tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33377291698761277012024-03-07T03:35:50.321+00:00low-throughputsome random thoughts and quotes about organised (and disorganised) scienceKirillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719435019715182189noreply@blogger.comBlogger144125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337729169876127701.post-84674465654782689462024-01-30T12:00:00.011+00:002024-02-07T20:05:21.418+00:00Weierstrass meets Kovalevsky<p> From<i> Too Much Happiness</i> by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Munro" target="_blank" title="Alice Munro in Wikipedia">Alice Munro</a>: </p>
<blockquote> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Weierstrass" target="_blank" title="Karl Weierstrass in Wikipedia">Weierstrass</a> had no more idea than his sisters of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sofya_Kovalevskaya" target="_blank" title="Sofya Kovalevskaya in Wikipedia">Sophia</a>’s age or mission. He told her afterwards that he had thought her some misguided governess who wanted to use his name, claiming mathematics among her credentials. He was thinking that he must scold the maid, and his sisters, for letting her break in on him. But he was a courteous and kindly man, so instead of sending her away at once, he explained that he took only advances students, with recognized degrees, and that he had at the moment as many of those as he could handle. Then, as she remained standing — and trembling — in front of him, with that ridiculous hat shading her face and her hands clutching her shawl, he remembered the method, or trick, he had used once or twice before, to discourage an inadequate student.
<br />
“What I am able to do in your case,” he said, “is to set you a series of problems, and ask you to solve them and bring them back to me one week from today. If they are done to my satisfaction, we will talk again.”
<br />
A week from that day he had forgotten all about her. He had expected, of course, never to see her again. When she came into his study he did not recognize her, perhaps because she had cast off the cloak that had disguised her slender figure. She must have felt bolder, or perhaps the weather had changed. He had not remembered the hat — his sisters had — but he had not much of an eye for female accessories. But when she pulled the papers out of her bag and set them down on his desk, he remembered, and sighed, and put on his spectacles.
</blockquote>
<center><a href="https://amzn.to/3UoXhTs" target="_blank" title="Too Much Happiness @ Amazon.co.uk
#CommissionsEarned"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/818Vo+nTw5L._AC_.jpg" width="197" /></a></center>
<blockquote>
Great was his surprise — he told her this too at a later time — to see that every one of the problems had been solved, and sometimes in an entirely original way. But he suspected her still, thinking now that she must be presenting the work of someone else, perhaps a brother or lover who was in hiding for political reasons.
<br />
“Sit down,” he said. “And now explain to me each of these solutions, every step taken.”
<br />
She began to talk, leaning forward, and the floppy hat fell over her eyes, so she pulled it off and let it lie on the floor. Her curls were revealed, her bright eyes, her youth, and her shivering excitement.
<br />
“Yes,” he said. “Yes. Yes. Yes.” He spoke with ponderous consideration, hiding as well as he could his astonishment, especially at the solutions whose method diverged most brilliantly from his own.
<br />
She was a shock to him in many ways. She was so slight and young and eager. He felt that he must soothe her, hold her carefully, let her learn how to manage the fireworks in her own brain.
<br />
All his life — he had difficulty saying this, as he admitted, being always wary of too much enthusiasm — all his life he had been waiting for such a student to come into this room. A student who would challenge him completely, who was not only capable of following the strivings of his own mind but perhaps of flying beyond them.
</blockquote>
Kirillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719435019715182189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337729169876127701.post-57945562151442553242023-06-08T22:00:00.008+01:002023-06-09T08:51:47.900+01:00I wish I had made you angry earlier<p> From <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/febs.12832" target="_blank" title="Dauter and Jaskolski (2014) Missed opportunities in crystallography. FEBS J. 281, 4010-4020."><i>Missed opportunities in crystallography</i></a> by Zbigniew Dauter and Mariusz Jaskolski: </p>
<blockquote> The only method to avoid mistakes and errors is to do nothing. We have no intention whatsoever to criticize the founders of crystallography for their omissions or errors. On the contrary, the faults of some of them usually help to emphasize the achievements of others and, as a net total, illustrate the immense intellectual activity of our predecessors, even if it is measured by the inevitable fraction of lapses. </blockquote>
<blockquote> What <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Lindo_Patterson" target="_blank" title="Arthur Lindo Patterson in Wikipedia">Lindo Patterson</a> overlooked initially was soon realized by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Harker" target="_blank" title="David Harker in Wikipedia">David Harker</a>. <...> Lindo Patterson later admitted: ‘I must say that I was very annoyed at myself for missing the beautiful extension of the method made by Harker’. The great man did not hold any grudges and wrote in a letter to Harker: ‘Mr Harker, I’m so glad you pointed this out to me. If I could only have thought a little more, I’d have seen this myself before you did. I could have kicked myself’.</blockquote>
<blockquote> It sounds like a joke of history that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linus_Pauling" target="_blank" title="Linus Pauling in Wikipedia">Pauling</a> illustrated the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_helix" target="_blank" title="Alpha helix in Wikipedia">α-helix</a> (which is of course right-handed) with left-handed chirality, arbitrarily assuming the wrong configuration of the Cα atoms. Apparently, he did not pay much attention to the <a href="http://doi.org/10.1002/1521-3773(20011119)40:22%3C4167::AID-ANIE4167%3E3.0.CO;2-Q" target="_blank" title="Dunitz, J.D. (2001) Pauling's Left-Handed α-Helix. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 40, 4167-4173.">problem of absolute configuration</a>, which is odd in view of his deep concern with stereochemistry. </blockquote>
<center><a href="http://www.pnas.org/cms/10.1073/pnas.37.4.205/asset/a6d63867-b227-4549-bcbf-123fad7eb9cf/assets/graphic/pnas.205fig02.jpeg" target="_blank" title="Pauling et al. (1951) The structure of proteins: Two hydrogen-bonded helical configurations of the polypeptide chain. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 37, 205-211.
Figure 2: The helix with 3.7 residues per turn."><img border="0" height="400" src="https://www.pnas.org/cms/10.1073/pnas.37.4.205/asset/a6d63867-b227-4549-bcbf-123fad7eb9cf/assets/graphic/pnas.205fig02.jpeg" width="62" /></a></center>
<blockquote> When <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Perutz" target="_blank" title="Max Perutz in Wikipedia">Perutz</a> read the <a href="http://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.37.4.205" target="_blank" title="Pauling et al. (1951) The structure of proteins: Two hydrogen-bonded helical configurations of the polypeptide chain. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 37, 205-211.">paper of Pauling and Corey</a> about the α-helix, he instantly understood, with fury, his mistakes but also realized that there should be another strong meridional reflection at 1.5 Å, to represent the chemical repeat (a single amino acid residue) along the helix axis. Observation of this reflection (at relatively high resolution) required a special diffraction experiment, and he feverishly made it. The photograph confirmed the model of Pauling and Perutz’s own belated revelation. When <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Bragg" target="_blank" title="Lawrence Bragg in Wikipedia">W. L. Bragg</a> asked Perutz what sparked his experiment, he said: anger about his earlier omission. The reply of Bragg was, ‘I wish I had made you angry earlier!’ </blockquote>
<center><a href="http://www2.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/max-perutz-honoured-on-royal-mail-stamp/" target="_blank" title="Max Perutz honoured on Royal Mail stamp @ MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology"><img src="https://www2.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/MaxPerutzStampimage_215.jpg" /></a></center>Kirillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719435019715182189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337729169876127701.post-80364039697193381542022-10-06T23:00:00.038+01:002023-01-17T23:13:52.596+00:00woman, the scientist<p> From <a href="http://listenlearnread.blogspot.com/2023/01/the-dawn-of-everything.html" target="_blank" title="The Dawn of Everything @ Listen, Learn, Read"><i>The Dawn of Everything</i></a> by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Graeber" target="_blank" title="David Graeber in Wikipedia">David Graeber</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Wengrow" target="_blank" title="David Wengrow in Wikipedia">David Wengrow</a>: </p>
<blockquote> We can be fairly certain there was no Neolithic equivalent of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_Cartwright" target="_blank" title="Edmund Cartwright in Wikipedia">Edmund Cartwright</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Edison" target="_blank" title="Thomas Edison in Wikipedia">Thomas Edison</a>, who came up with the conceptual breakthrough that set everything in motion. Still, it often seems difficult for contemporary writers to resist the idea that some sort of similarly dramatic break with the past must have occurred. In fact, as we’ve seen, what actually took place was nothing like that. Instead of some male genius realizing his solitary vision, innovation in Neolithic societies was based on a collective body of knowledge accumulated over centuries, largely by women, in an endless series of apparently humble but in fact enormously significant discoveries. Many of those Neolithic discoveries had the cumulative effect of reshaping everyday life every bit as profoundly as the automatic loom or lightbulb. </blockquote>
<blockquote> Every time we sit down to breakfast, we are likely to be benefiting from a dozen such prehistoric inventions. Who was the first person to figure out that you could make bread rise by the addition of those microorganisms we call yeasts? We have no idea, but we can be almost certain she was a woman and would most likely not be considered ‘white’ if she tried to immigrate to a European country today; and we definitely know her achievement continues to enrich the lives of billions of people. What we also know is that such discoveries were, again, based on centuries of accumulated knowledge and experimentation — recall how the basic principles of agriculture were known long before anyone applied them systematically — and that the results of such experiments were often preserved and transmitted through ritual, games and forms of play (or even more, perhaps, at the point where ritual, games and play shade into each other). </blockquote>
<center><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dawn_of_Everything" target="_blank" title="The Dawn of Everything in Wikipedia"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c7/The_Dawn_of_Everything.jpg/330px-The_Dawn_of_Everything.jpg" width="134" /></a></center>
<blockquote> ‘<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adonia#Gardens_of_Adonis" target="_blank" title="Gardens of Adonis in Wikipedia">Gardens of Adonis</a>’ are a fitting symbol here. Knowledge about the nutritious properties and growth cycles of what would later become staple crops, feeding vast populations — wheat, rice, corn — was initially maintained through ritual play farming of exactly this sort. Nor was this pattern of discovery limited to crops. Ceramics were first invented, long before the Neolithic, to make figurines, miniature models of animals and other subjects, and only later cooking and storage vessels. Mining is first attested as a way of obtaining minerals to be used as pigments, with the extraction of metals for industrial use coming only much later. Mesoamerican societies never employed wheeled transport; but we know they were familiar with spokes, wheels and axles since they made toy versions of them for children. Greek scientists famously came up with the principle of the steam engine, but only employed it to make temple doors that appeared to open of their own accord, or similar theatrical illusions. Chinese scientists, equally famously, first employed gunpowder for fireworks. </blockquote>
<blockquote> For most of history, then, the zone of ritual play constituted both a scientific laboratory and, for any given society, a repertory of knowledge and techniques which might or might not be applied to pragmatic problems. </blockquote>Kirillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719435019715182189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337729169876127701.post-85204322077983648832022-09-08T12:00:00.026+01:002022-09-11T21:24:30.335+01:00this natural forest<p> From <a href="http://listenlearnread.blogspot.com/2022/09/el-hombre-que-plantaba-arboles.html" target="_blank" title="El hombre que plantaba árboles @ Listen, Learn, Read"><i>The Man Who Planted Trees</i></a> by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Giono" target="_blank" title="Jean Giono in Wikipedia">Jean Giono</a>: </p>
<center><img alt="illustration by Simona Mulazzani" border="0" height="211" src="https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/max_1200/ebff8129071117.55e063c477477.jpg" width="320" /></center>
<table>
<tr><td valign="top" width="33%"><blockquote> En 1933, il reçut la visite d’un garde forestier éberlué. Ce fonctionnaire lui intima l’ordre de ne pas faire de feu dehors, de peur de mettre en danger la croissance de cette <i>forêt naturelle</i>. C’était la première fois, lui dit cet homme naïf, qu’on voyait une forêt pousser toute seule. </blockquote>
<blockquote> En 1935, une véritable délégation administrative vint examiner la <i>«forêt naturelle»</i>. Il y avait un grand personnage des Eaux et Forêts, un député, des techniciens. On prononça beaucoup de paroles inutiles. On décida de faire quelque chose et, heureusement, on ne fit rien, sinon la seule chose utile: mettre la forêt sous la sauvegarde de l’Etat et interdire qu’on vienne y charbonner. </blockquote></td>
<td valign="top" width="33%"><blockquote> En 1933 recibió la visita de un guarda forestal atónito. El funcionario le notificó la orden de no encender fuego al aire libre, con el fin de no poner en peligro el crecimiento del <i>bosque natural</i>. Era la primera vez, le dijo ese hombre ingenuo, que un bosque crecía por sí solo. </blockquote>
<blockquote> En 1935, toda una delegación administrativa fue a examinar el <i>bosque natural</i>. Había un alto cargo de Aguas y Bosques, un diputado y varios técnicos. Pronunciaron muchas palabras inútiles. Decidieron hacer algo y, afortunadamente, no hicieron nada, salvo la única cosa útil que podían hacer: poner el bosque bajo la protección del Estado y prohibir que se cortara leña para convertirla en carbón. </blockquote></td>
<td valign="top" width="33%"><blockquote> In 1933 he received the visit of an astonished forest ranger. This functionary ordered him to cease building fires outdoors, for fear of endangering this <i>natural</i> forest. It was the first time, this naive man told him, that a forest had been observed to grow up entirely on its own. </blockquote>
<blockquote> In 1935, a veritable administrative delegation went to examine this “natural forest”. There was an important personage from Waters and Forests, a deputy, and some technicians. Many useless words were spoken. It was decided to do something, but luckily nothing was done, except for one truly useful thing: placing the forest under the protection of the State and forbidding anyone from coming there to make charcoal. </blockquote></td>
</tr>
<tr><td valign="top" width="33%"><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Homme_qui_plantait_des_arbres" target="_blank" title="L'Homme qui plantait des arbres dans Wikipédia"><i>L’homme qui plantait des arbres</i></a></div>
</td>
<td valign="top" width="33%"><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_hombre_que_plantaba_%C3%A1rboles" target="_blank" title="El hombre que plantaba árboles en Wikipedia"><i>El hombre que plantaba árboles</i></a> <br />
(translated by Palmira Feixas)</div></td>
<td valign="top" width="33%"><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_Who_Planted_Trees" target="_blank" title="The Man Who Planted Trees in Wikipedia"><i>The Man Who Planted Trees</i></a> <br />
(translated by Peter Doyle)</div></td></tr></table>Kirillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719435019715182189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337729169876127701.post-42147349262163883192022-03-18T18:00:00.013+00:002022-03-31T19:34:10.087+01:00In memoriam: A. M. Shkrob (1936 — 2007)<link href="http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Nothing+You+Could+Do" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link>
<link href="http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Permanent+Marker" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link>
<blockquote> Как долго помнят о тех, кто никому не известен при жизни? Что значит — никому? </blockquote>
<div style="text-align: right;">А. М. Шкроб, «<a href="http://vivovoco.astronet.ru/HOME/PAPERS/TEXT/ONEDAY.HTM" target="_blank" title="А. Шкроб, «Счастливые дни» @ Vivos voco!">Счастливые дни</a>»</div>
<blockquote> How long do they remember those who are known to no one during their lifetime? And what does it mean — “no one”? </blockquote>
<div style="text-align: right;">A.M. Shkrob, <i>Happy Days</i></div>
<p> What prompted me to look up his name after all these years, I can’t tell now. The top hit Mr Google brought me was an <a href="http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A8%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B1,_%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%80_%D0%9C%D0%BE%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87" target="_blank" title="Шкроб, Александр Моисеевич в Википедии">article in Russian Wikipedia</a> from which I learned that the subject of my search, Alexander Moiseyevich Shkrob (Александр Моисеевич Шкроб), Ph.D., died almost 15 years ago, on 28 September 2007, under suspicious circumstances. At the same time, the article was marked for deletion. It was noted in the discussion that A.M. Shkrob does not satisfy Wikipedia’s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Notability_(academics)" target="_blank" title="Wikipedia:Notability (academics)">notability criteria</a> for scientists. <i>What?</i> </p>
<p> I felt compelled to fix this. One of such criteria is peer-reviewed publications in “leading research journals”, wherever they are supposed to “lead”. To compile a list of A.M.’s scientific papers was relatively straightforward. Far from being complete, it nevertheless gives an idea how broad his research interests were. I also included there the monograph «Мембрано-активные комплексоны» [<a href="#Мембрано-активные_комплексоны" title="Reference 3">3</a>] which Shkrob coauthored with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuri_Ovchinnikov_(biochemist)" target="_blank" title="Yuri Ovchinnikov (biochemist) in Wikipedia">Yuri Ovchinnikov</a> and Vadim Ivanov. (I used to have a physical copy of this book which I bought second-hand in the 1980s.) I’ve added the bibliography to the Wikipedia article; you can see it <a href="#References">at the end of this post</a>, just in case they mutilate or delete it. </p>
