Science is Amazing - a thread for Science Nerds

[MintTrav]

My fiancee is a final year Biology student at Imperial College London she is hoping to get the option to write a science blog on bad science on TV and in film.

Jon, I'm struggling to understand how they would accept this. On the face of it, it looks like very easy pop-science. "They presented this thing, which is stupidly wrong. The real scientific position is this." Seems more like a popular magazine article than a valid science degree proposal. Happy for you to explain what I am missing.

[EvilPie]

This might not br correct, but from my observation, a red blood cell is about midway between the biggest and smallest things we can measure.

On a logarithmic scale?

[Jon MW]

My fiancee is a final year Biology student at Imperial College London she is hoping to get the option to write a science blog on bad science on TV and in film.

Jon, I'm struggling to understand how they would accept this. On the face of it, it looks like very easy pop-science. "They presented this thing, which is stupidly wrong. The real scientific position is this." Seems more like a popular magazine article than a valid science degree proposal. Happy for you to explain what I am missing.

Before they start their final literature dissertation they have a coursework only "Science Communication" course - it's part of that. The idea is how to communicate complex science to the general public e.g. this on the BBC - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38955871 which features one of her professors (and something that might come up in the exams she has before the science communication course).

So in a way pop science is kind of the point - but that's why she also has to wait and see if it's allowed; she has to do it to a certain level of complexity.

Rather than "They presented this thing, which is stupidly wrong. The real scientific position is this..." the idea would be more - "here's a science lesson in blog form - and the introduction is how they do it wrong on TV".

[MintTrav]

My fiancee is a final year Biology student at Imperial College London she is hoping to get the option to write a science blog on bad science on TV and in film.

Jon, I'm struggling to understand how they would accept this. On the face of it, it looks like very easy pop-science. "They presented this thing, which is stupidly wrong. The real scientific position is this." Seems more like a popular magazine article than a valid science degree proposal. Happy for you to explain what I am missing.

Before they start their final literature dissertation they have a coursework only "Science Communication" course - it's part of that. The idea is how to communicate complex science to the general public e.g. this on the BBC - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38955871 which features one of her professors (and something that might come up in the exams she has before the science communication course).

So in a way pop science is kind of the point - but that's why she also has to wait and see if it's allowed; she has to do it to a certain level of complexity.

Rather than "They presented this thing, which is stupidly wrong. The real scientific position is this..." the idea would be more - "here's a science lesson in blog form - and the introduction is how they do it wrong on TV".

Alright. Good luck to her.

[Longines]

Contact lenses.

I'm very very short sighted, could qualify as partially sighted. Can just about make out the big single letter on the chart if I squint - and move closer. But put a small rigid piece of plastic in my eye and I have better than 20/20 vision.

Properly awesome.

[RED-DOG]

This might not br correct, but from my observation, a red blood cell is about midway between the biggest and smallest things we can measure.

On a logarithmic scale?

No, just roughly from where I'm standing.

[nirvana]

This might not br correct, but from my observation, a red blood cell is about midway between the biggest and smallest things we can measure.

On a logarithmic scale?

No, just roughly from where I'm standing.

I double checked for you and I make you right

[Doobs]

bump

[tikay]

Ha, love it.

[booder]

Ha, love it.

[AndrewT]

NASA are going to have a big press conference tomorrow where they are going to announce Wenger is leaving Arsenal some big discovery about planets outside of our solar system

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-to-host-news-conference-on-discovery-beyond-our-solar-system

[bobAlike]

NASA are going to have a big press conference tomorrow where they are going to announce Wenger is leaving Arsenal some big discovery about planets outside of our solar system

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-to-host-news-conference-on-discovery-beyond-our-solar-system

NASA's 'discovery beyond our solar system' will reveal location of Chris Waddle's Italia 90 penalty

Borrowed from Newsthump

[RED-DOG]

NASA are going to have a big press conference tomorrow where they are going to announce Wenger is leaving Arsenal some big discovery about planets outside of our solar system

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-to-host-news-conference-on-discovery-beyond-our-solar-system

NASA's 'discovery beyond our solar system' will reveal location of Chris Waddle's Italia 90 penalty

Borrowed from Newsthump

Hahahaha

[HutchGF]

NASA are going to have a big press conference tomorrow where they are going to announce Wenger is leaving Arsenal some big discovery about planets outside of our solar system

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-to-host-news-conference-on-discovery-beyond-our-solar-system

Popcorn ready for this one!

My school is one of the few in our area to offer the International Bacclaureate as an alternative option to A levels. Pupils study a broader curriculum ( 6 subjects) in different categories. All of the group 4 are Sciences and DT.

Part and parcel of this is the 'Group 4 Project' that we are running on March 4th. Pupils are divided into mixed teams ( Bio/Chem/Phys/DT) and issued a challenge. This year's was set by one of our Physicists.

Teams will be given 10 sheets of paper, cotton thread, straws and access to a glue gun and paper. The challenge........... build a turbine capable of lifting the largest mass to a height of 50cm. I suspect I know the best way to do this but am happy to leave the question open to the combined intelligence of the Blonde community. If I have time on the day perhaps I will submit an anonymous entry into the competition and see if I ( we ) win.

[HutchGF]

Chronic pain is worsened by the few options available to the unfortunate people who suffer from this and doctors have long lamented the few options available to them.

Step (or slither?) forward Conus regius, a small humble species of marine snail. It produces a chemical that provides a long lasting pain relief that offers much safer alternatives to opiates.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-39028557?ocid=socialflow_twitter