On 2 May 2012, Tiaina Baul "Junior" Seau Jr. took his life. It is alleged that he killed himself because of the repeated Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) he received from playing professional football. Seau shot himself in the chest, and his family donated his intact brain for autopsy.
Seau was a linebacker in the National
Football League. He had a reputation for the intensity of his playing style. His career achievements included being a
10-time All-Pro, 12-time Pro Bowl selection, and named to the NFL 1990s
All-Decade Team.
" Everyone knew that
football is violent and dangerous. But what the players who built the
NFL into a $10 billion industry didn’t know – and what the league sought
to shield from them – is that no amount of padding could protect the
human brain from the force generated by modern football; that the very
essence of the game could be exposing these players to brain damage.
In
a fast-paced narrative that moves between the NFL trenches, America’s
research labs and the boardrooms where the NFL went to war against
science, League of Denial examines how the league used its
power and resources to attack independent scientists and elevate its own
flawed research -- a campaign with echoes of Big Tobacco’s fight to
deny the connection between smoking and lung cancer. It chronicles the
tragic fates of players like Hall of Fame Pittsburgh Steelers center
Mike Webster, who was so disturbed at the time of his death he
fantasized about shooting NFL executives; and former Chargers great
Junior Seau, whose diseased brain became the target of an unseemly
scientific battle between researchers and the NFL. ..." This FRONTLINE story airs Tomorrow evening - on Albuquerque's PBS Affiliate, KNME at 8:00 PM.
Clearly,
this documentary has the potential to incite passions - both pro and con.
Nonetheless, the focus of your response ought to be on issues
surrounding the biology of trauma. Opinions are welcome, just make sure
your arguments are supported with research - particularly if you are
going to be passionate about it.
Endnote: Feedback Response credits for a review of this Documentary will depend upon how in-depth you make your response.
A 1200-1500 word book-review will meet the 5 point Feedback Response requirement. If you elect to exercise that option, just e-mail me, to let me know of your intent.
"That flow, that spark, that crown, you looking at the King of the Jungle now..."
- Flo Rida
* Here's my suggestion,
1] Go to the bottom of this video and start up Flo Rida's song in the YouTube link below.
2] Then come back up here and scroll through the pictures.
3] When you are done, play the video on running, located here at the top.
4] Enjoy
I attended the Cross Country event this past Saturday,
I had a chance to see our runners, and I've Got a Good Feeling...
They have a lot of heart,
and Coach T. is doing an awesome job.
I decided to start posting some videos that have to deal with the science of running.
The video at the top of this post was created by Ken Taylor, aka "The Speed Doctor." This man knows about running, and his videos offer excellent pointers for running that are based on scientific principles.
I will be posting more videos that cover the Physics of running plus other sports, the science behind them, and how to optimize movement with the aim of increasing efficiency while reducing the risks of injury.
Check with Coach T. or any of the CC team members to find out where and when their upcoming competition is scheduled to take place.
Make sure you get out to see them, and show your support.
On occasion, one of my students will offer up a suggestion of something interesting to post. This one comes to us on recommendation from one of my favorite students. Thank you Mr. Mini Fitz!
For those of you students wrestling with the concepts of Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry and the various hypotheses, laws and constructs you are faced with in Chemistry & Physics, here is the reason why you need to master them; ideas are being bandied, in the world of the mind are slowly progressing toward the notion of a Unified Field Theory - something that eluded Einstein and continues to escape scientists who have followed him. The world as we know it is changing rapidly - so much so - that, what we once found to be nuanced a century ago, even decades ago and more accurately, right now is the stuff science fiction didn't even come close to predicting; truth really is stranger than fiction. The world of the mind is where each of you will be far more suited to play. I happen to believe it is because the time you were born makes this possible - think of Malcolm Gladwell's arguments. That said, I strongly adhere to the notion put forth by the scientist, Louis Pasteurwho famously said, "Chance favors a prepared mind." I cannot come close to explaining what some of these concepts
described in this video mean. However, I have every confidence that
there will be people among your generation that may in fact be able to
get their heads wrapped around these topics. To that end, this is why
it is so critical that each of you endeavor to master the basic
intellectual building blocks you are now studying because without them,
you will be left behind, and our world will be the less for it.
