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Recent entries: 1-25 of 28

1. Minty Mammoths

   Posted 16 hours ago
   
   

   Two amazing scientific advances to report on today. As we all discussed in the Explainer lounge today, the newspaper had an article about possible scientific plans to clone a woolly mammoth.
   

   Regenterating a Mammoth for 10 Million - NY Times

   Wooly Mammoth Task Complete - AP

   

   I’m super psyched about this idea. Imagine driving across Kansas and seeing a herd of woolly mammoths. OMG! After a vigorous debate among Explainers about whether or not it would be ethical to bring back mammoths or the next step…Neanderthals, Paul D. walked in the room. We thought he would shed some light on the Woolly Mammoth sitch, but instead he was more interested in talking about another scientific advance.

   

   Apparently some researchers at MIT have figured out how to insert a section of DNA into the genes of a E Coli to make the bacteria smell like spearmint instead of like poop. This is pretty cool for researchers who spend all day in a lab working with the malodorous bacteria.

   Minty Ecoli and Other Bioengineering Feats - NPR

   But you know who will be most happy about that advance in the field of DNA research and gene therapy? The future zookeeper who will have to clean the woolly mammoth pen. And yes I wish I thought of that joke eight hours earlier.

   

         

   
   ryexplain
   
   
   

2. How Magic Works

   Posted 2 days ago
   
   

   Today while procrastinating on working on some writing, I found an article about magic and neuroscience that speaks to the reasons that we have the demonstration on the floor. I know that we always feel like we have to justify having magic in a science museum, but this article offers even more evidence in favor of the art of illusion.  In the subtitle, the Scientific American article states that…

   Magicians have been testing and exploiting the limits of cognition and attention for hundreds of years. Neuroscientists are just beginning to catch up

   It makes sense to me to have both the magic and the sheep brain demo in the back of the museum and this article talks about how they are related. The article reveals that…

   the most versatile instrument in their bag of tricks may be the ability to create cognitive illusions. Like visual illusions, cognitive illusions mask the perception of physical reality. Yet unlike visual illusions, cognitive illusions are not sensory in nature. Rather they involve high-level functions such as attention, memory and causal inference. With all those tools at their disposal, well-practiced magicians make it virtually impossible to follow the physics of what is actually happening—leaving the impression that the only explanation for the events is magic.

   Neuroscientists are just beginning to catch up with the magician’s facility in manipulating attention and cognition. Of course the aims of neuroscience are different from those of magic; the neuroscientist seeks to understand the brain and neuron underpinnings of cognitive functions, whereas the magician wants mainly to exploit cognitive weaknesses. Yet the techniques developed by magicians over centuries of stage magic could also be subtle and powerful probes in the hands of neuroscientists, supplementing and perhaps expanding the instruments already in experimental use.

   The author talks about how scientists are beginning to look at magic scientifically to understand more deeply how the brain functions in day to day life.

   There’s all kinds of great info that relates to both demos. You all can read the full article here…

   Magic and the Brain

   These connections may also reveal why the Exploratorium’s resident neuroscience expert is also our magic aficionado. And while the article does a great job explaining slight of hand, we can also rely on the magicians Penn and Teller to reveal the real secrets behind slight of hand.

   

         

   
   ryexplain
   

3. Snail Detail

   Posted 3 days ago
   
   

   On Saturday, we offered our second family investigation workshop for members.  Using what we’ve learned from the Institute for Inquiry, we investigated garden snails. These little critters turn out to be wonderful to watch–they don’t run away (at least not very fast), they have a non-squishy part to hold onto, they don’t bite, they are completely captivating, and I can easily find them in my garden.  Once every few months or so, my housemates find me out in the garden at night with my headlamp and a container, pulling snails off of the garden wall.  I put them into a plastic tub and keep them until it’s time for class.  On Saturday morning, I woke up to one of my housemates noticing that one of them was on the outside of the lid. I’m not sure how it got out, but luckily, they’re not very fast.

