Midnight and the MacBook

At least one cat approves of my new computer.

Or is it the dustcover?

The MacBook does not appear to give out much heat, but perhaps it is more discernible to Midnight. But then again, she now has her Snooza Cuddler.

March reads

Read four of Mam’s beach novels and The Turning which I got in time for the play (adaption), but only cursorily looked at prior to the performance.

I tried to finish the beach novels before they were required for second-hand bookshops somewhere between Perth and Naxos. The were all quick reads, some more memorable than others.

• Death in Holy Orders by PD James is a Commander Adam Dalgliesh tale set in an theological college on the East Anglian coast. A student is murdered and the ongoing investigation is helped and heeded by the isolated close-knit community.
• Not in the Flesh by Ruth Rendell was an intriguing story about the investigation led by Chief Inspector Wexford when a body is found wrapped in a purple cotton sheet. I thought the novel was going to be a straight forward whodunit, but there was bit more to it than that.
• Piece of My Heart by Peter Robinson was a little more plodding, but the scene of the crime - a rock festival, made it a little more interesting. The threads connecting the present day to aging rock stars is a little tenous though.
• Exit Music by Ian Rankin is DI John Rebus’s last case in the force. A bit of winding up occurs, as Rebus attempts to pass on/fob off his unsolved cases and business to colleague DS Siobhan Clarke. Some of the jobs are not resolved as one would like.
• The Turning by Tim Winton I got from The Book Depository which seems all wrong since Winton is a Western Australian author. But it was just too easy and the price was right. I don’t know why books have to cost so much in Australia in comparison to the UK or USA. Anyway, The Turning read and on the bookshelf means that I have all Tim Winton’s books, so far. Having finished it, I wish I had more to read. The book follows three generations of a family, and each chapter/short story is sort of complete, but sort of keeps you hanging. A certain amount of cringe material and rawness as the place and some periods felt familiar to me.

I thought that uni would slow up my reading, which it did in a way but only from a time point of view. I was just too tired at the end of the day from reading scholarly papers to read some more for entertainment. However, I did find that non-fiction was good for a few hours escape.

the metropolis

The inaugural lecture by Mark Bould, University of the West of England on The Very Modern World of Fritz Lang (PDF) forms part of the inaugural Institute of Advanced Studies Lecture Series.

We went along as the Metropolis was screening after the lecture. We had seen an earlier version (1984) with music by Giorgio Moroder and were intrigued to see a restored longer version.

The lecture was very interesting, and although I am not familiar with the subject and terminology, I enjoyed the presentation immensely. Bould began his presentation with explaining the Frankfurt School, briefly covered Fritz Lang’s earlier work, then focussed on Fritz Lang’s career in America. The presentation included video and stills from Lang’s films to demonstrate the various film techniques and methods, and quotes from the works of Theodor Adorno for comparison and contrast. Fritz Lang was referred to as a member of the “pulp wing of the Frankfurt School”.

The Metropolis was played from a DVD, but I’m not sure what version it was that we saw. At two hours, it certainly was longer than the 1984 version, and I’m pretty sure I saw 2004 alongside the music credit at the beginning.

One scene that I liked was when the camera focussed on the newly completed robot. The robot’s eyelids closing unevenly as if ’she’ was waking up. They looked very odd, not winking but sultry.

It was good to see a more complete story, and I must admit without Mark Bould’s lecture prior to viewing the film, it could have been less interesting. Although I have read that film buffs were divided on the rock-and-roll soundtrack that accompanied the 1984 version, if my memory is correct, I enjoyed that version more because of the pumping of the music with the machines of the metropolis. But then again, it maybe that I was influenced by the music at that time as I definitely remember Queen and Adam Ant were featured in Giorgio Moroder’s soundtrack. It may be good to see the 1984 version again for a better or near comparison.

not parking

I very rarely use the car to get to uni, and today I was reminded why. It’s because you can’t get $^%&* parked.

Yes, it is only the second week of first semester, but I don’t feel that parking on Tuesdays is going to become any less congested. Tuesdays means lots happening in the Guild Courtyard, on the Oak Lawn, and with DJs in the Tav why would anyone leave campus for the day once you were there?

Similarly, when I then drove to the local post office as I was already in the car - I could not get parked. Well, I could, in the Coles Supermarket car park. There were a lot of spaces.

I peeked into Coles on the way past to the post office and there were queues at each checkout. I just wish those that shopped at Coles parked at Coles, so the rest of us can get on with enjoying the local shopping precinct while continuing to ignore them.

The problem that I have with parking at Coles is that the supermarket will be able to claim that they are providing the required car parking, when their shoppers are not actually parking in the car park that they have provided. I wonder if anyone has done any research into the number of Coles shoppers that have 4WDs and or cannot successfully park in the tight parking spaces provided by Coles.

