Gleanings of the Week Ending December 20, 2014

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

The Hooting Season: Enjoying Great Horned Owls - I liked the owl pictures!

What Are MOOCs Good For? - I enjoy the Coursera MOOCs so I thought I would read a review of MOOCs in general.  I was surprised that the review barely mentions people like me that enjoy MOOCs to learn about a topic rather than to get a certification or qualification for a career. When I look at discussion boards - it seems like there are quite of few of us ‘post career’ folks taking MOOCs.

Walking Fish Model Evolution - I had heard about ‘walking fish’ but had never seen one in action. This post includes a video....and discusses how the fishes bones change if they are walking frequently.

Three ways cats can control our minds - There is a summary in the narrative of the three ways but the video is worth watching! Fun!

An Ocean of Plastic - I’ve been hearing more about this recently…we have to figure out how to stop putting more plastic into the ocean. On an individual level - recycling plastic is an OK answer but not really good enough. It’s hard to avoid plastic but that is what we need to think more about. I have already stopped buying bottled water and I carry reusable shopping bags whenever I shop (not just for groceries although that is how I started).

A Bird's Eye View of Humpback Whales Participating In Bubble Feeding - This is like the walking fish post - something I’d read about but never seen. The second video provides more narrative about how they do it (if you don’t hear the narrative check the audio volume).

EPA’s Energy Efficiency Action Week & New Energy Star Home Advisor - This online tool has been updated according to this post. The tool itself is available here.  Be prepared to hunt through records if your want to assess your house with this tool!

Absolutely Stunning Examples of Lakes and Rivers with Unearthly Colors - I appreciate the ones that are colors from nature….the ones from pollution are very sad.

Chemical-Sensing Displays and Other Surprising Uses of Glass - A peek at Corning research.

Desalination out of Desperation - There is a lot of water in the sea….but desalination is still very expensive. But we may be coming close to a time when we’ll pay the price.

Gleanings of the Week Ending December 13, 2014

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

Drugs in the environment affect plant growth - Water treatment is unable to remove many of the drugs from sewage….so they are showing up in the water supply. This study was about the impact of the drugs (still in low concentrations) on plants - and they did find some changes. It looks like this is another dimension to think about when it comes to sustainability of the planet.

Art That's Made with Snow and Ice - Maybe I’ll try a simple pattern in my backyard when we get a good snow! The spirals appeal to me.

Climate change already showing effects at Kennedy Space Center - Not so surprising since it is right on Florida’s Atlantic coast. We were there in November 2013 and noticed how close much of the visible infrastructure was to the sea. There is a lot of commercial development along that coast too; it will probably face similar challenges.

Finding infant Earths and potential life just got easier - Did you know that Cornell has an Institute for Pale Blue Dots?

What really helps women achieve a good work-life balance? - The problem is broader than a time conflict based on this research. It points to a ‘glass cliff’ phenomenon whereby women and minorities are more likely to be placed in leadership positions which are risky or precarious….which exacerbates any ‘fit’ problems at work and thus impacts the perception of work-life balance.

Food: The rarely-seen robots that package what we eat - Two videos (pancakes and salami processing) and a short explanation. They are much faster and more reliable that people!

A Quick Tour of Germany's National Parks - Wow! Lots to see in Germany.  The post includes links for additional info about each one.

The Wonderful Geometry of Budapest's Spiral Staircases - Dizzying images…also beautiful.

Chesapeake Bay region streams are warming - I live in the watershed for the Chesapeake Bay. All the states have programs to monitor and improve the water quality flowing into the bay. It is challenging with so many things changing.

Early warning signals of abrupt climate change - Signals of a reorganization of the Atlantic ocean’s circulation….bad news. 