Rest assured, the assiduous efforts you make today will be rewarded in the future. And, like a spinning bicycle wheel that comes into focus only instantaneously, thus will be your education. Borrowing from that metaphor, as sure as we cannot see the wheel turning every moment, we none the less know that it continues in its motion. This is how your learning works as well; it turns and reveals itself - stingily at times - but it is building upon a base of knowledge that will serve its purpose in due time.
Now, conceptualizing the world in six more dimensions? I hope we get there in my life time. Always do your best and never quit.
Note: This video qualifies as a 5 point maximum extra
credit paper for your semester's final Science grade - that's a half a grade added to your final grade.
However, it must meet the following criteria: 1500 word minimum (to 10,000
words maximum) to include a summary of the video and an exposition that
discusses a topic of your choice mentioned in the video. Make sure it
is copy edited, spell checked and set-up in a word document.
Should
you elect to take this challenge, your essay on this post ought to be
fun, and rewarding for you. If you take any other approach to it, or if
it ceases to be fun, then you are doing something wrong.
"And so I say to you, trust yourself - and believe. Whatever happens, don't give up." William Kamkwamba
This is a fascinating story about a 14 year-old young man - William Kamkwamba - from Malawi, Africa whose ambition to learn about electricity brought about tremendous changes in his life, the lives of his family and his community.
He also wrote a book about the experience in, "The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind" - I picked up the book for my e-reader for $2.99. That's a bargain, and it is a good read.
Note: This book qualifies as a 5 point maximum extra
credit paper for your semester's final Science grade - that's a half a grade added to your final grade.
However, it must meet the following criteria: 1500 word minimum (to 10,000
words maximum) to include a summary of the video and an exposition that
discusses a topic of your choice mentioned in the video. Make sure it
is copy edited, spell checked and set-up in a word document.
Should you elect to take this challenge, your essay on this post ought to be fun, and rewarding for you. If you take any other approach to it, or if it ceases to be fun, then you are doing something wrong.
I also wonder if this is something that might be repeated in Smart Lab...
I want you students to realize that there is a world beyond Albuquerque. It can be seen if you get yourselves a good education. And, when you do see it, so much of it will make sense to you because of the investment you have made into your acquisition of knowledge - for the sake of learning.
May all that you are learning become a contagion for everyone around you. More than that, may you be filled with life-long curiosity and a deep sense of wonder because you are educated. I hope you are sharing these posts with your family and friends.
So,
take some geeks + water, add in some bikes, ramps and shovels, toss in a
dog or two, and some water proof cameras - don't forget the
fearlessness (or insanity of youth) and what you get?
Bandaids & helmets are mandatory - superman cape, necktie and cardboard for breakdancing? Maybe. A
physics lab where notes are optional, and you will develop a working
understanding of all those dusty formulas you are learning at your desk. Look closely and you will see the following concepts and more...
Resolution of Vectors
Kinetic vs Potential Energy
Ramps
Trajectories
Gravity
Gravitational Forces between two Bodies
Cartesian Coordinate Systems 2D & 3D
F=ma
Velocity
Acceleration
Center of Mass
Center of Gravity
Density
Torque
Friction
Trigonometric Functions - SOHCAHTOA
Pythagorean Theorem
Wave Physics
Rotational Dynamics
Axis of Rotation
Neurobiology
Simple Levers
Of course, if flying doesn't interest you, how about gliding?
See how many concepts you can identify
Note: This video qualifies as a 5 point maximum extra
credit paper for your semester's final Science grade - that's a half a grade added to your final grade.
However, it must meet the following criteria: 1500 word minimum (to 10,000
words maximum) to include a summary of the video and an exposition that
discusses a topic of your choice mentioned in the video. Make sure it
is copy edited, spell checked and set-up in a word document.
