#science-communication — Public Fediverse posts

I recently gave a NerdNite talk about the weird and wonderful ways soil animals survive the challenges of life, and their complex (and sometimes quite romantic) love lives. I had an absolute blast, and the recording is now up on YouTube!

Warning: this was an evening talk in a pub setting, so it has some adult humour and might not be for everyone. But, if you can stomach talk about slugs chewing off their own penises, and mites constructing 'love gardens' out of their own semen, then this talk is for you!

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTIGtBXEfx4

#SoilBiodiversity #SoilEcology #Nature #ScienceCommunication #SciComm #TheWorldBeneathOurFeet #NerdNite #Science

☿️ Meet Mercury: the Solar System's fastest, toughest overachiever.
Closest to the Sun. Fastest orbit in the neighborhood (47 km/s!). A day that's literally longer than its year. And a surface that swings from 430°C at noon to -180°C at night — with basically no atmosphere to soften the blow.
#Mercury #SolarSystem #Space #Astronomy #NASA #Planets #ScienceCommunication #ScentsOfScience

https://scentsofscience.com/2026/07/24/mercurys-cv-the-solar-systems-fastest-toughest-overachiever/

☿️ Meet Mercury: the Solar System's fastest, toughest overachiever.
Closest to the Sun. Fastest orbit in the neighborhood (47 km/s!). A day that's literally longer than its year. And a surface that swings from 430°C at noon to -180°C at night — with basically no atmosphere to soften the blow.
#Mercury #SolarSystem #Space #Astronomy #NASA #Planets #ScienceCommunication #ScentsOfScience

https://scentsofscience.com/2026/07/24/mercurys-cv-the-solar-systems-fastest-toughest-overachiever/

So, just got an email from Springer saying that they sold Scientific American to a to me obscure LabX Media Group.

1) I hope they won’t enshittify it.
2) does anyone know LabX Media Group and has any kind of insight or opinion on them?

#scientificamerican #sciam #science #sciencecommunication

So, just got an email from Springer saying that they sold Scientific American to a to me obscure LabX Media Group.

1) I hope they won’t enshittify it.
2) does anyone know LabX Media Group and has any kind of insight or opinion on them?

#scientificamerican #sciam #science #sciencecommunication

DATE: July 23, 2026 at 06:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------

TITLE: Contrary to popular belief, a testosterone boost doesn’t make men overconfident

URL: https://www.psypost.org/contrary-to-popular-belief-a-testosterone-boost-doesnt-make-men-overconfident/

A recent study published in the journal Psychological Science suggests that a single dose of testosterone does not cause men to abandon deliberate reasoning in favor of gut instincts. In fact, contrary to previous assumptions, the hormone might actually lower a person’s confidence in their own cognitive performance. These findings provide evidence that short-term spikes in testosterone do not significantly alter this specific type of human decision-making.

The human brain can solve problems using fast, intuitive thinking or slow, deliberate reasoning. Psychologists often measure this tendency using the Cognitive Reflection Test, an assessment that presents questions with an obvious but mathematically incorrect intuitive answer. Arriving at the correct solution requires pausing and overriding that initial gut reaction.

Testosterone is a sex steroid hormone that responds dynamically to social and environmental changes. In both animals and humans, testosterone levels can rise rapidly in competitive or mating contexts. This environmental reactivity forms the basis of the challenge hypothesis, a biological theory proposing that testosterone modulates behavior in a context-sensitive way to facilitate fast-acting, instinctive actions under social threat.

Translating this biological theory to human cognition led to a specific hypothesis regarding decision-making. Past researchers proposed that transient testosterone elevations might shift judgments toward intuitive responses. An influential 2017 paper reported exactly this effect, finding that testosterone administration significantly reduced scores on the Cognitive Reflection Test.

Subsequent follow-up studies produced inconsistent or completely null results, creating confusion in the scientific community. To settle the debate, scientists who authored the conflicting papers teamed up to design an adversarial collaboration. This is a research project where scientists with opposing views work together to design a definitive experiment.

Gideon Nave, the Carlos and Rosa de la Cruz associate professor of marketing at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, helped organize this joint effort. “The original idea came from evolutionary biology and neuroscience,” Nave said. “Testosterone rises in situations such as competition and mating, where acting quickly and instinctively can be more adaptive than careful deliberation, so we hypothesized that a temporary increase in testosterone might reduce cognitive reflection by making people more likely to rely on intuitive responses.”

“Our original 2017 experiment supported that idea, but later studies produced different results,” Nave added. “Rather than arguing over which study was right, the different research teams decided to work together in an adversarial collaboration. We have always had a collegial relationship, despite reaching different conclusions, and jointly designed the largest and most rigorous study we could conduct to settle the question once and for all.”

The team preregistered their methods, meaning they published their exact plan and hypotheses before collecting any data. They recruited 1,000 adult men between the ages of 18 and 45. The study used a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled design. This means neither the participants nor the research assistants handing out the doses knew who received the actual hormone and who received an inactive substitute.

Half of the participants self-administered an intranasal testosterone gel, which delivers 11 milligrams of the hormone directly into the nose. The other 500 men received a placebo gel that looked and felt identical. Following a 30-minute waiting period, which allows the hormone to enter the bloodstream and reach the high-normal physiological range, the men completed a variety of behavioral tasks.

The main task of interest was a modified seven-item version of the Cognitive Reflection Test. The authors used a reworded version of the classic test to ensure participants had not seen the specific puzzles before on the internet. To keep participants motivated, the scientists offered a one-dollar cash bonus for every correct answer. Following the test, the men guessed how many questions they answered correctly out of seven.

The test scores failed to support the original 2017 hypothesis. The researchers found no statistically significant difference in test performance between the testosterone group and the placebo group. The men who received testosterone answered an average of 3.01 questions correctly, compared to 2.86 in the placebo group.

When analyzing the self-reported confidence ratings, the researchers found another unexpected result. The team had originally predicted that testosterone would make the men more overconfident in their performance. Instead, the data showed a significant decrease in self-confidence among those who received the hormone. The men in the testosterone group estimated they got fewer questions right compared to the estimates made by the placebo group.

“Not only did we fail to replicate our original finding, but the estimated effect actually pointed in the opposite direction,” Nave told PsyPost. “We also found evidence that testosterone reduced confidence rather than increased it, which runs counter to many existing theories. Because this finding was unexpected, we interpret it cautiously and believe it should be independently replicated before drawing strong conclusions.”

The researchers also explored whether the treatment changed how participants viewed their abilities relative to others. They asked the participants to guess how many questions the average participant in the study got right. They then calculated a relative confidence score by subtracting the participant’s guess about the average person’s score from their own self-estimated score. The data showed that both groups overestimated their performance compared to others, and the testosterone treatment did not significantly alter this gap.

