Category Archives: science
Survey on computing in the sciences
Do you create software for scientific computing, or use such software in doing research? Then my friend Greg Wilson would like to hear from you. Together with colleagues from the University of Toronto, Simula Research Laboratory and the National Research … Continue reading
Life Curves
J. John Sepkoski, Jr., was a fossil-hunter who did most of his digging in the library, sifting through the literature of paleontology to build a detailed, quantitative timeline of life on earth. Focusing on marine animals, he recorded the earliest … Continue reading
Posted in biology, computing, science, statistics
4 Comments
On the spot
Wow. Jupiter has sprouted a third red spot. It was just two years ago that the Great Red Spot was joined by a smaller companion, which was quickly dubbed “Junior.” I guess the new red spot, discovered in the past … Continue reading
Posted in modern life, science
Comments Off
The temblor forecast
From the Associated Press, via the New York Times: LOS ANGELES (AP) — California faces an almost certain risk of being rocked by a strong earthquake by 2037, scientists said in the first statewide temblor forecast. New calculations reveal there … Continue reading
Posted in science, statistics
10 Comments
Working on the railroad
The March-April issue of American Scientist is now available on the Web; paper copies should be on their way soon. My column is about hump yards and turnouts and wyes—in other words, about algorithms for railroad workers. “Computing with locomotives … Continue reading
Posted in mathematics, problems and puzzles, science
2 Comments