In which, our three heroes discuss their resolutions for the 2017 new year, Dude explains what Tracy’s ultimate coup would look like, and Andrew discusses his deep fear of needles. Also, Dude tells the story of how he was incrementally banned from a radio show,and in a surprising twist, ends our podcast episode on a very positive note.
Filed under Andrew Hales, Joseph De Paul, Podcast, Tracy Gronewold
Ever have that moment–perhaps at the DMV–when you wondered if the person you were talking to were actually brainless? Well a woman in China can truly make that claim, at least in part. After she received a brain scan for dizziness and nausea, it was discovered that her entire cerebellum was missing. Turns out, the woman is one of only nine known adults to have been born with this condition. While it is not unheard of for this to happen, the vast majority of persons who suffer from it die at a young age. In this woman’s case, the only symptoms were slightly impaired motor functions and a mild slur when she speaks. It says a lot about how well put together our bodies are when they can compensate for things like this.
I suspect that the people I yell at are actually just morons. Continue reading
Filed under Weekly, Winning Science
The Michelin Man might be getting a green makeover. Michelin is going to spend $71 million over the next eight years investigating the possibility of making their tires out of plant based materials. Several other tire companies have started to incorporate other materials, like orange oil, into their tires. More companies are looking into this kind of innovation. Given the increase in the cost of butadiene, a component of synthetic rubber, it’s not surprising.
Going green
Its also worth noting that most other companies that have incorperated other materials have done so for performance as opposed to going green.
With the holidays officially started, NPR is giving us a little lesson in the chemistry surrounding cookies, a classic holiday treat. With some help from TED Talks, they take us through all of the chemical reactions that lead to such deliciousness. From the melting of butter and creation of steam to the generation of carbon dioxide which cause the cookies to rise, they hit it all.
There be chemistry in that there oven!
Now I really want cookies…
As many of you know, I’m a huge supporter of space exploration. While I’d love to see NASA doing that exploration, it’s good to see another country jumping on the space bandwagon. China is expecting its lunar rover Jade Rabbit to be reaching the moon shortly after a Monday lift off. This probe is important not only for China’s developing space program but also because it marks the first time since 1976 that a craft of any kind has attempted a “soft” landing on the moon.
If you’re going to call it Jade Rabbit, the least you can do is paint it green and give it some bunny ears.
With over a billion people in the country, one would think they could come up with a better name than Jade Rabbit.
Filed under Winning Science
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Therefore I Geek 