In addition to the main experiment, the authors ran several exploratory analyses based on the participants’ natural hormone levels. They defined baseline testosterone as the naturally occurring hormone level found in the very first saliva sample. The researchers found a negative association between natural, baseline testosterone and test performance. Men with naturally higher baseline testosterone tended to score slightly lower on the cognitive reflection test.

The scientists also looked at cortisol, a hormone closely associated with stress. They found suggestive evidence of a positive interaction between baseline cortisol levels and the testosterone treatment on test performance. Additionally, they tested whether a person’s natural impulsivity changed how they reacted to the hormone dose. An earlier study suggested that testosterone might impair performance in low-impulsivity men, but the current massive sample found no evidence of any interaction between personality traits and the treatment.

Readers should be aware of a few limitations when interpreting these findings. The study only included adult men, which restricts the ability to generalize the results to the broader public. Men and women can process and react to sex steroid hormones differently. Future research needs to include female participants to see if these null results hold true across different populations.

The exact timing and dosage of the hormone administration also present limitations. The researchers waited 30 minutes after the nasal gel administration before starting the behavioral tasks. Although previous evidence favors a rapid timescale for testosterone’s influence on behavior, it remains possible that the hormone influences cognitive reflection over a much longer time frame.

The study only addresses short-term, sudden spikes in hormone levels. Administering testosterone over a longer period of time might influence cognitive reflection differently. Chronic exposure can lead to structural neural changes that differ entirely from those observed in a single-dose experiment.

“Our study examined the effects of a single, short term increase in testosterone in healthy men,” Nave told PsyPost. “It does not address the effects of long term testosterone exposure, hormone replacement therapy, or testosterone during critical developmental periods such as puberty, all of which could have different consequences but are much more difficult, and often impossible, to study experimentally.”

Looking forward, the researchers plan to continue exploring the boundaries of behavioral endocrinology. “One important direction is understanding when hormones do influence cognition and behavior and when they do not,” Nave said. “Our findings suggest that a temporary increase in testosterone does not meaningfully change people’s ability to override intuitive responses and engage in deliberate reasoning.”

The team hopes their methodological approach will inspire other scientists facing contradictory data. Nave hopes this project encourages more adversarial collaborations in behavioral science. “They require researchers to put aside attachment to their previous findings and focus on designing the strongest possible test of a scientific question, which ultimately benefits the entire field,” he said.

“For me, one of the most important aspects of this project is not just the result but the process,” Nave said. “This study brought together researchers who had previously published conflicting findings, yet we shared a common goal of finding the correct answer rather than defending our earlier work.”

“We agreed on the design and analysis plan before looking at the data, and I think this kind of collaboration provides a model for how science can efficiently resolve important disagreements,” Nave added. “More broadly, I hope people see this study as an example of science working as it should. Different laboratories sometimes obtain different results, and the best way to resolve those disagreements is not through debate, but by working together on larger and more rigorous studies that everyone agrees on in advance.”

The study, “Does Testosterone Affect Cognitive Reflection? Evidence From a Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Study of 1,000 Participants,” was authored by Erik L. Knight, Gideon Nave, Steven D. Shaw, Coren Apicella, Pierre L. Bonin, Anna Dreber, Shawn N. Geniole, Magnus Johannesson, Dylan Manfredi, Pranjal Mehta, Valentina Proietti, Steven J. Stanton, Francesca R. Luberti, Triana Ortiz, and Justin M. Carré.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/contrary-to-popular-belief-a-testosterone-boost-doesnt-make-men-overconfident/

-------------------------------------------------

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

-------------------------------------------------

#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #CognitiveReflectionTest #Testosterone #AdversarialCollaboration #PsychologicalScience #Cognition #HormonesAndBehavior #DeliberateThinking #ConfidenceBias #ScienceCommunication #BehavioralEndocrinology

DATE: July 23, 2026 at 06:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------

TITLE: Contrary to popular belief, a testosterone boost doesn’t make men overconfident

URL: https://www.psypost.org/contrary-to-popular-belief-a-testosterone-boost-doesnt-make-men-overconfident/

A recent study published in the journal Psychological Science suggests that a single dose of testosterone does not cause men to abandon deliberate reasoning in favor of gut instincts. In fact, contrary to previous assumptions, the hormone might actually lower a person’s confidence in their own cognitive performance. These findings provide evidence that short-term spikes in testosterone do not significantly alter this specific type of human decision-making.

The human brain can solve problems using fast, intuitive thinking or slow, deliberate reasoning. Psychologists often measure this tendency using the Cognitive Reflection Test, an assessment that presents questions with an obvious but mathematically incorrect intuitive answer. Arriving at the correct solution requires pausing and overriding that initial gut reaction.

Testosterone is a sex steroid hormone that responds dynamically to social and environmental changes. In both animals and humans, testosterone levels can rise rapidly in competitive or mating contexts. This environmental reactivity forms the basis of the challenge hypothesis, a biological theory proposing that testosterone modulates behavior in a context-sensitive way to facilitate fast-acting, instinctive actions under social threat.

Translating this biological theory to human cognition led to a specific hypothesis regarding decision-making. Past researchers proposed that transient testosterone elevations might shift judgments toward intuitive responses. An influential 2017 paper reported exactly this effect, finding that testosterone administration significantly reduced scores on the Cognitive Reflection Test.

Subsequent follow-up studies produced inconsistent or completely null results, creating confusion in the scientific community. To settle the debate, scientists who authored the conflicting papers teamed up to design an adversarial collaboration. This is a research project where scientists with opposing views work together to design a definitive experiment.

Gideon Nave, the Carlos and Rosa de la Cruz associate professor of marketing at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, helped organize this joint effort. “The original idea came from evolutionary biology and neuroscience,” Nave said. “Testosterone rises in situations such as competition and mating, where acting quickly and instinctively can be more adaptive than careful deliberation, so we hypothesized that a temporary increase in testosterone might reduce cognitive reflection by making people more likely to rely on intuitive responses.”

“Our original 2017 experiment supported that idea, but later studies produced different results,” Nave added. “Rather than arguing over which study was right, the different research teams decided to work together in an adversarial collaboration. We have always had a collegial relationship, despite reaching different conclusions, and jointly designed the largest and most rigorous study we could conduct to settle the question once and for all.”

The team preregistered their methods, meaning they published their exact plan and hypotheses before collecting any data. They recruited 1,000 adult men between the ages of 18 and 45. The study used a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled design. This means neither the participants nor the research assistants handing out the doses knew who received the actual hormone and who received an inactive substitute.

Half of the participants self-administered an intranasal testosterone gel, which delivers 11 milligrams of the hormone directly into the nose. The other 500 men received a placebo gel that looked and felt identical. Following a 30-minute waiting period, which allows the hormone to enter the bloodstream and reach the high-normal physiological range, the men completed a variety of behavioral tasks.

The main task of interest was a modified seven-item version of the Cognitive Reflection Test. The authors used a reworded version of the classic test to ensure participants had not seen the specific puzzles before on the internet. To keep participants motivated, the scientists offered a one-dollar cash bonus for every correct answer. Following the test, the men guessed how many questions they answered correctly out of seven.