<p> While doing this, I found out something unexpected. In 1997, A.M. created <a href="http://vivovoco.astronet.ru/" target="_blank" title="VIVOS VOCO! - ЗОВУ ЖИВЫХ!">the web site</a> called <i>Vivos voco!</i><sup><a href="#Footnote_*" title="Footnote *">*</a></sup> that is still online. Which in itself is a miracle, considering that it is a <i>free</i> — in many senses of this word, including advertisement-free — library. (For how long now, considering what is happening with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_censorship_in_Russia" target="_blank" title="Internet censorship in Russia in Wikipedia">Internet in my fatherland</a>?) Browsing this refreshingly simple, very 1990s-style site, I discovered the papers that A.M. wrote for popular science journals such as <i>«<a href="http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%97%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B5_%E2%80%94_%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%B0" target="_blank" title="Знание — сила в Википедии">Знание — сила</a>»</i> (<i>Scientia potentia est</i>) and <i>«<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khimiya_i_Zhizn_%E2%80%93_XXI_Vek" target="_blank" title="Khimiya i Zhizn – XXI Vek in Wikipedia">Химия и жизнь</a>»</i> (<i>Chemistry and Life</i>) in the ’80s and ’90s. I didn’t know this side of him — well, turns out I didn’t know many sides of him. </p>
<center> <span style="font-family: 'Nothing You Could Do', cursive; font-size: large;">* * *</span> </center>
<p> I first met A.M. in 1986. We happened to share the same lab space. For me, a third-year student just starting my first research-y project, he was an oldster; also, kind of a mad scientist. One afternoon he walked in the lab swirling some yellowish liquid in a small round-bottom flask and asked, “What do you think it is?” He had this manner to address everybody and nobody in particular at once. At that moment, I was the only other person present, so I assumed the question was directed to me. <br />
“I’ve no idea”, I confessed. <br />
“It’s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veratrole_alcohol" target="_blank" title="Veratrole alcohol in Wikipedia">veratryl alcohol</a>,” he beamed. “Isn’t it great?” <br />
“If you say so”, I wanted to respond but chose a nod instead. I used to be a polite boy. </p>
<p> Perhaps he felt I didn’t share his enthusiasm, so he left the room; I heard him attacking somebody else in the corridor with the same question. </p>
<p> A few years later, by then thoroughly forgotten (by me) veratryl alcohol would fall into place when A.M. gave a (brilliant) lecture on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lignin" target="_blank" title="Lignin in Wikipedia">lignin</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lignin_peroxidase" target="_blank" title="Lignin peroxidase in Wikipedia">lignin peroxidase</a>. </p>
<p> Pretty soon I moved to a different building. We kept overlapping now and then, for example, during the departmental seminars, but we never really worked together. I’ll never know if I missed much. I had an impression that A.M. was not the easiest person to work with. I can’t forget the hammering Shkrob, as a referee, gave to my former colleague during the latter’s Ph.D. pre-defence, to the degree that the poor guy had to completely rewrite his thesis and hold yet another pre-defence. </p>
<center><a href="http://www.astronet.ru/db/msg/1223697" target="_blank" title="Умер Александр Моисеевич Шкроб @ Астронет"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://images.astronet.ru/pubd/2007/10/02/0001223697/shkrob.jpg" width="200" /></a></center>
<p> The things A.M. used to say could be illuminating, or funny, or irritating, or even arrogant, but never boring. His knowledge — of science, history, literature — was astounding. I wish I had listened more. I wish I asked him at least <i>some</i> questions. As it was, I didn’t. </p>
<p> I remember him mentioning an episode from his youth that he would include later in «<a href="http://vivovoco.astronet.ru/HOME/PAPERS/TEXT/NOTHING.HTM" title="А. Шкроб «Ничего особенного» @ Vivos voco!">Ничего особенного</a>» (<i>Nothing Special</i>). At the end of the high school, in 1952, A.M. was advised<sup><a href="#Footnote_†" title="Footnote †">†</a></sup> to continue his education in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D._Mendeleev_University_of_Chemical_Technology_of_Russia" target="_blank" title="D. Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia in Wikipedia">Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology</a> rather than, as he aspired, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moscow_State_University" target="_blank" title="Moscow State University in Wikipedia">Moscow State University</a>. He didn’t have to explain <i>why</i> he got that advice: at the height of the infamous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-cosmopolitan_campaign" target="_blank" title="Anti-cosmopolitan campaign in Wikipedia">anti-cosmopolitan campaign</a>, it was next to impossible for Jews to enter the MSU. “Oh, I was walking home and crying”, he was reminiscing. “To my surprise, my mum was not upset at all. On the contrary. ‘What brilliant advice’, she said. ‘Do as you are told’. I did as I was told, and entered the Mendeleev’s without any trouble.” </p>
<p> A.M. was a self-confessed workaholic. Another thing is that he probably was not so sure about the direction of his work. Once he told me that he dedicated all his summer holidays to crack the internal language of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-Edit" target="_blank" title="Multi-Edit in Wikipedia">Multi-Edit</a> and wrote some sort of bibliographic database using that language. (Come on, give me a break, I thought to myself.) Back then, access to a personal computer was still a luxury. We had a number of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Personal_Computer_XT" target="_blank" title="IBM Personal Computer XT in Wikipedia">XTs</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Personal_Computer/AT" target="_blank" title="IBM Personal Computer/AT in Wikipedia">ATs</a> and even one <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I386" target="_blank" title="i386 in Wikipedia">i386</a> machine at the department but nobody had a PC at home. I was impressed, not with his software (which I never saw) but with the fact that he spent all summer at work. Not a small feat, considering that our department was situated just above a morgue. Alas, most likely the only user of that database was Shkrob himself. </p>
<p> In spite of, or maybe exactly thanks to, such workaholism, there was little recognition. I would imagine a scientist of his caliber leading a lab, or at the very least a research group, or being a professor at the university, or something. Reading his articles now, I understand that Shkrob, while being passionate <i>about science</i>, was indifferent to his <i>career in science</i>. Moreover, I think he was perfectly happy to be where he was, resisting promotions which would inevitably take away his freedom to actually <i>do</i> science. In the ’70s and ’80s, many Soviet research institutions provided safe harbours for intelligentsia’s “<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/nov/06/soviet-union-kitchen-table-russian-revolution-centenary-togetherness" target="_blank" title="Angus Roxburgh 'The Soviet 70s: how Russians made pools of light in the totalitarian darkness' @ The Guardian">internal emigration</a>”; the demise of the Soviet system heralded the end of these sanctuaries. From the ’90s on, it was not enough to work: the scientists were supposed to earn money. The era of <a href="http://lothruput.blogspot.com/2009/06/curiosity-as-driving-force-of-science.html" target="_blank" title="curiosity as the driving force of science @ this blog">state-sponsored curiosity</a> was over. This could be one of the (many) reasons why A.M. did not appear to be ecstatic about <i>catastroika</i><sup><a href="#Footnote_‡" title="Footnote ‡">‡</a></sup>. </p>
<center> <span style="font-family: 'Nothing You Could Do', cursive; font-size: large;">* * *</span> </center>
<p> If there was one thing that I took in from A.M., it was this one: “The model shouldn’t be as complex as the real object”. I probably have to explain that this comment was made 30+ years ago in the context of molecular modelling of proteins. A.M. expanded on it later in <i>The science of the black box</i> [<a href="#Наука_чёрного_ящика" title="Reference 40">40</a>]. It matters not that the hardware and software we used then would make you smile condescendingly. All the (undeniable) progress notwithstanding, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_novo_protein_structure_prediction" target="_blank" title="De novo protein structure prediction in Wikipedia">protein folding problem</a> remains unsolved. At the time, however, Shkrob’s maxim did strike me as a general rule to follow, in both science and life. </p>
<blockquote> Неужели и после меня останутся только оттиски забытых статей да папки с программами для допотопных машин — странные тексты, в которых запрятаны уже мне самому непонятные озарения. </blockquote>
<div style="text-align: right;">«Счастливые дни»</div>
<blockquote> Could it be that all that remains after me are reprints of long-forgotten articles and folders with programmes for antediluvian computers — strange texts that hide epiphanies already incomprehensible even to myself. </blockquote>
<div style="text-align: right;"><i>Happy Days</i></div>
<p> I believe that the legacy of A.M. is bigger than that. However, right now, for me, it is confined to what can be found on the web and to my own memory. In his 1992—1994 memoir <a href="http://vivovoco.astronet.ru/HOME/PAPERS/TEXT/ONEDAY.HTM" target="_blank" title="А. Шкроб, «Счастливые дни» @ Vivos voco!"><i>Happy Days</i></a> Shkrob promised to write about his grandfather, his mother and his uncle “in detail and without haste, if there’s time left”. Did he? I hope he did, and they’ll see the light of day eventually. In the meanwhile, I keep on reading. </p>
<p>
__________________________________________________
</p>
<a name="Footnote_*"></a>
<a name="Footnote_†"></a>
<a name="Footnote_‡"></a>
<p><table>
<tr></tr><tr><td valign="top">*</td>
<td> The phrase “<i>Vivos voco</i>” («Зову живых» in Russian) was the motto of <i>«<a href="http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9A%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BB_(%D0%B3%D0%B0%D0%B7%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%B0)" target="_blank" title="Колокол (газета) в Википедии">Колокол</a>»</i> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolokol_(newspaper)" target="_blank" title="Kolokol (newspaper) in Wikipedia"><i>Kolokol</i></a>), the first Russian censorship-free weekly newspaper in Russian and French languages, published by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Herzen" target="_blank" title="Alexander Herzen in Wikipedia">Alexander Herzen</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikolay_Ogarev" target="_blank" title="Nikolay Ogarev in Wikipedia">Nikolay Ogarev</a> between 1857 and 1867. The motto comes from the Latin epigraph to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Schiller" target="_blank" title="Friedrich Schiller in Wikipedia">Schiller</a>’s <i>Das Lied von der Glocke</i> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Song_of_the_Bell" target="_blank" title="Song of the Bell in Wikipedia"><i>Song of the Bell</i></a>): “<i>Vivos voco. Mortuos plango. Fulgura frango</i>”. </td>
</tr><tr><td valign="top">†</td>
<td> By Dr. Emilia Georgievna Perevalova (1922—2012), Soviet organometallic chemist, then head of chemical club at the Moscow State University. </td>
</tr>
<tr><td valign="top">‡</td>
<td> The word “catastroika” (<a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B9%D0%BA%D0%B0" target="_blank" title="катастройка in Wiktionary">катастройка</a>), invented by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Zinoviev" target="_blank" title="Alexander Zinoviev in Wikipedia">Alexander Zinoviev</a> in the 1980s, is a blend of “catastrophe” and “perestroika”. </td>
</tr></table></p>
<a name="References"></a>
<h4> References </h4>
<h5> <span style="font-family: 'Permanent Marker', cursive; font-size: medium;">Scientific works in Russian</span> </h5>
<ol>
<li> Шкроб, А.М. (1964) <a href="http://search.rsl.ru/ru/record/01010523557" target="_blank" title="Реакция оксиацильного включения в пептидные системы @ Российская государственная библиотека">Реакция оксиацильного включения в пептидные системы</a>. Диссертация на соискание ученой степени кандидата химических наук. Москва, Институт химии природных соединений АН СССР. </li>
<a name="Либерман_и_др._1969"></a>
<li> <a href="http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9B%D0%B8%D0%B1%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BC%D0%B0%D0%BD,_%D0%95%D1%84%D0%B8%D0%BC_%D0%90%D1%80%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82%D1%8C%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87" target="_blank" title="Либерман, Ефим Арсентьевич в Википедии">Либерман, Е.А.</a>, Топалы, В.П., Цофина, Л.М., Шкроб, А.М. (1969) Перенос ионов йода через искусственные фосфолипидные мембраны. <a href="http://www.elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=42391860" target="_blank" title="Либерман и др. (1969) Биофизика 14, 56-61."><i>Биофизика</i> <b>XIV</b>, 56—61</a>. </li>
<a name="Мембрано-активные_комплексоны"></a>
<li> <a href="http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9E%D0%B2%D1%87%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2,_%D0%AE%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%90%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87" target="_blank" title="Овчинников, Юрий Анатольевич в Википедии">Овчинников, Ю.А.</a>, <a href="http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%98%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2,_%D0%92%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BC_%D0%A2%D0%B8%D1%85%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87" target="_blank" title="Иванов, Вадим Тихонович в Википедии">Иванов, В.Т.</a>, Шкроб, А.М. (1974) <i>Мембрано-активные комплексоны.</i> Москва, <a href="http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9D%D0%B0%D1%83%D0%BA%D0%B0_(%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B4%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8C%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%BE)" target="_blank" title="Наука (издательство) в Википедии">Наука</a>. </li>
<li> Сумская, Л.В., Чехляева, Н.М., Барсуков, Л.И., Терехов, О.П., Демин, В.В., Шкроб, А.М., Иванов, В.Т., Овчинников, Ю.А. (1976) Функциональные производные валиномицина и энниатина B как комплексоны и ионофоры. <a href="http://www.rjbc.ru/arc/2/3/0351-0364.pdf" target="_blank" title="Сумская и др. (1976) Биоорганическая химия 2, 351-364."><i>Биоорганическая химия</i> <b>2</b>, 351—364</a>. </li>
<li> Шкроб, А.М., Родионов, А.В., Овчинников, Ю.А. (1978) Обратимый фотоиндуцированный гидролиз альдимина ретиналя в солюбилизированном бактериородопсине. <a href="http://www.rjbc.ru/arc/4/3/0354-0359.pdf" target="_blank" title="Шкроб и др. (1978) Биоорганическая химия 4, 354-359."><i>Биоорганическая химия</i> <b>4</b>, 354—359</a>. </li>
<li> Шкроб, А.М., Родионов, А.В. (1978) Щелочная денатурация бактериородопсина в пурпурных мембранах. <a href="http://www.rjbc.ru/arc/4/3/0360-0368.pdf" target="_blank" title="Шкроб и Родионов (1978) Биоорганическая химия 4, 360-368."><i>Биоорганическая химия</i> <b>4</b>, 360—368</a>. </li>
<li> Шкроб, А.М., Родионов, А.В. (1978) Множественность форм релаксирующих молекул бактериородопсина. <a href="http://www.rjbc.ru/arc/4/4/0500-0513.pdf" target="_blank" title="Шкроб и Родионов (1978) Биоорганическая химия 4, 500-513."><i>Биоорганическая химия</i> <b>4</b>, 500—513</a>. </li>
<li> Родионов, А.В., Шкроб, А.М. (1979) Гидролиз альдимина ретиналя в бактериородопсине, индуцированный ионами серебра. <a href="http://www.rjbc.ru/arc/5/3/0376-0394.pdf" target="_blank" title="Родионов и Шкроб (1979) Биоорганическая химия 5, 376-394."><i>Биоорганическая химия</i> <b>5</b>, 376—394</a>. </li>
<li> Овчинников, Ю.А., Шкроб, А.М., Родионов, А.В. (1980) Спектральный переход бактериородопсина как индикатор его состояния в пурпурных мембранах. <a href="http://www.rjbc.ru/arc/6/10/1483-1504.pdf" target="_blank" title="Овчинников и др. (1980) Биоорганическая химия 6, 1483-1504."><i>Биоорганическая химия</i> <b>6</b>, 1483—1504</a>. </li>
<li> Шкроб, А.М., Родионов, А.В., Овчинников, Ю.А. (1981) Ароматические аналоги бактериородопсина. <a href="http://www.rjbc.ru/arc/7/8/1169-1194.pdf" target="_blank" title="Шкроб и др. (1981) Биоорганическая химия 7, 1169-1194."><i>Биоорганическая химия</i> <b>7</b>, 1169—1194</a>. </li>
<li> Родионов, А.В., Баирамашвили, Д.И., Куделин, А.Б., Фейгина, М.Ю., Шкроб, А.М., Овчинников, Ю.А. (1981) Акцепторный остаток лизина при фотоиндуцированной миграции ретиналя в бактериородопсине. <a href="http://www.rjbc.ru/arc/7/9/1328-1334.pdf" target="_blank" title="Родионов и др. (1981) Биоорганическая химия 7, 1328-1334."><i>Биоорганическая химия</i> <b>7</b>, 1328—1334</a>. </li>
<li> Шкроб, А.М., Левит, М.Н., <a href="http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%90%D1%80%D1%87%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2,_%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%80_%D0%98%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87" target="_blank" title="Арчаков, Александр Иванович в Википедии">Арчаков, А.И.</a> (1989) Модельные подходы к изучению механизма действия лигниназы. Чем отличается лигниназа от других пероксидаз? <a href="http://www.rjbc.ru/arc/15/1/0053-0069.pdf" target="_blank" title="Шкроб и др. (1989) Биоорганическая химия 15, 53-69."><i>Биоорганическая химия</i> <b>15</b>, 53—69</a>. </li>
<li> Левит, М.Н., Шкроб, А.М. (1992) Лигнин и лигниназа. <a href="http://www.rjbc.ru/arc/18/3/0309-0345.pdf" target="_blank" title="Левит и Шкроб (1992) Биоорганическая химия 18, 309-345."><i>Биоорганическая химия</i> <b>18</b>, 309—345</a>. </li>
<li> Шкроб, А.М. (1994) Реакция окси- и аминоацильного включения. <a href="http://www.rjbc.ru/arc/20/2/0100-0113.pdf" target="_blank" title="Шкроб (1994) Биоорганическая химия 20, 100-113."><i>Биоорганическая химия</i> <b>20</b>, 100—113</a>. </li>
</ol>
<h5> <span style="font-family: 'Permanent Marker', cursive; font-size: medium;">Scientific works in English</span> </h5>
<ol start="15">
<li> Shemyakin, M.M., Antonov, V.K., Shkrob, A.M., Sheinker, Yu.N. and Senyavina, L.B. (1962) Cyclol formation in peptide systems. Tautomerism of <i>N</i>-(α-hydroxyacyl)-amides. <a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/S0040-4039(00)70936-1" target="_blank" title="Shemyakin et al. (1962) Tetrahedron Lett. 3, 701-707."><i>Tetrahedron Letters</i> <b>3</b>, 701—707</a>. </li>
<li> Antonov, V.K., Shkrob, A.M. and Shemyakin, M.M. (1963) Cyclol formation in peptide systems. III. Rearrangement of <i>N</i>-(β-hydroxypropionyl)-piperidone into a 10-membered cyclodepsipeptide. <a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/S0040-4039(01)90653-7" target="_blank" title="Antonov et al. (1963) Tetrahedron Lett. 4, 439-443."><i>Tetrahedron Letters</i> <b>4</b>, 439—443</a>. </li>
<li> Antonov, V.K., Shkrob, A.M., Shchelokov, V.I. and Shemyakin, M.M. (1963) Cyclol formation in peptide systems. IV. Hydroxy acid incorporation into peptides. <a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/S0040-4039(01)90832-9" target="_blank" title="Antonov et al. (1963) Tetrahedron Lett. 4, 1353-1360."><i>Tetrahedron Letters</i> <b>4</b>, 1353—1360</a>. </li>
<li> Shemyakin, M.M., Ovchinnikov, Yu.A., Antonov, V.K., Kiryushkin, A.A., Ivanov, V.T., Shchelokov, V.I. and Shkrob, A.M. (1964) Total synthesis of serratomolide. I. Synthesis of <i>O</i>,<i>O</i>′-diacetylserratamolide.