Coursera - December 2014

Several courses finished in November: Modern and Contemporary Poetry from University of Pennsylvania, What Future Education from University of London, and Childbirth: A Global Perspective from Emory University. It is hard to compare them because they were so different. I enjoyed the variety of them…and looked forward to each week of new material. Earlier in my life, I chose courses largely based on the ‘fit’ toward my career goals. Now - the decision is based totally on my interests and I am discovered that my interests are very broad!

Two of the courses that started in October, continued through all of November and into December as well.

Water: The Essential Resource from National Geographic Society. The course is focused on teaching the topic to 4th-8th graders. I’ve learned some new things about the topic and about teaching.

Philosophy and the Sciences from the University of Edinburgh. The first part of the course was about cosmology and the second is about cognitive science. The presentations are informative about the science and thought provoking about the relationship between science and philosophy in these two areas.

Two new courses started in November and continue into December.

Origins - Formation of the Universe, Solar System, Earth, and Life from University of Copenhagen. The Cosmology section of the Philosophy and Sciences course dovetailed very well with the first weeks of the Origins course. Both presentations were very well done. At this point of the course, the discussion is on the ‘life’ part.  The snowball earth theory, impact of mass extinctions, and new DNA/molecular analysis to compare life forms are all new since I got my undergraduate degree in biology!

Recovering the Humankind’s Past and Saving the Universal Heritage from Sapienza University of Rome. This course has just started and is the only course that will continue through to January. I am already bracing myself; it will seem odd to only have one course for a few weeks! The first week of the course was thought provoking - pointing out the indications we have that people have not always viewed history or remains of prior cultures in the same way.

Neighborhood Walk

We’ve had a few chilly days in our area…some light frosts. Our neighborhood is past the peak of fall beauty. I took the opportunity to walk around yesterday afternoon when it was warm enough for the bees to be active at the few bedraggled flowers that are still blooming.

The oak seems to glow in the sunshine. Up close the leaves look almost drab.

The Indian corn has been on our door for the past few years - for the few weeks between Halloween and the beginning of December.

I’m noticing more leaves in the street gutters this year. The leaves came down with recent rains and are staying put wherever they got wet. I managed to rake and sweep the street gutter in front of my house this past weekend.

The storm water retention pond for our neighborhood is surrounded by trees and cattails. The cattails are exploding and the breeze wafts away the seeds.

This squirrel ran up a large oak as I got close and posed for a picture. Doesn’t he look well fed? His paw reminds me of ET fingers.

Last but not least - I couldn’t resist the colorful fall display of one trees - and the near bareness of its neighbor.

The joys of fall!

Coursera Experience - November 2014

There are a lot of courses that are continuing into November from September and October.

Modern & Contemporary American Poetry. The most time-consuming of the courses. The close reading videos of the instructors and TAs are worth the time. I may not like all the poetry styles but the course has broaden by awareness of poetry that either had not been written or was not presented when I was in college in the 1970s.

What future for education? - I am enjoying the interviews that are the core of the videos for the course but the big item I’ve learned from this course is about the importance of reflection before and after learning experiences. I’ve changed by behavior to include reflection before and after Coursera videos for each course. Sometimes the instructors have prompting questions that make it easy and sometimes I have to invent my own. I’ve also incorporated the idea into my nature hikes for children: asking what they know about the topic of the hike before we set out….and then prompting question about something new they learned or why it was important.

Childbirth: A Global Perspective - This course has a very good mix of summary statistics and case studies for individual countries around the world. The big take away for me has been how linked childbirth issues are related to other issues like the status of women in the society, the medical infrastructure, and obesity (the overabundance of food) or malnutrition (too little food).

Water: The Essential Resource - There is a lot of interest in water around the world - and where the amount of water is changing either because of climate change, pollution, or depletion. The class focuses on a curriculum for California schools but is broadly applicable. There are great resources for case studies.  I’ve already been able to apply some of the ideas in nature hikes for school children about soil/erosion and water runoff around schools.

