Science Odds and Ends

Rockdoc Franz wrote: ... Personally, I've always forsaken memorization of isolated facts for an understanding of the principles that govern how things work. Armed with that information I can figure out things about which I know nothing. Isolated facts to me carry minimal value.

I agree, memorizing formulas is silly, waste of brain cells. So is the rigor of solving boring Calculus equations. I wonder how schooling is these days? In the higher level engineering courses I took, we were usually allowed a one-page cheat sheet for formulas. Some tests were even open-book. I see no value to memorizing most things in Science, other than basic fundamentals. I'm not sure what they do in other science fields like physics, chemistry, geology?

Joe wrote:

Rockdoc Franz wrote: ... Personally, I've always forsaken memorization of isolated facts for an understanding of the principles that govern how things work. Armed with that information I can figure out things about which I know nothing. Isolated facts to me carry minimal value.

I agree, memorizing formulas is silly, waste of brain cells. So is the rigor of solving boring Calculus equations. I wonder how schooling is these days? In the higher level engineering courses I took, we were usually allowed a one-page cheat sheet for formulas. Some tests were even open-book. I see no value to memorizing most things in Science, other than basic fundamentals. I'm not sure what they do in other science fields like physics, chemistry, geology?

At University, it is a variable bag of approaches. Some want memorization, others synthesis. That was back in the early and mid 70's I imagine much the same continues today given that people learn and think in different ways. Hence, presentation and evaluation of "knowledge" most likely will reflect the presenter's preferred learning and thinking approach.

NOW THIS IS COOL (pun intended)

What's that on Mars? It just might be liquid saltwater
Researchers make case to explain mysterious clusters of dark, narrow lines

Saltwater could be running down some slopes of Mars every spring, researchers suggest.
Such a finding would suggest new directions to search for any life that still existed on the Red Planet.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44022462/ns/technology_and_science-space/?ocid=ansmsnbc11

Remember, some think that we humans ARE the ones that will effect the climate. GET REAL!

Science Solar Flares Reach Earth: Could Cause Satellite, Communications Problems

WASHINGTON (The Blaze/AP) — The impact of a series of eruptions on the sun began arriving at Earth on Friday and could affect some communications for a day or so.
Operators of electrical grids are working to avoid outages, but the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says some satellite communications and Global Positioning Systems could face problems.
Three solar flares erupted on the sun starting Tuesday, and the strongest electromagnetic shocks were being felt Friday by the ACE spacecraft, a satellite that measures radiation bursts a few minutes before they strike Earth, said Joseph Kunches, a scientist at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colo.
Other serious solar blasts occurred in 1921 and 1940, he noted, and Kunches recalled one on Halloween in 2003.

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Northwest could see northern lights, weather permitting
Updated 1:49 p.m. MT, Sat., Aug 6, 2011
Three solar flares erupted on the sun starting Tuesday. The weather will be more favorable Saturday night than it was Friday, but the strength of the geomagnetic field won’t be as high, according to KING 5’s Lisa Van Cise. It’s suggested observers ... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44040817
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Effects of solar flares arriving on Earth
WASHINGTON — The impact of a series of eruptions on the sun began arriving at Earth on Friday and could affect some communications for a day or so.
Operators of electrical grids are working to avoid outages, but the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says some satellite communications and Global Positioning Systems could face problems.
Three solar flares erupted on the sun starting Tuesday, and the strongest electromagnetic shocks were being felt Friday by the ACE spacecraft, a satellite that measures radiation bursts a few minutes before they strike Earth, said Joseph Kunches, a scientist at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colo.
Solar Flare May Spark Dazzling Northern Lights Displays Friday
http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/B3/20110808/NJNEWS18/308080008/Effects-solar-flares-arriving-Earth
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If you’re in the high latitude regions of the Northern Hemisphere, you may be able to see some aurora borealis displays today thanks to a large solar flare that sent a cloud of plasma down to Earth earlier this week.
The Sun hurdled solar flares and coronal mass ejections towards Earth, and the most recent one currently en route is said to be both bigger and faster than the previous two. The third flare is expected to catch up with the other two and join forces to create a giant cloud that’s expected to hit Earth Today at 8:55 a.m. EDT plus or minus seven hours. http://www.geek.com/articles/geek-cetera/solar-flare-blast-may-cause-aurora-borealis-display-today-2011085/
Aug. 5, 2011 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44010889
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Sample Pictures

[center:3f5t2hfh]Largest Solar Flare in Current Cycle Erupts on Sun [/center:3f5t2hfh]

An extremely powerful solar flare, which is the largest in the current solar weather cycle, rocked the Sun on Tuesday, resulting in a coronal mass ejection (CME). But as the gigantic bursts of radiation occurred near the western limb of the Sun, it is unlikely to wreak any serious havoc on Earth.
Picture is AWESOME!!! Sorry didin't show.
(Photo: NASA/SDO/GSFC)
This still from a video taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory shows the Aug. 8, 2011 solar flare as it appeared in the ultraviolet range of the light spectrum. The flare registered as an X6.9 class sun storm, the largest of the Solar Cycle 24.

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/195507/20110810/nasa-solar-flare-solar-cycle-sun-earth-x6-9-larger-flare-coronal-mass-ejections-cme-directed-noaa-sp.htm

Found same picture...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/6025628821/

[center:udrt26m2]THIS IS AWESOME!!!!! [/center:udrt26m2]

New leukemia treatment exceeds 'wildest expectations'
A single shot could be one of the biggest advances in cancer research in decades, scientists say. But the research almost didn't happen
Doctors have treated only three leukemia patients, but the sensational results from a single shot could be one of the most significant advances in cancer research in decades. And it almost never happened.
In the research published Wednesday, doctors at the University of Pennsylvania say the treatment made the most common type of leukemia completely disappear in two of the patients and reduced it by 70 percent in the third. In each of the patients as much as five pounds of cancerous tissue completely melted away in a few weeks, and a year later it is still gone.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44090512/ns/health-cancer/?GT1=43001

[youtube:9uuw3fsm][/youtube:9uuw3fsm]

very cool!