in the 1890's. All the remarkable things forensic science can do had to start some where and this is a true story of the start of that era.

I've just finished rereading another Sherlock Holmes story (Hound of the Baskervilles), so this sounds intriguing too.

Alex wrote: "Oh cool, Paul. How'd you like it?

And how'd you like Gleick? I thought it was okay but not brilliant."

Newton was a complex person, he is often portrayed as a secretive alchemist/scientist/philosopher with litle or no social skills. His time at the mint is often overlooked and it is here we see another side to this complex personality.