David’s Comments (group member since Dec 13, 2009)

David’s comments from the Science and Inquiry group.

A simple copy and paste of the link doesn't work for some reason. So, go to this page:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/browse...
and near the upper-right corner, in the "Search" area, type in "Brain and Behavior". Then, click on the "Brain and Behavior" link.

Welcome, James!

If you are aware of any good books about environmental modelling, please suggest them. (Or about any other topic, too.)

fascinating, and scary.

I agree, Sandra, that Fool Me Twice leaves me somewhat upset and depressed.

Here are my reviews for the two books:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Jenny wrote: "Hi All; here in the UK Pennines we don't get to see lenticular clouds very often (in fact, I've still never seen them), but we had an instance just before Christmas, and they were very spectacular ..."

Beautiful photo! Are there hills or mountains nearby, in that general direction?

Is anybody else reading either of these two books? What do you think about them?

I've read that a key to preventing weight gain is getting enough sleep. I don't understand why this is so, but it has been the subject of several studies.

Betsy wrote: "Science vacations:

http://sciencegetaways.com/2012/01/19..."

As the caption says, this type of lenticular cloud is very frequently seen in Colorado, especially in the winter.

Another interesting cloud feature that we saw occasionally in Colorado is the cloud corona. It is caused by diffraction by water droplets or ice crystals. This phenomenon is so vivid, that the first time I saw it, I thought it was due to some rocket experiment.

Since Melissa is stepping down as a co-moderator, Betsy has graciously volunteered. Nevertheless, we could really use a third co-moderator. (We used to have three co-moderators.) I am hoping for someone who would be willing to invigorate discussions, and to help make the group a little more active. There are no qualifications for this job, only a strong interest in science and inquiry. If you are interested, please send me a private message. Thanks!

Thank you so much for all your help and good work, Melissa! I really hope you continue to contribute here, and especially continue to push the biology!

I just finished reading The Physics of Consciousness: The Quantum Mind and the Meaning of Life. Here is my review. The book's primary thesis is that quantum mechanics effects are responsible for consciousness. But the book does not convince me, so I do not recommend it.

In another thread, Steve suggested the poll is a tie, we do one of the co-winners in February, and the other in March. So, I suggest:
The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values in February, and
Power, Sex, Suicide: Mitochondria and the Meaning of Life in March.

Steve wrote: "Another option would be to read one of them for February and the other for March."

That's a great idea! How about we do The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values in February, and Power, Sex, Suicide: Mitochondria and the Meaning of Life in March?

That will ensure that both books get covered, and people can focus on one book at a time.

Steve wrote: "I'm about a third of the way into Fool Me Twice: Fighting the Assault on Science in America. As much as I have read and followed Carl Sagan, I was shocked and saddened to learn tha..."

Steve, unfortunately this didn't surprise me, it just upset me. I had read another book (The China Study) that details how some members of the NAS are influenced by industry.

It looks like the poll for the February book is a tie. Do people prefer to have both front-runners be declared as the "winner", or do people prefer to have a run-off poll?

Five excellent books have been nominated for the February 2012 Book of the Month. Please take a moment to review the choices and vote in this poll for the book you would really like to read. The poll will close on January 4, so vote soon!

The nominations are closed. Please vote in our poll by January 4. Thanks!

Kenny wrote: "I think it had to be Brian Greene's Fabric of the Cosmos
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/physics/..."

Thanks for pointing out that film, Kenny. It looks very good--I will take a look at it.

I do remember when Brian Greene made a guest appearance on the TV show "The Big Bang Theory". It was short, but absolutely hilarious!

What was your favorite science documentary that you saw in 2011?

My favorite was Forks Over Knives, just released in August, 2011.

What was your favorite science book (or books) you read in 2011? Any science-related books--not necessarily books discussed in the Science and Inquiry Group.

I don't have a single favorite, but at the top of the list: Both
At Home in the Universe: The Search for the Laws of Self-Organization and Complexity
and The Mathematics of Life combine biology and mathematics.

I'm not sure how to reconcile these two books:
Fool Me Twice: Fighting the Assault on Science in America made me feel very pessimistic about our future. But The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves made me feel quite optimistic.