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Gideon Burton

Gaming for a cure: Computer gamers tackle protein folding - 2 views

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    The development of protein folding sequences has been successfully crowdsourced through a video game developed to reward those who solve this problem in molecular biology
Brian Earley

Rene Descartes perceptions of philosophy - 0 views

  • As Descartes said, “Those who set about giving precepts must esteem themselves more skilful than those to whom they advance them”
  • In other words, someone might alter the truth solely so they could come up with something to say, while the real truth might not be capable of being expressed so easily, it can only be observed. Some things in life are too complicated to express, but however there are going to be people who believe they can express those things, even though they cannot accurately do so.
    • Brian Earley
       
      I have read scientific journals wherein the author reports on complex interactions or relationships on the molecular level. Often I believe that they really cannot accurately do so. Perhaps scientific journals would be better if they were accompanied by videos. That would make them more like blog posts.
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  • are the emotions which are based off of your opinions even real, since they are based off of opinions?
  • Your perception is going to determine what it is that you feel, that is, your conscious and unconscious perception of what is going on is
  • For it seemed to me that I might meet with much more truth in the reasonings that each man makes on the matters that specially concern him, and the issue of which would very soon punish him if he made a wrong judgment, than in the case of those made by a man of letters in his study touching speculations that lead to no result, and that bring about no other consequences to himself excepting that he will be all the more vain the more they are removed from common sense, since in this case proves to him to have employed so much more ingenuity and skill trying to make them seem probable.
  • More especially did I reflect in each matter that came before me as to anything that could make it subject to suspicion of doubt, and give occasion for mistake, and I rooted out of my mind all the errors that might have formerly crept in. Not that indeed I imitated the skeptics, who only doubt for the sake of doubting, and pretend to by always uncertain; for, on the contrary, my design was only to provide myself with good ground for assurance, and to reject the quicksand and mud in order to find the rock or clay.”
  • since emotional intelligence is not completely concrete, it can be subject to skeptics
  • “how do I know that anything is even real”
  • Accordingly I shall now suppose, not that a true God, who as such must be supremely good and the fountain of truth, but that some malignant genius exceedingly powerful and cunning has devoted all his powers in the deceiving of me; I shall suppose that the sky, the earth, colors, shapes, sounds and all external things are illusions and impostures of which this evil genius has availed himself for the abuse of my credulity…”
  • I am, I exist. This is certain. How often? As often as I think. For it might indeed be that if I entirely ceased to think, I should thereupon altogether cease to exist. I am not at present admitting anything which is not necessarily true; and, accurately speaking, I am therefore [taking myself to be] only a thinking thing, that is to say, a mind, an understanding or reason-terms the significance of which has hitherto been unknown to me. I am, then a real thing, and really existent. What thing? I have said it, a thinking thing
  • So it really is thought that makes him who he is, since he is thinking about himself all of the time, in addition to thinking about and in regular life.
  • Thought determines who someone is because your thoughts are controlled, and all your thoughts over your lifetime caused your emotional development, which causes you to be who you are.
  • So it is easy to say that your thoughts understand and/or control who you are, but it is much harder to say that your emotions understand and/or control who you are.
  • I recognize it is impossible that He should ever deceive me, since in all fraud and deception there is some element of imperfection. The power of deception may indeed seem to be evidence of subtlety or power; yet unquestionably the will to deceive testifies to malice and feebleness, and accordingly cannot be found in God.
    • Brian Earley
       
      I think people in "The Matrix" would love Descartes
  • “To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded”
  • conclusive as to whether or not pleasing other people infinitely is going to be self-beneficial, it could be considered a perfect thing to do since it is positively contributing to life.
    • Brian Earley
       
      The conclusion for me from this commentary is that thoughts are what make us who we are. Therefore, we must put a lot of our energy into controlling our thoughts so we can become what we want to be.
    • Brian Earley
       
