Published by Kate at August 31, 2009 5:06 pm under Story
Alex Serpo
Alex believes the mind is a machine capable of remarkable things. He greatly enjoys the teachings of history’s most famous masochist, Siddhartha Gautama.
Swinging and grinning, the man’s skin stretches obscenely as he swings back and forward. Watching, I wonder who is the more bizarre. Is he macabre in seeking extreme sensory experiences, or am I macabre in being such a willing voyeur of them?
Buddha in Sarnath Museum (Dhammajak Mutra). Image: wikipedia
There is nothing unusual about pain. We all experience it – to varying degrees – during most given weeks. Many people with chronic pain experience it in every waking hour. Yet in our society pain holds a strong taboo. It is something to be avoided at all costs and we believe that it can only be damaging to one’s psyche. Even more powerful than pain seems to be the fear of pain, which seems to drive people to a higher state of hysteria than the pain the fear is inspired by.
Published by Kate at August 29, 2009 2:12 am under Story
By Kate Hennessy
[Warning. Don't watch video or click through to story if you're squeamish.]
Three-and-a-half seconds, give or take a nanosecond or two. That’s the finely calibrated length of time I could gaze at the man suspended from hooks before a shudder would arch up my spine and I’d turn my head away. Repeat.
But that was Wednesday night and I’m back for more. It’s Friday night at the Powerhouse and it’s all about fear. I’m here with my sister who politely refused a consent armband at the door. “I’ll hold your bag, OK?” she says.
We enter and watch the amazing Rob Valenti from Polymorph suspend, with a polygraph attached to measure his “fear”.
An hour later, we’re inching through the crowd towards the stage. DJ Gemma is playing darkly ambient tunes: lots of cello and whispered vocals. Then a friend in front turns and says “What is Derek doing?” at the same moment as another friend nudges me from behind, hissing: “What are they doing to Derek?”.
I don’t have an answer for either of them. But we’re all about to find out.
Published by Kate at August 28, 2009 12:30 pm under Story
By Pat Mahony
Pat Mahony is an Environmental Researcher at ANSTO and former president of the Young Scientists of Australia. This is Part Two in his nuclear power guest blog. Part One is here.
At 3pm tomorrow you could drink your afternoon pick-me-up coffee at your local cafe OR you could head to the ABC Cafe on Harris Street to interrogate a medley of research scientists.
Your choice.
Drink one with a "geek" tomorrow and learn about their world of research
A robot designer, an indoor air pollution expert, a games researcher, and a professor of Integrative Physiology – among others – will be there to answer your questions. It’s called ‘Speed meet and greet a geek’ and, to get you started, we’ve begun the interrogation of two “geeks” here.
So read up and think of a question to really stump them!
Published by Kate at August 27, 2009 8:01 pm under Story
By Fiona MacDonald
A few weeks ago my friend complained she was struggling to lose weight. “All I eat or drink is Boost Juice three times a day!” she whined. When I explained fruit juice is low in fat but is also full of sugar, she was horrified. It was then I started to wonder if a science degree was necessary just to understand how to take care of our bodies.
Especially when people out there are making these creations!
We generally know not to trust advertising, but when it comes to “healthy” products it’s hard not to get sucked in.
[WARNING: if you're not prepared for images of hooks through skin, please don't click]
Hooks, tattoos, blood, electrocutions, muscle control and phantom limbs? Oh – and did I mention pain?
Nope, that's not a pitchfork. Image: Mat McCosker's iPhone
These are the reasons we are in a long looping queue for entry to the Powerhouse Museum. Pain is fascinating and a night where the science behind the agony is de-mystified is too good to miss.
A Powerhouse rep is working her way down the queue, getting people to sign release forms. Wait, release forms? I’m sure it’s a legal thing — but it’s also a good way to raise anticipation levels!
Published by Kate at August 26, 2009 10:23 am under Story
By Kate Hennessy
After the Science of Choice talk last night at UTS, my friend Tim and I chanced a visit to the Science of Cocktails. We’d seen a sign indicating its whereabouts while enjoying a pre-lecture G&T at The Loft Bar a few hours before.
That's a great night, right there
The Science of Cocktails was a private, pre-booked affair but when the spirit of scientific enquiry burns bright, who’s to resist?
Published by Kate at August 25, 2009 12:15 pm under Story
By Heath Raftery
You are currently participating in a mighty event.
When it is over the world will have moved 2,000 kilometres through the solar system. Mankind will have expended around 30 million megajoules just staying alive and added about four billion grams of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere in the process. Approximately 14 hectares of forest will have been cut down and more than 100 people will have died.
Bead, ribbon, staccato, fork, Ground-to-cloud, Cloud-to-cloud, sheet, heat, dry, rocket, positive, ball, sprites, blue jets, elves. The many kinds of lightening. Image: wikipedia
The Earth will be hit by lightning 6,000 times and there’s not a thing you can do to stop it.
Published by Kate at August 24, 2009 4:35 pm under Story
Alex Serpo
Alex Serpo likes particular particles in precise positions. He’s pretty sure that right now Heisenberg is playing chess with Schrödinger in the afterlife.
Let me tell you a secret. In every scientist there is an anarchist. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. What all scientists have in common is they really, really like to break things.
