Monthly Archives: March 2007

Particle art

In Search of Meaning #5; In Search of Meaning #1 Acrylic Lylie Fisher Like art, particle physics deals with the invisible. One portrays emotional and spiritual experiences; the other studies unseen matter and energy. Science is the voice of the … Continue reading

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Faith as evolutionary adaptation

Darwin’s God, by Robin Marantz Henig I thought I’d hit my biology vs. religion saturation point some time ago, but today’s NYT Magazine has an eclectic, lengthy article on the biology of belief that is worth reading. The little details … Continue reading

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You don’t always like what you want

ScienceDaily: Why ‘Wanting’ And ‘Liking’ Something Simultaneously Is Overwhelming “Sometimes a brain will like the rewards it wants. But other times it just wants them.” – Kent Berridge I once tried to explain to my physiology students that the desire … Continue reading

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Oops! (recent animal-themed art)

Electron Micrograph Volker Steger Oops! Poor invertebrates. Volker Steger’s Insects-Meet-Windshield Micrographs (via Boing Boing). Check out Steger’s entire website of photography (lots of science!) here. I was so impressed, I ordered his book, Buzz. Two more interesting links: The Scientist … Continue reading

Posted in Artists & Art, Photography | 1 Comment

Poems of the week: rediscovered Plath; Keats’ worst poem ever

Anna Journey, a VCU graduate student, recently discovered a previously unpublished poem by Sylvia Plath. That venerable arbiter of literary taste, Jane Magazine, calls it “a gorgeous sonnet about feeling blah”. If you’ve read AS Byatt’s Possession (or seen its … Continue reading

Posted in Poetry | 2 Comments

Not Pleistocene, Not a Skeleton

Pleistocene Skeleton Steel, wax, marble dust, and acrylic Nancy Graves, 1970 Smithsonian Museum of American Art Last fall I visited the newly renovated Smithsonian Museum of American Art. One of my favorite pieces was this sculpture by Nancy Graves. It’s … Continue reading

Posted in Artists & Art, Biology, Museum Lust, Science | 4 Comments