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/S0040-4039(01)89321-7" target="_blank" title="Shemyakin et al. (1964) Tetrahedron Lett. 5, 47-54."><i>Tetrahedron Letters</i> <b>5</b>, 47—54</a>. </li>
<li> Shemyakin, M.M., Antonov, V.K., Shkrob, A.M., Shchelokov, V.I. and Agadzhanyan, Z.E. (1965) Activation of the amide group by acylation: Hydroxy- and aminoacyl incorporation in peptide systems. <a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/S0040-4020(01)96972-8" target="_blank" title="Shemyakin et al. (1965) Tetrahedron 21, 3537-3572."><i>Tetrahedron</i> <b>21</b>, 3537—3572</a>. </li>
<li> Shkrob, A.M., Krylova, Yu.I., Antonov, V.K. and Shemyakin, M.M. (1967) A new approach to the synthesis of stable derivatives of azacyclols. <a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/S0040-4039(01)89978-0" target="_blank" title="Shkrob et al. (1967) Tetrahedron Lett. 8, 2701-2706."><i>Tetrahedron Letters</i> <b>8</b>, 2701—2706</a>. </li>
<li> Shemyakin, M.M., Ovchinnikov, Yu.A., Ivanov, V.T., Antonov, V.K., Shkrob, A.M., Mikhaleva, I.I., Evstratov, A.V. and Malenkov, G.G. (1967) The physicochemical basis of the functioning of biological membranes: Conformational specificity of the interaction of cyclodepsipeptides with membranes and of their complexation with alkali metal ions. <a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/0006-291X(67)90295-1" target="_blank" title="Shemyakin et al. (1967) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 29, 834-841."><i>Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications</i> <b>29</b>, 834—841</a>. </li>
<li> Liberman, E.A., Topaly, V.P., Tsofina, L.M. and Shkrob, A.M. (1969) Transfer of iodine ions across artificial phospholipid membranes. <a href="http://www.elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=30949704" target="_blank" title="Liberman et al. (1969) Biophysics 14, 55-61."><i>Biophysics</i> <b>14</b>, 55—61</a> [<i>translation of</i> <a href="#Либерман_и_др._1969" title="Reference 2">2</a>].
</li>
<li> Shemyakin, M.M., Ovchinnikov, Yu.A., Ivanov, V.T., Antonov, V.K., Vinogradova, E.I., Shkrob, A.M., Malenkov, G.G., Evstratov, A.V., Laine, I.A., Melnik, E.I. and Ryabova, I.D. (1969) Cyclodepsipeptides as chemical tools for studying ionic transport through membranes. <a href="http://doi.org/10.1007/BF01869790" target="_blank" title="Shemyakin et al. (1969) J. Membr. Biol. 1, 402-430."><i>The Journal of Membrane Biology</i> <b>1</b>, 402—430</a>. </li>
<li> Ivanov, V.T. and Shkrob, A.M. (1970) The physicochemical basis of ion transport through biological membranes. Report of a Pre-symposium held in Riga, U.S.S.R. on June 19 and 20, 1970, within the scope of the VII. International Symposium on the Chemistry of Natural Products. <a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/0014-5793(70)80454-9" target="_blank" title="Ivanov & Shkrob (1970) FEBS Lett. 10, 285-291."><i>FEBS Letters</i> <b>10</b>, 285—291</a>. </li>
<li> Shkrob, A.M. and Mel’nik, E.I. (1972) Transfer of protons across bilayer lipid membranes in the presence of dibasic phenol. Dependence of the mechanism of conductivity on the pH of aqueous solution. <a href="http://elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=30931557" target="_blank" title="Shkrob & Mel'nik (1972) Biophysics 17, 743-746."><i>Biophysics</i> <b>17</b>, 743—746</a>. </li>
<li> Barsukov, L.I , Shkrob, A.M. and Bergel’son, L.D. (1972) Effect of anions on the permeability of the liposomes induced by valinomycin. <a href="http://elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=30817764" target="_blank" title="Barsukov et al. (1972) Biophysics 17, 1083-1088."><i>Biophysics</i> <b>17</b>, 1083—1088</a>. </li>
<li> Shkrob, A.M., Mel’nik, E.I., Terekhov, O.P. and Ovchinnikov, Yu.A. (1973) Use of valinomycin as a probe for investigating the properties of the membranes. I. Non monotonic change in the properties of bilayer membranes of bovine brain lipids with increase in the ionic strength of the bathing solutions. <a href="http://elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=30802778" target="_blank" title="Shkrob et al. (1973) Biophysics 18, 691-697."><i>Biophysics</i> <b>18</b>, 691—697</a>. </li>
<li> Demin, V.V., Babakov, A.V., Shkrob, A.M. and Ovchinnikov, Yu.A. (1974) Conductivity of bilayer lipid membranes in the presence of valinomycin and lipophilic anions. <a href="http://elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=30807413" target="_blank" title="Demin et al. (1974) Biophysics 19, 675-680."><i>Biophysics</i> <b>19</b>, 675—680</a>. </li>
<li> Ovchinnikov, Yu.A., Ivanov, V.T. and Shkrob, A.M. (1974) <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=bn:9780044441595" target="_blank" title="ISBN 9780044441595 @ WorldCat"><i>Membrane-active complexones.</i></a> Elsevier, Amsterdam [<i>translation of</i> <a href="#Мембрано-активные_комплексоны" title="Reference 3">3</a>]. </li>
<li> Ovchinnikov, Yu.A., Shkrob, A.M., Rodionov, A.V. and Mitzner, B.I. (1979) An effective competitive inhibitor of bacterioopsin-retinal recombination. <a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/0014-5793(79)80041-1" target="_blank" title="Ovchinnikov et al. (1979) FEBS Lett. 97, 15-19."><i>FEBS Letters</i> <b>97</b>, 15—19</a>. </li>
<li> Voznesensky, A.I., Galanova, J.V., Shkrob, A.M., Mathanov, I.E. and Archakov, A.I. (1990) Conjugation of bleomycin with concanavalin A or immunoglobulin G increases its ability to destroy cell membranes. <a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/0003-9861(90)90676-p" target="_blank" title="Voznesensky et al. (1990) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 283, 519-522."><i>Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics</i> <b>283</b>, 519—522</a>. </li> </ol>
<h5> <span style="font-family: 'Permanent Marker', cursive; font-size: medium;">Essays, memoirs, popular science (in Russian)</span> </h5>
<ol start="32">
<li> Шкроб, А.М. <a href="http://vivovoco.astronet.ru/HOME/PAPERS/TEXT/PETROV.HTM" target="_blank" title="Будут ли гнилушки светиться в пустоте? или Первая книга Василия Петрова @ Vivos Voco!">Первая книга Василия Петрова</a>. <i>Знание — сила</i>, 1986, № 3, 39—41. </li>
<li> Шкроб, А.М. <a href="http://vivovoco.astronet.ru/HOME/PAPERS/TEXT/KIP_LETT.HTM" target="_blank" title="Не в службу... @ Vivos Voco!">Не в службу...</a> <i>Знание — сила</i>, 1994, № 8, 2—3. </li>
<li> Шкроб, А.М. <a href="http://vivovoco.astronet.ru/HOME/PAPERS/TEXT/BACON.HTM" target="_blank" title="Utility and progress @ Vivos Voco!">Utility and progress</a>. <i>Знание — сила</i>, 1995, № 12, 115—122. </li>
<li> Шкроб, А.М. Всему своё время.
<ol>
<li> <a href="http://vivovoco.astronet.ru/HOME/PAPERS/TEXT/CHEM_1.HTM" target="_blank" title="Всему своё время. 1. Цветной снимок @ Vivos Voco!">Цветной снимок</a>. <i>Химия и жизнь</i>, 1995, № 9, 48—56. </li>
<li> <a href="http://vivovoco.astronet.ru/HOME/PAPERS/TEXT/CHEM_2.HTM" target="_blank" title="Всему своё время. 2. Воспитание чувств @ Vivos Voco!">Воспитание чувств</a>. <i>Химия и жизнь</i>, 1995, № 10—12, 62—70. </li>
<li> <a href="http://vivovoco.astronet.ru/HOME/PAPERS/TEXT/CHEM_3.HTM" target="_blank" title="Всему своё время. 3. Конгресс танцует @ Vivos Voco!">Конгресс танцует</a>. <i>Химия и жизнь</i>, 1996, № 1—3, 70—78. </li>
<li> <a href="http://vivovoco.astronet.ru/HOME/PAPERS/TEXT/CHEM_4.HTM" target="_blank" title="Всему своё время. 4. Осколки зеркала @ Vivos Voco!">Осколки зеркала</a>. <i>Химия и жизнь</i>, 1996, № 4—6, 40—48. </li>
</ol>
</li>
<li> Шкроб, А.М. <a href="http://vivovoco.astronet.ru/HOME/PAPERS/TEXT/SHEMTIME.HTM" target="_blank" title="Время Шемякина @ Vivos Voco!">Время Шемякина</a>. <i>Знание — сила</i>, 1996, № 2, 44—55. </li>
<li> Шкроб, А.М. Молекулы лечат: Двенадцать микробесед о лекарствах.
<ul>
<li> <a href="http://vivovoco.astronet.ru/HOME/PAPERS/TEXT/DRUGS/DRUGS_1.HTM" target="_blank" title="Молекулы лечат: Двенадцать микробесед о лекарствах. Часть I (1—4) @ Vivos Voco!">Часть I (1—4)</a>. <i>Химия и жизнь — XXI век</i>, 1998, № 1, 38—44. </li>
<li> <a href="http://vivovoco.astronet.ru/HOME/PAPERS/TEXT/DRUGS/DRUGS_2.HTM" target="_blank" title="Молекулы лечат: Двенадцать микробесед о лекарствах. Часть II (5—7) @ Vivos Voco!">Часть II (5—7)</a>. <i>Химия и жизнь — XXI век</i>, 1998, № 2, 40—46. </li>
<li> <a href="http://vivovoco.astronet.ru/HOME/PAPERS/TEXT/DRUGS/DRUGS_3.HTM" target="_blank" title="Молекулы лечат: Двенадцать микробесед о лекарствах. Часть III (8—12) @ Vivos Voco!">Часть III (8—12)</a>. <i>Химия и жизнь — XXI век</i>, 1998, № 3, 72—77. </li>
</ul>
</li>
<li> Шкроб, А.М. Я не любитель, я другой... <a href="http://old.computerra.ru/1998/252/194185/" target="_blank" title="Я не любитель, я другой... @ Компьютерра, 29.06.1998"><i>Компьютерра</i>, 1998, № 252—253</a>. </li>
<li> Шкроб, А.М. Tabulettae ex machina. <a href="http://old.computerra.ru/2001/398/197530/" target="_blank" title="Tabulettae ex machina @ Компьютерра, 05.06.2001"><i>Компьютерра</i>, 2001, № 398</a>. </li>
<a name="Наука_чёрного_ящика">
</a><li><a name="Наука_чёрного_ящика"> Шкроб, А.М. </a><a href="http://vivovoco.astronet.ru/HOME/PAPERS/TEXT/BOX/BOX.HTM" target="_blank" title="Наука чёрного ящика @ Vivos Voco!">Наука чёрного ящика</a>. <i>Домашний компьютер</i>, 2001, № 9. </li>
<li> Шкроб, А.М. Интернет и образование. <a href="http://elbib.ru/article/view/195/194" target="_blank" title="Интернет и образование @ Электронные библиотеки, 2001, т. 4, № 6"><i>Электронные библиотеки</i>, 2001, т. 4, № 6</a>. </li>
<li> Шкроб, А.М. <a href="http://vivovoco.astronet.ru/HOME/PAPERS/TEXT/PAPERS.HTM" target="_blank" title="Статья о статьях @ Vivos Voco!">Статья о статьях</a>. <i>Природа</i> 2007, № 11, 52—62. </li>
</ol>Kirillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719435019715182189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337729169876127701.post-62717061385478693072022-02-06T13:00:00.010+00:002024-03-04T13:23:47.758+00:00playing the violin is easy<p> From <a href="http://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4958-7_1" target="_blank" title="Godly (1998) The need for good nomenclature @ Springer"><i>The need for good nomenclature</i></a> by Edward W. Godly: </p>
<blockquote> [T]he IUPAC ‘<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nomenclature_of_Organic_Chemistry" target="_blank" title="Nomenclature of Organic Chemistry in Wikipedia">Blue Book</a>’ rules are something of a patchwork quilt. It is intended to cover the entire bed of Organic Chemistry although some parts are covered more than once. </blockquote>
<blockquote> Even if a beautifully simple and appealing new system were devised and promulgated now, it would not result in
immediate abandonment of existing procedures nor even a gradual supplanting of them. An attempt was made to re-think the whole approach
to systematic nomenclature following the discernment by the author of a lack of logicality in the patchwork of revision and extension to organic nomenclature over the past 200 years. This is the so-called <a href="https://amzn.to/3saPkl6" target="_blank" title="The Hirn System: Nomenclature of Organic Chemistry @ Amazon.co.uk
#CommissionsEarned">HIRN system</a>, the principles for which were published in 1984. Its author claims it to be simple, logically consistent and to use far fewer rules than those of IUPAC. So far, it has not won many converts and this characterizes the general attitude to chemical nomenclature, even among chemists, i.e. almost total lack of interest. </blockquote>
<blockquote> The mid-century devising of line notations was seen as a liberation from all the complexity of systematic naming. Unfortunately, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiswesser_line_notation" target="_blank" title="Wiswesser line notation in Wikipedia">Wiswesser Line Notation</a> — the one which most widely caught on — requires mastery of a set of encoding and decoding rules filling well over 200 pages of an instruction manual. The system is easy to apply in the sense that playing the violin is easy; in other words the required facility is achieved only by constant practice. </blockquote>
<center><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/9401060819?&linkCode=li3&tag=lilere-21&linkId=0752c51d965de283c1fcf882da29411c&language=en_GB&ref_=as_li_ss_il" target="_blank" title="Chemical Nomenclature @ Amazon.co.uk
#CommissionsEarned"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51EEL1NwdPL._SL1290_.jpg" width="205" /></a></center>
<blockquote> It probably comes as a shock to discover that the rules do not constitute a beginner’s instruction manual but are couched in terse language and require months if not years of study and practice before a fairly complicated molecule can be tackled with confidence. A commonplace reaction is to riffle through the Blue Book looking for an example that looks fairly close to the molecule in question and try to name it by analogy. </blockquote>
<blockquote> I tried to meet certain aspects of this demand by writing a stand-alone <a href="https://amzn.to/3r2CR0E" target="_blank" title="Naming Organic Compounds: A Systematic Instruction Manual @ Amazon.co.uk
#CommissionsEarned">instruction manual</a> on naming new organic compounds. <...> Initial trials on user panels gave promising results, the only failures being due to certain subjects inserting bits of their own knowledge instead of blindly following the instructions. </blockquote>Kirillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719435019715182189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337729169876127701.post-36308787522014779202021-07-12T22:00:00.004+01:002021-07-12T23:43:28.797+01:00arrivederci, fed04.17<blockquote> <i>Se oggi la situazione è complessa, non c’è ragione di credere che invece fosse semplice nel passato.</i> </blockquote>
<p> So why Italian? Sure it’s a beautiful language but isn’t Mandarin (Arabic, French, or even German) more widely spoken and, therefore, more useful? </p>
<p> In my book, the beauty of Italian trumps the perceived usefulness of German. But, if it’s not enough, there are many more reasons to learn this language and its history. Look no further than <a href="http://www.edx.org/course/litaliano-nel-mondo" target="_blank" title="L'Italiano nel mondo @ edX">this fantastic MOOC</a> (or its <a href="http://www.edx.org/course/italian-language-around-the-world" target="_blank" title="Italian Language around the world @ edX">little sister</a>) to discover, indeed, <i>why</i> Italian. By a telling coincidence, I finished this course yesterday, just as Italy defeated England in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Euro_2020" target="_blank" title="UEFA Euro 2020 in Wikipedia">Euro 2020</a> finals. </p>
<p> <i>L’italiano nel mondo</i> is a complete opposite of <a href="http://lothruput.blogspot.com/2021/05/ci-vediamo-italian1x.html" target="_blank" title="ci vediamo, Italian1x @ this blog"><i>Italian Language and Culture</i></a>. No unconvincing skits with pretend students. No silly examples that nobody ever uses. And no English spoken whatsoever. This ten-week course is offered by Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II (<a href="https://www.edx.org/school/federicax" target="_blank" title="FedericaX @ edX">FedericaX</a>) and presented by <a href="https://www.edx.org/bio/nicola-de-blasi" target="_blank" title="Nicola De Blasi @ edX">Nicola De Blasi</a>, professor of Italian linguistics at the said university. Here’s the syllabus: </p>
<center><table><tbody><tr><td>
<ul>
Lezione 1 — Italiano lingua internazionale <br />
Lezione 2 — Italiano nel cinema e nel teatro <br />
Lezione 3 — Italiano nel mondo contemporaneo <br />
Lezione 4 — Geografia dell’italiano <br />
Lezione 5 — Le origini dell’italiano <br />
Midterm Exam <br />
Lezione 6 — L’italiano ai tempi di Dante e di San Francesco <br />
Lezione 7 — L’italiano nuova lingua di cultura <br />
Lezione 8 — Italiano e dialetti <br />
Lezione 9 — Le innovazioni dell’italiano <br />
Lezione 10 — La continuità dell’italiano <br />
Final exam
</ul></td></tr></tbody></table></center>
<p> Each lesson contains two short-ish (7—8 minutes) videolectures, each followed by a reading, and, starting from Lesson 3, very simple self-evaluation. For those who do this course “for real”, there are also midterm exam and final exam; not for freeloaders like me though. </p>
<p> The videolectures feature little more than a “talking head” of Prof. De Blasi. Most of the time, he is sitting in the nice surroundings, usually with bookshelves behind him, and uses no other props than (physical) books when he is talking. Kind of old school; I like it. (I also would like, one day, sit at the table like that, on my own, and lecture to the world; or maybe just sit at the table like that. Never mind.) </p>
<center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p6oxZchOlZU" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></center>
<p> Curiously, up to the Week 6 all the videos have both Italian and English subtitles. Starting the Week 6, English subtitles have disappeared. Not that I needed them too much: I found that I understand about 70% of what De Blasi says without them, and then there is Italian transcript that I can use. Still, I duly informed the course staff about that and got a prompt response: </p>
