Catégories
Euh… Penser

Evolution et religion dans les classes du Kentucky

I was originally reluctant to take my job at the university when offered it 20 years ago. It required teaching three sections of nonmajors biology classes, with 300 students per section, and as many as 1,800 students each year. I wasn’t particularly keen on lecturing to an auditorium of students whose interest in biology was questionable given that the class was a freshman requirement.

Then I heard an interview with the renowned evolutionary biologist E.O. Wilson in which he addressed why, as a senior professor—and one of the most famous biologists in the world—he continued to teach nonmajors biology at Harvard. Wilson explained that nonmajors biology is the most important science class that one could teach. He felt many of the future leaders of this nation would take the class and that this was the last chance to convey to them an appreciation for biology and science. Moved by Wilson’s words, and with the knowledge that Funkhouser once held the job I was now contemplating, I accepted the position. The need to do well was unnerving, however, considering that if I failed as a teacher, a future Scopes might leave my class uninspired.

I realized early on that many instructors teach introductory biology classes incorrectly. Too often evolution is the last section to be taught, an autonomous unit at the end of the semester. I quickly came to the conclusion that, since evolution is the foundation upon which all biology rests, it should be taught at the beginning of a course, and as a recurring theme throughout the semester. My basic biology for nonmajors became evolution for nonmajors. It didn’t take long before I started to hear from a vocal minority of students who strongly objected: “I am very offended by your lectures on evolution! Those who believe in creation are not ignorant of science! You had no right to try and force evolution on us. Your job was to teach it as a theory and not as a fact that all smart people believe in!!” And: “Evolution is not a proven fact. It should not be taught as if it is. It cannot be observed in any quantitative form and, therefore, isn’t really science.”

Via en kottke.org http://ift.tt/1CtGkIV – source : slate

Catégories
Technologie

Ghost in the shell arrive. Sans la métaphysique.


Mieux qu’un iphone : un bras bionique. Et mettable à jour par smartphone.

Iron Man isn’t the only one 3D-printing artificial limbs these days. But unlike the mechanical hand delivered by Robert Downey Jr, this recently unveiled prosthetic from Japanese manufacturer Exiii costs just $300 and leverages your mobile device’s computing power to act just like the real thing. The Ghost in the Shell future we’ve between waiting for came took a step closer to reality.

Via Engadget http://ift.tt/1LQNPjB

Catégories
Illustration

Carte du monde : Où se passent les dessins animés ?

halcyon

Retrouvez des tonnes d’articles aussi passionnants que Carte du monde : Où se passent les dessins animés ?, sur Geek Dad Power!.


via Halcyon maps http://www.halcyonmaps.com/where-are-animated-movies-set/

Catégories
Non classé

Un groupe de Metal tourne son clip pendant l’éclipse


Vendredi dernier, j’ai essayé d’observer la fameuse éclipse mais le ciel gris parisien a gâché ce moment et la récréation de nombreuses écoles primaires qui ont dût les organiser en intérieur. Par contre, sur les îles Féroe, le groupe de Doom Metal Hamferð a profité de la très bonne visibilité du phénomène pour tourner son clip du titre Deyðir Varðar, tourné en une seule prise bénéficiant de cette ambiance si particulière

Via en Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feR12pQ8dXc

Catégories
Non classé

This Japanese inn has been open for 1,300 years


The Atlantic:

Houshi Ryokan was founded in 718. It is one of the oldest family businesses in the world; 46 generations have managed the ryokan in its 1,300 years. Filmmaker Fritz Schumann profiles the current caretakers, Zengoro and Chizuko Houshi, as they struggle to determine the ryokan’s future after the death of their only son.

Such a sad story about a family seemingly trapped by the weight of their own history and traditions.
The atlantic

Catégories
Design

Les réparations zélées de Yeesookyung


Les maîtres céramistes coréens qui fabriquent de manière traditionnelle des reproductions de haute qualité des vases et ustensiles anciens en détruisent plus de 70% car ils ne sont pas d’une qualité acceptable pour eux. Née à Séoul, l’artiste Yeesookyung récupère ces rebuts et en assemble méticuleusement les pièces à la manière d’un puzzle en trois […]
Lo vi en La boite verte http://www.yeesookyung.com/

Catégories
Vidéo

Wes Anderson’s X-Men

What if Wes Anderson directed X-Men? from Patrick Willems on Vimeo.

viaWhat if Wes Anderson directed X-Men? on Vimeo.

Catégories
Écouter

Soundfighter (alpha 3)

Ou comment redéfinir une battle musicale :


SOUNDFIGHTER – YouTube.

Catégories
Culture générale

Cultures et Subcultures

La culture « mainstream » s’est toujours inspirée des genres et sous-genres. Mais auparavant ceux-ci étaient dilués lentement et par touches.

Quelle place reste t’il aux sous-genres quand la culture les absorbe de plus en plus vite, totalement et brièvement.
Quelle trace en restera t’il dans la culture générale quand ces éléments sont aussitôt remplacés par d’autres, plus « tendances ».

Où va notre culture pop quand elle n’est définie que par des trends spotters travaillant à rendre des marques ou des artistes (quelle diférence?) cools?

In recent years, we’ve seen Katy Perry go seapunk, Harry Styles go Dalston, Calum Best go deep house, Little Mix do dip-dyes, Joey Essex do Supreme, Britney do dubstep, Taylor do dubstep, Ellie do dubstep, America go EDM and OFWGKTA go ASOS. Picture a youth culture that you think is cool right now – or, if you don’t think anything’s cool, picture any scene that the mainstream currently seems less conscious of than Nando’s and Clean Bandit. Picture that, then think about what’s going to happen to it as soon as somebody your nan’s heard of comes along, skins it and starts parading around in its flayed hide on Saturday night TV like some kind of youth culture assassin bug. And then perhaps reconsider your position on Venus X’s hissy-fit.

Obviously the mainstream has always done this; the process just used to take a little longer. It used to be that a scene, look or sound would have the time to grow into a movement. By the time brands and celebrities cottoned on, everyone would be laughing about how over it already was, and how the mainstream would never be able to pick up on such things quickly enough, because the mainstream is inherently lame.

But now the mainstream is quick enough, which sucks, because it’s still inherently lame. Scenes, sounds and subcultures are barely out of the embryo stage before they’re being appropriated and corrupted by the big money boys. This is partly due to the burgeoning industry of those mercenary cultural poachers and collaborators: the trend forecasters, brand advisors, hype-spotters. The consiglieres of cool, whispering « Angel Haze so hot right now » into the ears of their moneyed overlords.

Stop Fucking with Our Youth Subcultures | VICE | United Kingdom.