Should
you elect to take this challenge, your essay on this post ought to be
fun, and rewarding for you. If you take any other approach to it, or if
it ceases to be fun, then you are doing something wrong.
The good news is you will one day make decisions about your world. The bad news is that one day, you will have to make decisions about your world. You will be held responsible for the decisions you make.
Being educated enough to know how to spot a miracle and make a miracle happen "in a very short time-line" will be to your benefit.
Something to ponder:
What does this mean?
CO2 = P x E x S x C
Please discuss.
Note: This video qualifies as a 5 point maximum extra
credit paper for your semester's final Science grade - that's a half a grade added to your final grade.
However, it must meet the following criteria: 1500 word minimum (to 10,000
words maximum) to include a summary of the video and an exposition that
discusses a topic of your choice mentioned in the video. Make sure it
is copy edited, spell checked and set-up in a word document.
Should
you elect to take this challenge, your essay on this post ought to be
fun, and rewarding for you. If you take any other approach to it, or if
it ceases to be fun, then you are doing something wrong.
For those of you studying Chemistry and Physics, this video offers interesting insight regarding Teflon; what it is, how it works and whether it is Carcinogenic.
Now, this kid isn't going to be knocking off a Grammy anytime soon, but his song is real my fellow brainiacs. His science is solid. I love the shout out he gave to his teacher. See if you can tell me what her name was.
Do you feel it, yo? Get low! ...Lowest coefficient of friction, that is.
I read this book a couple of years ago and just didn't like it at all. Re-reading it has caused Walter Isaacson to grow on me, immensely.
Isaacson offers an glimpse into Albert Einstein's life that is both intimate and profound. This biography helps me to appreciate just the power of Einstein's contributions to Physics and moreover his impact on so many of the conveniences and technological advancements modern life offers to the unsuspecting.
And yet, his Humanity, his imperfections, and personal failings help me to realize that we are all flawed in some way or another. We are in fact just ordinary people who do extraordinary things. Einstein's talent lay in his ability to navigate complexities in purely the world of the mind. His ability to posit difficult concepts was unhindered by his inability to perform the complex mathematical computations until which time he was forced to recon with his lack of mastery in the discipline.
To me, that is probably the most fascinating idea I took away from this biography; if you don't have an answer, you seek solutions by formulating questions and seeking out the answers in a methodical, intelligent way. This is the genius of Einstein. What I would like to read about next is a book by someone like Malcolm Gladwell who explores the 'how' behind Einstein's metacognitive capacities.
I come away from this biography with a sense of wonder about Einstein the Human Being. I have always been awed by Einstein's capacity to conduct thought experiments and to visualize mathematical concepts in his mind. Because of the insights offered in this tome, I carry away a deeper appreciation for Walter Isaacson, the researcher, writer and perhaps even student of Physics. His capacity to vet out complex theories and concepts is to be commended. This is not an easy read, but it certainly is worth the effort to keep up.
I can't really say why, but I felt a tinge of sadness when I finished this book. I regret not having ever met Einstein. While there is no chance that would ever have had the opportunity to do so even if he were alive, I am nonetheless touched by his Humanity. I feel richer for knowing about Albert Einstein the man, and I cannot help but wonder how many lives were senselessly destroyed in the holocaust.
I often shake my head wondering just how many brilliant young minds fall through the proverbial cracks in the educational world. Perhaps, because of that, I find myself even more disappointed that fine minds are lost every day to the poverty and inertia created by greed, xenophobia and intolerance. I find ironic that we, as a society are appalled at the wholesale destruction of human intelligence in concentration camps, and yet, we suffer from this collective blindness when it comes to the children that we leave to fend for themselves in an educational system that cares so little about whether they learn or not.
It drives the point home for me that every Human Being has an intrinsic
value. Because of that, I am grateful for having the opportunity to
work for young people, and helping them to master abstract concepts which will one day serve them to understand complex phenomena.
