The Guild of Scientific Troubadours

The Guild of Scientific Troubadours

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Month: December 2015

Disney builds a wall-driving robot.

29 December 2015 grant 0

A bit fancier than the Hall of the Presidents. New Scientist reports on a wheeled robot that uses fans to drive up walls:

The eminently mobile critter was developed by Paul Beardsley from

… Read the rest “Disney builds a wall-driving robot.”

Mouse livers could cure your sweet tooth.

28 December 2015 grant 0

Popular Science has more on the hormone from mouse livers that cuts sugar cravings:

The scientists found that in the rodents, a hormone generated by the liver suppresses the brain’s sugar

… Read the rest “Mouse livers could cure your sweet tooth.”

Science Art: Acanthophracta (detail) by Ernst Haeckel.

28 December 2015 grant 0

Rise up, shepherds, and follow...
There’s a star in the East….

SONG: Aware of Emptiness

23 December 2015 grant 0

SONG: “Aware of Emptiness.”

ARTIST: grant.

SOURCE: Based on “China’s dark-matter satellite launches era of space science”, Nature, 17 Dec 2015, as used in … Read the rest “SONG: Aware of Emptiness”

The Falcon has landed… back on Earth.

22 December 2015 grant 0

Ars Technica (somewhat breathlessly) reports on SpaceX’s success, launching a rocket that made it to space and then returned home to land safely:

The historic flight marked the

… Read the rest “The Falcon has landed… back on Earth.”

Games sell candy and snacks to kids. Better than ads.

21 December 2015 grant 0

Science Daily reports on the battle ground of our kids’ psyches, revealing that kids are interacting with – and being manipulated by – ads they don’t even recognize… Read the rest “Games sell candy and snacks to kids. Better than ads.”

Science Art: XLII: Milky Way from Mythographi Latini by Thomas Munckerus/Hyginus, 1681.

20 December 2015 grant 0

Hyginus_MythographiLatini_MilkyWay
Click to embiggen

This is the Early Modern Milky Way, as appearing in an edition of the ‘Poeticon Astronomicon‘ by the Latin author Hyginus (although the credit also goes to… Read the rest “Science Art: XLII: Milky Way from Mythographi Latini by Thomas Munckerus/Hyginus, 1681.”

Weirdos are sexy. Here’s proof.

18 December 2015 grant 0

Scientific American takes a gendered view of this psychological study, using the fact that “women conforming to social standards aren’t as attractive” – but… Read the rest “Weirdos are sexy. Here’s proof.”

Monkey King goes in search of dark matter.

17 December 2015 grant 0

Nature reports on China’s new research venture, sending the Monkey King rocket (they do have the best names in China) out to solve some scientific mysteries:

China’s first space-based

… Read the rest “Monkey King goes in search of dark matter.”

*Is* there something past Pluto?

16 December 2015 grant 0

Ars Technica looks at something funny out beyond the orbit of Pluto – a thing that’s practically invisible, but that maybe a really, really big planet 10:

Research groups from

… Read the rest “*Is* there something past Pluto?”

And about hyping the science headlines… here’s some research on THAT, too.

15 December 2015 grant 0

Nature finds that research papers have become more “novel” (and “amazing,” “phenomenal,” “encouraging,” and “unprecedented”)… Read the rest “And about hyping the science headlines… here’s some research on THAT, too.”

“Last-resort” antibiotic beaten by resistant bugs globally.

14 December 2015 grant 0

New Scientist doesn’t usually hype the headline too much, so one gets concerned when they say that germs can now resist another “last-resort” antibiotic:

Bacteria

… Read the rest ““Last-resort” antibiotic beaten by resistant bugs globally.”

Science Art: From Legal Chemistry: A Guide to the Detection of Poisons, Examination of Tea, Stains, Etc., 1884.

13 December 2015 grant 0

retorts and glassware

I found this elegant (if obscure) glassware at the public domain image repository at Reusable Art.

I’m guessing it was used to detect poisons more so than to examine tea, but I honestly… Read the rest “Science Art: From Legal Chemistry: A Guide to the Detection of Poisons, Examination of Tea, Stains, Etc., 1884.”

Chickens that lay medicine are here.

10 December 2015 grant 0

Nature reveals the existence of transgenic chickens, modified to produce drugs in their eggs:

The drug, Kanuma (sebelipase alfa), is a recombinant human enzyme marketed by Alexion Pharmaceuticals.

… Read the rest “Chickens that lay medicine are here.”

Bike helmets save lives. Bike helmet *laws* hurt people.

9 December 2015 grant 0

Outside has an interesting look at unintended consequences, examining a University of Colorado study into why bike-helmet laws increase injuries:

Studies show that the laws deter people

… Read the rest “Bike helmets save lives. Bike helmet *laws* hurt people.”

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  • University of Colorado, Denver: Assistant professor of cell and molecular biology
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Honorary Troubadours
  • Jonathan Coulton, Contributing Troubadour for Popular Science.
  • Laura Veirs, who knows her way around a polysyllable.
  • Thomas Dolby, godfather of scientific pop.
  • Squeaky, fact-based rock about fusion containment & rocket science.
  • Cosmos II, a.k.a. Boston University astronomer Alan Marscher.
  • Dr. Fiorella Terenzi, astrophysicist who makes music from cosmic radio sources.
  • Dr. Jim Webb, astronomy professor and acoustic guitarist.
  • Artichoke, the band behind 26 Scientists, Vols. I and II.
  • They Might Be Giants, unrelenting proponents of scientific popular song.
  • Symphonies of Science, the people who make Carl Sagan and others sing.
  • Giant Squid, doom metal about the sublime horrors of marine biology.
  • Gethan Dick,6 scientists, 6 musicians, 1 great album
Related Projects
  • Squid Pro Crow
  • Grant Bandcamp
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  • Penitential Originals Playlist
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