   My favorite part was the snail climbing wall/obstacle course, in which snails climbed a post in the classroom that was decorated with a variety of textures, pathways, and loop-the-loops. The snails reliably start making their way up the post when you set them on the course.  They don’t, however, reliably crawl through paper tubes- even when there’s a treat at the end.  Once in the tube, they seem very content to stay there.

   Here’s my haiku:

   Small, curious snail

   Sliding with spiraling home

   Squish, slop, suction, stuck

   Here is a link to a participant’s blog: http://whydwell.blogspot.com/2008/11/we-love-snails.html.

         

   
   

4. Exploratorium Health Inspectors

   Posted 10 days ago
   
   

   Thought you all might appreaciate seeing what kind of place the lunch cloffice is to work in. A couple weeks the Bio folks scurried around the museum collecting samples of bacteria from various locations. They put the 20 samples in petri dishes and waited for the good stuff to grow. Here is the picture of the scraping from the bottom of the grossest lunch bin in the cloffice.

   

   That’s not so pretty. But it’s not as bad as the inside of the smoke ring maker, the drink out of a toilet, the railing and the cow eye fridge. I’m suprised we’re all not sick all the time.

         

   
   ryexplain
   

5. Yes We Can!!!

   Posted 16 days ago
   
   

   

         

   
   ryexplain
   

6. Dead Science Graveyard

   Posted 17 days ago
   
   

   For those of you who didn’t make it out to Phantasmagorium-atorium at the Exploratorium on Friday night, you missed a hell of a party. There was a hilarious puppet show, a chance to lay down in a coffin, a purveyor of decaying animals, and a sugar skull making workshop. One of my favorite parts of the event was the cemetery of dead science ideas. The concept may have caused a bit of controversy as there might be quibbles about the meaning of ‘dead’ and the meaning of ’science’ but I loved the installation. It was produced by members of the Exploratorium staff (and contributed to by a number of Explainers). I thought that besides being a beautiful organic piece of artwork, it made a great point. We put faith in science as a way to understand the universe, yet it is illuminating to discover the times that science led us astray. It would be extremely arrogant to think that now, finally, we know everything about the universe. And in fact that is the point. We are in the business of constantly experimenting, gathering evidence and testing out ideas to create a evolving understanding of ourselves and or surroundings. In my mind the exploratorium is all about questioning assumptions, which is something that someone had to do to prove the ‘dead science ideas’ wrong. Without further ado, here are some of the notable Explainer contributions to the scene.

   

   

   

   

         

   
   ryexplain
   
   
   
   

7. Scandinavianarium

   Posted 18 days ago
   
   

   So as I mentioned during meeting, last week I had a really enjoyable interaction with a friendly group of Danish people at Philosophy Demo.  After we had decided whether or not time was real, when an activity becomes a bad habit, and where our minds go after we die, we still had plenty of time to discuss the science centres in Denmark where two of the women work. 

   One woman apparently hailed from the Exploratorium’s Danish doppelganger, the Experimentarium.  According to Paul D., it’s built inside an old brewery and, as the woman said, has a similar feel to the warehouse our beloved Exploratorium is in (for now).  She gave us the museum’s brochure, which had a really nice quote about recognizing intelligence in everyone.  It reminded me of the multiple intelligences theory book that Anne recommended reading over the summer.  Unfortunately, I cannot find the brochure, and I don’t remember what the quote is.  Anyway, they have a pretty sweet website if you want to check it out.
   

   They seem to have info about many of their exhibits online, and a lot of them sound very familiar to ours…stuff about DNA, how we hear, perception, light, water, bubbles, etc. …but with different variations.  One of their current exhibitions is about driving.  It reminds me of the discussion we had about attention and multi-tasking during the study group that Jennie and I led.  The Experimentarium has apparently built a virtual reality car that you can “drive”:

   “Get comfortable behind the wheel of the Little Crashbang family car. The mobile phone rings. Camilla has dropped her soother and you just want to change the radio station. Do you manage to successfully brake before your neighbour’s daughter hits the front of the car?