The test scores failed to support the original 2017 hypothesis. The researchers found no statistically significant difference in test performance between the testosterone group and the placebo group. The men who received testosterone answered an average of 3.01 questions correctly, compared to 2.86 in the placebo group.

When analyzing the self-reported confidence ratings, the researchers found another unexpected result. The team had originally predicted that testosterone would make the men more overconfident in their performance. Instead, the data showed a significant decrease in self-confidence among those who received the hormone. The men in the testosterone group estimated they got fewer questions right compared to the estimates made by the placebo group.

“Not only did we fail to replicate our original finding, but the estimated effect actually pointed in the opposite direction,” Nave told PsyPost. “We also found evidence that testosterone reduced confidence rather than increased it, which runs counter to many existing theories. Because this finding was unexpected, we interpret it cautiously and believe it should be independently replicated before drawing strong conclusions.”

The researchers also explored whether the treatment changed how participants viewed their abilities relative to others. They asked the participants to guess how many questions the average participant in the study got right. They then calculated a relative confidence score by subtracting the participant’s guess about the average person’s score from their own self-estimated score. The data showed that both groups overestimated their performance compared to others, and the testosterone treatment did not significantly alter this gap.

In addition to the main experiment, the authors ran several exploratory analyses based on the participants’ natural hormone levels. They defined baseline testosterone as the naturally occurring hormone level found in the very first saliva sample. The researchers found a negative association between natural, baseline testosterone and test performance. Men with naturally higher baseline testosterone tended to score slightly lower on the cognitive reflection test.

The scientists also looked at cortisol, a hormone closely associated with stress. They found suggestive evidence of a positive interaction between baseline cortisol levels and the testosterone treatment on test performance. Additionally, they tested whether a person’s natural impulsivity changed how they reacted to the hormone dose. An earlier study suggested that testosterone might impair performance in low-impulsivity men, but the current massive sample found no evidence of any interaction between personality traits and the treatment.

Readers should be aware of a few limitations when interpreting these findings. The study only included adult men, which restricts the ability to generalize the results to the broader public. Men and women can process and react to sex steroid hormones differently. Future research needs to include female participants to see if these null results hold true across different populations.

The exact timing and dosage of the hormone administration also present limitations. The researchers waited 30 minutes after the nasal gel administration before starting the behavioral tasks. Although previous evidence favors a rapid timescale for testosterone’s influence on behavior, it remains possible that the hormone influences cognitive reflection over a much longer time frame.

The study only addresses short-term, sudden spikes in hormone levels. Administering testosterone over a longer period of time might influence cognitive reflection differently. Chronic exposure can lead to structural neural changes that differ entirely from those observed in a single-dose experiment.

“Our study examined the effects of a single, short term increase in testosterone in healthy men,” Nave told PsyPost. “It does not address the effects of long term testosterone exposure, hormone replacement therapy, or testosterone during critical developmental periods such as puberty, all of which could have different consequences but are much more difficult, and often impossible, to study experimentally.”

Looking forward, the researchers plan to continue exploring the boundaries of behavioral endocrinology. “One important direction is understanding when hormones do influence cognition and behavior and when they do not,” Nave said. “Our findings suggest that a temporary increase in testosterone does not meaningfully change people’s ability to override intuitive responses and engage in deliberate reasoning.”

The team hopes their methodological approach will inspire other scientists facing contradictory data. Nave hopes this project encourages more adversarial collaborations in behavioral science. “They require researchers to put aside attachment to their previous findings and focus on designing the strongest possible test of a scientific question, which ultimately benefits the entire field,” he said.

“For me, one of the most important aspects of this project is not just the result but the process,” Nave said. “This study brought together researchers who had previously published conflicting findings, yet we shared a common goal of finding the correct answer rather than defending our earlier work.”

“We agreed on the design and analysis plan before looking at the data, and I think this kind of collaboration provides a model for how science can efficiently resolve important disagreements,” Nave added. “More broadly, I hope people see this study as an example of science working as it should. Different laboratories sometimes obtain different results, and the best way to resolve those disagreements is not through debate, but by working together on larger and more rigorous studies that everyone agrees on in advance.”

The study, “Does Testosterone Affect Cognitive Reflection? Evidence From a Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Study of 1,000 Participants,” was authored by Erik L. Knight, Gideon Nave, Steven D. Shaw, Coren Apicella, Pierre L. Bonin, Anna Dreber, Shawn N. Geniole, Magnus Johannesson, Dylan Manfredi, Pranjal Mehta, Valentina Proietti, Steven J. Stanton, Francesca R. Luberti, Triana Ortiz, and Justin M. Carré.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/contrary-to-popular-belief-a-testosterone-boost-doesnt-make-men-overconfident/

-------------------------------------------------

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

-------------------------------------------------

#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #CognitiveReflectionTest #Testosterone #AdversarialCollaboration #PsychologicalScience #Cognition #HormonesAndBehavior #DeliberateThinking #ConfidenceBias #ScienceCommunication #BehavioralEndocrinology

"Matt Kaplan: They were right after all" @ #Podcast "Clear+vivid" with Alan Alda:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2s7GPs9fbWKFjl9od64iwx
"Vivid stories of #scientists whose claims were ignored or ridiculed, from Galileo to Kati Karikó – the woman whose work was critical in developing the mRNA Covid vaccine that saved millions of lives."
#science #research #ignorance #ScienceCommunication

"Matt Kaplan: They were right after all" @ #Podcast "Clear+vivid" with Alan Alda:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2s7GPs9fbWKFjl9od64iwx
"Vivid stories of #scientists whose claims were ignored or ridiculed, from Galileo to Kati Karikó – the woman whose work was critical in developing the mRNA Covid vaccine that saved millions of lives."
#science #research #ignorance #ScienceCommunication

Geological Deep Time – new blog series available in English now!

It's about our relationship with Earth's deep time – illustrated with my own photographs from the Black Forest and the Vosges. The first 3 parts are now online.

Start here : https://www.silberspur.de/blogs/read/116

#DeepTime #BlackForest #Vosges #LandscapePhotography #Photography #Nature #EarthSciences #Science #Fotografie #Schwarzwald #Vogesen #Palynology #Science #ScienceCommunication #Geology #NaturePhotography #ScienceForEveryone #Time

Geological Deep Time – new blog series available in English now!

It's about our relationship with Earth's deep time – illustrated with my own photographs from the Black Forest and the Vosges. The first 3 parts are now online.

