The Google Doodle today is in honour of Heinrich Hertz, who would have been celebrating his 155th birthday  - if he hadn't died from Wegener's granulomatosis in 1894, or something else since then. Hertz was the first to conclusively prove the existence of electromagnetic waves. In 1930, the Hertz was made the SI unit of frequency which measures the number of cycles per second of a periodic phenomenon. Google frequently replaces its familiar Goooogle logo with a special design to commemorate special days. It has used animated images such as the Hertz logo only rarely. Happy birthday, Heinrich. Permalink...

Tomorrow is Ash Wedneday. Are you giving up coffee for Lent? No. Neither am I. There is good evidence that caffeine provides a stimulus to mental alertness.  It also acts as a legal performance enhancer for sports - the AIS has a guide to it use.  (Alex Watson was ahead of his time) And it is well known that all decent computer software is developed in the early hours of the morning 'under the influence' of caffeine. (What ever happened to Jolt Cola?) And we have already reported in WILT that Paul Erdos says that "A mathematician is a machine for turning coffee into theorems" However, too much caffeine causes...

What makes a difference in educational outcomes for school students? Class sizes? Infrastructure? Access to resources? Laptops for students? The research has one answer. The quality of the teacher. And where are we investing our money? If you missed 4 Corners this week, it is well worth a look. http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2012/02/06/3421391.htm Permalink | Leave a comment  » ...

Taking notes during class?Studying one topic at a time? Having the same place to study each day?As it turns out, alll are exactly the opposite of the best strategies for learning.This time last year we looked at basic learning strategies (test erly test often) and the strategy known as Mindburning - controlled unforgeting.http://whatilearnttoday.com.au/how-to-learn-new-stuffhttp://whatilearnttoday.com.au/mind-burning-how-to-learn-new-stuff-part-2Geek Dad recently blogged about his interview with Robert Bjork, the director of the UCLA Learning and Forgetting Lab, a distinguished professor of psychology, and a "massively...

"To the beginner the choices are few, to the expert the choices are many." Wojek Smallsoa, as quoted in The Trio of Hands, 1962 The game of 'Rock Paper Scissors' has been used for dispute resolution for 7000 years. According to the World RPS Society. "Early Homo-sapiens used a proto-RPS gamea to resolve food and mating disputes. Rock Paper Scissors is an exacting sport , with deep cultural and scientific roots. Although not yet accepted into the Olympic games, international competition is growing in popularity at a very rapid rate. The World RPS Society sanctions the annual world championships, for...

"Sir, a woman's preaching is like a dog's walking on his hind legs. It is not done well; but you are surprised to find it done at all." - Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) Tillman, the Skateboarding bulldog, in 2007, aged one. Tillman has since improved his skateboarding and expanded into surfing and skiing. Sorry, Murray, I think Tillman may be the coolest dog in the world. Permalink | Leave a comment  » ...

Can you compress two hundred years of social and economic history into a 4 minute youtube video? Yes, if you are Hans Rosling, The Jedi Master of Data Visualization, (and the Professor of International Health at the Karlinska Institute.) Prof Rosling is also director of the Gapminder Foundation - 'Unveiling the Beauty of Statistics for a Fact Based World'. Gapminder is a non-profit foundation based in Stockholm. Our goal is to replace devastating myths with a fact-based worldview. Our method is to make data easy to understand. We are dedicated to innovate and spread new methods to make global development...

What is the single best thing we can do for our health? Stop smoking? Lower our cholesterol? Take Aspirin? Lose weight? Take vitamins? There is one treatment that has been demonstrated in multiple studies to improve life expectancy (23%), decrease cardiovascular disease, prevent progression to diabetes (58%), prevent dementia and Alzheimer's (50%), improve the pain and disability of arthritis (47%), prevent fracture in osteoporosis (41%), reduce the incidence of anxiety (48%) and depression (47%), reduce fatigue and increase overall quality of life. And that treatment is.......... Over to you Professor Mike...

For an overnight stay in Tokyo, how can you go past the Shunjuku City Hotel N.U.T.S? The City Hotel N.U.T.S. (New Uarban Time and Space!) has a family room that sleeps five on traditional Japanes tatami mats (rare in Tokyo to find a room that sleeps three) - as well as Western-style rooms. And it certainly is the only...

Waiting room. I hate when they make you wait in the room. ‘Cause it says “Waiting room.” There’s no chance of not waiting, ’cause they call it the waiting room, they’re going to use it. They’ve got it. It’s all set up for you to wait. - Jerry Seinfeld. Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Dear God,  My prayer for 2012 is for -  A fat bank account & a thin body. Please don't mix these up like you did last year. AMEN!   (Hat Tip to Rabbit) Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Neurosurgeon Charlie Teo gave the 2012 Australia Day address. He called for tolerance, asked us to be less angry over unimportant things, and to foster innovation. "My view of an Aussie was someone who was hard working, unaffected, genuine, affable, relaxed, egalitarian, irreverent and charitable. I still believe most Aussies share these appealing qualities, although I am saddened by the increasing incidents of rage in our society. Once there was only road rage but now it seems to have spread into the workplace, the malls and even the last bastion of the laid-back, free spirited Aussie, the surf! I don't wish to trivialise...