Philosophy and the Sciences - I’m always impressed with the way University of Edinburgh brings together instructors with complementary backgrounds to present the material in their MOOCs. The course is divided into two sections to demonstrate the relationship between philosophy and the sciences: cosmology and cognitive science. We are still in the cosmology part of the course. Last week half the lecture was done with the instructor writing on a white board….just like in a physical class (but without having to peer around the head of the person in front of you!).

Fortunately - three of the courses will be ending in November because two more are starting!

Recovering the Humankind Past and Saving the Universal Heritage - This one is just now posting materials.

Origins - Formation of the Universe, Solar System, Earth and Life - I didn’t realize when I signed up that this course would mesh with the Philosophy and Sciences course!  It will be starting about the time the segment on cosmology ends.

Coursera Experience - October 2014

Several courses ended in September (Social Psychology and The Camera Never Lies). I still have some items in the ‘to read’ pile/list from the Social Psychology course. More importantly - I find myself looking at media - particularly visual media - very differently; both courses increased my awareness of overt and subtle changes that happen with our exposure to real and virtual experiences. Are we ever fully conscious of all the ways we are being changed? 

Beauty, Form & Function is just about finished. I watched all the videos about enjoyed most learning about symmetry in tiles and crystals…and the bonus video about how nano-manufacturing is done.

The first weeks of Modern & Contemporary American Poetry have introduced me to the thorough reading of poems. The videos are panel discussions of each line in selected poems. My initial reaction to modern poems (too intentionally lacking context to the point of being evasive and not readily understandable….always a puzzle) has not budged but I am gaining a better understanding of the poems included in the discussion.

There are 4 courses starting in October….it’s going to be a busy month for me with these and the peak in fall volunteer naturalist activities and some travel.

I like the variety of topics in these new courses: education, health (childbirth), resources (water), science/philosophy. The global perspective should be well reflected because of the topics themselves and the institutions offering the courses. This will be my first course from the National Geographic Society. The previous courses I took from the other organizations were all excellent. 

Gleanings of the Week Ending August 16, 2014

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

Two items about women mathematicians this week: A Woman Has Won the Fields Medal, Math's Highest Prize, for the First Time about Maryam Nurzakhani and When Snails Lose Their Way from Vi Hart (she’s a web math geek!).

Two items about Tucson (where my daughter is): Place-based development and streetcar transforming downtown Tucson (something to ride from the University to downtown next time I visit) and Fire and Water Exact Tolls on Saguaro National Park (hope the part is not too damaged this season)

Photo Tampering throughout History - This was a web site referenced in a Coursera course (The Camera Never Lies). This page shows examples of ‘doctored’ images starting with an 1860 picture of Lincoln to the present.

How Sleep Changes as You Age, and Why You'll Need Even More of It - When my daughter was a baby it seemed like she was in REM sleep almost all the time and then it wasn’t quite as often. The table in this article starts with age 20 but shows that the decline continuing throughout life. Check the references at the end of the article of tips to improve sleep at any age.

Excavation of ancient well yields insight into Etruscan, Roman and medieval times - Lots of finds from one small place - bronze vessels, carved wood, gape seeds. Evidently in Etruscan religion, throwing items into a well filled with water was an act of religious sacrifice.

13 Things You Probably Don’t Know About the U.S. Water System (But Should) - I assume there will be a lot more ‘water education’ for the general public going on in the next few years. At some point we’ll need to do more than education.  It is disappointing to find out that leaky water pipes are so common.

Just How Bad Is California's Drought? - Looking at the state from 2011 to now graphically. The whole state is now in severe to exceptional drought status.

Natural light in office boosts health - I know that I rejoiced when I had a window office during my career…too bad there are a lot of office buildings that have a lot of interior offices with artificial lighting. Employees in ‘big box’ stores or warehouses have the same problem. Now that my only office is at home, I choose a room with lots of natural light (and good scenery).