Start here : https://www.silberspur.de/blogs/read/116

#DeepTime #BlackForest #Vosges #LandscapePhotography #Photography #Nature #EarthSciences #Science #Fotografie #Schwarzwald #Vogesen #Palynology #Science #ScienceCommunication #Geology #NaturePhotography #ScienceForEveryone #Time

"10 Tips for Goal-Oriented Science Communication" @ De Gruyter Communications
https://blog.degruyter.com/10-tips-for-goal-oriented-science-communication/
"Building a bridge between science and society takes more than passion – it takes strategy. These 10 practical tips [from the book "50 Essentials on Science Communication"] will help you take your first confident steps in science communication."
#ScienceCommunication #Wissenschaftskommunikation

"10 Tips for Goal-Oriented Science Communication" @ De Gruyter Communications
https://blog.degruyter.com/10-tips-for-goal-oriented-science-communication/
"Building a bridge between science and society takes more than passion – it takes strategy. These 10 practical tips [from the book "50 Essentials on Science Communication"] will help you take your first confident steps in science communication."
#ScienceCommunication #Wissenschaftskommunikation

Secular folk trained to dismiss religious doom rhetoric may have accidentally trained themselves to dismiss all doom rhetoric. That's the trap climate communication keeps falling into.

https://onlys.ky/how-do-we-talk-about-impending-doom-so-that-people-will-listen/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=evergreen

#ClimateCrisis #Humanism #ScienceCommunication #Environment #Secularism

Secular folk trained to dismiss religious doom rhetoric may have accidentally trained themselves to dismiss all doom rhetoric. That's the trap climate communication keeps falling into.

https://onlys.ky/how-do-we-talk-about-impending-doom-so-that-people-will-listen/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=evergreen

#ClimateCrisis #Humanism #ScienceCommunication #Environment #Secularism

📢 KI verändert die Hochschullehre – doch welche Konsequenzen ergeben sich daraus für Lehrende und Studierende?

Darum geht es heute bei der Jahrestagung des Zentrums für frankophone Welten in #Tübingen. Wir freuen uns, dass das RHET AI Center auch vertreten sein wird: Unser Kollege Markus Gottschling @emgehoh hält dort einen Vortrag mit dem Titel
🎤 "Von der Schreibszene zur Lehrszene. Generative KI im Lehralltag der Rhetorik"

#KI #HigherEducation #ScienceCommunication #scicomm #wisskomm

How Tone and Cultural References Influence Curiosity in Science Content

📰 Original title: Jellyfish videos reveal why science content sparks curiosity for some viewers

🤖 IA: It's clickbait ⚠️
👥 Users: It's clickbait ⚠️

View full AI summary https://en.killbait.com/how-tone-and-cultural-references-influence-curiosity-in-science-content.html?utm_source=mastodon_world&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=killbait.mastodon_world

#science #sciencecommunication #socialmedia #curiosity

🧠📱 Who actually owns the #digitaldiscourse?

💡 https://philosophies.de/index.php/2026/05/22/social-bots-desinformation/

📎 https://www.uni-muenster.de/Wissenschaftstheorie/ringvorlesung/aktuelleRV.html

#ChristianGrimme #CenterforPhilosophyofScience #ZfW #UniversityofMünster #Science #ScienceCommunication #SocialMedia #Disinformation #SocialBots #DigitalReality #MichelFoucault #Discourse #DarkParticipation #ComputationalSocialScience #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #MediaLiteracy #Philosophy #PhilosophyofScience #DigitalPublicSphere #Enlightenment #philosophies_de

🧠📱 Who actually owns the #digitaldiscourse?

💡 https://philosophies.de/index.php/2026/05/22/social-bots-desinformation/

📎 https://www.uni-muenster.de/Wissenschaftstheorie/ringvorlesung/aktuelleRV.html

#ChristianGrimme #CenterforPhilosophyofScience #ZfW #UniversityofMünster #Science #ScienceCommunication #SocialMedia #Disinformation #SocialBots #DigitalReality #MichelFoucault #Discourse #DarkParticipation #ComputationalSocialScience #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #MediaLiteracy #Philosophy #PhilosophyofScience #DigitalPublicSphere #Enlightenment #philosophies_de

🧠📱 Who actually owns the #digitaldiscourse?

💡 https://philosophies.de/index.php/2026/05/22/social-bots-desinformation/

📎 https://www.uni-muenster.de/Wissenschaftstheorie/ringvorlesung/aktuelleRV.html

#ChristianGrimme #CenterforPhilosophyofScience #ZfW #UniversityofMünster #Science #ScienceCommunication #SocialMedia #Disinformation #SocialBots #DigitalReality #MichelFoucault #Discourse #DarkParticipation #ComputationalSocialScience #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #MediaLiteracy #Philosophy #PhilosophyofScience #DigitalPublicSphere #Enlightenment #philosophies_de

A Planet, a Cell and the Question of Life
This astrobiology illustration began with a very practical problem: a public lecture needed a strong visual, but there was no image that really fit the topic.

Many visuals around astrobiology felt either too generic, too decorative or scientifically questionable. So instead of se
https://astrofruechtchen.de/2025/08/a-planet-a-cell-and-the-question-of-life/
#Illustration #astrobiology #DigitalIllustration #saturn #ScienceCommunication #SpaceArt

» Representatives from Springer Nature declined to comment, beyond saying that “detailed information about specific retractions is usually confidential and can only be shared with the relevant authors.” «

Good luck with reaching out to Planck…

News story:
https://www.science.org/content/article/why-have-papers-one-history-s-most-famous-physicists-been-retracted

Preprint:
https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.17534

#Science #Nature #Retraction #ScienceCommunication #Academia #OpenScience

» Representatives from Springer Nature declined to comment, beyond saying that “detailed information about specific retractions is usually confidential and can only be shared with the relevant authors.” «

Good luck with reaching out to Planck…

News story:
https://www.science.org/content/article/why-have-papers-one-history-s-most-famous-physicists-been-retracted

Preprint:
https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.17534

#Science #Nature #Retraction #ScienceCommunication #Academia #OpenScience

Can playing jazz make you a better physicist?

Theoretical physicist Stephon Alexander argues that musical improvisation sharpens intuition, flexibility and creative problem-solving.

A reminder that science and art often grow from the same curiosity.

🔗 https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01393-z

#Physics #Creativity #Jazz #ScienceCommunication #ResearchCulture

Can playing jazz make you a better physicist?

Theoretical physicist Stephon Alexander argues that musical improvisation sharpens intuition, flexibility and creative problem-solving.

A reminder that science and art often grow from the same curiosity.

🔗 https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01393-z

#Physics #Creativity #Jazz #ScienceCommunication #ResearchCulture

📩 Fresh research insights from Jülich, straight to your inbox.

The second English edition of our Jülich News newsletter comes out this week.

Both newsletters are free to subscribe to.

👉 https://www.fz-juelich.de/en/news/julich-news

#ResearchNews #ScienceCommunication

📩 Fresh research insights from Jülich, straight to your inbox.

The second English edition of our Jülich News newsletter comes out this week.

Both newsletters are free to subscribe to.

👉 https://www.fz-juelich.de/en/news/julich-news

#ResearchNews #ScienceCommunication

If you ever get the chance to speak at or attend a 'Nerd Nite' event, I strongly recommend it, the vibes are excellent!

