Talking in the Library

Why do we fall back?

You know what, I don't know why, even after watching this video. It's actually quite confusing, but now I'm all the more convinced that we should just go to Standard Time year-round.  However, my wishes are not (yet) the law of the land, so don't forget to set your clocks back one hour when you go to bed Saturday night.

Open Access Week 2011: Open Data #oaweek

The internet has opened new potential in many areas of the research and scholarly process:  open access journals, institutional repositories, open source software  – and more recently, open data.  Do you ever stop and think about the datasets that are the foundation of every scholarly journal article?  What happens to all that data?  Is it ever seen or re-used by other researchers?  Is it preserved somewhere? 

Programs like the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) DataNet are beginning to address the enormous challenges of managing and sharing research data in order to drive networked, collaborative and innovative science.  The challenges involve building infrastructure and setting standards for storing data, encouraging researchers to deposit their data for others to see and use for new purposes, and creating fewer restrictions on licenses, patents and copyrights that currently forbid re-use of data.

In the past raw data was not considered for publication primarily because it was not affordable or feasible to include in print journals.  But, the predominance of online journals has changed that model.  Also, large federal funding agencies such as the NSF and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are having a tremendous impact on the publication of data. NSF expects that all data will be made available after a reasonable length of time. Each proposal must now be submitted with a Data Management Plan.  Since 2003 the NIH has required applicants seeking $500,000 or more in direct costs to follow the Data Sharing policy  by submitting a plan for sharing their final research data with their application.

Data can be big like the Human Genome Project or small like thousands of datasets created by individual or small group researchers at universities and research institutes each year.  No matter what the size, the potential for sharing and reusing this knowledge is huge.

-Beth Turtle

This is our fourth open access post for the week.  Hope you're enjoying the series.

What if the Earth Stood Still?

When my cousin's oldest son was just a tiny tot, she taught him to say "centrifugal force" because he asked her why he leaned in his car seat when they went up a steep onramp to the highway. (This is the kind of thing that happens when engineers have children.)  Now I always hear his 2 year old voice saying "It's centriffical fors, mommy!" when I see the phrase.  Like today, when I saw it in the subtitle to this fascinating article about what would happen if the Earth stopped spinning.

Long story short, K-State would be a lot closer to an ocean: 

If this kind of thing fascinates you, too, you should check out the GIS Info Commons in Hale Library.

Moose it!

Conversations in the coffee line can take a bizarre twist or two. This morning's involved a challenge to make a noise like a moose (something like a snorting bellow). While happy to describe that noise, I cheerfully declined to actually make the noise.

Fortunately, not everyone is so demure about the moose bellow, and some will even agree to be recorded for posterity, as did this Canadian gentleman. (Sorry, the link will only work for current students, faculty, and staff--or those on campus!)

Double-fortunately for K-Staters, we subscribe to the Smithsonian Global Sound Database, so whenever I want to find a sound recording of world or folk music, or cool animal sounds (or Canadians making cool animal sounds) I can.

Image Source: Two Moose by kearnssk on Flickr.

Vintage Photo Friday: Discoveries

Today is the day my name will be written in the history books. I have discovered dephlogisticated air! Oh how my discovery will change the world...What? It's already been discovered? Crap! That will teach me to sleep during chemistry class.

(Be honest-you thought I made dephlogisticated air up didn't you?)

Study Break: Biochemistry

We'll continue in a science-y vein with this study break for anyone fighting their way through a biochem class this semester.

This will get stuck in your head and you'll never forget what glucose does:

Trouble keeping all the elements straight? Let They Might Be Giants help:

And finally, and awesomely, the Krebs cycle, as demonstrated by the OSU Marching Band:

Good luck on all your biology, chemistry, and biochemistry finals!

New additions to KREx-the swine edition!

Researched, worked with, or have eaten swine? If so, these articles may be of interest to you.

Producing hogs under contract

Causes of diarrhea, pneumonia, and septicemia in swine for 1991 submissions to the KSU Veterinary Diagnostic laboratory

Optimum particle size of corn and hard and soft sorghum grain for nursery pigs and broiler chicks

Effects of supplementation of nursery diets with an essential fatty acid on immunity in artificially reared pigs

The effects of increasing dietary energy density on growing-finishing pig growth performance and carcass characteristics

Celebrating Ada Lovelace Day

Today, March 24th, is Ada Lovelace Day, a time to recognize women in science and technology. Ada Lovelace is credited with writing some of the world's first computer programs for a machine called the Analytical Engine. People all over the world are posting to the web, and putting links on twitter in tribute to women who have worked, famously or anonymously, in fields like medicine, computer science, engineering, and biology.

I'd like to tell you about someone on the more anonymous side of that famous-to-anonymous spectrum.  Her name is Karen Hummel, and she's my aunt.  Her first college degree  was in a distinctly feminine field - Home Economics Education, but she returned to school after having three children to pursue a degree in engineering at K-State.  While here, she directed the Minority Engineering Program. This program assisted traditionally underrepresented students: women, African-Americans, Hispanic Americans, etc - in networking and pursuing careers in engineering.  For her work, she was recognized with the Presidential Faculty/Staff Award for Distinguished Service to Minority Students in 1984.

The demands of working full time and raising a family make pursuing a degree a part-time process.  Karen earned her engineering degree from San Diego State University in 1996. With degree in hand, she took on a position at General Dynamics as a coordinator for a team that designed launch pads, (yes, launch pads!  that's a seriously awesome job) and then later for TransCore on implementation of a toll road system in Oklahoma. 

I chose Karen to write about today because I think she's typical of many women who work in the sciences and technology - more on the end of "anonymous" than "famous", and more balanced in her approach - science and technology woven in and among, informing a full life, rather than a single obsessive pursuit.  I'm sure you know and love women much like her - consider recognizing and celebrating one of them today!

Science news I'm talking about

Looking for water cooler conversation topics that make you sound smart? Or use it to pick up scientists at your local coffee shop. Whatever.  Check these out

Why Science Tells Us Not to Rely on Eyewitness Accounts

Of Girls and Geeks: Environment May Be Why Women Don't Like Computer Science

Turn On, Tune In, Drop Dead

Haiti Earthquake Disaster Little Surprise To Some Seismologists

Baby it's cold outside!

If I lived in Hawaii or some other warm sandy place, I'd laugh at all my friends who post OMG IT'S SO COLD, I HATE SNOW, and similar like posts on Facebook. Sadly, I'm one of those people posting those annoying status updates and promise to stab with an icicle any friend in a warm place who would dare mock those of us surviving this cold winter weather.  

I know you all are smart folks who know what to do when the weather is cold, but I'm the big sister/motherly type, so I'm going to remind you of what to do to be safe this winter.

...

Ok fine! Don't give me that look. I won't nag (this time).  Instead, I'll give you these links and you can read on your own. If you want to...

Before Winter Storms and Extreme Cold 

Extreme Cold: A Prevention Guide to Promote Your Personal Health and Safety 

Winter Weather 

Winter Storms and Extreme Cold 

Emergency Supply Kit list 

Get prepared for winter storms before the bad weather hits

Consumer Reports Storm & Emergency Guide