ideas
sciencepunk | January 12, 2013So, as I've said before, my mind is often occupied with how I might develop writing in new ways. For a while I've been working on an anti-blog that specifically contravenes all supposed user-interface rules (no comments, no archives, no title), which should hopefully launch soon. I've also started a new subject-specific blog that lives hidden within another website, one that isn't supposed to be for blogging. Sort of like an Easter egg. More about that soon too. Here's another idea that's been burning on my mind ever since I bought a Kindle.
E-readers are marvellous things, much more than…
sciencepunk | December 28, 2012It might seem odd that a book about vaginas inspired a different way to blog, but that's the honest truth.
I spend a lot of time thinking about how you might innovate when it comes to writing. It still irritates me that the overwhelming majority of the web is formatted in exactly the same way - rectangular containers interspersed by padded images. Consider how dull that is compared to the layout in any glossy magazine. Sure, I understand why the web sticks to that format, but it doesn't make it any less boring to use.
Anyway, back to innovation. One of the ideas that's been floating around…
sciencepunk | October 1, 2012So here's a crude attempt at something that's been on my mind for over a year now. I thought it'd be interesting to represent the elemental composition of different objects using a three-dimensional periodic table. So, for example, here's the elemental composition of the human body:
It's not a great mockup, but it's the best I could do with the tools and skills available to me. I made the chart in Excel using data from Wikipedia, and manually coloured all those little cells. When it came time to do the lettering I really couldn't figure out a way to do it that didn't involve scissors and…
carlyo | January 25, 2012The USA Science & Engineering Festival hosted by Lockheed Martin offers a special appeal for budding entrepreneurs, inventors, engineers and programmers who will find the ideas, tools and resources to help them make their dreams a reality.
"The Festival is a fantastic place for technical experts of all kinds to learn about the amazing advances that have been made in technology to help them make product prototypes from 3D printers, find designs online for parts and components, and meet an array of experts to help them bring their product ideas to life," said Larry Bock, serial…
sciencewoman | April 10, 2009ScienceWoman notes: Last week I gave away a couple of books to readers who enthusiastically promised to review the books. The books were mailed on Friday and I've already gotten the first review back. Talk about enthusiasm! Here's a review from Courtney of Courtney's Blog.
What Are You Optimistic About is one of Edge.org's "celebration of the ideas of the third culture" (for further information, read C.P. Snow's classic, The Two Cultures). There is an introduction by the famed scientist/philosopher Dennett, who says, "It can't all be true, but we need to test them."
Fig. 1. Courtney's…
sheril | March 9, 2009I'm off to the city for a panel in recognition of International Women's Day. Given the theme, I'd like to point readers to a recent piece from The Guardian asking 'Where are the books by women with big ideas?'
Books like Freakonomics, defining significant cultural or economic trends with a punchy title, never seem to be produced by women. But why?
As you can imagine, I have much to say on the topic coming soon, but am first interested in your reaction to the article. Here's an excerpt to get us started:
Julia Cheiffetz, blogging at publishing website HarperStudio, dubs the genre "big think…