Who knew that the guy who calculated the age of Earth was also one of the guys who worked to eradicate lead from our society?
https://fermatslibrary.com/s/age-of-meteorites-and-the-earth
Can anyone recommend a fedi instance that I can recommend to them - the fediverse would be a cool bubble for them!
Electronics Technology & Computer Science 1940–1975: Coevolution
https://fermatslibrary.com/s/electronics-technology-and-computer-science-1940-1975-a-coevolution#email-newsletter
* intertwined histories of electronics & computer science
* how electronics enabled practical realization Charles Babbage's computing concepts
Why woodpeckers don’t get concussions
https://fermatslibrary.com/s/why-woodpeckers-don-t-get-concussions
* debunks popular myth that woodpeckers protect their brains from concussions using built-in damping mechanisms
* woodpeckers avoid concussions based on scaling laws
* small brain size sig. reduces internal stress for a given deceleration
* short duration of impact further limits injury risk
* withstand extreme decelerations (400xg) w/o harm
#FermatsLibrary #birds #woodpeckers #biomechanics #ScalingLaws
Due to the influence of gravity, the Earth's core is 2.5 years younger than its crust
https://fermatslibrary.com/s/the-young-center-of-the-earth
* scientists revisit claim by Richard Feynman
* famously suggested, 1960s Caltech lecture, gravitational time dilation (general relativity)
* would make the Earth's core younger than crust by "day or 2"
* gen. concept correct h/e estimate wrong
* pedagogical value: any number/observation, by whomever, must be critically examined
Unsuccessful Self-Treatment of a Case of "Writer's Block"
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1311997
pdf: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1311997/pdf/jaba00061-0143a.pdf
J. Appl. Behav. Anal. 1974 Fall; 7(3): 497. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1974.7-497a
https://fermatslibrary.com/s/the-unsuccessful-self-treatment-of-a-case-of-writers-block
* shortest academic paper ever published
* classic example of humor in science
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Unsuccessful_Self-Treatment_of_a_Case_of_%22Writer%27s_Block%22
Einstein's derivation of E = mc^2 (3 p. paper)
Does the inertia of a body depend upon its energy-content?
https://fermatslibrary.com/s/does-the-inertia-of-a-body-depend-upon-its-energy-content
* 1905 Einstein asked: "Does the inertia of a body depend upon its energy content?"
* f. this Q he wrote a 3 page paper
* derives 𝐸=𝑚𝑐^2 [comment - Victoria - last equation in the paper]
* energy & mass are interchangeable 🤯
* simple equation that revolutionized our understanding of physics 🤔
#FermatsLibrary #physics #Einstein #EnergyMassEquivalence #inertia #energy
Fermat's Library: Paper of the week
This week we are revisiting “The Psychology of Human Misjudgment" an essay by Charlie Munger.
In this essay, Munger discusses a series of 25 Cognitive Biases that induce human misjudgment and provides some of his famous mental models to counter this innate behavior.
It's a great read full of insights
https://fermatslibrary.com/s/the-psychology-of-human-misdgugement
#FermatsLibrary #CharlieMunger #bias #CognitiveBias #cognition
Via subscription to Fermat's Library
@fermatslibrary
This week we wanted to share a selection of four great papers that you should add to your summer reading list.
Tip of the Iceberg
https://fermatslibrary.com/s/tip-of-the-iceberg#email-newsletter
Various Determinations over a Century of the Height of Mount Everest
https://fermatslibrary.com/s/the-various-determinations-over-a-century-of-the-height-of-mount-everest#email-newsletter
What is the Value of Science?
https://fermatslibrary.com/s/the-value-of-science#email-newsletter
Paintings by Turner and Monet depict trends in 19th century air pollution
https://fermatslibrary.com/s/paintings-by-turner-and-monet-depict-trends-in-19th-century-air-pollution#email-newsletter
One of his most remarkable feats was the mental calculation of logarithms to many decimal places. This paper goes explains how he was able to do it.
* [Wikipedia] George Parker Bidder: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Parker_Bidder
* Fermat's Library (https://fermatslibrary.com/): We develop software to illuminate academic papers. Scientists, academics & citizen scientists can annotate equations, figures, ideas & write in the margins.
#prodigy #GeorgeParkerBidder #HumanCalculator #mathematics #persagen #FermatsLibrary
Grant_H
Victoria Stuart 🇨🇦 🏳️⚧️