Recently, I spoke with the wonderful audience at Nerd Nite Christchuch all about the weird and wonderful ways soil animals have adapted to the challenges of life belowground (and, in the case of tardigrades, on the moon!).

There'll be a YouTube video of the talk at some point, so look out for that if you want to hear about record-breaking mites, and far too many graphic details about earthworm sex, mite 'love gardens' and banana slugs chewing off their own penises...

#SoilBiodiversity #ScienceCommunication #NerdNite #Science #Nature #TheWorldBeneathOurFeet

Chapter 8 Health-giving plants

The neat, trimmed and manicured grass of the pitch of Norwich City Football Club demonstrates one of many non-food uses of plants. Whether exploitation of this plant resource makes you miserable or happy rather depends on which football team you support!

The numerical inspiration for chapter 8 comes from ‘eight millimetres’, the optimum height of the grass on Wimbledon’s tennis courts. That snippet of information leads to thoughts of plants that provide us with a variety of leisure activities and the opportunity to enrich our lives – whether we be ill, in need of ‘rehabilitation’, or just want a bit of ‘space’. Accordingly, leisure activities that help us to keep active and fit are considered here, as well as plant products that are essential to some of those activities and past-times. The contribution of plants – and ‘nature’ and ‘greenness’ more broadly – in the context of human health and wellbeing is also discussed. The Japanese notion of ‘forest bathing’ is not ignored [Ed. – although that part is not ready yet (neither is a look at the physiological impact on plants of paint applied on playing surfaces)…].

In Chapter 7 we’ve just seen that grasses – in the guise of cereals such as wheat, maize, and rice – are crucial staples for the nutrition of a large part of humanity. And the importance of this plant family to people doesn’t end there. When humans are well fed and have leisure time they often turn to grasses again. But this time it’s to provide a plethora of playing surfaces (e.g., Naomi Volain; Lindsey Blackmore; Robert Wood, 2024, and here).

Apart from the perfectly manicured lawns of the Grand Slam (Simon Rea) tennis courts of Wimbledon (which are 100% Lolium perenne (perennial ryegrass (Roshneesh Kmaneck, 2025; Tim Newcomb)), and the pitches of professional football clubs (Fig. 9) (that are probably as preened and pampered as the players (e.g., Sam Dalling)), many games and activities are played on grassed surfaces of one sort or another throughout the world. By no means exhaustive, this list of activities includes such sports as: football (which is known as soccer in the USA), baseball, rugby, lacrosse, hockey, tennis, soft-ball, polo, cricket, and rounders; field events such as archery, javelin and discus throwing; and past-times such as golf [Ed – which I recall being memorably defined as ‘a good walk spoiled‘…].

[Ed. – despite its alternative – and original – name of lawn tennis, tennis isn’t just played on a lawn of grass. Opponents also battle it out on non-grass surfaces such as clay and hard courts]

[Ed. – for more grassy activities, see here, here, here, and here. And, for a good read about the “History of Sports Field Turfgrass Surfaces”, see James B Beard]

Quite often these different sports – played on so-called ‘amenity grasslands’, natural grass surfaces which can be defined as “all grass with recreational, functional or aesthetic value and of which agricultural productivity is not the primary aim”, or “an open grassy area (park, playing field, green space) used by the public” – demand their own particular mix of grass species to provide the desired characteristics, e.g., to withstand frequent cutting and trampling (e.g., CE Hubbard, 1972, p. 423), required for their particular intended use.

[Ed. – for more of an insight into amenity grass species, and their applications and functions, see Barbara Wiewióra & Grzegorz Żurek (2023)]

[Ed. – in the USA, the sport’s name ‘football’ is reserved for American football (which is also known as gridiron football) and is played not with a spherical football but an oval-shaped ball (technically known as a prolate spheroid – as opposed to something like the planet Earth, which is an oblate spheroid (John W Foster, 2025)) that’s similar to a rugby ball. Maybe this isn’t too surprising because rugby was one of the sports from which American football originated. However, since soccer is also a sport from which it originated, Mr P Cuttings is still none the wiser why American football has the ball the shape it has…]

Extending this plant-based connection further, many of the items of equipment used in these activities are traditionally made from plant materials. For example, wood for tennis rackets (in the days when their frames were still made out of wood (Stuart Miller, 2006; Thomas Allen, 2020), and cricket bats (famously cricket-bat willow – Salix alba ‘Caerulea’ (WJ Bean, 1907) – for cricket bats (Paul Franklin)). Plant fibres – such as cotton (Hans-Dietrich H Weigmann) – also loom large in various items of sports clothing (e.g., here, here). And plant-derived rubber (Alan N Gent) has been used to provide the bouncy balls essential to some of these activities – apparently, as far back as 1600 BCE in Mesoamerica (Dorothy Hosler et al., 1999; Deborah Halber; Marina Arias & Peter J van Dijk, 2019).

[Ed. – for more – non-grass – plant associations with the Olympic Games, see Sophia Rhizopoulou, 2004]

Plants promote well-being of people

And those outdoor, grass-supported activities are not just enjoyable, but are beneficial to well-being too. Many modern-day studies espouse the benefits – to both general health and mental function – of participation in and exercise derived from such activities (e.g., J Eric Ahlskog et al., 2011; Alan Donaldson & Caroline Finch, 2012; Jiri Dvorak et al., 2012). In many respects these are merely present-day endorsements of the classical notion of mens sana in corpore sano (‘healthy in mind, healthy in body‘) (Aanya Jajoo & Eda Gorbis).

[Ed. – although the Latin phrase is attributed to Ancient Roman poet Juvenal (Billy Morgan & Frances Hutchens), it appears to develop the same idea previously advocated by even-more-ancient Roman Seneca the Younger – who died 63 years before Juvenal’s own demise]

Even for those of a more sedentary persuasion, just being outside – albeit in a ‘green space’, whether natural or urban (Richard Fuller et al., 2007) – may be sufficient to provide physical and psychological (Fuller et al., 2007; Julian Dobson et al) and health (Andrew Lee & R Maheswaran, 2010; Catherine Ward Thompson & Eva Maria Silveirinha de Oliveira, 2016) benefits. Not too surprisingly, this whole concept of ‘Connectedness with Nature’ (CN) is an area of active research (e.g., Renate Cervinka et al., 2012; here; Miles Richardson; Leanne Haywood & James Stiller, 2024; Ziv Shafir, 2025).

The health benefits of what may be termed ‘enclosed green spaces’ – or allotments or household gardens – are also recognised, for old (Theresa L Scott et al., 2020; Julia Hotz, 2025]) and young (Bambi Yost & Louise Chawla, 2009; Cathy Jordan, 2022) alike. Plus, the food you grow yourself may even be healthier for you. Indeed, the very idea of gardening as a source of life-sustaining – and good-health-promoting – food was given added importance and urgency in the ‘Dig for Victory’ campaign in the UK during World War II (John Harrison). But, it’s an activity that’s rooted deep within humanity, and an estimated 27 million people in the UK enjoy gardening, according to the gardening industry statistics for 2025.

