World Science Festival in New York City, May 22 – June 2, 2019

May 21, 2019 Maryse de la Giroday Science in Society, Technology and Engineering

It’s time for the World Science Fair in New York City, which has been around since 2008 according to their About webpage, …The annual live, week-long Festivals, which launched in New York in 2008, have collectively drawn over 2.9 million visitors worldwide, with millions more viewing the programs online. The World Science Festival’s original musical and theatrical works tour nationally and internationally, and March 2016 marked the launch of World Science Festival Brisbane. World Science…

The van Gogh-Roosegaarde, a solar powered bike path

May 20, 2019 Maryse de la Giroday Science in Society, Technology and Engineering

From YouTube, Heijmans NV Published on Nov 12, 2014 Inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s work, the cycle path combines innovation and design with cultural heritage and tourism. The Van Gogh-Roosegaarde cycle path is being constructed by Heijmans from a design by Daan Roosegaarde and forms part of the Van Gogh cycle route in Brabant. According to other sources, the path was inspired by van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’. From a November 21, 2014 article by Elizabeth…

Understanding Oil and Gas Methane Emissions and Mitigation Opportunities: Part 1

May 20, 2019May 21, 2019 Saskatchewan Research Council Environmental and Earth Sciences, General Science, Technology and Engineering

Government energy regulators are demanding substantial greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions from industry. While carbon dioxide is a concern, methane poses a bigger problem because it absorbs significantly more energy and has a great impact on global warming.

Pint Of Science Arrives Tomorrow

May 19, 2019 Dan Gillis Communication, Education and Outreach, Science in Society, Technology and Engineering

After many months of preparation and planning, Pint of Science 2019 arrives tomorrow. With 24 countries and more than 300 cities around the world welcoming more than 120 thousand guests, Pint of Science is truly a global celebration of science. And I’m extremely excited to be part of the team to bring it to GuelphContinue reading "Pint Of Science Arrives Tomorrow"

Space-time maps & tracking colony size with OpenCV in Python

May 18, 2019 Theory, Evolution, and Games Group bloggers Biology and Life Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics, Technology and Engineering

One of the things that the Department of Integrated Mathematical Oncology at the Moffitt Cancer Center is doing very well, is creating an atmosphere that combines mathematics and experiment in cancer. Fellow TheEGG blogger, Robert Vander Velde is one of the new generation of cancer researchers who are combining mathematics and experiment. Since I left Tampa, I’ve had less opportunity to keep up with the work at the IMO, but occasionally I catch up on…

Genes, intelligence, Chinese CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) babies, and other children

May 17, 2019 Maryse de la Giroday Science in Society, Technology and Engineering

This started out as an update and now it’s something else. What follows is a brief introduction to the Chinese CRISPR twins; a brief examination of parents, children, and competitiveness; and, finally, a suggestion that genes may not be what we thought. I also include a discussion about how some think scientists should respond when they know beforehand that one of their kin is crossing an ethical line. Basically, this is a complex topic and…

Evaluating Integrated Testlets For Use In Software Design Education

May 16, 2019 Dan Gillis Communication, Education and Outreach, Science in Society, Technology and Engineering

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of attending a talk hosted by the Department of Physics at the University of Guelph. The talk – Integrated Testlets for Physics and Chemistry: Multiple-Choice Testing 2.0 – was led by Dr. Aaron Slepkov, Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in the Physics of Biomaterials at TrentContinue reading "Evaluating Integrated Testlets For Use In Software Design Education"

The Art of Science (Juan Geuer) on May 18, 2019 at Canada’s Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa

May 16, 2019 Maryse de la Giroday Science in Society, Technology and Engineering

If you’re in Ottawa on May 18, 2019 and available from 1 – 1:30 pm and have paid your entry fee to the Canada Science and Technology Museum, there’s a special talk. From a ‘Curiosity on Stage’ event page, Have you ever wondered what it’s like to work in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math? Curiosity on Stage is a series of short, interactive presentations that brings you face-to-face with researchers and innovators.…

Walking again with exoskeletons and brain-controlled, non-invasive muscle stimulation enabling people to walk

May 15, 2019 Maryse de la Giroday Science in Society, Technology and Engineering

I have two news bits about paraplegics and the possibility of walking. The first is from Alberta, Canada and the second is from Brazil. Alberta The fellow in the video is wearing a robotic exoskeleton. As you can see, it’s not perfect but it represents an extraordinary breakthrough (from an April 16, 2019 article by Sarah Lawrynuik for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation [CBC] Radio), On his fifteenth birthday in December 2015, Calgary’s Alex McEwan was…

How do nanoparticles interact with the environment and with humans over time?

May 14, 2019 Maryse de la Giroday Science in Society, Technology and Engineering

I meant to get this piece published sooner but good intentions don’t get you far. At Northwestern University, scientists have researched the impact engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) might have as they enter the food chain. An October 18, 2019 Northwestern University news release (also on EurekAlert) by Megan Fellman describes research on an investigation of ENPs and their interaction with living organisms, Personal electronic devices — smartphones, computers, TVs, tablets, screens of all kinds — are…

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