Hist H122
abundance
An interesting article on
The Problem with Abundance discusses spam and music sharing.
genetic engineering
An interesting
article about opposition to genetic engineering. Contrast it with
Overcoming Yuk.
Wright sister
Here's a story (audio) about the contributions made by Wilbur and Orville Wright's sister.
computers and common sense
Researchers are trying to figure out how to give computers
common sense.
car culture
A radical
article about how the automobile has changed our culture.
Chinese space flight
China has become the third nation to put
human beings into space. Is this the beginning of a new space race, or do we not care?
class discussion
Can you think of other reasons why the public might reject a technology that works well and is useful? One classic example, that probably would have worked well, is the
supersonic transport. I'm not sure the
nuclear powered airplane counts as a good idea.
optical illusion
Check out
this. Put your cursor on a block to see that nothing is actually moving, even though it appears to move.
Blackouts
There is a detailed article about the problems of the electrical grid in:
The Industrial Physicist. In England insurance is proving to be a problem for farmers who want to plant
genetically modified crops.
mass production
Do you think that the era of mass production is ending, to be replaced by
mass customization? How often are you willing to pay more for a customized product and how often do we just want low price, like VCRs for under $100?