Sometimes students approach me and ask, "When am I ever going to use any of this Physics, or Math, or Biology or... ?"
Watch this video and see if you can get a feel for the power in just a few of the concepts you are learning in your classes. You might think that you aren't learning Physics, but will I argue that there is Physics & Science - everywhere you turn, and everywhere you learn.
I received an inquiry on Friday, 12 October 2012 from a student whom I will call, "X". X was concerned about a couple of poor-quality questions on an exam.* After taking around 3 hours to figure out what was happening, I wrote a detailed response - about the questions, in question.
It was a huge time investment - particularly on a vacation day, but I couldn't figure out why it continued to perplex me even after I went through all the trouble to figure it out. I could not put the issue to rest. In retrospect, I believe it had something to do with valuable lessons I learned regarding questions, and how they are framed, so here we go...
The following letters offer insight regarding teaching, learning, test-taking - and even life.
For privacy's sake, I have culled out anything from the correspondences that might identify the student, "X.".
"Dear X,
Background
My
requirement for you to have detailed notes is so that we can address whatever
deficiencies in understanding that may arise. Moreover, having your
detailed notes helps me to pinpoint any deficiencies in the curriculum
when a student makes a claim that s/he is not being adequately prepared for
what s/he is being tested on. Most
of all though, is the fact that your notes are immensely beneficial to helping
you develop disciplined thinking.
... Basically, I had two choices:
1] Reject your claim and let your grade stand, or
2]
Personally review the Direct Instruction and lab Lectures you have alluded
to.
I decided to go back and review the lectures, and all other related material in
order to determine whether your claim is in fact substantiated. I don't
mind doing this however, it is very time-intensive, therefore inefficient and
not something I can do on a regular basis with the three hundred science
students that I work for. I hope you appreciate this being one of my
reasons for requiring detailed notes from you all.
Findings
This
is what I found in my investigation regarding your claims about the exam on Measurement
on Chemistry - which you received an 84%:
1] Question 10:
The
difference between an accepted value and an experimental value is called a(n)
____.
a.
error.
b.
percent
error.
c.
measured
value
d.
precise
measurement.
You answered, "percent error." The answer was
"error." - that was covered in the lecture entitled, "How
Reliable are Measurements." of your lecture covering
"percent error". This is why you missed it:
There are two formulas you need to know in order to answer the question: a) error is the difference between accepted value and
experimental value: The testers have given you the answer in the
question. This is not a chemistry error on your part, but rather,
your failure to logic out the answer. The testers are attempting to get
you to rely on prior knowledge from Algebra. They are checking whether
you have an enduring understanding of arithmetic and word problems.
Mathematics tells us that the word, "difference" means
subtraction. The way the sentence sequence in the question is worded, tells us that
experimental value is subtracted from the accepted value.
The lecture did
not cover the "+" or "-" values, but that has to do with
whether the experimental value was greater or lesser than the expected
value. b) for percent error: % error = (experimental
value/accepted value) x 100% - so, you see, you were parroting an answer that
you had memorized without actually understanding what you were being tested
on.
You may consider this to be trick question, but this is precisely
where students of science make common errors; they think they know an answer
without being skeptical about what they are being asked.
2] Question 21
"How close a series of measurements are to each other"
You answered, "percent error" the answer was
"Precision" - and, it was also covered in the Lecture,
"How Reliable are Measurements." at the 58 second
mark. It was the archery example; arrows landing in close proximity on a
target may be precise and still be lacking in accuracy.
3] Question 24:
An
experimenter's best estimate of how far an experimental quantity might be from
the "true value" is called __________.
a.
uncertainty
c.
science
b.
an
inference
d.
a guess
You answered, "D."
The
answer was, "uncertainty." - which was not covered directly in your
lecture. But let's go through the possible answers:
uncertainty - actually has to do with the difference between what we know and
what we don't know. Thus, uncertainty deals with accuracy and precision -
both of which are related to one another based upon qualitative and/or
quantitative differences. Thus, by deduction, this seems the most
plausible answer because it actually deals with numbers.
