Scientific World

The distinctions between discovery ad invention is often clear in the sciences. In physics for instance, it is well understood that experimental observations, measurements and laws are "discovered" and the theories that help model the phenomena at hand are "invented". But what it was one to say about math? The field of mathematics is not inherently empirical in nature - are mathematical breakthroughs discovered or invented? The Implications of Each Side  Before we delve into both sides of the argument, we should probably clear something out: the consensus seems to be that when one refers to the phrase "discovered", they are implying that the universe is, at a fundamental level, mathematical in nature…which sounds like nonsense, right? Well, it's really a well defined idea; the implication is that mathematical structures and logic is an aspect of the universe and NOT just a human construction. In other words, math wold exist even if humans wer...

Let me start by qualifying what I'm about to say: I am not in any way opposed to the idea of Remembrance Day. In fact, I believe in the value of acknowledging our history and paying respect to the brave women and men, along with their loved ones, who lost their livelihood in past wars. With this being said however, I am not always (and to be frank, feel no obligation to be) a fan of the presentation of Remembrance Day. While the notion of the event is noble in principle, the messages sent to people ( especially the thousands of teenagers who witness these presentations on an annual basis) can be counterproductive and, as I saw just over a week ago, dangerous. Along with the thousands of high school spectators, I saw a presentation for Remembrance Day that troubled me deeply. It was littered with inconsistency and, on the whole, espoused a rather contradictory message.   It started off with the old montage. Because of course, let's introduce an important and sensitive ...

Before I begin, I'd like to point your attention towards a lecture (of sorts) dictated by Noam Chomsky. It's a nice little intro to the topic but be warned that he does go off on several tangents (if you're fairly liberal with your definition of the word) regarding politics and history. It's also sprinkled with a healthy dose of criticisms of the U.S. and the modern political landscape (classic Chomsky…) so if that's your cup of tea, give it a listen! On to the topic at hand: the corpratization of the university in this century. In discussing the matter, I'll be focusing specifically on the transitions universities have made into presenting themselves as products and the parallels between the modern student and consumer. It's a bit of a bleak outlook though, so I give you fair warning in advance :) …. Unless of course, you're one of the many fine people profiting off of such a system! In that case, I send a stern, disapproving look in your direction,...

NOTE: There are no spoilers ahead, so no need to fear! You may just be a tad bit discouraged though…. Not only is this novel the latest of YouTube sensation John Green’s works, it also happened to be one of his most acclaimed. Touted as a must read for any teenager, you can imagine my surprise when, upon turning the last page, I was left thoroughly disappointed. “The Fault In Our Stars”, commonly abbreviated as TFIOS, is a novel that chronicles the life of a teenage girl, named Hazel Grace, facing a terminal illness. With not much to look forward to, hope is injected into her life through the introduction of Augustus Waters, another teenager who also happens to have cancer. Revolving around a budding love, the novel follows the exploits of Hazel and Augustus as they cope with their illnesses. One of the first problems I see with this book is its premise. In my view, wrapping a story around two cancer patients, who happen to be much more insightful, inte...