   Put on the impairment goggles. Just a beer or two – how much can you drink before you begin to feel the effects of alcohol?”  

    Yikes!

   So in addition to the Experimentarium, there is also another science place in Denmark called Danfoss Universe.  According to the woman we met who worked there, it is a combination science museum and theme park; Kind of like an Experimentarium/Exploratorium but with giant exhibits that you can immerse your whole body in.  They include, but are not limited to: a 5 °C room with an ice slide, a 40°C room that simulates a desert, a waterworks section about water and engineering, mechanical stuff like swings and giant hamster wheels you can run in, and virtual reality exhibits. 

   
   

   

   Now that I know about these museums, I want to go to Denmark even more than I did before.  Does anyone else want to come? Maybe the Explainers and their Danish counterparts can have an exchange program!

         

   
   2cf5690874
   thermolab

8. The Purpose of Gossip

   Posted 24 days ago
   
   

   

   During the past week Ann and Sylvia organized a couple of our morning trainings around the theme of sexual harassment, which brought up some interesting responses from a few people, myself included, about harassment in general, and teasing in particular. Then, this weekend, I read an interesting article in Scientific American Mind about the purpose of gossip, teasing included, called Is Gossip Always Bad.

   The short of it is, no, gossip has a real evolutionary purpose and that’s why everyone does it. The idea that impressed me the most is that the threat of gossip and teasing can act as a negative incentive for acting outside of the implicitly aggreed upon group norms. It’s a strategy for keeping people from acting in ways that negatively impact the group, or that allow one person to dominate. In this way, small communities encourage altruistic behavior and prevent power hierarchies.

   Do we do this in our group? Absolutely. As an explainer I am very clear on the fact that I will be ridiculed and humiliated until my ego is ground into the dirt if I do not behave myself. It’s actually a very effective system, and not a negative one if it promotes healthy values. So here’s the real question I have. Please help me answer it if you have some thoughts”:

   What group values are we reinforcing through this system?

         

   
   aiona
   Gossip

9. Adult Curiosity

   Posted 1 month ago
   
   

   I’ve been thinking lately about what it means to grow up, because I feel like I have spent most of my life wishing that I was bigger and older, that I was more knowledgeable and mature, and now, as I see that transformation actually taking place, I turn around, look back, and am suddenly afraid of losing my child-like wonder and trust.

   Ryan’s quote by Kurt Vonnegut inspired a reaction in me, because I think I have a tendency to hold up “childlike playfulness” as an ideal without really understanding what it means. Sometimes I interpret it as the ability to spend hours transfixed by a few blocks or a bouncy ball, to approach a simple object with fathomless curiosity. When I fail to do this, and become bored, it feels like it is because I have lost some critical part of my soul, and am already on my way to becoming one of those terrifyingly dull and unimaginative adults.

   What I forget, when I start thinking like this, is that children are approaching many experiences from a fundamentally different point of view. That child playing with a bouncy ball might be playing with one for the very first time. When I play with a ball, it’s a relatively familiar and predictable object, but if it were the first time ever, of course I would be enthralled.

   I believe that as an adult I have retained the same curiosity for novel experiences that fueled my playfulness as a child, it’s just that as more of the world becomes familiar, I have to travel further and deeper to find that edge into the unknown. That edge is where I play.

         

   
   aiona

10. Inspirational Quote

    Posted 1 month ago
    
    

    As I was doing some research for my thesis this morning, I came across this quote by the late, great author Kurt Vonnegut Jr. and felt like I had to share it with you all.

    

    “…the two most potent spiritual forces

    in contention today

    have nothing to do with nations,

    political parties,

    or economic philosophies.

    The opposing forces are these:

    those who enjoy childlike play-fullness

    when they become adults

    and those who don’t.”