<blockquote> Hello, <br />
<br />
thank you for your feedback. We try to make every course available in other languages as well, but this one is completely in Italian and we are working on the English translation that we hope we'll put up as soon as possible. Meanwhile you can find a shorter version in English at this link: <a href="https://www.edx.org/course/italian-language-around-the-world" target="_blank" title="Italian Language around the world @ edX">https://www.edx.org/course/italian-language-around-the-world</a> <br />
<br />
Happy learning, <br />
<br />
FedericaX Team </blockquote>
<p> I followed the link and discovered that <i>Italian Language around the world</i> is a five-week course which, most likely, just uses the videos of the first five weeks of <i>L’italiano nel mondo</i>. Oh well. </p>
<p> The readings, also in Italian of course, build on the lectures and provide the visual support that, one may feel, is missing from the videos. For example: </p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQpyAvFXNxi7UtcMVMZIF0B4vWR5nA_PqP1i5-W9K6lUKguP-PNYrhVBspqdMIeQt7UNU0VWglJZ6oHAuyXKCXgT4gALYE1U9YfLPgEWz3CIPsos5KTUTpSU9mNzLOa6pDkS5wFQU2jXI/s800/Italian_dialects.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank" title="Carta dei raggruppamenti linguistici dei dialetti italiani"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="685" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQpyAvFXNxi7UtcMVMZIF0B4vWR5nA_PqP1i5-W9K6lUKguP-PNYrhVBspqdMIeQt7UNU0VWglJZ6oHAuyXKCXgT4gALYE1U9YfLPgEWz3CIPsos5KTUTpSU9mNzLOa6pDkS5wFQU2jXI/w343-h400/Italian_dialects.jpg" width="343" /></a></div>
<p> The language, academic it may seem, is easy enough to understand. And if not, Google Translate is doing a decent job, apart from the moments where some examples of mediaeval Italian are given. On more than one occasion, Google Translate helpfully suggested to switch to Corsican. </p>Kirillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719435019715182189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337729169876127701.post-53187141945879268472021-05-06T15:00:00.073+01:002021-05-06T20:12:27.838+01:00ci vediamo, Italian1x<p> A few years ago, I started <a href="http://www.edx.org/course/italian-language-and-culture-beginner-2021-2022" target="_blank" title="Italian Language and Culture: Beginner (2021-2022) @ edX"><i>Italian Language and Culture: Beginner</i></a> by <a href="http://www.edx.org/school/wellesleyx" target="_blank" title="Wellesley College @ edX">WellesleyX</a> only to abandon it after a week or so. This year, I decided to have another go at it. </p>
<center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0FBORuafUD0" title="Italian1x: Italian Language and Culture: Beginner (2019-2020) (Promotional video) on edX @ YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></center>
<p> This course is said to be “a new iteration of our course <i>Italian Language and Culture: Beginner (2019—2020)</i>”. In reality, a lot of material dates from much earlier time. <a name='more'></a> For instance, the video <a href="https://youtu.be/1Y7UpOqM2cI" target="_blank" title="Intervista Isabella Perricone Spring 2019 @ YouTube"><i>Il cinema italiano</i></a> appears to be uploaded to YouTube in 2019, although it is clear that it was recorded in 2014 (the presenter says that “we”, meaning Italy, have just won an Academy Award for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Beauty" target="_blank" title="The Great Beauty in Wikipedia"><i>La grande bellezza</i></a>; incidentally, it remains the last Italian film to win an Oscar). </p>
<p> As beginners courses go, it is probably not the worst. Here’s the syllabus: </p>
<ul>
<li> <b>Unit 1: Le città italiane e la piazza</b>
<ol>
1.1 Greetings and Introductions (Saluti e presentazioni)<br />
1.2 Nouns (gender, singular and plural) <br />
1.3 Articles (indefinite) and adjective <i>buono</i> <br />
1.4 Verb <i>essere</i>, <i>c’è</i>, <i>ci sono</i>, articles (definite), adjective <i>bello</i> <br />
1.5 Verb <i>avere</i> and idiomatic expressions with <i>avere</i> <br />
1.6 Lettura: <i>Le città italiane e le piazze</i> <br />
1.7 Intervista con Lucia Toppino: <i>La città di Alba</i>
</ol>
</li>
<li> <b>Unit 2: I giovani, la famiglia e l’università</b>
<ol> 2.1 Aggettivi <br />
2.2 Aggettivi e pronomi possessivi <br />
2.3 Verbi in <i>-are</i>; avverbi; domande; espressioni interrogative <br />
2.4 Verbi irregolari in <i>-are</i> (<i>andare</i>, <i>dare</i>, <i>fare</i>, <i>stare</i>) <br />
2.5 Lettura: <i>I giovani, la famiglia e l’università </i><br />
2.6 Intervista con Elena, Beatrice e Mattia: <i>L’università in Italia e negli USA</i>
</ol>
</li>
<li> <b>Unit 3: Attività, sport e vacanze</b>
<ol>
3.1 Verbi in <i>-ere</i>, <i>-ire</i> <br />
3.2 Verbi irregolari in <i>-ere</i>: <i>dovere</i>, <i>potere</i>, <i>volere</i> <br />
3.3 Verbi irregolari in <i>-ire</i>: <i>dire</i>, <i>uscire</i>, <i>venire</i> <br />
3.4 <i>Conoscere</i> e <i>sapere</i>; preposizioni articolate <br />
3.5 Lettura: <i>Attività, sport e vacanze</i> <br />
3.6 Intervista con Emanuele Capoano: <i>Le mie vacanze in Italia</i> <br />
3.7 Intervista con Isabella Perricone: <i>Il cinema italiano</i>
</ol>
</li>
<li> <b>Unit 4: La cucina italiana</b>
<ol>
4.1 Passato prossimo con <i>essere</i> e <i>avere</i> <br />
4.2 Imperfetto; imperfetto e passato prossimo <br />
4.3 Trapassato prossimo <br />
4.4 Espressioni negative <br />
4.5 Lettura: <i>Le abitudini alimentari in Italia</i> <br />
4.6 Intervista con Angelo Guida: <i>La mia passione per la cucina</i>
</ol>
</li>
<li> <b>Appendix: alphabet, pronunciation, numbers, dates, telling time</b>
<ol>
A1. Alphabet and pronunciation (Alfabeto e pronuncia) <br />
A2. Numbers (Numeri) <br />
A3. Days of the week, months, seasons (Giorni della settimana, mesi, stagioni) <br />
A4. Telling time (Che ore sono? Che ora è?)
</ol>
</li>
</ul>
<p> In the beginning of each section, apart from <i>Lettura</i> and <i>Intervista</i>, there is a short video skit called <i>Ciak!</i> (Italian for “action!”). The skits feature some Italian students of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wellesley_College" target="_blank" title="Wellesley College in Wikipedia">Wellesley College</a> studying, wait a minute, Italian language with “Professor
Milani” who also appears in the skits, played by the creator of the course, Daniela Bartelesi-Graf. As you could imagine, most of the situations are presented in not particulary convincing way. Even <i>Ciaks</i> aside, one could be forgiven for expecting to learn from examples a tad more useful than these: </p>
<blockquote><i>La penna dello studente è nel suo naso.</i> <br />
(The pen of the student is in his nose.) </blockquote>
<blockquote><i>Il sale è nel caffè della professoressa, no!</i> <br />
(The salt is in the coffee of the professor. Oh, no!)</blockquote>
<blockquote><i>Il cane ha pulito molto bene il pavimento.</i> <br />
(The dog cleaned the floor very well.)</blockquote>
<blockquote><i>Hai rotto i piatti di ceramica della nonna?!</i> <br />
(You broke Grandma’s ceramic dishes?!)</blockquote>
<blockquote><i>Che cosa hai risposto a Paolo quando lui ti ha detto che ha avuto un incidente con la tua macchina?</i> <br />
(What did you answer Paolo when he told you that he had an accident with your car?)</blockquote>
<p> I hope the future editions of this course will have more “real life” Italian, like clips from classic Italian films or TV programmes. </p>
<p> In my view, the Unit 1 is way too easy even for the beginners course; on the contrary, the Unit 4 is too grammar-heavy, what with three different past tenses. Now <a href="http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passato_prossimo" target="_blank" title="Passato prossimo in Italian Wikipedia"><i>passato prossimo</i></a> is not “simple past”, as the course author insists on calling it. Since the target audience of this course is supposed to be English-speaking (all explanations are given in Italian and English), it makes sense to introduce <i>passato prossimo</i> as the Italian analogue of English <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Present_perfect" target="_blank" title="Present perfect in Wikipedia">present perfect</a> while explaining that their <i>usage</i> could be a bit different. It looks like <a href="http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trapassato_prossimo" target="_blank" title="Trapassato prossimo in Italian Wikipedia"><i>trapassato prossimo</i></a> was brought in simply because, the course creators thought, we’ve just explained <i>passato prossimo</i> and <a href="http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indicativo_imperfetto" target="_blank" title="Indicativo imperfetto in Italian Wikipedia"><i>imperfetto</i></a>, now let’s combine them and quickly do some exercises in the remaining time. </p>
<p> When we come to the end of the unit (and course), there is a feeling of incompleteness. I guess it really depends on the student whether they find this incompleteness motivating — to the degree of, say, taking the intermediate course — or not. </p>
<center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8jvS61FeLPE" title="Intervista con Angelo Guida: La mia passione per la cucina @ YouTube" width="560"></iframe></center>
<p> Since edX scrapped the free “honor code” certificates, I’ve been following the “Audit Track” which is a fancy name for studying for yourself rather than for a diploma. I don’t need the diploma; however, nowadays edX pushes you toward the paid “Verified Track” harder than before. I find that rather irritating. For example, even though this course is marked as self-paced (i.e. you don’t have to meet any particular deadlines), the system keeps telling me to hurry up. Why? Because, while the course runs from 22 February 2021 until 31 December 2022, free access lasts only 12 weeks. In fact, this time is more than enough to finish the course, but still, it’s not what I’d call “self-paced”. </p>
<center><table bgcolor="WhiteSmoke" cellpadding="5" width="90%"><tbody><tr><th valign="top"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,Verdana;">🛈</span></th><td><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,Verdana;"><b> Audit Access Expires May 17, 2021 </b><br />
You lose all access to this course, including your progress, on May 17, 2021. <br />
Upgrade by Dec 21, 2022 to get unlimited access to the course as long as it exists on the site. <u><b>Upgrade now</b></u></span> </td></tr></tbody></table></center>
<p> Another annoying thing is that I am “unable to participate in graded assignments”. In spite of that, the system tells me by which date each of these tests is due. For instance, all the tests for the first unit are due on 22 March. In other words, I’m given exactly one month to finish the Unit 1 and pass the tests which I, um, can’t pass because I am “auditing”. I don’t suppose I missed that much though by not taking those tests. There are little “ungraded” tests after every few videos which nevertheless give you a limited number of attempts and some scores (like: 6/7 points) to keep you motivated. (By the by, I’ve encountered a number of typos or errors in these. I have reported them via the Discussion board; all of them were promptly acknowledged and corrected by Daniela Bartalesi-Graf.) </p>
<p> You can purchase the course handout from Amazon as a <a href="https://amzn.to/3ejPr8g" target="_blank" title="Italian Language and Culture: Beginner: Volume 1 Paperback @ Amazon.co.uk">paperback</a> ($25/£20.79) or <a href="https://amzn.to/3enIbZj" target="_blank" title="Italian Language and Culture: Beginner [Print Replica] Kindle Edition @ Amazon.co.uk">Kindle edition</a> ($10/£7.75). Alternatively, if you hate spending money on something that should come as a part of this course anyway, just keep saving the handouts provided in every unit as pdf files. </p>Kirillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719435019715182189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337729169876127701.post-6667264744413958322021-04-16T14:00:00.009+01:002022-02-06T13:34:00.569+00:00this is the extent of serendipity<p> According to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_J._Pedersen" target="_blank" title="Charles J. Pedersen in Wikipedia">Wikipedia</a>, Charles J. Pedersen (1904—1989) “is one of the few people to win a Nobel Prize in the sciences without having a PhD”. Pedersen received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1987, twenty years after he published his classic paper on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_ether" target="_blank" title="Crown ether in Wikipedia">crown ethers</a> [<a href="#Pedersen_1967" title="Pedersen (1967)">1</a>]. </p>
<p> Revisiting his work for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Current_Contents" target="_blank" title="Current Contents in Wikipedia"><i>Current Contents</i></a><sup>®</sup> (remember them?), he wrote [<a href="#Pedersen_1985" title="Pedersen (1967)">2</a>]: </p>
<blockquote> In 1961, at age 57, I began to study the effects of uni- and multidentate phenolic ligands on the catalytic properties of the VO group. The desired ligands, up to and including the quadridentate, had been synthesized. Now, the quinquedentate ligand, <a href="http://www.chemspider.com/Chemical-Structure.265711.html" target="_blank" title="MFCD00068542 @ ChemSpider">bis[2-(<i>o</i>-hydroxyphenoxy)ethyl] ether</a>, was to be prepared by reacting a catechol derivative containing a protected hydroxyl (contaminafed with 10 percent catechol) with bis(2-chloroethyl) ether. The expected quinquedentate ligand was obtained, but nature lent a hand to provide the hexadentate <a href="http://www.ebi.ac.uk/chebi/searchId.do?chebiId=CHEBI:358732" target="_blank" title="dibenzo-18-crown-6 (CHEBI:358732)">dibenzo-18-crown-6</a> in 0.4 percent yield. This is the extent of serendipity. </blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ebi.ac.uk/chebi/searchId.do?chebiId=CHEBI:358732" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank" title="dibenzo-18-crown-6 (CHEBI:358732)"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSAwGSDXOaZPpX_82foCTydCNQxqwEnfji_xtfeb-Z9sNRzExhRJma1Pw2dtk4ziYhBTe_RfzL_pFyTlj97Elumjk5vLHVe81ZSVZky6TC56Yc0c-28auriBvEIVLPs9GzoLGuAP1fq28/w320-h240/dibenzo-18-crown-6.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<blockquote> Other crown ethers were synthesized, and when their unique properties had been determined, an exhilarating period of research was inaugurated: every successful experiment produced a significantly novel result.</blockquote>
<blockquote> The crown ethers might have been stillborn in another environment. They were discovered in the Elastomer Chemicals Department of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DuPont_(1802%E2%80%932017)" target="_blank" title="DuPont (1802–2017) in Wikipedia">E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company</a>, but what had they to do with elastomets? Moreover, the small amount of the byproduct might have been tossed out or disregarded as something other than the desired product. However, with the support of the top departmental management (C.J. Harrington, A.S. Carter, H.E. Schroeder, and R. Pariser), I worked independently with these compounds for nearly eight years. During the period leading to the paper, my sole coworker was T.T. Malinowski, a laboratory
technician. I also had the resources of the analytical groups and the chance to consult with anyone on the technical staff of the company. </blockquote>
<blockquote> The editor of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journal_of_the_American_Chemical_Society" target="_blank" title="Journal of the American Chemical Society in Wikipedia"><i>Journal of the American Chemical Society</i></a>, Gates Marshall, wrote of the manuscript: “You are clearly reporting a monumental piece of work...” But he complained that the experimental section “...looked as though it had been copied verbatim from a laboratory notebook.” He contributed to the frequency of citation by allowing two unusual features in the paper: length (20 pages) and a new system of nomenclature (crown) for identifying compounds whose official names boggle the mind. </blockquote>
<p> I don’t know about you but I find all this astounding. A guy <i>sans</i> Ph.D. is allowed to work for eight years on something that has nothing to do with his company’s products. Two years before his retirement, he publishes a single-author <i>experimental</i> paper on synthesis and characterisation of 33 cyclic polyethers, <i>plus</i> proposes the new nomenclature system for crown ethers that we still use today. It is as if the management knew he’s gonna win the Nobel and just let him work toward it. </p>
<h4> References </h4>
<ol>
<a name="Pedersen_1967"></a>
<li> Pedersen, C.J. (1967) Cyclic polyethers and their complexes with metal salts. <a href="http://doi.org/10.1021/ja01002a035" target="_blank" title="Pedersen (1967) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1967, 89, 7017-7036."><i>Journal of the American Chemical Society</i> <b>89</b>, 7017—7036</a>. </li>