      On my mission, I taught a lady that was offended to the point of tears when a member called the Prophet, the 'mouthpiece' of the Lord. She thought it as a very degrading term to call such a respectable man. Perceptions determine feelings.
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    This commentary explains the unique observations that Rene Descartes made of observations. I feel like I have had similar thoughts at times. I feel comforted knowing a dead French guy thought the same way that I think.
Jeffrey Chen

Open Science Project - 2 views

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    I loved how I went to this URL and the first entry was about molecular simulation. I'm just starting a research project with this. I hope that other people will get excited about the prospect of open science, or even as excited about the research and software as I am :)
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    Great link Jackie! I followed your link and really enjoyed reading some of the posts. One that I found particularly interesting is called "What, exactly, is Open Science?" I hadn't really thought about the importance of having research be available and open to everyone, but this article made me think about it and I agree. Thanks again for the link.
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    A great website that shows how science is becoming more open. A group of scientists "who want to encourage a collaborative environment in which science can be pursued by anyone who is inspired to discover something new about the natural world."
Gideon Burton

Bacterial computers move towards feasibility - 0 views

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    I loved the comment explaining why E.Coli is used for such experiments (because it is "the 'open source' biology SDK."
James Wilcox

Airplane Timeline - Greatest Engineering Achievements of the Twentieth Century - 0 views

    • James Wilcox
       
      I love helicopters!  But I never knew that they had been around for so many years.
  • 1947   Sound barrior broken U.S. Air Force pilot Captain Charles "Chuck" Yeager becomes the fastest man alive when he pilots the Bell X-1 faster than sound for the first time on October 14 over the town of Victorville, California.
  • 1952   Discovery of the area rule of aircraft design Richard Whitcomb, an engineer at Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory, discovers and experimentally verifies an aircraft design concept known as the area rule. A revolutionary method of designing aircraft to reduce drag and increase speed without additional power, the area rule is incorporated into the development of almost every American supersonic aircraft. He later invents winglets, which increase the lift-to-drag ratio of transport airplanes and other vehicles.
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  • 1904   Concept of a fixed "boundary layer" described in paper by Ludwig Prandtl German professor Ludwig Prandtl presents one of the most important papers in the history of aerodynamics, an eight-page document describing the concept of a fixed "boundary layer," the molecular layer of air on the surface of an aircraft wing. Over the next 20 years Prandtl and his graduate students pioneer theoretical aerodynamics.
  •   1917   The Junkers J4, an all-metal airplane, introduced Hugo Junkers, a German professor of mechanics introduces the Junkers J4, an all-metal airplane built largely of a relatively lightweight aluminum alloy called duralumin.
  • 1925-1926   Introduction of lightweight, air-cooled radial engines The introduction of a new generation of lightweight, air-cooled radial engines revolutionizes aeronautics, making bigger, faster planes possible.
  • 1933   First modern commercial airliner In February, Boeing introduces the 247, a twin-engine 10-passenger monoplane that is the first modern commercial airliner. With variable-pitch propellers, it has an economical cruising speed and excellent takeoff. Retractable landing gear reduces drag during flight.
  • 935   First practical radar British scientist Sir Robert Watson-Watt patents the first practical radar (for radio detection and ranging) system for meteorological applications. During World War II radar is successfully used in Great Britain to detect incoming aircraft and provide information to intercept bombers.
  • 1937   Jet engines designed Jet engines designed independently by Britain’s Frank Whittle and Germany’s Hans von Ohain make their first test runs. (Seven years earlier, Whittle, a young Royal Air Force officer, filed a patent for a gas turbine engine to power an aircraft, but the Royal Air Ministry was not interested in developing the idea at the time. Meanwhile, German doctoral student Von Ohain was developing his own design.) Two years later, on August 27, the first jet aircraft, the Heinkel HE 178, takes off, powered by von Ohain’s HE S-3 engine.
  •   1939   First practical singlerotor helicopters Russian emigre Igor Sikorsky develops the VS-300 helicopter for the U.S. Army, one of the first practical singlerotor helicopters.
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