Hint for South Perth shoppers: There is always car parking at the Coles Supermarket. If you are not shopping at Coles, then the only drawback is having to hold your nose while you go down the stairs (or in the lift) until you get past the ‘roast chickens’. Ugh!

getting mobile with an apple

My first notebook, and its a MacBook.

Last year I felt that while I was at uni I could have been more productive if I had a computer available.

This year I need EndNote which is only available for Windows or Mac, not Debian GNU/Linux which I primarily now use at the office.

Fortunately, H has set up our network such that I was able to plug the MacBook straight on and get access to the internet so that I could download Firefox and KompoZer. Firefox, because that is the browser that I am most familiar with on other platforms, and KompoZer because I will be conducting a tutorial to create a web site similar to the one that I presented last semester using Nvu.

I don’t really need any super duper word processing or associated office type tools, but I thought that I could contribute to OpenOffice.org by downloading and installing the Mac OS X Aqua versions as they become available. In the meantime, I’m quite happy to use TextEdit to draft and save documents in OpenDocument Text (odt) format so that if I transfer them to my desktop machine I can continue to work there.

Apart from getting EndNote installed at uni, I have on my ta-da list to figure out how to transfer files across the network between my Linux box and the MacBook.

Also, I am in the process of decommissioning my very old SPARCstation (Solaris) and Intel box (Windows 98 SE) which will free up a lot of desk space and get rid of a lot of dust.

deciding on a research topic

First week of uni and keen to get stuck into the Science Communication - Specialist Research Topics (COMM7402) unit. I’m looking forward to lots of juicy reading of science communication literature in a particular research field. And there comes the crunch.

The prospect of researching the scientific literature, presenting a seminar and writing a literature review does not phase me, but deciding on a topic in which I’m interested that is well documented in peer-reviewed journals seems to be the most difficult.

At the moment I’m attempting to narrow my interests by revisiting some ideas and thoughts that others have expressed online with regard to science communication, how science and technology is communicated, and by whom:

• Science blogger v. blogging scientist, Clastic Detritus blog
• The subtitle to FemaleScienceProfessor blog reads: “Women professors in the physical sciences: a few. Women professors in the physical sciences at research universities: even fewer. Women full professors in physical sciences at research universities, especially mine: infinitesimal. But we exist..”
• The comments that follow the An Early Look at The Future of Science Journalism post that consider science article publishers and where the readers are.
• Using a self reflective journal to enhance science communication showed that “The use of self-evaluation through reflective journals was found to enhance the effectiveness of tutoring. Implications for developing the ‘human side’ of science will be discussed, and the appropriateness of the course to develop these often under-represented aspects of science.” Is this a style that scientists and researchers can apply when blogging?
• In Tim Dunlop’s article, If you build it they will come: Blogging and the new citizenship” exploring the idea whether bloggers are the new public intellectuals.
• Google to Host Terabytes of Open-Source Science Data
• An increasing number of articles being published in open access journals and repositories, and some organisations mandating open access publication.
• Research Blogging, a blog that shares and discusses peer-reviewed articles.
• Thanks to YouTube, Professors Are Finding New Audiences
• Science in Second Life, for example SciLands to assist in the public understanding of science.
• National Library of Medicine providing guidelines to cite a blog.
• Russell Jacoby on Counterpoint, ABC (18 Feb 200 and his article in the Chronicle Review, Big Brains, Small Impact. Refers to blogs as “private journals with megaphones” and concerned with why public intellectuals are disappearing.
  

  “Professionalization and academization appeared to be the reason. Younger intellectuals were retreating into specialized and cloistered environments.”

  [...]

  “The new thinkers became academic — not public — intellectuals, with little purchase outside professional circles. While a book by Edmund Wilson could be read with pleasure by an educated citizen, a volume by an academic luminary such as Homi K. Bhabha or Fredric Jameson would give him or her a headache.”

• Publishing in peer-reviewed papers in recognised journals is stated as the ‘gold standard’ if scientists and researchers wish to succeed as an academic. Little credence is given to writing on the web, yet as one PhD candidate said, she would not have found another researcher in her very specialised field if she had not blogged about her research.
• Scientists that communicate science well for it to even become popular, have their science questioned, for example, Susan Greenfield who has a well established reputation for public communication.

decisions decisions

This weekend:

• Do ‘at home’ stuff because we have been out for the last three weeks at the Perth International Arts Festival, including cleaning, ironing and finding out where I’m up to with painting the fence, sanding oregon doors, and cutting glass for the fanlight leadlight.
• Set out a course of action because it is the first week of uni.
• Drive to the Perth Chilli Festival at Araluen Botanic Park. And on the way or on the way back visit Zanthorrea Nursery because we (well H) has a gift certificate.
• Attend an IWD event on the day.
• Go on the train to the Mandurah Crab Fest.
• Laze around and read a book, currently Fast, Loose Beginnings by John Kinsella.
• Go to the Women’s Showcase at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre.
• Drive to see the Sculptures by the Sea on and near Cottesloe Beach.

