[T]he average Phoenix panhandler works the streets only until he or she has enough money to purchase a bottle of beer or fortified wine, a vial of crack, or, rarely, a meal at a fast food restaurant.
Should this surprise anyone who gives money to beggars on the street?
I tell you, this video almost brought me to tears. They sure do a great job of selling their product. Anyone want to move to Switzerland? Read more…
This month’s Science Cafe went very well overall. Dr. Miguel Yacaman, Chair of Physics and Astronomy at UTSA introduced the topic of nanotechnology to 25 attendees (mostly from our meetup.com site) for 15 minutes, followed by a 20-minute Q&A session, which was then followed by a break. The Alamo Chapter of Sigma Xi was represented by myself, PA, George Perry and Larry Krock.
The food consisted of 5 party plates (appetizers – chicken wings, hummus, flaming spears, etc.) at the Lion & Rose. The conference room at the Lion & Rose at Blanco and 410 was an excellent location for future cafes, with a TV with laptop hookup and a mic/audio system. A few people had a little difficulty finding the location because of a poorly placed sign along the access road.
A few notes: The turnout included some motivated individuals who are interested in science outreach to the public. Two are starting a nonprofit aimed at funding science blogs and other activities, and one has volunteered to assist in organizing similar meetings for scientific conversation without invited experts. This would keep our audience interested in between bi-mothly (or however frequent) Science Cafes. Also, I found that the breaks provided the greatest opportunity for people to mingle and open up. Perhaps next time we will have a break before a second round of open discussion with the speaker. Also, the seating there was limited to 35, which is fine for intimate meetings (which may be best) but would not be appropriate for a media blitzkrieg of the local press. Overall, I believe these meetings serve many purposes of the Alamo Chapter of Sigma Xi, especially outreach and promotion of our presence in San Antonio.
What a great show. How can you not side with the poor little orphans?
Read more…
Aberystwyth University replaces lab techs with robots. Skynet Goes Online.
Check out this article – Job Swap: This Robot Is the Scientist | LiveScience.
Science in San Antonio