-
Recent Posts
Recent Comments
Archives
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- June 2021
- March 2021
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- January 2020
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
Categories
Blogroll
Meta
Author Archives: thebookofworks
Gödel, Penrose, and Consciousness
Brilliant physicist and Nobel Laureate Sir Roger Penrose argues, using Gödel’s Theorem, that consciousness cannot be computational. In other words, there is more to human consciousness than can currently be explained scientifically. Gödel’s theorems are among the most important—and most … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
12 Comments
A Tale from the Lab
Biologists have some neat tricks for seeing the structures of genes. The details are too much to relate, but the end result is an Xray film in which parts of the gene show up as dark bands. The precise pattern … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
1 Comment
Simply Simon
I have posted this before. Today is simply Saturday, the day between. We know very little about what happened on this day, but we can imagine. We can imagine a man, much like us. A man defeated, alone, miserable and … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
4 Comments
A Very Old Story
One day, 12,494 years ago, somewhere in the middle of Mesopotamia, a young woman named Maya (I don’t know if that was really her name, but I like it, and it does have an Ancient Near Eastern ring to it) … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
2 Comments
Morality and Evolution
There is of course, no question that genes play a role in behavior throughout evolutionary history. Bees, for example are known to sacrifice their lives for the good of the hive. But while this might appear to be the result … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
2 Comments
The Good Old Days
Everyone knows how horrible modern life is, especially here in the US. Technology running rampant, terrible food, crowds, pollution, on and on. If only we could turn the clock back and live like we used to in “The Good Old … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
2 Comments
Controversy
During my scientific research career, I have never known of any scientific field that is not marked by controversy. When I retired from research and took a position as a senior official in the Center for Scientific Review of the … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
3 Comments
THEM (A Confession)
Early one morning a few years ago, a nondescript man started on a journey to a foreign land. The man was dressed casually, and inexpensively, He carried an ordinary briefcase filled with secret papers. He passed unnoticed through airport security … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
9 Comments
Claims and Evidence
A claim is an assertion that something is a fact. “The world is round” is a claim. So is “the moon is made of cheese,” “the genetic material is composed of DNA,” and “the gravitational force applies equally at all … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
4 Comments
How to Write a Scientific Paper
Most people not working in science have no idea of what it means to write, review, and publish a scientific paper. Why should they? Scientists learn the basic rules and customs from our mentors and advisors in grad school, and … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
1 Comment