<a name="Pedersen_1985"></a>
<li> Pedersen, C.J. This Week’s Citation Classic. <i>Current Contents</i><sup>®</sup>, no. 32, August 12, 1985, p. 18. </li>
</ol>Kirillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719435019715182189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337729169876127701.post-83997115254771717612021-02-15T12:00:00.010+00:002021-02-15T12:34:34.883+00:00what’s the matter<p> In high school (1981—1983) I was taught that (physical) matter (<a href="http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%8F_(%D1%84%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0)" target="_blank" title="Материя (физика) в Википедии">материя</a>) <b>(1)</b> consists of substance (<a href="http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%92%D0%B5%D1%89%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%BE" target="_blank" title="Вещество в Википедии">вещество</a>) and energy (<a href="http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%AD%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B3%D0%B8%D1%8F" target="_blank" title="Энергия в Википедии">энергия</a>). However, in the English-speaking world <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matter" target="_blank" title="Мatter in Wikipeda">matter</a> <b>(2)</b> is usually understood as something that has <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass" target="_blank" title="Мass in Wikipedia">mass</a> (more precisely, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invariant_mass" target="_blank" title="Invariant mass in Wikipedia">rest mass</a>) and occupies <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space" target="_blank" title="Space in Wikipedia">space</a>. It does not include photons or waves. So, matter <b>(2)</b> is the same as substance. I find the concept of matter <b>(1)</b> useful for it allows us to talk about conservation of matter even when there is no conservation of mass as, for example, in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_binding_energy#Mass_defect" target="_blank" title="Mass defect in Wikipedia">nuclear reactions</a>. </p>
<p>In Soviet times, <i>the</i> definition of matter <b>(3)</b> that we all were supposed to know by heart was the one given by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Lenin" target="_blank" title="Vladimir Lenin in Wikipedia">Lenin</a> in the Chapter II of his 1909 book «<a href="http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%BC_%D0%B8_%D1%8D%D0%BC%D0%BF%D0%B8%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BE%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%BC" target="_blank" title="Материализм и эмпириокритицизм в Википедии">Материализм и эмпириокритицизм</a>» (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Materialism_and_Empirio-criticism" target="_blank" title="Materialism and Empirio-criticism in Wikipedia"><i>Materialism and Empirio-criticism</i></a>): </p>
<blockquote> Материя есть философская категория для обозначения объективной реальности, которая дана человеку в ощущениях его, которая копируется, фотографируется, отображается нашими ощущениями, существуя независимо от них. </blockquote>
<blockquote> Matter is a philosophical category denoting the objective reality which is given to man by his sensations, and which is copied, photographed and reflected by our sensations, while existing independently of them. </blockquote>
<p> Now Lenin’s concept of matter does not include <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_matter" target="_blank" title="Dark matter in Wikipeda">dark matter</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_energy" target="_blank" title="Dark energy in Wikipeda">dark energy</a> whose existence is postulated to explain certain cosmological hypotheses. Quite apart from the fact that Lenin did not know about them, neither dark matter nor dark energy can be observed (that’s why they are “dark”) and thus are <i>not</i> given us in our sensations. Of course, that could change in future. But, for the time being and for most practical applications, matter <b>(1)</b> is pretty much equivalent to Lenin’s matter <b>(3)</b>. </p>
<p> Here’s an anecdote that my mum told me on a few occasions. Back in her student days, she also had to take an oral exam on “diamat” (диамат; short for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialectical_materialism" target="_blank" title="Dialectical materialism in Wikipedia">dialectical materialism</a>). The standard practice was, upon entering the examination room, to draw a “ticket” (билет), i.e. a slip of paper with the questions. So she took her “ticket” and sat down at a desk. </p>
<p> A student being examined at that very moment was finding himself in hot water. Not just any student: one of the top students of her class. </p>
<p> “Well, my friend, maybe you should come again another time, when you are better prepared”, the professor eventually suggested.</p>
<p> The student did not object. He got up and headed towards the exit. To the professor’s surprise, my mum also got up and began to pack. </p>
<p> “And where do you think you’re going?” he asked. <br />
“Home.” <br />
“What’s the matter?” <br />
“I don’t know anything. Will come back when <i>I</i> am better prepared.” <br />
“Nonsense!” cried the professor. “You must know <i>something</i> if you came to this exam.” <br />
“But I know that I don’t.” <br />
“Are you Socrates or something?” <br />
“No, but...” <br />
“Are you telling me you don’t even know the Lenin’s definition of matter?” <br />
“Why, of course I do know <i>that</i>.” <br />
“Kindly tell us.” </p>
<p> And so she did. “Matter is a philosophical category denoting the objective reality” and so on and so forth. </p>
<p> “See?” said the professor. “Everybody look at her. She says she doesn’t know anything but she knows when I ask the question. Where’s your grade book?” </p>
<p> A grade book (<a href="http://ru.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D0%B7%D0%B0%D1%87%D1%91%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%8F_%D0%BA%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B6%D0%BA%D0%B0" target="_blank" title="зачётная книжка в Викисловаре">зачётная книжка</a>, or «зачётка») contained the record of exams and scores throughout the student’s university life. </p>
<center><a href="http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%97%D0%B0%D1%87%D1%91%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%8F_%D0%BA%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B6%D0%BA%D0%B0" target="_blank" title="Зачётная книжка в Википедии"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Transcript_%28education%29.jpg/1280px-Transcript_%28education%29.jpg" width="320" /></a></center>
<p> “Here, your five.” (“Five”, or “excellent”, was the top score.) “And <i>you</i>”, he turned to the first student who, by some reason, still was hanging around, “you’re coming back another time.” </p>Kirillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719435019715182189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337729169876127701.post-41067435415125129292020-09-15T12:00:00.000+01:002020-09-15T13:05:58.851+01:00the great danger of the metric system <p> A few fact(oid)s about Dame <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agatha_Christie" target="_blank" title="Agatha Christie in Wikipedia">Agatha Christie</a> I haven’t been aware until now. </p>
<ul>
<li> Pharmacy and toxicology were among Christie’s many interests. During the the First World War, she took some time off her work as a nurse to study for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apothecaries%27_Hall,_London" target="_blank" title="Apothecaries' Hall, London in Wikipedia">Apothecaries Hall</a> Examination. She wrote in her <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agatha_Christie:_An_Autobiography" target="_blank" title="Agatha Christie: An Autobiography in Wikipedia">autobiography</a>:
<blockquote> To be introduced suddenly to the periodic table, atomic weight, and the ramifications of coal-tar derivatives was apt to result in bewilderment. However, I found my feet, mastered the simpler facts, and after we had blown up our <a href="http://www.cona.be/conahistory.html" target="_blank" title="Cona History @ Cona Coffee Maker">Cona coffee machine</a> in the process of practising <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsh_test" target="_blank" title="Marsh test in Wikipedia">Marsh’s test</a> for arsenic our progress was well on the way. <...> </blockquote>
<blockquote> A chemist’s shop, the first time that you go behind the scenes, is a revelation. Being amateurs in our hospital work, we measured every bottle of medicine with the utmost accuracy. When the doctor prescribed twenty grains of bismuth carbonate to a dose, exactly twenty grains the patient got. Since we were amateurs, I think this was a good thing, but I imagine that any chemist who has done his five years, and got his minor pharmaceutical degree, knows his stuff in the same way as a good cook knows hers. He tosses in portions from the various stock bottles with the utmost confidence, without bothering to measure or weigh at all. He measures his poisons or dangerous drugs carefully, of course, but the harmless stuff goes in in the approximate dollops. Colouring and flavouring are added in much the same way. This sometimes results in the patients coming back and complaining that their medicine is a different colour from last time. <...> </blockquote>
<blockquote> During the course of my pharmaceutical instruction on Sunday afternoons, I was faced with a problem. It was incumbent upon the entrants to the examination to deal with both the ordinary system and the metric system of measurements. My pharmacist gave me practice in making up preparations to the metric formula. Neither doctors nor chemists like the metrical system in operation. One of our doctors at the hospital never learned what ‘containing 0.1’ really meant, and would say, ‘Now let me see, is this solution one in a hundred or one in a thousand?’ The great danger of the metric system is that if you go wrong you go ten times wrong. <...> </blockquote>
<blockquote> It was while I was working in the dispensary that I first conceived the idea of writing a detective story.</blockquote>
</li>
<li> It was not until 1920 that her first novel, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mysterious_Affair_at_Styles" target="_blank" title="The Mysterious Affair at Styles in Wikipedia"><i>The Mysterious Affair at Styles</i></a>, saw the light of day. The corresponding episode of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agatha_Christie%27s_Poirot" target="_blank" title="Agatha Christie's Poirot in Wikipedia"><i>Poirot</i></a> was released 30 years ago on occasion of Christie’s 100<sup>th</sup> birthday. Now, to mark the centenary of <i>Styles</i>, the Royal Mint issued the <a href="http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/new-2-coin-mark-100-18928778" target="_blank" title="New £2 coin to mark 100 years since Agatha Christie's first novel @ Wales Online">new £2 coins</a> featuring the author’s signature, a jigsaw puzzle and some instruments of murder.
<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMC7lu195DjTZexZ5FTPWhA5lsZXsZnMMQ2-E-H_1sXSYkiajux1cFtMfzH0vjS8NDP-7peefrvaSe1CGRNULSw_xWn68QYmkxv_LgA0E5pOG_t1FWjBn3JmNl2qbsy992Q7qOOrhDTkQ/s1600/Agatha_Christie_2020_coin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank" title="Agatha Christie’s £2 coin"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="615" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMC7lu195DjTZexZ5FTPWhA5lsZXsZnMMQ2-E-H_1sXSYkiajux1cFtMfzH0vjS8NDP-7peefrvaSe1CGRNULSw_xWn68QYmkxv_LgA0E5pOG_t1FWjBn3JmNl2qbsy992Q7qOOrhDTkQ/s200/Agatha_Christie_2020_coin.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></p>
</li>
<li> I visited Ayuntamiento de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on many a bureaucracy-related occasion without knowing that its (pretty ugly) headquarters occupy the place of the former <a href="http://fotosantiguascanarias.org/oaistore/opac/busca.php?codopac=OP003&pg1021087639995_prox_pagina=1&idpag=1087639995" target="_blank" title="Hotel Metropole @ Archivo de fotografía histórica de Canarias">Quiney’s Hotel Metropole</a> where Agatha Christie <a href="http://aclrevistaliteraria.academiacanarialengua.org/agatha-christie-en-canarias/" target="_blank" title="Agatha Christie en Canarias | ACL Revista literaria">stayed in 1927</a>.
<blockquote> Las Palmas is still my ideal of the place to go in the winter months. I believe nowadays it is a tourist resort and has lost its early charm. Then it was quiet and peaceful. Very few people came there except those who stayed for a month or two in winter and preferred it to Madeira. It had two perfect beaches. The temperature was perfect too: the average was <a href="http://www.rapidtables.com/convert/temperature/70-fahrenheit-to-celsius.html" target="_blank" title="70 Fahrenheit to Celsius conversion @ RapidTables.com">about 70</a>, which is, to my mind, what a summer temperature should be. </blockquote>
<div style="text-align: right;"><i>Agatha Christie: An Autobiography</i></div>
<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8fDMYmHvWxnvcUWv7MbhVS-AgkaTwMZV_ZXCKmam-vHHb8RClllyoTNk1CvzPiHYbG-Ui-BTF1B42MXmXqfvBIAmT40vnyMeXEPkjGEpUbCojGEge5eN_6g9ywaLpOdq64enrWWSpsA/s1600/Hotel_Metropole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank" title="Quiney’s Hotel Metropole, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria"><img border="0" data-original-height="1028" data-original-width="1600" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8fDMYmHvWxnvcUWv7MbhVS-AgkaTwMZV_ZXCKmam-vHHb8RClllyoTNk1CvzPiHYbG-Ui-BTF1B42MXmXqfvBIAmT40vnyMeXEPkjGEpUbCojGEge5eN_6g9ywaLpOdq64enrWWSpsA/s320/Hotel_Metropole.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></p>
</li>
<li> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mousetrap" target="_blank" title="The Mousetrap in Wikipedia"><i>The Mousetrap</i></a> was not only the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_longest-running_West_End_shows" target="_blank" title="List of the longest-running West End shows in Wikipedia">longest-running West End show</a> but it had the longest initial run of any play in history. It premiered in 1952 and ran continuously until March 2020 until it was rudely interrupted by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic" target="_blank" title="COVID-19 pandemic in Wikipedia">COVID-19 pandemic</a>. </li></ul>Kirillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719435019715182189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337729169876127701.post-44822203960185168682020-04-13T20:20:00.002+01:002024-01-14T11:49:11.555+00:00staying indoors all night working<p> From <a href="http://listenlearnread.blogspot.com/2020/04/soul-music.html" target="_blank" title="Soul Music @ Listen, Learn, Read"><i>Soul Music</i></a> by Terry Pratchett: </p>
<blockquote> A new day dawned. <br />
It had hardly finished doing so before <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unseen_University#Archchancellor" target="_blank" title="Unseen University: Archchancellor">Ridcully</a> hurried through the dewy grass of the University gardens and hammered on the door of the High Energy Magic Building.</blockquote>
<!--Generally he never went near the place. It wasn’t that he didn’t understand what it was the young wizards in there were actually doing, but because he strongly suspected that they didn’t, either. They seemed to positively enjoy becoming less and less certain about everything and would come in to dinner saying things like ‘Wow, we’ve just overturned Marrowleaf’s Theory of Thaumic Imponderability! Amazing!’ as if it was something to be proud of, instead of gross discourtesy.
And they were always talking about splitting the thaum, the smallest unit of magic. The Archchancellor couldn’t see the point. So you had bits all over the place. What good would that do? The universe was bad enough without people poking it.-->
<blockquote> The door opened. <br />
‘Oh, it’s you, Archchancellor.’ <br />
Ridcully pushed the door open further. <br />
‘Morning, Stibbons. Glad to see you’re up and about early.’ <br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unseen_University#Ponder_Stibbons" target="_blank" title="Unseen University: Ponder Stibbons">Ponder Stibbons</a>, the faculty’s youngest member, blinked at the sky. <br />
‘Is it morning already?’ he said. </blockquote>
<center><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00NBDHNJY/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&linkCode=li3&tag=lilere-21&linkId=cfa0f61d3dfbfe5834738cee7856e491&language=en_GB" target="_blank" title="Soul Music @ Amazon.co.uk"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51fqK-cZKsL.jpg" width="205" /></a></center>
<!--Ridcully pushed his way past him and into the HEM. It was unfamiliar ground for a traditional wizard. There wasn’t a skull or dribbly candle to be seen; this particular room looked like an alchemist’s laboratory had suffered the inevitable explosion and landed in a blacksmith’s shop.
