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Archive for May, 2008

Quote of the Day

I’ve been a little crazy with getting a decent start on a major project, but last night I found at least an hour to catch the last episode (ever?) of the great Canadian tv series, Regenesis. Think of a more intelligent CSI with molecular biologists. The final frame of last nights episode, just before fade to black, was this quote:

“Science has made us gods even before we are worthy of being men”
Jean Rostand – French Biologist (1894-1977)

I’ll go into some of the implications of this at a later date, but it makes me ponder the questions surrounding what cognitive and intellectual skills has humanity picked up that allow us to transcend our biology? Language certainly. The augmented memory and cultural transfer functions of writing. But when it comes to the ability to break apart complex, seemingly disparate sets of information and remodel them so as to understand the system, does anything have the scientific method beat? I’d welcome your comments.

A man of many skills

Professor John Hamill: a renaissance man.

Belief in God childish, Jews not chosen people: Einstein

I always knew Eienstein was batting on the side of the rational:

“The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honourable, but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish.

“No interpretation no matter how subtle can (for me) change this,” he wrote in the letter written on January 3, 1954 to the philosopher Eric Gutkind, cited by The Guardian newspaper.

From Belief in God childish, Jews not chosen people: Einstein – ABC News

Macnification – microscopy image management for macs

Just found this software for managing microscopy images on macs. I think I’m in love.

Macnification

DNA Replication Video

How could I go past this. Bad music, bad humour, and science. Just like me!

GMO Africa » GMOs and organics can alleviate food crises

Busy with planning experiments at the moment, but here is a great blog article extolling multiple food technologies to alleviate food shortage in the developing world. Its from a blog I have only just discovered, GMO Africa.

GMOs and organics can alleviate food crises