Living SquaresJune 17, 2008 – Jordan writes: “My tattoo is of the ‘glider’ formation from John Conway’s Game of Life. As a History of Science student I love this geometric arrangement and its promise of self-contained (not viral) reproduction, and travel.”Carl: For more on Conway’s primordial artificial life, see here. Click here to go to the full Science Tattoo Emporium.
Comets, War, and LoveSeptember 13, 2008 – Philosopher Kate Devitt writes, “I started my undergraduate degree in the history and philosophy of science. For our second wedding anniversary, my beloved proposed getting matching shooting star tattoos to immortalize our first date under the night sky. The Halley’s comet design from the Bayeux tapestry was a perfect way to celebrate.” Carl: The Bayeux […]
The Dawn of Brains and BonesFebruary 22, 2006 – Go back far enough in our history–maybe about 650 million years–and you come to a time when our ancestors were still invertebrates. That is, they had no skulls, teeth, or other bones. They didn’t even have a brain. How invertebrates became vertebrates is a fascinating question, made all the more fascinating because the answer tells […]
The Long Weekend: Appleton, WisconsinJuly 17, 2008 – The Houdini-themed fiberglass “Metamorph Lion” stands guard in front of Appleton’s History Museum. I had a sense of what to expect from Appleton, Wisconsin, when I visited the most wholesome of college towns in Middle America—and on Flag Day, no less. But the genial college town proved more surprising with each cheesehead I encountered (best…
40th Anniversary of Moonwalk: Interview with Buzz AldrinJuly 20, 2009 – Text by Ryan Bradley, Photograph courtesy of NASA It’s been 40 years since Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin Jr. became the second human in history to set foot on the moon. Though he retired from NASA not long after the Apollo 11 mission, he’s still awfully vocal about how important space remains, and why we need to…
The Whale and the AntibodyDecember 31, 2004 – Evolutionary biologists face a challenge that’s a lot like a challenge of studying ancient human history: to retrieve vanished connections. The people who live in remote Polynesia presumably didn’t sprout from the island soil like trees–they must have come from somewhere. Tracing their connection to ancestors elsewhere hasn’t been easy, in part because the islands […]
News: Hikers, Racers Mount New Searches For Steve FossettJuly 15, 2008 – Text by Contributing Editor James Vlahos Last fall’s disappearance of Steve Fossett—one of the 21st century’s most celebrated aviators, the first person to fly around the world alone and nonstop by both hot air balloon and plane—prompted one of the most extensive search and rescue efforts in U.S. history. But neither Fossett nor his presumedly…
Headliners: Adventure in 60 SecondsFebruary 02, 2009 – Text by Keith Rutowski Found: History, Bones, TreasureThe Florida-based treasure-hunting firm Odyssey Marine Exploration Inc. announced their discovery of Admiral John Balchin's legendary warship, the HMS Victory, in the frigid waters of the English Channel. Lost 265 years ago during a fierce gale, the wreck contains a pirate's delight of gold coins, possibly valued at over $1…
Where Is Your I?October 25, 2005 – Back in the 1600s, when neurology was born, it wasn’t scientists who were looking at brains. The word scientist didn’t exist. Instead, those visionary folks would have called themselves natural philosophers. As I researched this chapter of scientific history for my book Soul Made Flesh, I was struck by the way philosophers–and philosophical questions–are now […]
Adventure in 60 SecondsFebruary 28, 2009 – Text by Keith Rutowski and Tetsuhiko EndoSherpa Sets Record Lapka Rita Sherpa skipped his way up 19,340-foot Mt. Kilimanjaro to become the first Sherpa in history to climb all of the Seven Summits reports pitchengine.com. The 45-year-old has climbed Everest 11 times and Aconcagua 22 times. Eco-Warrior of the Week: Goldman Sachs Say you are…
Earthquake Damages Italian Historical SitesApril 06, 2009 – var iamInit = function() {try{initIamServingHandler(234,156,824273,”http://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/Resources/Css/css2.css”)}catch(ex){}}() The earthquake that hit L’Aquila, Italy has inflicted devastating damage to multiple sites of the city’s artistic history. L’Aquila, the medieval capital of the Abruzzo region just northeast of Rome, was at the epicenter of the 6.3 magnitude earthquake early Monday morning. The death toll has reached over 90, and…
