Möbius symmetry, the topological phenomenon that yields a half-twisted strip with two surfaces but only one side, has been a source of fascination since its discovery in 1858 by German mathematician August Möbius. As artist M.C. Escher so vividly demonstrated in his “parade of ants,” it is possible to traverse the “inside” and “outside” surfaces […] … learn more→
Monthly Archives: December 2010
Berkeley researchers discover Möbius symmetry in metamaterials
Queen\’s study debunks myth about popular optical illusion
Study finds that the way people perceive the Silhouette Illusion, has little to do with the viewers\’ personality, or whether they are left- or right-brained. … learn more→
Author\’s quest to unravel the mystery of God
Few books have been written about God that are not specifically theistic or atheistic in nature. Now a new book goes beyond traditions of belief and disbelief to trace the personal history of God from a standpoint outside the Bible, and answer the crucial question: is there a creative, supernatural, intelligent entity in the universe, or is the concept merely an abiding superstition? … learn more→
Growing your own food may not save the planet – but do it anyway!
…because \”our revolution will have dancing and excellent food\” … learn more→
New analysis shows assumptions about importance of modern wildfires wrong
An assumption that wildfires are at a record high today has been incorporated into scenarios used for projections of future climate change. However, several recent analyses of palaeoenvironmental data show that the assumption is quite wrong, according to Macquarie University biological scientists, Professors I. Colin Prentice and Sandy Harrison. Two years ago, a team led […] … learn more→
Potent greenhouse gas in estuaries firmly linked to human activity
A PhD study which firmly links human activity – agricultural/human waste run-off – to a potent greenhouse gas (nitrous oxide) found in South island of New Zealand estuaries. … learn more→
In depth: Profiling engineering and manufacturing in Canada’s wind energy sector
Canada is a net energy supplier to the world, and as the world turns to wind power as a new source of renewable energy, Canadian companies are responding to global market requirements for engineering and manufacturing services, as well as to home-grown Canadian wind power projects. Canadian wind energy expertise can be found in the […] … learn more→
Scientists decipher 3 billion-year-old genomic fossils
Analysis of modern-day genomes finds evidence for ancient environmental change and a massive expansion in genetic diversity … learn more→
Conditioning reefs for the future
In a world first, a new ‘state of the art\’ climate change experimental facility has been completed at the University of Queensland\’s (UQ) Heron Island Research Station. The Climate Change Mesocosm (CCM) project led by Associate Professor Sophie Dove and Dr David Kline from the Global Change Institute\’s (GCI) Coral Reef Ecosystems Laboratory is one […] … learn more→
The Timeless Land by Eleanor Dark
The lifestyle of Bennelong, an Australian Indigenous tribal warrior was destroyed, partly been by alcohol, which exacerbated the exclusion he eventually faced from both his tribal race and the whites who at first so mercilessly used him. … learn more→