    -Kurt Vonnegut

          

    
    ryexplain
    

11. Shocking Roof Secrets Revealed

    Posted 1 month ago
    
    

    On Friday, a few of us lucky souls, still ‘working’ at 4:00, got to hang out up on the roof of the Exploratorium to check out the fleet week Blue Angels show. It was a pretty scary climb up the ladder, but at least I knew that if I slipped, Marcus would break my fall with his body.

    

    Once we got to the top of the building. We noticed that it was pretty big and covered in gravel. There’s a lot of space up there. It’s not a living roof, but it would probably be a pretty good place to run laps for a workout.

    

    One of the coolest things that we saw up there was the start of the Sun Painting Exhibit. There are two mirrors which have to be adjusted every day to get the correct angle of sun reflected down into the building. We had to watch out for that trap door next to it.

    

    There were some other exhibits up there too like the refraction patterns that create rainbow patterns on the walls, satellite dishes, and this weather monitor set up for research.

    

    Then we turned the corner and saw the secret jacuzzi. Unfortunately our camera ran out of batteries right then and we didn’t get to take a picture. It was pretty nice though.

          

    
    ryexplain
    
    
    
    

12. More Smashing

    Posted 1 month ago
    
    

    

    Since I was home sick from work last week, I spent an inordinate amount of time watching TV (aka The Discovery Channel).  I got super excited every time they played this commercial for their new show, Time Warp, which reminds me of Smashbat.  My favorite part is when the green balloon explodes on the dude’s face.  What do you think? I mean, it’s no Gladiators, but I want to watch it.

          

    
    

13. Boredom

    Posted 1 month ago
    
    

    So basically I consider it a fundamental responsibility in my job to inspire curiosity in those around me. On days when my mind has just discovered amazing new things about the world around me, and is reeling in expanses of new inspirational territory, this is easy. That’s not what I want to write about. What do you do on days when you are in training, and it feels like it’s exactly the same thing you’ve seen three times before, and you already know everything that’s being said, and your eyes start to glaze over, and with pangs of guilt and frustration you are forced to admit that you are bored? At first I struggle to pay attention. I pinch myself to stay alert, but in the end this is not a successful strategy. I’ve thought a lot about what are better strategies, and here is what I came up with.

    Prerequisite: Admit that you are bored. Take a deep breath. Forgive yourself.
    
    Strategy #1: Facilitate Others’ Learning
    If you are working in a small group or with a partner this is not too hard. You can help by structuring the exploration or you can show off your knowledge to your friends. If there is a large group, you can help by asking questions that you think might be getting left out. Warning: beware of overloading the group with cool facts. They will probably just dislike you for being a know-it-all. Instead, ask guiding questions. If you already know the answer to the question you are asking, practice humility by pretending you don’t know.

    Strategy #2: Meta Analyze the Situation
    If you are in a particularly postmodern mood you can jump up a level in analysis. Instead of focusing on whatever it is the group is focused on, focus on the group being focused on it. How does the facilitator lead the exploration? What works and what doesn’t? Are other people interested? What kinds of questions are they asking? What kinds of strategies are they using? How can you apply these techniques later? Are any of them meta analyzing your behavior?

    Strategy #3: Ask Advanced Questions
    This is best done in your own head I think, or on a piece of paper. Start asking yourself more advanced questions about the topic. Write them down to answer them later, or try to work them out in your head. Sometimes the things you come up with will be interesting to the group later on. Warning: This is essentially just a directed form of day dreaming. You are checking out of the current situation to find refuge from your boredom in your own mind, but in certain circumstances I think it is okay, and will often, eventually, lead you back into the exploration at hand with a deeper feeling of curiosity.
    
    Strategy #4: Meditate
    When all else fails, allow yourself to simply exist. Focusing on your breath, and then perhaps moving on to some loving kindness meditation, will help you feel more relaxed and more capable of simply enjoying the beautiful learning process that others are going through. Maybe this particular morning is just not something that you are going to get a lot out of, and that’s okay. Letting go of your attachment to constant stimulation is a central theme in Buddhism. Take this moment to recognize your attachment and let go.