Perhaps I’ll get Friday done first and see how I wake up tomorrow. Work, uni, and then art exhibition.

emperors and fairies

Two colonies of penguins are under scrutiny by university researchers. One colony is only five kilometres off the Western Australian coast, the other, in the Antarctic.

With the help of the Royal Australian Navy and Dr Belinda Cannell from The University of Western Australia, the Fairy (or Little) Penguins on Garden Island off the Western Australian coast are being monitored and protected.

Protection means simply being good neighbours with minimal disturbance to the penguin colony and ensuring predators such as cats and foxes don’t reach the island.

“The penguins are often more at risk from pleasure craft, fishing boats, wind and kite-surfers and jet-skis than the Navy’s big ships, she said. As well as the danger of colliding with these smaller watercraft, penguins could be harmed by fishing line, heavy metals, over-fishing and destruction of fish nursery sites.” — Dr Belinda Cannell in Royal Australian Navy guards penguins with help from UWA, University News

So while the penguins have good neighbours in the personnel at HMAS Stirling, we can help the Fairy Penguins by looking out for them and letting others know too.

From little to emperor-sized penguins. If you have seen the film Happy Feet or March of the Penguins you will know that the penguins that featured in both films were Emperor Penguins.

Dr Gary Miller of the Australian Antarctic Division, scientific adviser and sound recordist for ‘Happy Feet’ will be joining UWA’s Professor Geoff Shellam to conduct fieldwork in Antarctica .

“… undertaking research into infectious diseases and the potential impact of global warming on the Emperor penguins of the Auster rookery, which is located on sea ice about 40km from Mawson Station.” — UWA-based team aim to keep ‘Happy Feet’ happy, University News

There are two main questions that the scientists are working to solve:

• Most Emperor chicks have antibodies to a common virus of domestic poultry. Do they acquire the virus from their parents or from the environment?
• As temperatures increase in the Antarctic due to climate change, will the penguins’ well-being continue?

I have one question of my own though. I wonder why the expedition is going on the last ship of the season rather than the new 4 1/2 flight from Hobart, Tasmania?

science communication and education

The Masters of Science Communication and Education was launched yesterday afternoon by Professor Robyn Owen, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Research Training) and Professor Lyn Beazley, Chief Scientist for Western Australia.

Professor George Stewart, Dean, Faculty of Life and Physical Sciences was the MC for the event, and other speakers included Dr Nancy Longnecker, Teaching and Learning Co-ordinator/Science Communication Courses Co-ordinator, Rich Weatherill, Director Outreach, Scitech, and there was one other whose name escapes me at the moment. He was either representing the education side of the new masters degree, or the administrative process or committee that got the programme up.

Rich did the sugar in champagne demonstration, followed by the menthos in pepsi, which unfortunately didn’t hit the roof and was a bit of a fizzer.

I found all the talks of interest. Mostly they were re-iterating how few school students go on to do science, mathematics or engineering and emphasised that this was because there were a diminishing number of suitably qualified and enthusiastic science teachers.

I do wonder what is going to happen to Western Australia once we no longer have anything to dig up, as does Professor Dong-ke Zhang from the Curtin University of Technology at the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering’s 30th Annual Symposium “Resources Boom: Opportunities and Consequences” this week.

Science Communication students (current and previous) had red dots on their name tag. The only eek! moment was when Nancy encouraged those without dots on their name tag (most guests) to go and talk to those that did. All of the people that came and spoke to me were very nice and seemed genuinely interested in science communication and the new masters degree.

The event was very pleasant as I got to catch up with colleagues and fellow students some from other cohorts, over a drink and abundant nibbles.

off and on

This has been an off and on week.

From Saturday, I’m no longer a member of the Computer Angels Inc committee.

And as of Thursday, I’m now a Postgraduate Student Association (PSA) committee member in the role of Faculty of Life and Physical Sciences Representative, i.e the FLAPS Rep.

And on that note, the PSA Committee is currently organising the PSA Cocktail Party on Friday 30 November. Postgrads will be able to purchase tickets ($10) from committee members or the PSA Lounge from Monday 19 November.

Life is full, and these changes mean I can narrow my focus to what is important for me right now