Nor did he approve of Stibbons’s robe. It was the right length but a washed‑out greeny‑grey, with pockets and toggles and a hood with a bit of rabbit fur around the edge. There weren’t any sequins or jewels or mystic symbols anywhere. Just a blodgy stain where Stibbons’s pen leaked.-->
<blockquote> ‘You ain’t been out lately?’ said Ridcully. <br />
‘No, sir. Er. Should I have been? I’ve been busy working on my Make‑It‑Bigger device. You know, I showed you—’ <br />
‘Right, right,’ said Ridcully, looking around. ‘Anyone else been working in here?’ <br />
‘Well . . . there’s me, and Tez the Terrible and Skazz and Big Mad Drongo, I think . . .’ <br />
Ridcully blinked. <br />
‘What are they?’ he said. And then, from the depths of memory, a horrible answer suggested itself. Only a very specific species had names like that. <br />
‘<i>Students?</i>’ <br />
‘Er. Yes?’ said Ponder, backing away. ‘That’s all right, isn’t it? I mean, this <i>is</i> a university . . .’ <br />
Ridcully scratched his ear. The man was right, of course. You had to have some of the buggers around, there was no getting away from it. Personally, he avoided them whenever possible, as did the rest of the faculty, occasionally running the other way or hiding behind doors whenever they saw them. The Lecturer in Recent Runes had been known to lock himself in his wardrobe rather than take a tutorial. </blockquote>
<blockquote> He stared at the students. It was a worrying sight, and not just because of the natural look of students. Here were some people who, while this damn music was making everyone tap their feet, had stayed indoors all night — working. </blockquote>Kirillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719435019715182189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337729169876127701.post-14136260848439199442019-09-19T21:00:00.002+01:002024-03-04T13:30:13.348+00:00Borges-like dreaminess <p> From <a href="http://listenlearnread.blogspot.com/2020/04/horse-wheel-and-language.html" target="_blank" title="The Horse, the Wheel, and Language @ Listen, Learn, Read"><i>The Horse, the Wheel, and Language</i></a> by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_W._Anthony" target="_blank" title="David W. Anthony in Wikipedia">David W. Anthony</a>: </p>
<blockquote> The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cucuteni%E2%80%93Trypillia_culture" target="_blank" title="Cucuteni–Trypillia culture in Wikipedia">Cucuteni-Tripolye culture</a> first appeared around 5200—5000 BCE and survived a thousand years longer than any other part of the Old European world. Tripolye people were still creating large houses and villages, advanced pottery and metals, and female figurines as late as 3000 BCE. They were the sophisticated western neighbors of the steppe people who probably spoke <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proto-Indo-European_language" target="_blank" title="Proto-Indo-European language in Wikipedia">Proto-Indo-European</a>. </blockquote>
<blockquote> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cucuteni%E2%80%93Trypillia_culture" target="_blank" title="Cucuteni–Trypillia culture in Wikipedia">Cucuteni-Tripolye</a> is named after two archaeological sites: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cucuteni" target="_blank" title="Cucuteni in Wikipedia">Cucuteni</a>, discovered in eastern Romania in 1909, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trypillia" target="_blank" title="Trypillia in Wikipedia">Tripolye</a>, discovered in central Ukraine in 1899. Romanian archaeologists use the name Cucuteni and Ukrainians use Tripolye, each with its own system of internal chronological divisions, so we must use cumbersome labels like Pre-Cucuteni III/Tripolye A to refer to a single prehistoric culture. There is a Borges-like dreaminess to the Cucuteni pottery sequence: one phase (Cucuteni C) is not a phase at all but rather a type of pottery probably made outside the Cucuteni-Tripolye culture; another phase (Cucuteni Al) was defined before it was found, and never was found; still another (Cucuteni A5) was created in 1963 as a challenge for future scholars, and is now largely forgotten; and the whole sequence was first defined on the assumption, later proved wrong, that the Cucuteni A phase was the oldest, so later archaeologists had to invent the Pre-Cucuteni phases I, II, and III, one of which (Pre-Cucuteni I) might not exist. The positive side of this obsession with pottery types and phases is that the pottery is known and studied in minute detail. </blockquote>
<center><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0691058873/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&linkCode=li3&tag=lilere-21&linkId=d4b5844ccf88ee6dea59900bb55cd745&language=en_GB" target="_blank" title="The Horse, the Wheel, and Language @ Amazon.co.uk
#CommissionsEarned"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81+wqj9+O9L._SL1500_.jpg" width="211" /></a></center>Kirillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719435019715182189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337729169876127701.post-44260264135406584372019-06-02T23:00:00.000+01:002019-06-03T10:48:29.985+01:00our work on relative motion<p> “I need my wife. She solves for me all my mathematical problems”, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Einstein" target="_blank" title="Albert Einstein in Wikipedia">Albert Einstein</a> used to say [1]. What? </p>
<p> I have to admit that until today I knew literally <i>nothing</i> about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mileva_Mari%C4%87" target="_blank" title="Mileva Marić in Wikipedia">Mileva Marić</a> (1875—1948). It was thanks to publication of Rosa Montero in <i>El País Semanal</i> [2] that I looked her up. Her life was fascinating and tragic. Quite apart from being a brilliant mind, her husband was an ordinary asshole. </p>
<blockquote> I look forward to resume <i>our new common work</i>. You must now continue with <i>your research</i> — how proud I will be to have a doctor for my spouse when I’ll only be an ordinary man. </blockquote>
<div style="text-align: right;">
Albert Einstein to Mileva Marić, September 1900 [1]
</div>
<blockquote> <i>We</i> will send a private copy to Boltzmann to see what he thinks and I hope he will answer <i>us</i>. </blockquote>
<div style="text-align: right;">
Mileva Marić to Helene Savić, 20 December 1900 [1]
</div>
<blockquote> How happy and proud I will be when the <i>two of us together</i> will have brought <i>our work on relative motion</i> to a victorious conclusion. </blockquote>
<div style="text-align: right;">
Albert to Mileva, 27 March 1901 [1]
</div>
<blockquote> <Michele Besso> visited his uncle on my behalf, Prof. Jung, one of the most influential physicists in Italy and gave him a copy of <i>our</i> article. </blockquote>
<div style="text-align: right;">
Albert to Mileva, 4 April 1901 [1]
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;">
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Mileva_Maric.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="351" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Marić in 1896</td></tr></table>
</div>
<p> Whatever was Mileva’s actual contribution, we may never learn. Einstein submitted articles signed by his name only. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abram_Ioffe" target="_blank" title="Abram Ioffe in Wikipedia">Abram Ioffe</a> claimed that “he saw the original three submission papers of the 1905 theory of relativity paper and said they were signed Einstein-Marity <Hungarian variant of Marić>. However, Marity was removed from the final publication” [3]. </p>
<p> In 1912, Albert embarked on an affair with his first cousin, Elsa Einstein (Löwenthal). He forced Mileva to sign a humiliating contract [4, 5]:
<blockquote>
<ol type="A">
<li>You will make sure:</li>
<ol>
<li>that my clothes and laundry are kept in good order;</li>
<li>that I will receive my three meals regularly <i>in my room</i>;</li>
<li>that my bedroom and study are kept neat, and especially that my desk is left for <i>my use only</i>.</li>
</ol>
<li>You will renounce all personal relations with me insofar as they are not completely necessary for social reasons. Specifically, You will forego:</li>
<ol>
<li>my sitting at home with you;</li>
<li>my going out or travelling with you.</li>
</ol>
<li>You will obey the following points in your relations with me:</li>
<ol>
<li>you will not expect any intimacy from me, nor will you reproach me in any way;</li>
<li>you will stop talking to me if I request it;</li>
<li>you will leave my bedroom or study immediately without protest if I request it.</li>
</ol>
<li>You will undertake not to belittle me in front of our children, either through words or behavior.</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
“Mileva moved back to Zurich with her two sons on 29 July 1914. In 1919, she agreed to divorce, with a clause stating that if Albert ever received the Nobel Prize, she would get the money. <...> In 1925, Albert wrote in his will that the Nobel Prize money was his sons’ inheritance. Mileva strongly objected, stating the money was hers and considered revealing her contributions to his work” [1]. Here’s what her ex responded:
<blockquote> You made me laugh when you started threatening me with your recollections. Have you ever considered, even just for a second, that nobody would ever pay attention to your says if the man you talked about had not accomplished something important. When someone is completely insignificant, there is nothing else to say to this person but to remain modest and silent. This is what I advise you to do. </blockquote>
<div style="text-align: right;">
Albert to Mileva, 24 October 1925 [1]
</div></p>
<h3> References </h3>
<ol>
<li> Gagnon, P. The forgotten life of Einstein’s first wife. <a href="http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/the-forgotten-life-of-einsteins-first-wife/" target="_blank" title="Pauline Gagnon (2016) The Forgotten Life of Einstein's First Wife"><i>Scientific American</i>, 19 December 2016.</a>
</li>
<li> Montero, R. Ella también. <a href="http://elpais.com/elpais/2019/05/27/eps/1558955111_252877.html" target="_blank" title="Rosa Montero (2019) Ella también @ El País Semanal"><i>El País Semanal</i>, 2 June 2019</a>.</li>
<li>Banovic, R. Does Albert Einstein’s first wife Mileva Maric deserve credit for some of his work? <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/mileva-maric-albert-einsten-physics-science-history-women-a8396411.html" target="_blank" title="Rebecca Banovic (2018) Does Albert Einstein's first wife Mileva Maric deserve credit for some of his work?"><i>Independent</i>, 13 June 2018</a>.</li>
<li> Smith, D. Dark side of Einstein emerges in his letters. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/06/arts/dark-side-of-einstein-emerges-in-his-letters.html" target="_blank" title="Dinitia Smith (1996) Dark side of Einstein emerges in his letters"><i>The New York Times</i>, 6 November 1996</a>.
</li>
<li> Isaacson, W. <a href="https://amzn.to/313Iwr8" target="_blank" title="Walter Isaacson (2007) Einstein: His Life and Universe @ Amazon.co.uk"><i>Einstein: His Life and Universe</i></a>. Simon & Schuster, New York, 2007. </li>
</ol>
Kirillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719435019715182189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337729169876127701.post-74067953944414633312019-04-28T16:00:00.001+01:002021-02-04T10:00:39.935+00:00the power of wish to distort and deny<p> From the Foreword to the 1990 Edition of <a href="https://amzn.to/2UHrknb" target="_blank" title="Awakenings @ amazon.co.uk"><i>Awakenings</i></a> by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Sacks" target="_blank" title="Oliver Sacks in Wikipedia">Oliver Sacks</a>:
<blockquote> In the summer of 1970, then, in a letter to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JAMA" target="_blank" title="JAMA in Wikipedia"><i>Journal of the American Medical Association</i></a>, I reported these findings, describing the total effects of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L-DOPA" target="_blank" title="L-DOPA in Wikipedia"><small>L</small>-DOPA</a> in 60 patients whom I had maintained on it for a year. All of these, I noted, had done well at first; but all of them, sooner or later, had escaped from control, had entered complex, sometimes bizarre, and unpredictable states. These could not, I indicated, be seen as ‘side-effects,’ but had to be seen as integral parts of an evolving whole. Ordinary considerations and policies, I stressed, sooner or later ceased to work. There was a need for a deeper, more radical understanding. </blockquote>
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<blockquote> My <i>JAMA</i> letter caused a furor among some of my colleagues. I was astonished and shocked by the storm that blew up; and, in particular, by the tone of some of the letters. Some colleagues insisted that such effects ‘never’ occurred; others that, even if they did, the matter should be kept quiet, lest it disturb ‘the atmosphere of therapeutic optimism needed for the maximal efficiency of <small>L</small>-DOPA.’ It was even thought, absurdly, that I was ‘against’ <small>L</small>-DOPA — but it was not <small>L</small>-DOPA but reductionism I was against. I invited my colleagues to come to Mount Carmel, to see for themselves the reality of what I had reported; none of them took up my invitation. I had not properly realised, until this time, the power of wish to distort and deny — and its prevalence in this complex situation, where the enthusiasm of doctors, and the distress of patients, might lie in unconscious collusion, equally concerned to wish away an unpalatable truth. </blockquote>Kirillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719435019715182189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337729169876127701.post-19524535087101557922018-06-29T13:00:00.001+01:002021-02-04T09:58:55.132+00:00cheers, BEERx!<p> It’s been a while since a did a MOOC. But I just couldn’t resist doing <a href="https://www.edx.org/course/the-science-of-beer-0" target="_blank" title="The Science of Beer"><i>The Science of Beer</i></a>, a five-week course from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wageningen_University_and_Research" target="_blank" title="Wageningen University and Research in Wikipedia" trget="_blank">Wageningen University & Research</a>. The best thing about this course, in my view, is that it was developed not by the academic staff but by the students of WUR. Apart from the videos and quizzes, there are optional “fun assignments” every week. Regretfully, I didn’t do any of them. (Why oh why?) My special regrets go to the first and probably most fun of the Fun Assignments, viz. Home Brewing, complete with this sweet disclaimer: </p>
<blockquote> <i>It is important to realise that this assignment involves the creation of an alcoholic beverage. It is possible for anyone to participate in this assignment, but please be aware that drinking or brewing an alcoholic beverage may be subject to laws and regulations in your country and can be hazardous. We cannot be held responsible for any consequences related to this assignment in any situation or circumstance. By continuing with this assignment, you agree to do so responsibly at your own risk.</i> </blockquote>
<p> No MOOC is perfect and this one is no exception. It being a student project, however, ensures that <a href="http://listenlearnread.blogspot.com/2014/09/wabi-sabi.html" target="_blank" title="Wabi-Sabi @ Listen, Learn, Read">wabi-sabiness</a> is practically built in. Whether or not a rerun of BEERx is planned, I highly recommend you checking it out. Currently the course is archived but the materials remain available to everybody. </p>
<p><center><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BKKgL7_hVd8" width="560"></iframe></center></p>
<h4> Learning Outcomes </h4>
<p> After successful completion of this course, the students will be able to: </p>
<ul>
<li> identify the steps involved in the supply chain of beer and describe the scientific disciplines involved; </li>
<li> explain the effect of each step in beer production on the final product; </li>
<li> identify the main beer styles and explain how the production process can be designed to achieve their differences; </li>
<li> describe the characteristics and cultivation of the main raw materials of beer; </li>
<li> name the main historical events related to beer and explain how the image of beer changed in time; </li>
<li> explain how marketers try to influence consumer behaviour; </li>
<li> describe the pathway of beer through the human body after consumption; </li>
<li> discuss their own opinion on responsible drinking by looking at the health effects related to beer consumption. </li>
</ul>
<h4> Course structure </h4>
<ul>
<li> Module 1: Production - Processing and Categories
<ul> This module covers three production topics: processing steps, process design and beer styles. During the processing, malt is produced, enzymes become active, chemical reactions take place, yeasts produce alcohol and flavour compounds, proteins are needed for foaming, and much more. <i>Fun Assignment:</i> Home Brewing. </ul>
</li>
<li> Module 2: Production – Quality and Logistics
<ul> This module focusses on the quality aspects involved in beer brewing. Also, it sheds light on the final steps of the production process: packaging
and distribution. <i>Fun Assignment:</i> Beer Tasting. </ul>
</li>
<li> Module 3: Raw materials of beer and cultivation practices
<ul> This module goes back to the basics of beer. The students get a broader picture of the main ingredients and have a look at their characteristics and cultivation; discuss what defines a sustainable production, learn where beer comes from and explore important events in its history. <i>Fun Assignment:</i> Brewmasters through time (card game). </ul>
</li>
<li> Module 4: Marketing of beer and cultural effects
<ul> How are beers marketed? The students learn the essential activities in the process of bringing a beer onto the market. They also explore the world of advertising and discover the image of beer and how it changed over time. <i>Fun Assignment:</i> Advertisement. </ul>
</li>
<li> Module 5: Consumption of beer and health effects
<ul> The students follow the pathway that beer takes after it is consumed. They form their own opinion on responsible drinking, by comparing both positive and negative effects on the human health. <i>Fun Assignment:</i> Awareness. </ul>
</li>
<li> Module 6: Recap and Exam
<ul> This final module wraps up the course with a final exam. </ul>
</li></ul>Kirillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719435019715182189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337729169876127701.post-72431986364215798072018-02-01T19:30:00.002+00:002024-02-17T14:22:53.219+00:00mujer pelota<p> In her 2013 book <a href="http://listenlearnread.blogspot.com/2018/02/la-ridicula-idea-de-no-volver-verte.html" target="_blank" title="La ridícula idea de no volver a verte @ Listen, Learn, Read"><i>La ridícula idea de no volver a verte</i></a> (<i>The ridiculous idea of not seeing you again</i>), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_Montero" target="_blank" title="Rosa Montero in Wikipedia">Rosa Montero</a> wrote: </p>
<blockquote><a href="http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simone_de_Beauvoir" target="_blank" title="Simone de Beauvoir en Wikipedia">Simone de Beauvoir</a> llamaba <i>mujeres pelota</i> a aquellas que, tras triunfar con grandes dificultades en la sociedad machista, se prestaban a ser utilizadas por esa misma sociedad para reforzar la discriminación; y así, su imagen era rebotada contra las demás mujeres con el siguiente mensaje: «¿Veis? Ella ha triunfado porque vale; si vosotras no lo conseguís no es por impedimentos sexistas, sino porque no valéis lo suficiente.» ¿Fue <a href="http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Curie" target="_blank" title="Marie Curie en Wikipedia">Marie Curie</a> una <i>mujer pelota</i>?
