art

SYNERGISTIC ART: "Artists' engagements with science can sometimes seem superficial and simply an appropriation of scientific imagery..." The Lancet covers Visceral.

Gates VS Ridley, and why both think we should look on the bright side

Bill Gates wrote in the WSJ about Matt Ridley's book The Rational Optimist, and agrees with his debunking of 'automatic pessimism' but disagrees about how a better future is acquired.

Here's an interesting open competition around artificial life and art that may be of interest, but the closing date is November 7th.  Further details available here. There are some special opportunities for residents of Spain, Portugal and Latin America, as well.

Call for entries: VIDA 13.0 Art and artificial life international awards

Big Bang Big Boom

Here's a little Friday eye-candy for you that takes an "unscientific point of view on the beginning and evolution of life." 

Do not click these links if you need to get anything done today

A mind-blowing layout of mind-blowing ideas: via the MOMA.

And, the 50 most interesting articles on Wikipedia.

Tree-ring data drama

A controversy around intellectual property and scientific data is afoot in Ireland.

In April, the UK Information Commissioner's Office ruled that Queen's University Belfast must hand over data obtained during 40 years of research into 7,000 years of Irish tree rings to a City banker and part-time climate analyst, Doug Keenan. Professor Mike Baillie, the man who collected most of that data, called the ruling a "staggering injustice"

Evolvaphone fans get ready-- this is required listening for the musical evolutionist. Here's the pitch:

My three year old could make art like that.

It turns out some cave 'art' might actually be more linguistic than impressionistic.

Does TV sex-up or dumb-down science?  RTE's "The Enforcers" has been described as "Miami Vice in Mayo," with environmentalists in place of pink blazer-wearing American cops.  Ok, maybe it hasn't... but it's quantum physics compared to what's on the Science Channel in the US.  They're saying they can't possibly dumb down science any further.

Darwin+ Camera = Phwoar!