Gardens galore

Aside from that more functional view of gardens, there is a great tradition throughout the world – not just in the UK with its ‘’nation of gardeners’ (Judith Wakelam, 2010; Noel Kingsbury, 2017; Aurélien Wasilewski, 2024; Neville Stein, 2025) – for ‘pleasure gardens’, “a park or garden that is open to the public for recreation and entertainment” (quoted from here) (e.g., those in London (Warwick Wroth, 1896, such as Vauxhall Gardens, and Raneleagh Gardens) of various forms.

[Ed. – maybe us Brits are not so much a nation of gardeners as one of garden visitors..?]

Such man-made creations were earthly representations of paradise designed to appeal to the senses, provide a place for various ‘amusements’, and represent an oasis of calm amidst the hurly-burly of a more mundane and modern-day existence in many parts of the world. The importance of such places worldwide is underlined by the recognition that the Historic England organisation in the comparatively tiny land-mass of the UK lists 1,700 (as at 20th January, 2025) registered parks and gardens of “special historic interest”. That impressive catalogue is in addition to the botanic gardens (Arthur Hill, 1915; M Alejandra Jaramillo et al., 2025) and physic gardens (Iona Glen, 2022; Katherine Tyrrell, 2025) world-wide. And let us not forget that one of the seven wonders of the ancient world (Elisabeth Deffner; Richard Sheposh, 2024) was the fabled Hanging Gardens of Babylon (David Marsh, 2021).

Plants promote productivity and recovery

Coming even closer to home there is a body of evidence that the presence of plants in the workplace – or home – improves the ‘wellbeing’ of people (Marjolein Elings, 2006), reduces sick-leave, reduces stress (Parwiz Niazi et al., 2023), and improves people’s productivity (Tina Bringslimark et al., 2007). Indeed, for some individuals, just the sight of a natural landscape from their hospital bed may be enough to aid their recovery from surgery (Roger Ulrich, 1984 [and the 40-year retrospective on that seminal work by Carlsson Elkins (2024)] or during rehabilitation (Ruth Kjærsti Raanaas et al., 2012).

Even for those not in hospital, Masashi Soga & Kevin J Gaston (2025) found that there were health benefits from simply viewing nature through windows, which led them to state that “Our findings emphasize the value of integrating nature views into urban environments to enhance health and well-being, particularly in densely populated cities where access to large green spaces is limited”. And, if you can’t see plants through a window, simply touching plants indoors can induce a feeling of calm amongst people (Kazuko Koga & Yutaka Iwasaki, 2013). Plants are good for people.

Furthermore, the health-promoting properties of gardens within the hospital setting – and the whole ‘green care’ notion (Dorit Karla Haubenhofer et al., 2010) – may have wider medical value (Deborah Franklin, 2012). In a broader social context, the benefits of engaging in horticulture as a channel for the energies of ‘adjudicated youths’ has been promoted by the New Jersey Department of Correction and Division of Juvenile Services in co-operation with Rutgers University Cook College (Joel Flagler, 1995). So, arguably, such communing with nature helps to improve the health of society, too. Small wonder, then, that in a 2012 job satisfaction survey, gardeners and florists were amongst the UK’s happiest workers (which assertion was reiterated for both in 2015, 2019, and 2024). Furthermore, “Working With Flowers Can Change Your Life” – for ‘how’, see here. And for more on “Health-Boosting Benefits” of working in gardening, see here.

Conclusion

This chapter has looked at ways in which plants provide us with a variety of leisure activities – and the opportunity to enrich our lives – whether we be ill, in need of ‘rehabilitation’, or just want a bit of space (as long as it’s green!).

Chapter 8 Health-giving plants

The neat, trimmed and manicured grass of the pitch of Norwich City Football Club demonstrates one of many non-food uses of plants. Whether exploitation of this plant resource makes you miserable or happy rather depends on which football team you support!

The numerical inspiration for chapter 8 comes from ‘eight millimetres’, the optimum height of the grass on Wimbledon’s tennis courts. That snippet of information leads to thoughts of plants that provide us with a variety of leisure activities and the opportunity to enrich our lives – whether we be ill, in need of ‘rehabilitation’, or just want a bit of ‘space’. Accordingly, leisure activities that help us to keep active and fit are considered here, as well as plant products that are essential to some of those activities and past-times. The contribution of plants – and ‘nature’ and ‘greenness’ more broadly – in the context of human health and wellbeing is also discussed. The Japanese notion of ‘forest bathing’ is not ignored [Ed. – although that part is not ready yet (neither is a look at the physiological impact on plants of paint applied on playing surfaces)…].

In Chapter 7 we’ve just seen that grasses – in the guise of cereals such as wheat, maize, and rice – are crucial staples for the nutrition of a large part of humanity. And the importance of this plant family to people doesn’t end there. When humans are well fed and have leisure time they often turn to grasses again. But this time it’s to provide a plethora of playing surfaces (e.g., Naomi Volain; Lindsey Blackmore; Robert Wood, 2024, and here).

Apart from the perfectly manicured lawns of the Grand Slam (Simon Rea) tennis courts of Wimbledon (which are 100% Lolium perenne (perennial ryegrass (Roshneesh Kmaneck, 2025; Tim Newcomb)), and the pitches of professional football clubs (Fig. 9) (that are probably as preened and pampered as the players (e.g., Sam Dalling)), many games and activities are played on grassed surfaces of one sort or another throughout the world. By no means exhaustive, this list of activities includes such sports as: football (which is known as soccer in the USA), baseball, rugby, lacrosse, hockey, tennis, soft-ball, polo, cricket, and rounders; field events such as archery, javelin and discus throwing; and past-times such as golf [Ed – which I recall being memorably defined as ‘a good walk spoiled‘…].

[Ed. – despite its alternative – and original – name of lawn tennis, tennis isn’t just played on a lawn of grass. Opponents also battle it out on non-grass surfaces such as clay and hard courts]

[Ed. – for more grassy activities, see here, here, here, and here. And, for a good read about the “History of Sports Field Turfgrass Surfaces”, see James B Beard]

Quite often these different sports – played on so-called ‘amenity grasslands’, natural grass surfaces which can be defined as “all grass with recreational, functional or aesthetic value and of which agricultural productivity is not the primary aim”, or “an open grassy area (park, playing field, green space) used by the public” – demand their own particular mix of grass species to provide the desired characteristics, e.g., to withstand frequent cutting and trampling (e.g., CE Hubbard, 1972, p. 423), required for their particular intended use.