5 Easy Ways to Use Tomatoes - I have lots of tomatoes….and am always on the lookout for new ideas. So far - I’m keeping up with the CSA bounty of tomatoes via salads, soups, topper to a stir fry, salsa….and tomato sauce to freeze as a last resort.

The Earth Looks like A Living Creature in This Amazing NASA Video - The film is just a little over a minute and depicts 7 days in 2005 of the earth and its clouds.

Gleanings of the Week Ending March 22, 2014

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

Education boosts brain function long after school, study shows - The benefits of education extend way beyond career preparation/enablement. This study did not look at the impact of continuing education. Will a study 20 years from now document the cognitive impact of the increased availability of low cost (or free) online courses such as Coursera?

Mongol Empire rode wave of mild climate, but warming now may be tipping region into unparalleled drought - Tree ring research from the steppes has been used to characterize climate of the region back to 650 BC!

Land cover change over five years across North America revealed - Changes from 2005 to 2010 are depicted with satellite images. The article describes the North American Environmental Atlas which is online here.

“Passive House Revolution” Shows the Rise of Extremely Efficient Houses - Hopefully more new houses and renovations will use these ideas!

To Keep Teenagers Alert, Schools Let Them Sleep In - In many school districts the high schools start the earliest and then the buses are reused for middle school and elementary. Is it better for elementary school students to start earlier and let the high school students sleep in?

Distorted Landscapes Create Surreal Perspectives of the World - Randy Scott Slavin’s spherical panoramas

Water-rich gem points to vast 'oceans' beneath Earth's surface, study suggests - Ringwoodite sample found in Brazil…inside brown diamond. It’s quite a story of almost accidental discovery and international collaboration.

Three Adorable, Endangered Tiger Cubs Born at the London Zoo - 2.5 minutes of clips from the Cubcam

The Many Origins of the English Language - A graphic that updates for period selected (showing either the period or cumulative from Pre-1150 to present. Even from 1950-present, Latin was the biggest contributor with French coming next.

Why Do Flamingos Eat Upside Down? Your Weird Animal Questions Answered - From National Geographic’s Weird & Wild

Gleanings of the Week Ending February 16, 2014

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

Green Schoolyard Movement: Gaining Momentum around the World - Hooray for outdoor spaces that are complex systems….good for the children and the environment!

Aerial 3D Panoramas from around the World - Wow! There is a lot of interesting places to explore on this site. I started with Petra, Jordan.

Fracking in Water-Stressed Zones Increases Risks to Communities – and Energy Producers - Nearly half of the wells hydraulically fractured (indicated by black dots) in the United States are located in areas of high or extremely high water stress…not a good thing. The potential for supply shortfalls poses operational risks to the energy producers as well as risks of rationing and other emergency measures to the wider community.

Special Albinos and Unusually White Animals - Their lack of coloring caused them to stand out.

A Crash Course in Psychology - On YouTube. It will continue on in 10 minutes segments over the next few months. The second installment is here.

Global Health Observatory Map Gallery - There is a pull down list for geographic coverage and topics….and then an area for keywords.   There are lots of maps to explore with this tool. Here is one example: I selected ‘world’ then ‘maternal and reproductive health’ - and there was a list of 3 maps to look at.  One of them was “Maternal mortality ration (per 100,000 live births), 2010.” The US is now as good as most of the developed world in this metric.

The Nine Planets Imagined as One - I like this both as art and science (even if it does include Pluto which is no longer considered a planet)!

The Future of Agriculture (part 1 and part 2) - Fred Kirshenmann talking about going beyond ‘green’ to resilient agriculture. The videos are few years old but I just discovered them (they were suggested as references in the Coursera course I am taking on the US Food System).

Jumping Liquids Mimic Japanese Flower Arrangements - Whether or not they look like Japanese Flower Arrangements….they are worth a look. My favorite is the red, white and purple one need the middle of the series.

The end of the GMO era? -  Some recent stories about GMOs.