In 2007, Dr. Nicholas Christakis, a medical sociologist at Harvard University, published a study in the New England Journal of Medicine on the effect of social networks on the prevalence of obesity. I recently came across this study online, through links in a post by a friend, and revisited the results of the study. You can view a 3-minute interview with Dr. Christakis about his study and findings here.

After watching this interview and looking over Dr. Christakis’ website, I composed this email to him: (more…)

Brain Computer Interface (BCI) is a new technology striding towards drastically improving the lives of people living with a disability that hinders independent communication. Strokes and neurological diseases like Lou Gehrigs and Cerebral Palsy can result in what is called ‘locked in syndrome’, where the mind is intact but the body is significantly paralyzed. BCI technology, which refers to a device that picks up braings signals and transmits that information to a computer, can serve as the key for those locked in.

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So, recently a friend of mine, one who’s knowledge of computers and is very reasonable, caught the “Power Antivirus 2009″ trojan. For any who are unaware, the “Antivirus” series is pure, unadulterated evil. This includes, but is not limited to, Antivirus XP, 2008, 2009, Pro, and just about any program with the word “Antivirus” with an attached meaningless word: something like “Power” or “Pro,” but not Norton. Just never download any antivirus program from an advertisement. (more…)

What do you know about differential Galois Theory? If you are in a position to require up-to-date information on such a topic, you should look forward to a publication that will be coming out in the Journal of Dynamic Systems and Applications in early 2009. It is being edited at this very moment by David Blázquez Sanz, Profesor Investigador, with significant assistance from a 15 year old prodigy, Camilo Andres Vargas Contreras, at Sergio Arboleda University in Bogota, Colombia. Camilo is a unique, talented scholar to say the very least– and (more…)

The NIMF (National Institute on Media and the Family) just published its 13th annual game report card. The results will surprise just about everyone: (more…)

Currently on view at the New York Academy of Sciences Art Gallery is an exhibit of the molecular illustrations of Kenneth Eward. I followed the links to Kenneth’s website and found one of the most captivating animated illustrations of the molecular development of human life. His “A Window Into Human Life” won an honorable mention at the 2008 Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge, sponsored by the National Science Foundation. 

On May 25, 2007 a bill was proposed, and eventually passed, in the New York State Assembly to turn the sale of a violent and/or sexually explicit video game to a minor into a class E felony. The possible punishments in New York for a class E felony are $1000-$5000 fine and/or 1-3 years in jail. Other class E felonies include (but are not limited to):

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By Ethan Tsai

Recently, in passing, a friend mentioned the LCD– and he got the explanation for how it works somewhat right. Somewhat, that is. It’s not my friend’s fault, he’s not an engineer or a device physicist, after all. But I thought I’d take the time to bang out a quick tangential post about how liquid crystals actually do that thing that they do in your LCDs. (more…)

By Ethan Tsai

I think that liquid crystals are fascinating — not because I am a Ph.D. scientist that works with this stuff, but because it is a fast growing field where commercial applications initially outstripped a great deal of the science that was being conducting — but science has caught up quite a bit. Cutting edge liquid crystal technology is branching out into areas well outside the realm of traditional materials science. (more…)

In Brooklyn, Obama fans partied in the streets and hugged random strangers until the weee hours of the morning on November 5. Not everyone spoke the same language: some sang out in Spanish, others in Chinese, English, Italian, etc.– but it didn’t matter, body language said it all. In fact, some fans were so enthusiastic that they sported permanent body language: Obama tattoos. And this tattoo artist even offered free Obama tattoos! Deciding whether or not to sport body art for the rest of your life is a tough decision, and then there’s the question of what colors to use. Perhaps a bit of information on the science of how tattoos work will be helpful: (more…)