Learning from Rome (Archaeology)
The techniques used to create a 1600-year old Roman chalice involve nanotechnology and have things to teach modern scientists.
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/This-1600-Year-Old-Goblet-Shows-that-the-Romans-Were-Nanotechnology-Pioneers-220563661.html
Humanities + STEM (Education)
A call for a well-balanced, educated populace.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/lessons-from-the-humanities-and-social-sciences/
Success (Publishing)
Holly Lisle offers up a wonderful perspective on publishing success that often gets lost in the clutter.
http://hollylisle.com/beating-the-publishing-odds/
Poverty and Cognition (Sociology)
Study shows that poverty itself reduces the ability to function in modern society, and the effect is temporary. Huge opportunities for changing how needs are addressed.
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/jobs-and-economy/2013/08/how-poverty-taxes-brain/
Clean Energy (Technology)
Producing hydrogen gas from wastewater with a combination of solar and microbiology is a sustainable, efficient innovation
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131010205331.htm
In the flash and glitter of the Regency Era, a young noblewoman craves to dance not in the ballroom but on stage, blending music, movement, and soul. Will these scandalous dreams destroy her family, or gain her a loving patron?
Beneath the Mask
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One of my many pet peeves is the idea that older civilizations were stupid compared with us, and the older the civilization, the stupider they are. Thus, the “suprise” that the Romans could have developed this amazing thing. I’d suspect that if the real human stupidity in destroying civilizations with wars, necessitating much starting over, hadn’t happened, our current day would be much more advanced than it is. We could have learned a lot from the ancient civilizations if we hadn’t destroyed them. Alexandria’s library comes to mind as one resource that may have taught us a lot, if it weren’t for the conquerors destroying it.
On the subject of STEM and the Humanities, it hints at another of my pet peeves-creating dichotomies where none really exist. It’s not humanities vs. science. It’s humanities and science. I’d add the arts as a separate category just because they’re really dismissed. Yet music, literature, painting, sculpture, etc. express our humanity in ways neither pure science nor the social sciences do. I think people need to have a basic education in all of them. And I think our society needs to support them all. Not everyone is cut out to be a scientist or an engineer. And we need artists and humanities specialists, too.
The article on poverty explains a lot. I’m officially a poor person, but my circumstances are not dire at this point. But I do notice that there are things I don’t deal as well with as I did when things were better. However, I’d question the IQ thing. I don’t seem to be any less intelligent, just less capable of dealing with things I feel I can’t fix or have control over.
The fuel article is interesting. Good selection this month. 🙂
Linda
I’m glad you enjoyed them.
As to the IQ in poverty, I think they’re measuring apparent IQ so dealing with things is an aspect of that. It’s not permanent, but it can be if stuck in the downward spiral. I’ve been lucky never to experience true poverty, though part of that is my day-to-day financial choices are those of someone much closer to the poverty line than I am just out of habit, but I have experienced an IQ drop in extreme, long-term stress where my street smarts and my cognition are not up to par.
On the STEM, I can tell you I used more of my “liberal arts” training in systems analysis than I did many of the systems analysis courses I took because what I needed was critical thinking not data. I think everything we do has an aspect of art and an aspect of science, it’s just that those aspects are not called out. For example, a painter is using geometry to do perspective while a scientist is doing graphic arts every time a molecule is modeled.
And yes, I’m right with you on the ancient societies. I think it’s all too easy to dismiss what came before as less, especially since the more developed parts of the older world were not Western Caucasian which is the dominant voice in our current world. I still remember when I first heard of the burning of the library in Alexandria. I have vivid mental images of scroll going up like tinder and taking immeasurable knowledge with them.
I forgot to click on subscribe and I know you always reply. So this is just so I know when that is. Sorry to “spam” your blog.
Linda
LOL! I do indeed try always to respond. Wanting to keep aware of what I’m saying is the best reason for “spamming ;)”.
Thanks!