Oh, hey. It’s Seth MacFarlane talking about science and his reboot of COSMOS starring Neil deGrasse Tyson!
At first glance, the man famous for infant sociopaths, drunk dogs, and obese blowhards with a penchant for hand-to-hand combat with chickens would be an odd choice to produce a remake of the greatest public science program in history. But Seth is serious about combating the “lethargy” he sees in our society in respect to education, interest in science, and basic logical thinking. He’s a smart dude, and he’s ready to use his influence to inspire a renewed interest in science.
We don’t know how people will respond, but I am encouraged. If this blog has taught me anything, it’s that science-loving people haven’t disappeared, it’s just that so many aren’t being engaged in a way that really excites them. Even more of them look around, see boring classes, dry textbooks and peers talking about godknowswhat and don’t realize that it’s damn well and fine to love this stuff.
I think this could help change that attitude. I’m ready for COSMOS. No word on whether Neil will be forced to wear a turtleneck, though.
Also, see the accompanying article at Forbes.
I have nothing to add here.
It’s a magic number. What would we do without Ed Yong to explain this stuff to us?
They can be perpetually pregnant! Also, the diagram he included is informative, if not odd. Finally, this might be why marsupials like joeys are born so prematurely developed (they run out of space).
In closing:
This is is weirdly fascinating
On the nature of evil…
I was on the internet and wrote out this big comment about the nature of evil in response to someone else’s comment. Then I thought better of it and decided not to feed the trolls. Instead I’ll put it here.
Thought Experiment from Philosophy 101.
Imagine an island where everyone is “good”. They are nice to each other, they cooperate, share and encourage one another, whatever.
Now imagine an island where everyone is evil. They steal, cheat, kill, etc. Which island does better in the long-term?
Now imagine there is 1 evil person on the island of all good people. How does the evil person fair in the long-term?
The point of this example is to realize that societies and cultures have adapted (evolved) over time to optimize for behaviour that restricts individual actions which hurt the group, but which may be detrimental to those individuals. Lying and stealing, without consequences, will always be better for me, but are bad if everyone else does them too. However, incarceration and restricting of rights for people who do these behaviours - while “bad” for the individual - are good for the group.
Now imagine this same give and take applied on the micro scale. The old Babylonian “eye for an eye” revenge type system of justice seems barbaric to us now. However it likely grows out of a tradition in which the threat of retribution may be the only deterrent. Likewise, sending young men to prison for drug crimes and allowing widespread prison rape may be seen as “evil” by future generations, but is totally allowable in our time.
Evil is relative, and usually done by “them” not by “us”.
Want.
Mr. Tea (from @bigorneau)
I PITY THE FOOL WHO DON’T DRINK Mr. Tea! This just made me laugh too loudly not to share it…had to… :)
(Source: numnumsbylaura)
http://www.invodo.com/Cuisinart-PerfecTemp-Cordless-Electric-Kettle/p/1LGFER8A
I love tea. I recently got this kettle from Cuisanart that has the temperature pre-set, so you can brew the perfect cup every time.
Tea Time
“We didn’t even get a chance to talk to them before production. They didn’t afford us that courtesy,” says Ms. Allin.
More likely, the agency didn’t think they could afford whatever agreement they would have come up with. I’ve been there and had many an idea killed because of talent costs. But on a Superbowl spot, tight budgets shouldn’t be your issue.
