Posts tagged science
Olympics vs Mars
Next time someone tells me we can’t afford space exploration I’ll just kick them in the crotch until they shut up and never stop shutting up.
(via cityblue30)
In a simple experiment, researchers at the University of Chicago sought to find out whether a rat would release a fellow rat from an unpleasantly restrictive cage if it could. The answer was yes.
The free rat, occasionally hearing distress calls from its compatriot, learned to open the cage and did so with greater efficiency over time. It would release the other animal even if there wasn’t the payoff of a reunion with it. Astonishingly, if given access to a small hoard of chocolate chips, the free rat would usually save at least one treat for the captive — which is a lot to expect of a rat.
The researchers came to the unavoidable conclusion that what they were seeing was empathy — and apparently selfless behavior driven by that mental state.
“A New Model of Empathy: The Rat” by David Brown, Washington Post
Check out my friend Julia’s project Rodent Respect.
Aww, Splinters have feelings too.
Master Splinter’s a mensch.
This actually made me tear up a little.
Animation of a circularly polarized wave as a sum of two components
(via cityblue30)
(via cityblue30)
Go forth and watch or fear the wrath of the Dawkinite hordes! Richard Dawkins: If Science Worked Like Religion (via AtheistMediaBlog)