    That’s it for now friends. Please add your own strategies for dealing with boredom. I would love to hear them.

          

    
    aiona

14. Smash Bat Fever

    Posted 1 month ago
    I picked up the newspaper this morning and turned to the magazine and saw this awesome picture of a cob of corn being pulverized. I thought to me self that that looks very similar to the smash bat gallery that Walter and Luigi created. Since they just got interviewed by MAKE TV, I guess this [...]

15. Sand Drawing Board

    Posted 1 month ago
    Here are some of the best pics from our trial run with the sand last Monday! Hopefully we can make some really cool patterns next week on the floor!       

16. Genius Alert

    Posted 1 month ago
    For those who didn’t catch the newspapers, radio coverage, web traffic, mus-news, etc. Our good buddy and Exploratorium artist Walter Kitundu won the MacArthur “Genius” award on Monday. Walter has so many awesome talents to share with the world and its been amazing to work with him for the past year or so on PIE projects. [...]

17. A New Year of Field Trips

    Posted 1 month ago
    Today we each shared one thing that we hope that the school kids who visit the Exploratorium get out of their day. Here’s what we’re hoping: To have a stong, positive memory of a unique experience–a personal story to tell their friends and family. Fun, enrichment, good memories. They figure out something new. An “ah-ha!” [...]

18. Museu Da Vida

    Posted 2 months ago
    I recently got an email from our buddy Sebastian all the way down in Brazil. He’s at a science museum conference down there and has shared our blog with some of the participants. Hopefully some of the “explainers” of other museums around the world can get exposure to one of the ways it’s possible to [...]

19. How to Clean a Lunch Closet

    Posted 2 months ago
    Step 1 - Take Everything Out Step 2 - Sort Into Piles Step 3 - Put Everything Back In Step 4 - Don’t Mess It Up!

20. Read in this Club

    Posted 3 months ago
    We were trying to find a way to get kids excited about reading during the summer at our Clubhouse, so the Education Director, came up with an idea where at the same time everyday, everyone stops what they’re doing and they pick up a book and read. But we needed something to hype it up, [...]

21. CERN Particle Accelerator Rap

    Posted 3 months ago
    I used to be scared of the CERN particle accelerator creating a black hole and ending life on this planet. But then Paul D. told me that there is nothing to be scared of and that the accelerator doesn’t create anything that doesn’t already enter our atmosphere. Now I’m scared of the world ending because it [...]

22. Paul D. at 4:00AM

    Posted 3 months ago
    Last Thursday night and early Friday morning, there was a sleepover at the Exploratorium to watch a web cast of a total solar eclipse live from China. The festivities started at 9:00pm and the visitors sped toward the skylight in order to get the best sleeping spots. As you can see…it got a little crowded! Some [...]

23. I Have a Question for the Wizard!

    Posted 3 months ago
    Last week, Exploratorium resident magician-in-chief Luigi visited our summer camp to perform his famous “Peanut, Butter, and Jelly”  and “Mongolian Pop Knot” tricks. Luckily Walter was on hand to videotape the entire trick as performed to a group of about forty 7-10 year olds. If you can’t afford Luigi’s hefty appearance fee for a personal [...]

24. Cuteness Cabinent Submission

    Posted 3 months ago
    I’ve been wanting to post these videos for a while. Ann and I were hanging out in the learning studio and Luigi couldn’t wait to share the clips of Japanese chain reaction machines that he was researching for his ‘job’. We watched about 40 of these beauties non-stop. They are eerily addictive. And I have [...]

25. Christmas in July

    Posted 4 months ago
    It only took me seven months to figure out how to get these pictures off my camera, onto a computer, loaded into Flickr and up on this blog.  I am a genius.  Merry Nogfest. Gathered ‘Splainers, old and new.  We tasted eggnogs, quite a few: We judged the nogs: May, untouched by foggy nogging, helped us tally the [...]