{"id":1723,"date":"2012-02-10T09:53:02","date_gmt":"2012-02-10T09:53:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.nature.com\/ofschemesandmemes\/?p=1723"},"modified":"2015-05-14T15:16:10","modified_gmt":"2015-05-14T14:16:10","slug":"best-of-nature-network-nature-com-blogs-and-scitable-5-10-february","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.nature.com\/ofschemesandmemes\/2012\/02\/10\/best-of-nature-network-nature-com-blogs-and-scitable-5-10-february","title":{"rendered":"Best of Nature Network, nature.com blogs and Scitable: 5 \u2013 10 February"},"content":{"rendered":"

Telepathy? I think not<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>Nature’s Neuroscience blog,\u00a0Action Potential,\u00a0<\/a>discusses\u00a0how frustrating it can be when the press over-hype science stories relating to reading brain activity. I-han Chou considers a paper which typifies this effect,\u00a0a study from\u00a0Jack Gallant<\/a>\u2018s lab about a model for decoding natural images<\/a>\u00a0from fMRI activity:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Speaking of overhyping, why are\u00a0decoding studies always the ones described as \u2018mind reading\u2019? If mind\u00a0reading is the inference of mental state by another individual, then isn\u2019t\u00a0any measurement of brain activity mind reading? Not just evoked and\u00a0voluntary fMRI and ERP activity in humans, but receptive field mapping in\u00a0macaques, recording during escape behavior in flies; it\u2019s all inference of\u00a0mental state. Of course, \u201cmind reading\u201d is a convenient and accessible\u00a0shorthand for describing the analysis of brain activity \u2013 I\u2019ll confess,\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0used it<\/a><\/em>, though not about decoding. But after seeing how it\u2019s been extrapolated I doubt I will again.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Continue to the post <\/a>to find out more.<\/p>\n

Book reviews<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u00a0Eva Amsen<\/a>\u00a0reviews Angela Saini\u2019s new book, Geek Nation:<\/a><\/p>\n

The geeks introduced in the book are a different breed of geek than the ones we’re used to. They’re not all-round geeks, with geeky hobbies and creative pastimes, but they’re very focussed on their careers. Students at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology are driven by the pressure of academic success and the promise of a good job after graduation. They barely have time off – let alone hobbies. <\/em><\/em><\/p>\n

Have you read the book? Let us know if you enjoyed it in the comment thread<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In another book review, GrrlScientist<\/a>\u00a0has been evaluating university lecturer and writer Eric Scerri\u2019s newest book,\u00a0The Periodic Table: A Very Short Introduction<\/em>:<\/p>\n

\u00a0In this book, we are introduced to an interesting cast of international characters, including physicists, chemists, geologists, teachers, tradesmen and nobleman, all who played a role in the discovery and evolution of the periodic table. Notably, we meet Scottish physician, William Prout, whose proposal that all matter was composed of hydrogen atoms motivated the scientists of the day to obtain ever more accurate weights for each atom in their quest to prove whether his hypothesis was correct.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

For further reading you can check out Eric Scerri\u2019s guest post on Soapbox Science from December;\u00a0The periodic table: matter matters.<\/a><\/p>\n

Open Season<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>Now onto this week\u2019s Soapbox Science post, \u201cOpen Science\u201d<\/a> by author\u00a0<\/em>Misha Angrist<\/a> who considers the relationship between patients and researchers:<\/p>\n

We complain about lack of public support for science, funding cuts, and public skepticism about evolution, climate change and, for all I know, gravity. As I imagine you are, I am deeply vexed by both the bean counters and the deniers. And it is entirely possible that nothing will sway them. But if we insist upon paternalism (\u201cyou can\u2019t handle the truth\u201d), elitism (\u201cyou can\u2019t understand the truth\u201d), and legalism (\u201cif I tell you the truth, you will sue me\u201d), then we can be certain of it.<\/em><\/p>\n

If biomedical science remains an \u201cus and them\u201d proposition, it bodes well neither for us nor for them.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

What are your thoughts on his post<\/a>?<\/p>\n

17, it\u2019s a magic number<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>GrrlScientist<\/a>\u00a0 explains that 17 is the minimum number of clues required to give a unique sudoku solution — but how did mathematicians prove this?<\/p>\n

Of course, sudoku’s popularity has led to a number of mathematical questions focused on its unique solutions, such as, how many unique sudoku puzzles are possible? (6.67 x 1021<\/sup><\/em>) What are the\u00a0<\/em>greatest<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>number of clues that can be provided that will not give an unique solution? (77 — just 4 less than a filled grid) What are the\u00a0<\/em>fewest<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>clues that can be provided that will give an unique solution?<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

You can find a video which explains all in her post<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Science Online conference<\/strong><\/p>\n

Scitable\u2019s high school blogger,\u00a0Sabrina DeRiso,<\/a>\u00a0is revealing some of the lessons she took away from the\u00a0Science Online conference\u00a0<\/a>which took place in North Carolina last month:<\/p>\n

A great trick I learned was when stumbling upon a topic you want to write about, think of all possible way to discuss a topic. This encouraged me to not look past a hard topic that interests me.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If you attended Science Online North Carolina, why not impart the pearls of wisdom you took away from the conference in her comment thread<\/a>?<\/p>\n

Debating H5N1 and dual-use research<\/strong><\/p>\n

On 2 February, scientists and public health officials squared off in a\u00a0panel discussion at the New York Academy of Sciences<\/a> and Brendan Maher has\u00a0been reporting on this conversation on the\u00a0News blog<\/a>.\u00a0 Debate raged around the fate of two papers which describe a mutant strain of the avian influenza virus H5N1. The virus is capable of mammal-to-mammal transmission, which has raised concern that it might be transferable to humans. Several panelists sat down with\u00a0Nature\u00a0News <\/a><\/em>to discuss their positions and you can watch this discussion in the video below:<\/a><\/p>\n