Current events October

*new* 22Oct15 Sorry, Einstein. Quantum Study Suggests ‘Spooky Action’ Is Real.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/22/science/quantum-theory-experiment-said-to-prove-spooky-interactions.html?emc=edit_th_20151022&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=25414714&_r=0

11Oct15 science & football (oh yes I did!)
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/nfl/bengals/bengals-blog/2015/10/11/earths-rotation-aided-bengals-win-tweets-neil-degrasse-tyson/73788124/

10Oct15 FIFA scandal
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/10/10/sports/soccer/fifa-sepp-blatter-corruption-case.html?emc=edit_th_20151010&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=25414714&referer=

5 Oct 15 Nobel Prize in Medicine
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/10/06/science/william-c-campbell-satoshi-omura-youyou-tu-nobel-prize-physiology-medicine.html?emc=edit_th_20151006&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=25414714&referer=

Re: anthropomorphizing & animal mating
Salmon Sex in the City NYTimes 2Oct15
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/10/02/opinion/salmon-sex-in-the-city.html?emc=edit_th_20151002&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=25414714&referer=

The World Needs to Build on Its Success Against Malaria
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/29/opinion/the-world-needs-to-build-on-its-success-against-malaria.html?emc=edit_th_20150929&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=25414714

Scientific Misconduct

Meet Retraction Watch, the Blog That Points Out the Human Stains on the Scientific Record - The Chronicle of Higher Education

http://m.chronicle.com/article/Meet-Retraction-Watch-the/233373/?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

National Academies of Science "On Being a Scientist"

http://www.nap.edu/catalog/12192/on-being-a-scientist-a-guide-to-responsible-conduct-in

Gould's In the Mind of the Beholder

Everyone picks one of the following questions to work on.  That will make roughly 4 groups that should collectively come to some loose consensus about your answer.  At minimum, make one original post and respond to one other student's post.

What's Gould's thesis? 

Don't get distracted by his story-telling....he tells 3 stories:
1. about the timing of the Cambrian explosion
2. Insects and flowers
3. Origins of Homo sapiens
Why is he telling you those stories?  What's the bigger picture he's drawing for you?

What does his title mean?

In what ways is Gould's essay connected to other things we've read/watched/discussed for this class?

Critical thinking & Evolution Chpt 6

working together, 4-5 students per question, each student just answers one question, and pick a different question than your previous blog posts.

1. What's the purpose of this chapter?
2. What's the key question of the chapter?
3. What's the most important information in the chapter?
4. What are the key concepts of this chapter?
5. What does the author mean by those concepts?
6. What is the point of view or views of the chapter?

Critical thinking & Evolution Chpt 3

working together, 4-5 students per question, each student just answers one question, but pick a different question than you worked on in the other Critical thinking blog post.

1. What's the purpose of this chapter?
2. What's the key question of the chapter?
3. What's the most important information in the chapter?
4. What are the key concepts of this chapter?
5. What does the author mean by those concepts?
6. What is the point of view or views of the chapter?

Critical thinking about Okasha Chpt 3

working together, 4-5 students per question, each student just answers one question

1. What's the purpose of this chapter?
2. What's the key question of the chapter?
3. What's the most important information in the chapter?
4. What are the key concepts of this chapter?
5. What does the author mean by those concepts?
6. What is the point of view or views of the chapter?

Space ~~ The Fabric of the Cosmos (updated 21Sept15)

Here's the link to what we watched today in class:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/physics/fabric-of-cosmos.html

Question: what concepts do you need help understanding?  What questions do you have about the material covered in the video?

More awesome stuff here:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/physics/
*new*  http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-death-of-the-universe-renee-hlozek

Here's a video about the Higgs Boson:  https://vimeo.com/41038445
Question:  what is the latest on the Higgs Bosons?

Hint: http://www.phdcomics.com/comics.php?f=1684 

Critical Thinking (QEP)

 Critical Thinking Model
Elements of Reason & Intellectual Standards
http://www.criticalthinking.org/ctmodel/logic-model1.htm

Here's an article that gives specific examples about scientists being funded by big corporations.  Does it undermine the science? Does it make the scientist's work suspect? What about when industry funds scientists to be spokespersons?
Food Industry Enlisted Academics in G.M.O. Lobbying War, Emails Show

By ERIC LIPTON 

Both sides in a fight over genetically modified crops have relied on scientists to lend their authority, while providing financial support in return.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/09/06/us/food-industry-enlisted-academics-in-gmo-lobbying-war-emails-show.html?referrer=

What questions do you have about critical thinking or how it relates to our philosophy of science course?

FYI: TMC's Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP)
http://www.thomasmore.edu/3d/components.cfm