Una setmana més de confinament. Un pèl menys dur, potser, perquè la Setmana Santa confinada es va acabar amb el Dilluns de Pasqua (Pasqua Florida) confinats. Tancats a casa, a mitja tarda fem exercici seguint vides de “walk to home” i semblants. Youtube en va ple. Perquè espero poder sortir del confinament estricte i tornar a fer exercici físic.
Aquesta setmana hem tingut reunió de directors de departament en linia. La veritat és que les 25 persones (aproximadament) que hi som estem acostumades a demanar la paraula, esperar que els altres acabin, que parli en VR de personal, etc. Cal anar preparant el curs vinent, i cal avançar en la política de professorat.
Tantes hores a casa serveixen per posar ordre, per netejar lleixes, per llençar trastos, per reordenar el despatx. Costa, fa mandra, però cal fer-ho.
Pensant en quan podrem sortir a fer exercici (espero que aviat!), he vist en aquest article una reflexió sobre anar en bicicleta o córrer: Are Running or Cycling Actually Risks for Spreading Covid-19?
His team concluded that cyclists and runners have to stay much farther than 6 feet from a runner or rider in front of them to avoid inhaling droplets or having them land on their bodies. He calculated safe distances for each sport: That 65 feet is needed when riding a bike at 18 miles per hour, 33 feet while running at a 6:44 minutes-per-mile pace, or 16 feet while walking at a normal pace. “By that time, the droplets will have moved down to the ground and you won’t get them in your face,” says Blocken. What about riding or jogging side by side? “It’s no problem unless you turn your head and cough in their direction,” Blocken added.
Imatge de la setmana
Aquesta tira còmica parla de la relació entre màgia i ciència…
Ha mort en John Conway, creador del Joc de la Vida, matemàtic, mag, … m’ha agradat molt el que li ha dedicat XKCD
Ciència
Els Anyóns: aquestes quasipartícules, ni bosons ni fermions, estan d’actualitat: a Slashdot se n’hi parla: Not a Fermion, Not a Boson. Scientists Find New Evidence of Two-Dimensional ‘Anyons’ tot comentant un article publicat a la revista Science.
In the three-dimensional world we live in, there are two classes of elementary particles: bosons and fermions. But in two dimensions, theoretical physicists predict, there’s another option: anyons. Now, scientists report new evidence that anyons existand that they behave unlike any known particle. Using a tiny “collider,” researchers flung presumed anyons at one another to help confirm their identities, physicists report in the April 10 Science…
Braiding some types of anyons may be a useful technique for building better quantum computers. Current versions of those computers are highly susceptible to mistakes slipping into calculations. Like a neat plait that keeps unruly hair in line, braided anyons could store information in a manner that is resistant to such errors.
Les vibracions de l’enllaç Mg-Mg, calculatdes amb computació quàntica. Veig que es va avançant en l’ús d’ordinadors quàntics per a la química quàntica. L’espectre vibracional d’aquest enllaç és complicat.
Vaig conèixer l’Stephen Wolfram al G4G d’Atlanta, i vaig tenir la sort que va regalar als assitents el seu llibre “A New Kind of Science“. Llegeixo are a Wired que vol resoldre els dubtes de la física actual: Stephen Wolfram Invites You to Solve Physics – amb l’inici del seu projecte Wolfram Physics Project. Miraré de seguir-lo i entendre una mica què és.
So today marks the debut of the Wolfram Physics Project. (Wolfram is an artist of the eponymous, having named previous products Wolfram Alpha, Wolfram Language, Wolfram Data Framework, and so on.) The physics project lays out the theories of its 60-year-old creator, provides documentation for his claims that he has already made progress in understanding space, time, and the nature of elementary particles, and invites everyone to join in the search to decode fundamental physics. Basically, the project involves creating graph-like models of many possible universes, as defined by rules that determine how the model evolves. As the graphs become more complex—really more complex—they generate phenomena that’s worthy of study in themselves. If the rules are right, one can “discover” in them the real physics that govern our universe—everything from E=mc2 to the law of gravity.
Comunicació de la ciència
Ben rellevant és l’article de l’IHE Public Engagement in the Time of COVID-19, que tracta de la comunicació pública de la ciència per part d’universitats, centres de recerca, museus, etc… en moments tan complicats com els que estem vivint. També senyala que cal aprendre de les dificultats actuals perquè quan torni la vida normal es pugui fer millor que abans.
The academic community is rallying to meet the crisis with waves of new research and creativity in engaging with different publics; public scholars have recognized and acted upon myriad opportunities during the pandemic. There have been outstanding examples of researchers engaging with media professionals to share expertise and shape stories, and interest in writing op-eds or for outlets like The Conversation is incredibly high. Opportunities to participate in research on SARS-CoV-2 or work with researchers to co-design possible antivirals are expanding rapidly. Demand for online teaching and learning is spiking, and universities and other organizations are producing just-in-time learningopportunities addressing the novel coronavirus or sharing fun experiences for kids and families at home.
At the same time, community partners who work with academic scholars are experiencing huge impacts, and few have the same security that the shelter of a university offers. Zoos, museums, and other spaces for informal learning are shuttered and have been forced to furlough or lay off workforces. Schools are closed for the year. Non-profit organizations – especially those focused on alleviating poverty, housing, and food insecurity – are working to survive and hold the line. And engagement opportunities relying on virtual tools and environments underscore access disparities to technology and the internet, widening existing gaps which disproportionately affect people who are poor and people of color.
Seguint amb la comunicació de la ciència, al J Chem Educ es parla de la utilització dels mems: Using Memes in the Classroom as a Final Exam Review Activity
Innovative methods to engage students in their own learning process are being developed as further evidence is collected on how people learn. The advancement of technology and social media is one method that has assisted in creating new approaches to involve students through activities and games. Here we present an activity that uses Internet memes to help students review content in preparation for their final exam. In this activity, students are asked to connect information they have learned related to the chemistry meme presented on a whiteboard. Four examples are provided that highlight how students connect multiple ideas from various chapters throughout the semester that are associated with the meme.