Science - is a discipline that involves study - in the
bigger picture, while it does involve making estimations, it would be wrong to
define science as making estimates between experimental quantities and true
values. In other words, this definition is too limited to describe what
we do in science.
Inferring - is the process whereby we draw a conclusion about something
or have a hunch that something either is going to occur or has occurred.
It too could mean that we are estimating but again, while inferring includes
estimating, estimating is not inferring.
a guess - is another word for hypothesis which means drawing a
conclusion between what we see and making some sort of prediction about why
something is occurring based on our observations.
You may not like this problem because it was not spelled out for you in either lecture.
But, this is what real science is like; it is about being to discern
minute differences based on your observations. It is what separated people like Isaac Newton, Albert
Einstein and the late Richard Feynman (the physicist who figured out why the
space shuttle Challenger blew up - it had to do with expansion and contraction of
an "O" ring) from the rest of us mere mortals... CONCLUSION
I really want you to put all your notes - prior notes included - into
outline form because you will be able to reference all of them for the cumulative
exam....you should always be able to review your notes for future classes -
either here or at the university once you graduate and move on from here.
I also want you to burn this in your brain; your notes are an extension of your
memory. That said,sloppy notes =sloppy thinking. If you invest your energy into excellent notes, you
will remember finer details, and you will organize them much better that you
are more apt to recall them on demand. Failing that, you can always rely
on them for all your assessments, quizzes and exams...
More than that, I think it would be wonderful for you to actually see the
qualitative improvement in your note-taking skills, and their direct correlation
to your test scores over time - from now until you graduate.*
Please let me know what you want to do, and above all, do not lose heart.
This is tough material you are working with. The intellectual playground
you are now in, is one which all science students throughout history have had
to learn the rules in order to play there. You are no different. We
all have to pay these dues.
Always do your best and never quit.
Mr. M"
*...I occasionally look back upon
my notes from high school and it brings both a chuckle and a smile. I
owe so much to Mr. Mike Gruner, my high school science teacher and All-American Hero. Thank you Mr Gruner. I can never pay you back for all you did... :O)
Now here is the follow up letter to Mr X.
"Dear X,
I have been giving a lot of thought to your e-mail yesterday, and I want to thank you.
It occurred to me when I awoke this morning, that the reason why I invested so
much time - 3 hours - into my response was because I saw it a s a
teaching moment for you - and for me.
It helped me to understand the utility of difficult, or even 'bad'
questions on tests. To my way of thinking, poorly worded questions are
more reflective of what actually happens in the real world - especially
science - where neatly defined answers rarely
come.
I am willing to argue that the, "percent error" question taught both of
us more than we ever bargained for. It did so because it caused us to
think deeper about the implications of what an error in science is
defined to be, it also helped us to realize that
in science - as in life - some answers are not so obvious; more
importantly, we should never discount the obvious because sometimes the
simplest answers are the most complex.
That is what all great thinkers throughout have found; the simple is
truly profound. I recently put two different posts on the blog;
They both speak to this issue. You ought to visit the blogs, because
both posts offer us insight regarding the discipline of Science, and
moreover, its utility for dealing with nearly every problem life can
throw at us.
It may seem funny to you, but I used the Scientific Method when I was a
Freshman in College because I was terribly shy, but loved to dance. In
those days, we needed partners to dance so, I made my observations,
came up with a plan - my hypothesis - in order to get the
girls to dance with me. My initial experiment filed so I had to tweak
my plan. It turned out that just walking up to a girl and asking her to
dance wasn't really how asking a girl to dance simply didn't work. I
theorized that using humor might help me out
so, I tried it and, as the French say, "voila!" it worked. I planned my
work, I worked my plan and I attenuated it to the point where I was
soon being asked to dance.
I could go into how I used the Scientific Method to get my parents to
let me drive a car, but this is becoming a digression. Perhaps we can
talk about that little venture some other time.