[Ed. – for more of an insight into amenity grass species, and their applications and functions, see Barbara Wiewióra & Grzegorz Żurek (2023)]

[Ed. – in the USA, the sport’s name ‘football’ is reserved for American football (which is also known as gridiron football) and is played not with a spherical football but an oval-shaped ball (technically known as a prolate spheroid – as opposed to something like the planet Earth, which is an oblate spheroid (John W Foster, 2025)) that’s similar to a rugby ball. Maybe this isn’t too surprising because rugby was one of the sports from which American football originated. However, since soccer is also a sport from which it originated, Mr P Cuttings is still none the wiser why American football has the ball the shape it has…]

Extending this plant-based connection further, many of the items of equipment used in these activities are traditionally made from plant materials. For example, wood for tennis rackets (in the days when their frames were still made out of wood (Stuart Miller, 2006; Thomas Allen, 2020), and cricket bats (famously cricket-bat willow – Salix alba ‘Caerulea’ (WJ Bean, 1907) – for cricket bats (Paul Franklin)). Plant fibres – such as cotton (Hans-Dietrich H Weigmann) – also loom large in various items of sports clothing (e.g., here, here). And plant-derived rubber (Alan N Gent) has been used to provide the bouncy balls essential to some of these activities – apparently, as far back as 1600 BCE in Mesoamerica (Dorothy Hosler et al., 1999; Deborah Halber; Marina Arias & Peter J van Dijk, 2019).

[Ed. – for more – non-grass – plant associations with the Olympic Games, see Sophia Rhizopoulou, 2004]

Plants promote well-being of people

And those outdoor, grass-supported activities are not just enjoyable, but are beneficial to well-being too. Many modern-day studies espouse the benefits – to both general health and mental function – of participation in and exercise derived from such activities (e.g., J Eric Ahlskog et al., 2011; Alan Donaldson & Caroline Finch, 2012; Jiri Dvorak et al., 2012). In many respects these are merely present-day endorsements of the classical notion of mens sana in corpore sano (‘healthy in mind, healthy in body‘) (Aanya Jajoo & Eda Gorbis).

[Ed. – although the Latin phrase is attributed to Ancient Roman poet Juvenal (Billy Morgan & Frances Hutchens), it appears to develop the same idea previously advocated by even-more-ancient Roman Seneca the Younger – who died 63 years before Juvenal’s own demise]

Even for those of a more sedentary persuasion, just being outside – albeit in a ‘green space’, whether natural or urban (Richard Fuller et al., 2007) – may be sufficient to provide physical and psychological (Fuller et al., 2007; Julian Dobson et al) and health (Andrew Lee & R Maheswaran, 2010; Catherine Ward Thompson & Eva Maria Silveirinha de Oliveira, 2016) benefits. Not too surprisingly, this whole concept of ‘Connectedness with Nature’ (CN) is an area of active research (e.g., Renate Cervinka et al., 2012; here; Miles Richardson; Leanne Haywood & James Stiller, 2024; Ziv Shafir, 2025).

The health benefits of what may be termed ‘enclosed green spaces’ – or allotments or household gardens – are also recognised, for old (Theresa L Scott et al., 2020; Julia Hotz, 2025]) and young (Bambi Yost & Louise Chawla, 2009; Cathy Jordan, 2022) alike. Plus, the food you grow yourself may even be healthier for you. Indeed, the very idea of gardening as a source of life-sustaining – and good-health-promoting – food was given added importance and urgency in the ‘Dig for Victory’ campaign in the UK during World War II (John Harrison). But, it’s an activity that’s rooted deep within humanity, and an estimated 27 million people in the UK enjoy gardening, according to the gardening industry statistics for 2025.

Gardens galore

Aside from that more functional view of gardens, there is a great tradition throughout the world – not just in the UK with its ‘’nation of gardeners’ (Judith Wakelam, 2010; Noel Kingsbury, 2017; Aurélien Wasilewski, 2024; Neville Stein, 2025) – for ‘pleasure gardens’, “a park or garden that is open to the public for recreation and entertainment” (quoted from here) (e.g., those in London (Warwick Wroth, 1896, such as Vauxhall Gardens, and Raneleagh Gardens) of various forms.

[Ed. – maybe us Brits are not so much a nation of gardeners as one of garden visitors..?]

Such man-made creations were earthly representations of paradise designed to appeal to the senses, provide a place for various ‘amusements’, and represent an oasis of calm amidst the hurly-burly of a more mundane and modern-day existence in many parts of the world. The importance of such places worldwide is underlined by the recognition that the Historic England organisation in the comparatively tiny land-mass of the UK lists 1,700 (as at 20th January, 2025) registered parks and gardens of “special historic interest”. That impressive catalogue is in addition to the botanic gardens (Arthur Hill, 1915; M Alejandra Jaramillo et al., 2025) and physic gardens (Iona Glen, 2022; Katherine Tyrrell, 2025) world-wide. And let us not forget that one of the seven wonders of the ancient world (Elisabeth Deffner; Richard Sheposh, 2024) was the fabled Hanging Gardens of Babylon (David Marsh, 2021).

Plants promote productivity and recovery

Coming even closer to home there is a body of evidence that the presence of plants in the workplace – or home – improves the ‘wellbeing’ of people (Marjolein Elings, 2006), reduces sick-leave, reduces stress (Parwiz Niazi et al., 2023), and improves people’s productivity (Tina Bringslimark et al., 2007). Indeed, for some individuals, just the sight of a natural landscape from their hospital bed may be enough to aid their recovery from surgery (Roger Ulrich, 1984 [and the 40-year retrospective on that seminal work by Carlsson Elkins (2024)] or during rehabilitation (Ruth Kjærsti Raanaas et al., 2012).

Even for those not in hospital, Masashi Soga & Kevin J Gaston (2025) found that there were health benefits from simply viewing nature through windows, which led them to state that “Our findings emphasize the value of integrating nature views into urban environments to enhance health and well-being, particularly in densely populated cities where access to large green spaces is limited”. And, if you can’t see plants through a window, simply touching plants indoors can induce a feeling of calm amongst people (Kazuko Koga & Yutaka Iwasaki, 2013). Plants are good for people.

Furthermore, the health-promoting properties of gardens within the hospital setting – and the whole ‘green care’ notion (Dorit Karla Haubenhofer et al., 2010) – may have wider medical value (Deborah Franklin, 2012). In a broader social context, the benefits of engaging in horticulture as a channel for the energies of ‘adjudicated youths’ has been promoted by the New Jersey Department of Correction and Division of Juvenile Services in co-operation with Rutgers University Cook College (Joel Flagler, 1995). So, arguably, such communing with nature helps to improve the health of society, too. Small wonder, then, that in a 2012 job satisfaction survey, gardeners and florists were amongst the UK’s happiest workers (which assertion was reiterated for both in 2015, 2019, and 2024). Furthermore, “Working With Flowers Can Change Your Life” – for ‘how’, see here. And for more on “Health-Boosting Benefits” of working in gardening, see here.