<a name='more'></a>
No te equivoques: el hecho de que viviera hace más de un siglo no la exime de ser consciente de las injusticias de género. Ya en la Edad Media hubo mujeres que escribieron textos protofeministas, como <a href="http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_de_Pizan" target="_blank" title="Christine de Pizan en Wikipedia">Christine de Pisan</a> y su <a href="http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_ciudad_de_las_damas" target="_blank" title="La ciudad de las damas en Wikipedia"><i>Ciudad de las damas</i></a> (1405), y en concreto en la época de Marie las sufragistas eran tremendamente activas. Así que si no mencionó en absoluto la cuestión feminista no fue porque el tema resultara invisible. Sí, es posible que Marie fuera un poco esa <i>mujer pelota</i> de la que hablaba Beauvoir. Era orgullosa. Sabía lo mucho que le había costado todo. Y, en temperamentos así, creo que hay una tendencia a considerarse distinta a las demás. Distinta y mejor. De hecho, dijo una vez sobre las mujeres: «No es preciso llevar una existencia tan antinatural como la mía. Le he entregado una gran cantidad de tiempo a la ciencia, porque quería, porque amaba la investigación... Lo que deseo para las mujeres y las jóvenes es una sencilla vida de familia y algún trabajo que les interese.» Guau. Paternalista, ¿no? ¿O habría que decir maternalista? </blockquote>
<center><a href="http://amzn.to/2Gv62Dg" target="_blank" title="La ridícula idea de no volver a verte @ Amazon.co.uk
#CommissionsEarned"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51NS+39sAvL._SL1000_.jpg" width="187" /></a></center>
<p> I was intrigued by this term, “<i>mujer pelota</i>”. What term did <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simone_de_Beauvoir" target="_blank" title="Simone de Beauvoir in Wikipedia">Simone de Beauvoir</a> use? Quick web search brought me this snippet from the French translation of Montero’s book, <a href="http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Id%C3%A9e_ridicule_de_ne_plus_jamais_te_revoir" target="_blank" title="L'Idée ridicule de ne plus jamais te revoir dans Wikipédia"><i>L’Idée ridicule de ne plus jamais te revoir</i></a>: </p>
<blockquote> Simone de Beauvoir appelait <i>femmes-alibi</i> ces femmes qui, après avoir triomphé avec de grandes difficultés dans la société machiste, se prêtaient à être utilisées par cette même société pour renforcer la discrimination. Et ainsi, leur image était renvoyée aux autres femmes avec le message suivant: “Vous voyez ? Elle, elle a triomphé parce qu’elle en est capable. Si vous, vous n’y arrivez pas, ce n’est à cause d’un empêchement sexiste, mais parce que vous n’en êtes pas capables.” Est ce que Marie Curie a été une <i>femme-alibi</i>? </blockquote>
<p> Here! <i>Femme-alibi</i> is translated to English as “token woman”. </p>
<blockquote> “Token women”: that’s how Simone de Beauvoir called those who, after triumphing with great difficulties in the macho society, lent themselves to be used by the same society to reinforce the discrimination; and so, their image was sent back to the other women with the following message: “See? She has made it because she is worthy; if you lot do not succeed, it’s not because of sexism, it’s just you’re not worthy enough.” Was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Curie" target="_blank" title="Marie Curie in Wikipedia">Marie Curie</a> such “token woman”? Make no mistake: the fact that she lived more than a century ago does not exempt her from awareness of gender inequality. Already in the Middle Ages there were women who wrote protofeminist texts, for example <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_de_Pizan" target="_blank" title="Christine de Pizan in Wikipedia">Christine de Pizan</a> with her <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_the_City_of_Ladies" target="_blank" title="The Book of the City of Ladies in Wikipedia"><i>City of the Ladies</i></a> (1405), while the suffragettes were tremendously active exactly in the times of Marie. So if she never addressed the feminist question, it was not because of its invisibility. Yes, it is possible that Marie was a bit of a “token woman” that Beauvoir was talking about. She was proud. She knew what it had taken to get where she was. And I think, with temperament like that, there is a tendency to consider yourself different from the others. Different and better. In fact, she once said about women: “It is not necessary to lead an existence as unnatural as mine. I’ve given a lot of time to science, because I wanted to, because I loved research... What I want for women and girls is a simple family life and some work that would interest them.” Wow. Patronising? Or shall we say, matronising? </blockquote>
<p> But of course Mme Curie was different, and yes, she was, and probably still is, a “token woman”. Only three other women were awarded a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize_in_Chemistry" target="_blank" title="Nobel Prize in Chemistry in Wikipedia">Nobel Prize in Chemistry</a>. The only other woman to win a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize_in_Physics" target="_blank" title="Nobel Prize in Physics in Wikipedia">Nobel Prize in Physics</a> was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Goeppert_Mayer" target="_blank" title="Maria Goeppert Mayer in Wikipedia">Maria Goeppert-Mayer</a>. (Originally, Marie was not even nominated for her first Nobel Prize. It was only after the <a href="https://history.aip.org/history/exhibits/curie/recdis2.htm" target="_blank" title="Marie Curie – Recognition and Disappointment (1903–1905) @ American Institute of Physics">complaint by Pierre Curie</a> that her name was added to the nomination.) And no woman or man <i>ever</i> won a Nobel Prize in two different sciences. If you tell women scientists, “you see, you have to be as good as Marie Curie to get a Nobel” (I’m reasonably sure nobody says that to men), this is the same as to say “forget it”. </p>Kirillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719435019715182189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337729169876127701.post-43274239465341880022017-04-03T19:30:00.002+01:002021-01-26T13:57:58.408+00:00xièxiè, TsinghuaX<link href="http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Covered+By+Your+Grace" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link>
<p> Here’s a story: in 2015, I did my <a href="http://lothruput.blogspot.com/2015/09/zaijian-mx101x.html" target="_blank" title="zàijiàn, MX101x @ this blog">first MandarinX</a> course and quite liked it. Last year, I did the second one. And then, when the third instalment was announced, I thought it could be a good idea to refresh a bit of Mandarin in my memory. So I decided to try another basic course,
<a href="http://www.edx.org/course/tsinghua-chinese-start-talking-1-3-tsinghuax-tm01x" target="_blank" title="Tsinghua Chinese: Start Talking with 1.3 Billion People @ edX">TsinghuaX</a> (TM01x Tsinghua Chinese), and see how it compares with MandarinX. </p>
<p> Now that edX scrapped their free honor code certificates, and I don’t have any spare money to pay for a “verified certificate”, I am doing these courses purely for myself. </p>
<h4> Tsinghua Chinese: Start Talking with 1.3 Billion People </h4>
<p> Just like MandarinX, TsinghuaX is a six-week course with estimated effort of 4 hours/week. Each of the six lessons contains the following sections:
<ul>
<li>Dialogue (several short videos and quiz)</li>
<li>Characters (several short videos and quiz)</li>
<li>Listening comprehension (quiz)</li>
<li>Tea time with Peter (study tips and cultural notes)</li>
</ul>
Like in MandarinX, most of the material is also presented by “talking heads” but here we have more diversity. In the Dialogue section, Ms Lǔ (or Lǔ <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E8%80%81%E5%B8%AB#Chinese" target="_blank" title="老師 in Wiktionary">lǎoshī</a>) talks about grammar and vocabulary. Another teacher, Ms Wáng (Wáng lǎoshī), introduces a few Chinese characters. Although the focus of TsinghuaX course is on speaking (Ms Lǔ only uses Pinyin in her presentations), I have to say that I remember more of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_characters" target="_blank" title="Chinese characters in Wikipedia">hanzi</a> from Ms Wáng than from all MandarinX courses. I love the way she explains the origin of the characters. (On the other hand, I like that in MandarinX we are always given hanzi together with Pinyin. Even if it slows down my note-taking, I prefer to have both things.) </p>
<p> Here are the topics of TsinghuaX:
<ul>
<li>Lesson 1: Greetings</li>
<li>Lesson 2: Self-introduction</li>
<li>Lesson 3: Transportation</li>
<li>Lesson 4: Food</li>
<li>Lesson 5: Accommodation</li>
<li>Lesson 6: Shopping</li>
</ul>
There is no final exam, but you have to take quizzes (18 in total). To pass, you only have to get 60% right, which is really easy. The quizzes are good fun. For example, you are given the Beijing subway map. The task is to find a certain hanzi in the station names! </p>
<p> I was so inspired by this course that I decided to start yet another blog, <span style="font-family: "covered by your grace" , cursive; font-size: large;"><a href="http://justsomesymbols.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" title="just some symbols blog">just some symbols</a></span>, where I present one symbol (usually a Chinese character) a day and write a short story about it. </p>
<p> Now back to MandarinX. </p>
<h4> Basic Mandarin Chinese – Level 3 </h4>
<p> Here are the topics of MX103x:
<ul>
<li>Lesson 1: Movies</li>
<li>Lesson 2: Talking about studying Chinese</li>
<li>Lesson 3: Health / going to hospital</li>
<li>Lesson 4: Sports / getting fit</li>
<li>Lesson 5: Staying in touch / 21<sup>st</sup> century telecom</li>
<li>Lesson 6: Talking about studying (again!) and dating</li>
</ul>
Now <a href="http://www.edx.org/course/mandarin-chinese-level-2" target="_blank" title="MX102x Basic Mandarin Chinese – Level 2 @ edX">MX102x</a> had a “Question of the week” section. To do it, one had to set up an account with <a href="http://prollster.com/" target="_blank" title="Prollster Website">Prollster</a>. The participation marks for this section were worth 10% of the grade. Like many other students, I found this requirement incredibly annoying (why do we need to register with one more platform?) and have chosen to ignore this section altogether. I’m glad that in <a href="http://www.edx.org/course/mandarin-chinese-level-3" target="_blank" title="MX103x Basic Mandarin Chinese – Level 3 @ edX">MX103x</a> they scrapped this nonsense. Just like in <a href="http://lothruput.blogspot.com/2015/09/zaijian-mx101x.html" target="_blank" title="zàijiàn, MX101x @ this blog">MX101x</a>, each weekly quiz is worth 10% of the final score and the final exam is worth 40%. You need to get at least 80% to pass. </p>
<p> <a href="http://www.edx.org/bio/estella-chen" target="_blank" title="Estella Chen @ edX">Estella</a>, as always, was super-charming. However, listening to the dialogues, even with my level of understanding Mandarin, I had a distinct feeling that nobody talks like that in real life.
<blockquote>
外表不是一切,但是我喜欢比我矮的女生
<br />
“Physical appearance isn’t everything, but I do like women who are shorter than me.”
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
你的身材很好,应该也对运动有兴趣
<br />
“Your figure is very good, so you’re probably interested in exercise, too.”
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
如果我能找到像你这样完美的女生,就太好了
<br />
“If I could find a girl like you that’s this perfect, it’d be too good to be true.”
</blockquote></p>Kirillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719435019715182189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337729169876127701.post-71815853684230690012016-09-07T23:00:00.001+01:002021-02-04T09:51:47.968+00:00the DNA journey<p> Yesterday, I came across this <a href="http://film-english.com/2016/06/21/the-dna-journey/" target="_blank" title="The DNA Journey @ Film English">short film</a>, as usual, looking for something completely different at <a href="http://film-english.com/" target="_blank" title="Film English Website">Film English</a>. </p>
<p> “This should be compulsory”, says one of its protagonists, talking about the DNA test. I am not sure about that. <a href="http://cphpost.dk/?p=62270" target="_blank" title="Experts claim viral Momondo DNA advert isn’t all it’s cracked up to be @ CPH Post">Danish scientists</a> questioned the logic behind these tests (as any scientist would do). In absence of national reference datasets (what is “100% Icelandic”, for example?), the results of comparison do not seem to make much sense. </p>
<p> Still, I think it’s a great, if scientifically flawed, short. I did show it today to my students (all in their early 20s) and saw tears in their eyes. They might have not understood half of the language used in the film but they’ve got the message. Watch it. </p>
<center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="236" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tyaEQEmt5ls" width="420"></iframe></center>
Kirillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719435019715182189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337729169876127701.post-55436382236883857842016-08-10T10:30:00.001+01:002024-03-04T13:40:45.087+00:00the romance of science<p> From <i>Uncle Tungsten</i> by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Sacks" target="_blank" title="Oliver Sacks in Wikipedia">Oliver Sacks</a>:
</p><blockquote>
<p> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Wilhelm_Scheele" target="_blank" title="Carl Wilhelm Scheele in Wikipedia">Scheele</a> was one of Uncle Dave’s great heroes. Not only had he discovered tungstic acid and molybdic acid (from which the new element molybdenum was made), but hydrofluoric acid, hydrogen sulfide, arsine, and prussic acid, and a dozen organic acids, too. All this, Uncle Dave said, he did by himself, with no assistants, no funds, no university position or salary, but working alone, trying to make ends meet as an apothecary in a small provincial Swedish town. He had discovered oxygen, not by a fluke, but by making it in several different ways; he had discovered chlorine; and he had pointed the way to the discovery of manganese, of barium, of a dozen other things. </p>
<p> Scheele, Uncle Dave would say, was wholly dedicated to his work, caring nothing for fame or money and sharing his knowledge, whatever he had, with anyone and everyone. I was impressed by Scheele’s generosity, no less than his resourcefulness, by the way in which (in effect) he gave the actual discovery of elements to his students and friends – the discovery of manganese to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johan_Gottlieb_Gahn" target="_blank" title="Johan Gottlieb Gahn in Wikipedia">Johan Gahn</a>, the discovery of molybdenum to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Jacob_Hjelm" target="_blank" title="Peter Jacob Hjelm in Wikipedia">Peter Hjelm</a>, and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tungsten#History" target="_blank" title="Tungsten: History in Wikipedia">discovery of tungsten</a> itself to the d’Elhuyar brothers. </p>
<p> Scheele, it was said, never forgot anything if it had to do with chemistry. He never forgot the look, the feel, the smell of a substance, or the way it was transformed in chemical reactions, never forgot anything he read, or was told, about the phenomena of chemistry. He seemed indifferent, or inattentive, to most things else, being wholly dedicated to his single passion, chemistry. It was this pure and passionate absorption in phenomena – noticing everything, forgetting nothing – that constituted Scheele’s special strength. </p>
<p> Scheele epitomized for me the romance of science. There seemed to me an integrity, an essential goodness, about a life in science, a lifelong love affair. I had never given much thought to what I might be when I was “grown up” – growing up was hardly imaginable – but now I knew: I wanted to be a chemist. A chemist like Scheele, an eighteenth-century chemist coming fresh to the field, looking at the whole undiscovered world of natural substances and minerals, analyzing them, plumbing their secrets, finding the wonder of unknown and new metals. </p></blockquote>
<center><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0330390279/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&linkCode=li3&tag=lilere-21&linkId=9c47170536715601d691831cf5aca607&language=en_GB" target="_blank" title="Uncle Tungsten @ Amazon.co.uk"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81tQEGj7uAL._SL1500_.jpg" width="211" /></a></center>
<! img src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51PntIRrweL._SX334_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" />
<! img src="https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41sPpao9PjL._AC_US160_.jpg" />
<! img src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41sPpao9PjL._SX289_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" />
Kirillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719435019715182189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337729169876127701.post-8618306045934194502016-06-20T19:00:00.013+01:002023-09-29T09:08:35.302+01:00collectively known as cells<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Nothing+You+Could+Do" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link>
<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Swanky+and+Moo+Moo" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link>
<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Homemade+Apple" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link>
<p> There are few things as demotivating as discovering that in the end, in spite of (or maybe thanks to) all your efforts, your students learned absolutely nothing. Some of mine, apparently horrified by the exam study guide I had presented them with, sent me a list of <i>their own</i> questions. That surprised me a bit but hey, sure, why not. And so, I have incorporated <i>some</i> of these questions into the exam, in a hope that this class at least would know <i>some</i> of the correct answers. Naturally, I was wrong. </p>
<p> Here’s an illustration. </p>
<blockquote> The following three questions refer to the figure below. </blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83gz4iTBfZLb2TU3luWfn3l2I5WX4Bd0bnqJt7HU8T81fqvn5WhLIndQnoIhD7KLJng4kU3JETcPN0TsBnxxX3OlUpD4jxs__pKxOxBB59mWJRSx2vLSVzXdUAczCgAuWy2sjRyGGGY8/s1600/fertilization.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank" title="Fertilization - drawing by Tamara Kulikova"><img border="0" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83gz4iTBfZLb2TU3luWfn3l2I5WX4Bd0bnqJt7HU8T81fqvn5WhLIndQnoIhD7KLJng4kU3JETcPN0TsBnxxX3OlUpD4jxs__pKxOxBB59mWJRSx2vLSVzXdUAczCgAuWy2sjRyGGGY8/s400/fertilization.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<blockquote>
<ol>
<li>Identify the cells A, B and D. What is the name of the process C? (4 points)
<ol type="A">
<li> <u><span style="font-family: "nothing you could do" , cursive; font-size: large;"> </span></u> </li>
<li> <u><span style="font-family: "nothing you could do" , cursive; font-size: large;"> </span></u> </li>
<li> <u><span style="font-family: "nothing you could do" , cursive; font-size: large;"> </span></u> </li>
<li> <u><span style="font-family: "nothing you could do" , cursive; font-size: large;"> </span></u> </li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>If the cell A has <i>n</i> chromosomes, the cell B has <u><span style="font-family: 'swanky and moo moo', cursive; font-size: large;"> </span></u> chromosomes and the cell D has <u><span style="font-family: 'swanky and moo moo', cursive; font-size: large;"> </span></u> chromosomes (2 points). </li>
<li>Both cells A and B are collectively known as <u><span style="font-family: 'swanky and moo moo', cursive; font-size: large;"> </span></u> . </li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
<p> Easy peasy, even for those who were absent or asleep 90% of the time. Right? </p>
<p> And here are some unexpected answers, from three different students. </p>
<blockquote>
<ol>
<li>Identify the cells A, B and D. What is the name of the process C? (4 points) <span style="font-family: "nothing you could do" , cursive; font-size: large;">*</span>
