And away we go...

I leave for Philly tomorrow morning to look at apartments and try to nestle a bit before I settle into my job for the rest of the year. As a believer in signs and omens and the ability of early results to predict overall success, I am very happy that Philly 2006 gets kicked off the right way on Friday night with a Beef and Beer Pong party some friends are hosting to benefit the American Cancer Society. Good times, good cause, good people...hopefully the campaign shakes down the same way.

In unrealted news, I've been reading a lot of science magazines lately. Nothing clinical but the latest issues of Scientific American and SEED are at my disposal for the subway ride home tonight. I've been saving a post about how my mind is completely blown by these things called mirror neurons. El Stence first hipped me to the article in the New York Times about them and stories of developments in the field seem to be popping up in every science mag I see. Until I get around to publishing the post you'll just have to trust me that these things are amazing parts of our brains that have evolved to help us learn language, develop empathy and infer the intentions behind peoples' actions. Oh, our amazing brains!

I also think that my recent fascination with these science mags has to do with the joy I get from reading about people that are intellectually curious and believe in science for science's sake. Obviously, those tendencies stand in stark contrast to those being espoused by our political leaders but it seems like American society as a whole has lost the spark for discovery and exploration. Not surprising I guess given the heaviness of recent times but dammit America! Snap out of it! There's a great big universe out there!

And giant oceans and microscopic creatures and bending strips of time near the speed of light! Not to mention all the cool stuff going on inside our own heads! There's so much we don't know yet - about our planet, about our solar system and about ourselves. What do you say, team? Brand new era of scientific discovery on Three! 1-2-3!

Enter the psychedelic swirl to the New Enlightenment

Are we there yet? No? OK, fine. So, it's gonna take a little bit more magic than fractals to get our exploration engine running. But if you're looking for some news that doesn't involve administration snow-jobs, alleged rapist student-athletes or nuclear-fueled nationalism, get yourself some science reading and nerd out.

Here's something to tide you over until I get the mirror neurons tribute ready. It's not a new discovery but still very cool: Mind-Controlling Wasps! In the meantime, I'm off to discover and explore in Pennsylvania. If you have any other cool science tales, please pass them on.

Cloud fractals: what the sky looks like in the New Enlightenment