Getting back to the test.
The next question we covered had to do with usage of a common logic tool used in the Scientist's bag of tricks; deductive reasoning. The
question whose answer was, "uncertainty" most certainly was the answer, and we came to it by
eliminating each of the other answers.
I am not really bragging here, but I am pretty proud of myself because I
really know how to ask good questions. That is perhaps the most
important thing to know about learning. We never know answers, but if
we can formulate intelligent questions, then we
have a better chance of coming up with useful answers.
To that end, I had an epiphany about test-taking - and dealing with
life's questions; whenever we are confronted with a question, our
natural inclination is to come up with an answer. Because of that, our
approach is flawed. We should always face a question
with a question that way we know what we are in fact being asked. I am
convinced the lion's share of questions on tests, and life for that
matter are wrongly answered because we are so solution oriented as a
species.
Moreover, I am absolutely convinced that
this is the first point of divergence that truly brilliant Human Beings
take. It is what separates true innovators from the rest. I would even
go so far as to say that it is a trait shared by all of the brilliant
minds that have gone before us. It is a fundamental
trait commonly referred to as, "geniuses."
I mentioned Sir Issac Newton - who invented Calculus in order to explain
his theory on Gravity and the movement of the planets. He did this in
less than two years - at the age of 23. Building upon that base of knowledge, Albert
Einstein developed the theory of Relativity at
age 27 and came up with the famous energy equals mass times the speed of
light squared. He did this because he wondered - at age 16, what it
might be like to travel on a light beam.
I have another post onFemto photography going on at MIT RIGHT NOW (click here)- they
are taking photos of photons of light at a trillionth of a second. In
doing so, they are showing the world what Einstein imagined in his head;
light can act like a particle, and a wave. This is called, "the dual
nature of light." Again, you should visit the
blog and see for yourself how people with ingenious questions are coming
up with remarkable answers.
I also mentioned Richard Feynman- an American Physicist who was a
member of the Congressional appointed committee charged withinvestigating the Space Shuttle Challenger's disastrous explosion.
Through his ingenious, elegant demonstration, he showed how the
disaster could have been avoided. Placing an "O" ring in ice water, he
was able to show the world a simple concept of physics - expansion and
contraction due to heat transfer.
Like the other two giants I mentioned
here, Richard Feynman had no answer book
to turn to. All he had was his basic knowledge built upon from
constantly building upon his learning by making connections with prior
knowledge. They also shared something in common, learning is fun.
Learning is done not because of tests, but rather because
it it is a form of play. That is why I referred to Science as an
intellectual playground.
Mathematics and science for that matter is not at all easy. But what it
lacks in ease of understanding, it more than makes up for in being
fun. If learning chemistry isn't fun, then we are approaching it
wrong. Finally, I want to point out that mathematics
and the exercises we must endeavor to master are difficult to master
because truly conceptualizing what happens in mathematics really goes on
between the ears.
Einstein lamented, just days before he died,
that he didn't know math better. Yeah right!
Well, Einstein did all of his Science in his head and only later pushed
himself to master Mathematics as a means of explaining what he envisioned
as he formulated thought experiments in his mind. Again, this speaks to not having the answer and working to
find it.
I close this correspondence with a reminder; noting ever worth having is
easy. You have demonstrated a talent for Chemistry. I can confidently
predict that one day you will far surpass my ability in this field of
study. I can also predict that when you get
to the playground of Physics, you are going to have a blast. You are a
brilliant kid and whether you realize it or not, you are just
approaching the time in your life when your brain is going to be working
optimally.
That is why it is important to fill your
brain with all of these basics. Forget about the grade point and learn
for the sake of learning. I assure you the grades will come. Nothing is
easier than when it becomes a game - when it becomes fun. Take the
pressure off yourself and understand that there
is nothing more powerful than the creativity of an unencumbered mind.
Humans as a species learn through play, so learn to play and play to
learn.
Always do your best, and never quit.