<ol type="A">
<li> <u><span style="font-family: 'nothing you could do', cursive; font-size: large;"> Luan Zi </span></u> </li>
<li> <u><span style="font-family: 'nothing you could do', cursive; font-size: large;"> Jing Zi </span></u> </li>
<li> <u><span style="font-family: 'nothing you could do', cursive; font-size: large;"> Shou Jing </span></u> </li>
<li> <u><span style="font-family: 'nothing you could do', cursive; font-size: large;"> <i>⭗</i> </span></u> </li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: "nothing you could do" , cursive; font-size: large;">* I'm gonna to write chinese, because I don't how to write in English, you can search internet </span>
</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
<p> Although it is not in my job description, I did that search and should say that the (Mandarin) Chinese terms are correct. Except the symbol <span style="font-family: 'nothing you could do', cursive; font-size: large;"><i>⭗</i></span> is not even Chinese (it’s just this student’s doodle of cell D), so it doesn’t count. </p>
<blockquote>
<ol start="2">
<li>If the cell A has <i>n</i> chromosomes, the cell B has <u><span style="font-family: 'swanky and moo moo', cursive; font-size: large;"> r </span></u> chromosomes and the cell D has <u><span style="font-family: "swanky and moo moo" , cursive; font-size: large;"> m </span></u> chromosomes (2 points). </li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
<p> I can’t say it is wrong. Just a bit too generic for my liking. Ditto this: </p>
<blockquote>
<ol start="3">
<li>Both cells A and B are collectively known as <u><span style="font-family: 'homemade apple', cursive; font-size: large;"> cells </span></u> . </li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
<p> Here’s another one. I lifted this question from the textbook, but you don’t really need to know anything to solve the problem. Or so I thought. </p>
<blockquote>
<ol start="33">
<li>It takes just 1 minute for a bacterium to add 30 000 nucleotides to one DNA strand undergoing replication. The rate of replication in this bacterium is <u><span style="font-family: 'swanky and moo moo', cursive; font-size: large;"> * </span></u> nucleotides per second. </li>
<div style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: 'swanky and moo moo', cursive; font-size: large;">* I don’t have a calculator to determine this.</span></div>
</ol>
</blockquote>Kirillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719435019715182189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337729169876127701.post-9416819167985644612016-03-18T23:23:00.003+00:002023-03-18T09:02:23.005+00:00evolve or perish<p> In my first two-and-a-bit months working as a science teacher, there were only a few things that actually worked. And when I say “worked”, I mean made those incredibly lazy and bored pupils of mine to pay any attention for more than a minute. In case of <a href="http://naturalhistory.si.edu/education/teaching-resources/paleontology/evolve-or-perish-board-game" target="_blank" title="Evolve or Perish Board Game @ Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History"><i>Evolve or Perish</i></a>, it worked for a good half an hour with Grade 7. They even might have learned something about geologic periods. </p>
<center><a href="http://naturalhistory.si.edu/education/teaching-resources/paleontology/evolve-or-perish-board-game" target="_blank" title="Evolve or Perish Board Game @ Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://naturalhistory.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/resource_side/public/media/image/evolve-or-perish-smaller-image-english-2-28-10-1.jpg.webp" width="400" /></a></center>
<p> The preparation is minimal: you just have to print out the <a href="http://naturalhistory.si.edu/sites/default/files/media/file/eteevolve-or-perish-english-v3.pdf" target="_blank" title="Evolve or Perish Game Board @ Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History">two pages</a> of the game. Then tell the students to trim and glue them together to make a “board”. That’ll keep them busy for additional ten—fifteen minutes. If you have even more time to spare, you can print out the <! a href="http://naturalhistory2.si.edu/ETE/_LooyVersion/_img_ete/E.O.P%20Black&White.pdf" target="_blank" title="Evolve or Perish - black and white">black-and-white version<! /a> and then ask them to colour it. Then you’ll need dice and counters. I bought a box of four dice and I don’t know how many counters in a Chinese shop for €1. Three-four players per board work the best. </p>
<p> I didn’t expect that the Grade 11 students, better behaved but even more bored, to enjoy it as much if not more than Grade 7. But here they were, suddenly wide awake, rolling their dice and shouting “<i>¡Ñoss!</i>” when landing on “blast to the past”. What’s more, when they finished, they started from the beginning. One team played two games, another three games. All without me telling them what to do. Marvellous. </p>Kirillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719435019715182189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337729169876127701.post-17555602389449820982016-03-12T18:00:00.001+00:002016-06-19T19:52:01.849+01:00are you organised?<p> I spent all Thursday evening marking their work. Friday morning, in school, I discover, to my horror, that I can’t find this pile of papers. Next thing I know, a girl (one of my best students) is coming to my class and asks, “Mister, did you correct our work?” </p>
<p> Damn. </p>
<p> “Yes I did, but it seems that I forgot to bring them in.”<br />
“Oh.”<br />
“Don’t worry, you did well.”<br />
“How much did I get?”</p>
<p> It’s my turn now to say “Oh” (silently). Think, teacher, think.</p>
<p> “You did everything correct apart from one question.”<br />
“Which one?”<br />
“The one nobody answered correctly, by some reason.”<br />
“Which one was that?”<br />
“I’m trying to remember. I’ll let you know when we have a class.” (We have a class with them today. the last period.)<br />
“OK.”
<p> Later, a boy is coming to my class when I am about to go. Another of my best pupils. After his grade, no doubt.</p>
“Mister, mister, did you have time to check my work?”<br />
<p> I’ve been teaching here for two months and they still don’t know my name. We have a conversation very much like above.</p>
<p> “Sorry, I have to go now. See you in the afternoon.”</p>
<p>
In the afternoon, I finally remember the one question nobody had right. I tell kids what was the correct answer. Also, that I bring their papers on Monday.</p>
<p> “Mister... are you organised?” the clever boy asks. </p>
<p> I want to tell him that no, not really. But my inner teacher doesn’t want to give him such a simple answer.</p>
<p> “Of course I am organised. Look at me. All depends on the adverb that you place before ‘organised’. A person can be well organised or poorly organised. Still ‘organised’. You guys are well organised.”<br />
“I am not very well organised”, says another student. <br />
“Yes you are. You always bring your homework in.”<br />
“You have to see my room. It’s a mess.”</p>
<p> I recall our university lecturer in physical chemistry, some 30 years ago. Once he told us that instead of saying “mess” it is more polite to say “high entropy”. For example, “you have high entropy in your department”. I tell the kids that the bedroom mess is a consequence of the Second Law of Thermodynamics. You simply can’t organise your homework without increasing entropy around you. They don’t understand the entropy bit but seem to like the idea.</p>
<p> “Bye, mister.” <br />
“Good bye. See you Monday.” </p>
<p> At home, no sign of the papers. I check my bag again. Of course, they were there all along. I am <i>so</i> organised, I don’t need any adverbs. </p>Kirillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719435019715182189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337729169876127701.post-45160843192527556982015-12-30T21:30:00.001+00:002024-02-25T20:52:49.972+00:00some groups of people don’t use their language properly<p> From <a href="http://listenlearnread.blogspot.com/2016/03/mapping-applied-linguistics.html" target="_blank" title="Mapping Applied Linguistics: A Guide for Students and Practitioners @ Listen, Learn, Read"><i>Mapping Applied Linguistics: A Guide for Students and Practitioners</i></a> by Christopher J. Hall, Patrick H. Smith, and Rachel Wicaksono:
</p><blockquote> You can substitute several adjectives here for variations on the same myth. Among the most common: some ways of using your language are more beautiful, more complex, more pleasant, more efficient, more logical, more civilized... Many such beliefs arise naturally because of mistrust of ‘the Other’, but in large part language judgements follow from the notion of a ‘standard’ form of the language against which all other varieties can be measured — and found wanting. But in what sense do standard languages exist? They certainly seem to exist in forms of discourse such as newspaper editorials, national language policies and school textbooks. Standard forms of language are appealed to, often when people feel that their national or regional identities or interests are being threatened. Despite the social power of the belief, standard languages don’t exist in the minds of individual speakers; rather, groups of speakers share different degrees of awareness of a set of conventions about what is acceptable, prestigious and desirable. Written language has played perhaps the most important role in ‘fixing’ these conventions as the basis for how others should write and speak. </blockquote>
<center><a href="https://amzn.to/4c3K0GH" target="_blank" title="Mapping Applied Linguistics: A Guide for Students and Practitioners @ Amazon.co.uk
#CommissionsEarned"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71aDvrzbIXL._SL1500_.jpg" width="226" /></a></center>
<blockquote> An extension of this dead end is the belief that some <i>languages</i> are better than others, for example that some are harder or easier to learn, some are closer to God(s), some are more beautiful, more complex, more pleasant, more efficient, more logical, more civilized, etc. Descriptive linguistics and sociolinguistics are useful here to expose the patent nonsense of such beliefs, by comparing the same linguistic unit in different languages or dialects. This allows us to see how the same or a similar element of phonology, for example, can have different linguistic value in different languages, without requiring or entailing any measurement of efficiency, complexity, logic or aesthetics. The /l/ and /r/ sounds of English and many other languages are not differentiated by Chinese speakers, for example, just as the tonal features of Chinese can seem indistinguishable to speakers of atonal languages, such as English. And the ‘illogical’ double negative of many English dialects (‘I ain’t got none’) is part of the ‘standard’ versions of French and Spanish. </blockquote><p></p>Kirillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719435019715182189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337729169876127701.post-34770282737099248332015-12-08T19:00:00.001+00:002021-01-26T13:31:07.904+00:00lol my thesis <p> What, <a href="http://lolmythesis.com/" target="_blank" title="lol my thesis"><i>lol my thesis</i></a> blog wasn’t updated for a month? That sucks. According to its creator, Angela Frankel, </p>
<blockquote> Initially intended as a means of procrastination from <a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/69550417599/i-have-killed-so-many-fish" target="_blank">my own thesis</a>, this blog has documented some of the stress, hilarity, and chaos associated with undergraduate (and some post-graduate) theses. </blockquote>
<p> In fact it serves to illustrate that most of the theses out there are simply not worth the paper they are printed on, or maybe even the disk space they occupy. They would be totally disposable if not for <i>lol my thesis</i>. Just think about that before adding “M.Sc.” or “Ph.D.” to your name. (What if I modify my CV by replacing “Ph.D.” with “Ph.D.LOL”? I don’t think anybody would notice.) Could it be that it’s not updated any longer because at long last people have realised that? I seriously doubt it. </p>
<p> Here are some of my favourites. </p>
<a name='more'></a>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>
<a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/102826083550/100-pages-of-ignoring-everything-that-contradicts" target="_blank">100 Pages of Ignoring Everything That Contradicts My Theory</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/104784060400/404-telescope-not-found" target="_blank">404 Telescope not found</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/130086810288/a-community-garden-provides-a-community-with-a" target="_blank">A community garden provides a community with a garden.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/71870362011/avoiding-people-has-its-mental-health-benefits" target="_blank">Avoiding people has its mental health benefits.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/107351031185/composers-cant-write-good-music-unless-they-can" target="_blank">Composers can’t write good music, unless they can.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/86416342988/counting-dead-fruit-flies-makes-me-worry-about-my" target="_blank">Counting dead fruit flies makes me worry about my own mortality</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/86458426259/everything-is-wrong-but-i-know-why" target="_blank">Everything is wrong, but I know why.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/113488810555/france-and-the-us-are-different-and-so-is-their" target="_blank">France and the U.S. are different and so is their cheese</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/88480711380/generally-marx-and-lenin-agree-with-one-another" target="_blank">Generally, Marx and Lenin agree with one another, except when anything practical is mentioned.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/105563192682/having-toys-and-bright-colours-in-their-cages" target="_blank">Having toys and bright colours in their cages makes mice smarter in their brains!</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/95204741289/honey-bees-dont-like-it-when-you-dip-them-in" target="_blank">Honey bees don’t like it when you dip them in liquid nitrogen.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/104330868735/how-many-bats-are-there-there-are-about-this-many" target="_blank">How many bats are there? There are about this many bats.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/71797985692/i-cured-mice-of-the-cancer-that-i-gave-them" target="_blank">I cured mice of the cancer that I gave them</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/85225903825/i-dropped-my-slides-on-the-floor-so-i-have-no-data" target="_blank">I dropped my slides on the floor so I have no data</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/91684774215/i-managed-to-synthesize-everything-but-the" target="_blank">I managed to synthesize everything BUT the compound I wanted to make.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/129565432055/ive-spent-four-years-becoming-qualified-enough-to" target="_blank">I’ve spent four years becoming qualified enough to crawl around the lab on my hands and knees looking for the carbonized seed I just dropped.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/84831859615/i-spent-years-jokingly-telling-people-my-major-was" target="_blank">I spent years jokingly telling people my major was alchemy, so I found a way to make that true.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/129795922047/i-was-payed-to-sit-on-a-hillside-and-count-grass" target="_blank">I was payed to sit on a hillside and count grass and then my research site burned down, so here’s a mathematical model I don’t understand</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/92754353555/if-you-dont-label-your-sh-t-you-cant-find-your" target="_blank">If you don’t label your sh-t, you can’t find your sh-t.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/71800457595/if-you-set-the-bar-lower-a-larger-proportion-of" target="_blank">If you set the bar lower, a larger proportion of people will meet your expectations.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/92365107576/it-usually-helps-when-people-take-their-medicine" target="_blank">It usually helps when people take their medicine.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/99529375378/just-because-it-binds-doesnt-mean-its-doing" target="_blank">“Just because it binds, doesn’t mean its doing anything. Shit sticks to the bottom of your foot, it doesn’t mean it has receptors on it”</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/97982774105/maybe-we-should-make-solar-cell-polymers-that" target="_blank">Maybe we should make solar cell polymers that *don’t* degrade in light.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/91091909461/my-english-pronounciation-is-bad-so-i-decided-to" target="_blank">My English pronounciation is bad so I decided to write a thesis on it.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/84824761666/nobodys-done-this-before-and-it-turns-out-that" target="_blank">Nobody’s done this before, and it turns out that there’s a very good reason for that.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/111886220864/octopuses-do-or-dont-do-things" target="_blank">Octopuses do, or don’t do, things.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/100792344978/science-is-like-hard" target="_blank">Science is, like, hard.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/92465843826/sometimes-when-people-dont-say-things-they-dont" target="_blank">Sometimes when people don’t say things, they don’t say things differently.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/91175593945/the-muscles-in-my-thumb-are-so-much-stronger-after" target="_blank">The muscles in my thumb are so much stronger after eighteen months of constant pipetting to make these nanoparticles.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/91378806647/the-quantum-world-is-unusual-but-not-as-unusual" target="_blank">The quantum world is unusual, but not as unusual as usually thought.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/107443330824/these-birds-were-not-doing-the-thing" target="_blank">These birds were not doing the thing</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/105539156502/these-goddamn-bats-didnt-live-in-their-goddamn" target="_blank">These goddamn bats didn’t live in their goddamn bat boxes so I had to drastically adapt my goddamn research design</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/73188911675/these-plants-are-different-but-its-not-like-i" target="_blank">These plants are different, but it’s not like I can actually tell them apart.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/111948862690/turns-out-almost-everything-is-a-waste-of-time" target="_blank">Turns out almost everything is a waste of time</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/84789129403/turns-out-you-cant-see-invisible-things" target="_blank">Turns out you can’t see invisible things</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/107425513426/walking-is-actually-really-hard" target="_blank">Walking is actually really hard</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/129657314480/watching-disney-movies-is-less-fun-when-you-pay" target="_blank">Watching Disney movies is less fun when you pay attention to all the ways they hate fat people.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/83367097163/women-could-have-affairs-in-18th-century-england" target="_blank">Women could have affairs in 18th century England and not die afterwards.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/91992753009/you-can-use-ethyl-acetate-to-do-biaryl-coupling" target="_blank">You can use Ethyl Acetate to do biaryl coupling reactions, but you’d be out of your god damn mind to claim it’s a revolution in green chemistry. Like I did.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lolmythesis.com/post/91983488546/you-dont-need-metry-to-geometry" target="_blank">You don’t need metry to geometry.</a></li></ul>Kirillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719435019715182189noreply@blogger.com0