Conclusion

This chapter has looked at ways in which plants provide us with a variety of leisure activities – and the opportunity to enrich our lives – whether we be ill, in need of ‘rehabilitation’, or just want a bit of space (as long as it’s green!).

☕ I am taking a short break from posting over the coming weeks.
But before I go quiet, one thing worth sharing. After years of testing apps and systems, my favourite productivity tools are still a notebook, a pencil, a fountain pen, and a decent cup of coffee or tea.
Writing by hand slows me down in a way that actually helps. Ideas become clearer, priorities sort themselves out, and I remember far more of what I write.
I
#Productivity #Writing #Notebooks #DeepWork #Focus #ScienceCommunication

☕ I am taking a short break from posting over the coming weeks.
But before I go quiet, one thing worth sharing. After years of testing apps and systems, my favourite productivity tools are still a notebook, a pencil, a fountain pen, and a decent cup of coffee or tea.
Writing by hand slows me down in a way that actually helps. Ideas become clearer, priorities sort themselves out, and I remember far more of what I write.
I
#Productivity #Writing #Notebooks #DeepWork #Focus #ScienceCommunication

Noether’s Theorem: Symmetry→Conservation Law.

Symmetries of the action imply conserved quantities per Noether's theorem.

A path q(t) is shifted by δq = φ but smoothed in transition layers τ wide at t0 and t1, where Δq̇ ≈ φ/τ. Action changes there approximate ΔS ≈ (∂L/∂q̇) Δq̇ τ ≈ −(∂L/∂q̇ φ)(t1) and ≈ +(∂L/∂q̇ φ)(t0).
Symmetry sets total ΔS = 0, hence (∂L/∂q̇ φ) is conserved from t0 to t1.

Momentum conservation's derivation from space translation symmetry and energy conservation from time translation symmetry in mechanics and physics is done by it.

#NoethersTheorem #Physics #TheoreticalPhysics #ClassicalMechanics #AnalyticalMechanics #LagrangianMechanics #Symmetry #ConservationLaws #ActionPrinciple #CalculusOfVariations #Mathematics #STEM #Science #PhysicsEducation #LearnPhysics #QuantumPhysics #FieldTheory #GeneralizedCoordinates #MomentumConservation #EnergyConservation #AngularMomentum #TheoreticalScience #PhysicsNotes #Infographic #ScienceCommunication #EducationalContent #EMNoether #MathPhysics #PhysicsStudents #STEMEducation

Noether’s Theorem: Symmetry→Conservation Law.

Symmetries of the action imply conserved quantities per Noether's theorem.

A path q(t) is shifted by δq = φ but smoothed in transition layers τ wide at t0 and t1, where Δq̇ ≈ φ/τ. Action changes there approximate ΔS ≈ (∂L/∂q̇) Δq̇ τ ≈ −(∂L/∂q̇ φ)(t1) and ≈ +(∂L/∂q̇ φ)(t0).
Symmetry sets total ΔS = 0, hence (∂L/∂q̇ φ) is conserved from t0 to t1.

Momentum conservation's derivation from space translation symmetry and energy conservation from time translation symmetry in mechanics and physics is done by it.

#NoethersTheorem #Physics #TheoreticalPhysics #ClassicalMechanics #AnalyticalMechanics #LagrangianMechanics #Symmetry #ConservationLaws #ActionPrinciple #CalculusOfVariations #Mathematics #STEM #Science #PhysicsEducation #LearnPhysics #QuantumPhysics #FieldTheory #GeneralizedCoordinates #MomentumConservation #EnergyConservation #AngularMomentum #TheoreticalScience #PhysicsNotes #Infographic #ScienceCommunication #EducationalContent #EMNoether #MathPhysics #PhysicsStudents #STEMEducation

From a Mathematical Curiosity to the Foundation of Internet Security 🧮🧐🔐✨

In 1636, Pierre de Fermat made a remarkable observation: if you take an integer a, raise it to a prime power p, and then subtract a, the result is always divisible by p. In other words, for a prime p,

aᵖ ≡ a (mod p).

For example, when p = 5:
2⁵ − 2 = 30, which is divisible by 5, and
3⁵ − 3 = 240, which is also divisible by 5.

Fermat found this property elegant and tried to spark interest in this curious corner of mathematics. Not everyone was impressed. John Wallis reportedly dismissed such results, remarking, “Big deal; I could find other relationships just as interesting without much effort, and none of them are important.”

About a century later, Leonhard Euler was encouraged by Christian Goldbach to study Fermat’s ideas. Though initially unenthusiastic, Euler soon uncovered deeper structure within them. His work laid much of the foundation for what we now call modern number theory.

#Mathematics #Math #NumberTheory #Fermat #Euler #EulerTheorem #FermatsLittleTheorem #ModularArithmetic #RSA #Cryptography #CyberSecurity #HistoryOfMathematics #MathHistory #PrimeNumbers #EulerTotient #AbstractMath #PureMathematics #STEM #ScienceCommunication #MathEducation #EducationalContent #DidYouKnow #MathematicalBeauty #InternetSecurity #Encryption #Curiosity #Innovation #History #Learning #Knowledge

From a Mathematical Curiosity to the Foundation of Internet Security 🧮🧐🔐✨

In 1636, Pierre de Fermat made a remarkable observation: if you take an integer a, raise it to a prime power p, and then subtract a, the result is always divisible by p. In other words, for a prime p,

aᵖ ≡ a (mod p).

For example, when p = 5:
2⁵ − 2 = 30, which is divisible by 5, and
3⁵ − 3 = 240, which is also divisible by 5.

Fermat found this property elegant and tried to spark interest in this curious corner of mathematics. Not everyone was impressed. John Wallis reportedly dismissed such results, remarking, “Big deal; I could find other relationships just as interesting without much effort, and none of them are important.”

About a century later, Leonhard Euler was encouraged by Christian Goldbach to study Fermat’s ideas. Though initially unenthusiastic, Euler soon uncovered deeper structure within them. His work laid much of the foundation for what we now call modern number theory.

#Mathematics #Math #NumberTheory #Fermat #Euler #EulerTheorem #FermatsLittleTheorem #ModularArithmetic #RSA #Cryptography #CyberSecurity #HistoryOfMathematics #MathHistory #PrimeNumbers #EulerTotient #AbstractMath #PureMathematics #STEM #ScienceCommunication #MathEducation #EducationalContent #DidYouKnow #MathematicalBeauty #InternetSecurity #Encryption #Curiosity #Innovation #History #Learning #Knowledge

The second funding phase builds on these insights and focuses on "New Interactions with #AI".
Key topics include the multimodality of generative AI, emerging forms of #humanAIinteraction, and Critical #AILiteracy—that is, how people can use and evaluate AI competently, critically, and responsibly.

We are excited for the road ahead! 🚀

#scicomm #sciencecommunication #genai

@volkswagenstiftung @unituebingen @KIT_Karlsruhe @wissenschaftimdialog @IWMtue @emgehoh @annetteless