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By jasonkorreck, October 25, 2009 9:01 pm

North Carolina State University broke ground on the James B. Hunt Jr. Library on Friday.  The library was designed by Norwegian architecture firm Snohetta to be the centerpiece of NC State’s Centennial Campus.  Promotional materials say, “In the design of this landmark building, NC State seeks nothing less than to create the best learning and collaborative space in the country.”

The exterior of the building, while modern, will pay tribute to the state of North Carolina’s rich textile history by incorporating a weave-like pattern.  Designers have also taken into account the building’s relationship with its environment – using the surrounding landscape as inspiration, and including a variety of sustainability features.

The technologically advanced interior will feature a robotic book retrieval system, a customizable “creativity zone” with moveable furniture and flat-panel displays, and several rooms where students, faculty members and researchers can collaborate.  When students need to take a break, they can utilize the digital gaming space, or grab a snack at the cafe.

The Hunt Library is at the forefront of a transformation in the way we think about libraries.  No longer are they places that simply store books, but places where students and others can collaborate and use the latest in digital technology.

With so many factors to take into account when beginning a design project such as the Hunt Library, where does an architect begin?

Marvin Malecha, the dean of NC State’s College of Design and a member of the Library’s building committee, spoke about his design process in an interview with Open Source Teaching last year:

As an architect and an educator, Malecha is interested in how spaces like libraries, classrooms and studios impact learning and thinking.  He is also interested in the thought patterns and techniques which lead to creative work – a process which he calls design thinking:

Further Inquiry

Where do you like to study and think?  Do you have a space where you feel especially creative or intellectually stimulated?

Do you think the design of a building can impact the way a person learns?

How have changes in the ways we store and interact with information impacted the design of libraries?

The architects of the Hunt Library said they used the natural landscape at the building site as a “point of departure” for designing the building’s exterior.  What do they mean by this?

If you were designing a library, how would you begin?  What is the first question you would ask?

Images taken from the James B. Hunt Jr. Library page.

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By jasonkorreck, October 19, 2009 2:50 am

Honeyboy Edwards http://www.flickr.com/photos/mkbrock125/ / CC BY 2.0

“Facts and truth really don’t have much to do with each other.”

-William Faulkner

“Country music is three chords and the truth.”

-Harlan Howard

“Blues is a natural fact, is something that a fellow lives. If you don’t live it you don’t have it. “

-Big Bill Broonzy

Dr. William Ferris has written a new book based on interviews, films, sound recordings and photographs he began gathering about forty years ago.  The book, titled Give My Poor Heart Ease: Voices of the Mississippi Blues, will be published on November 1^st.

Ferris is a folklorist who specializes in studying the American South.  His interest in folklore developed at an early age when he began documenting the people who lived, worked and worshiped near his family’s farm in Mississippi.

In an interview with Open Source Teaching last year, Ferris said, “If you want to understand someone, ask them their favorite joke or their favorite story, and embedded in that will be a lot of information about the person.”

In previous posts we’ve discussed how elusive the truth can be.  We’ve seen that skills such as asking the right question, comparing and contrasting, and considering the source can help us discover and clarify the truth.

Songs, jokes, stories and myths can also reveal the truth.

“I’m going back to the border, where I’m better known.  Because you haven’t done nothing, but drove a good man away from home.”

-Charles Segar and Big Bill Broonzy from the song Key to the Highway

We might read a newspaper article, an historical record or a set of scientific data in an effort to obtain facts and information, but we often gravitate to songs, myths, stories and jokes to discover truth of a more permanent kind.

People have read or watched Shakespeare’s Hamlet for 400 years, not to learn about the history of Denmark, but because the play continues to help us understand ourselves and the world around us.

Storytellers, comedians and singers (amateur and professional) are not beholden to historical facts or real people.  They use plot, metaphor, exaggeration and other tools in an effort to shed light on the human experience.

Folklorists collect, preserve and study elements of artistic expression in order to further our understanding of different cultures.

Further Inquiry

Please visit the OST interview with Professor Ferris to answer some of the following questions:

In the clip titled “The Importance of Folklore”, Ferris quotes the following  African proverb, “Every time an old person dies, a library burns to the ground.”  What do you think this means?

What does Faulkner mean when he says, “Facts and truth really don’t have much to do with each other.”?

Listen to the clip titled “Favorite Song, Favorite Joke”. What do you think Professor Ferris’s choices say about him?

What is your favorite story, song or joke?  What do you think this says about you?

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By jasonkorreck, September 25, 2009 5:49 pm

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jhoc/ / CC BY 2.0

“You never get clarity as long as you have these packaged words, as long as a word is used by twenty-five people in twenty-five different ways. That seems to me to be the first fight, if there is going to be any intellect left.”

“Good writers are those who keep the language efficient. That is to say, keep it accurate, keep it clear.”

- Ezra Pound

If you’ve been following the health care reform debate, or what passes for debate, you’ve probably heard the words “socialism” and “communism” thrown around.  You might have also heard “fascism” and “Nazism”.

Leave it to Marshall Brain, a man known for explaining How Stuff Works, to shed some light on the meaning of these words in a recent article published on the Pittsburgh Tribune’s Web site.

As Brain explains, “socialism”, “communism”, “fascism” and “Nazism” are often used interchangeably (either mistakenly or deliberately) by both commentators and politicians.

Over time, the words have taken on new meanings and overtones.  “Socialism”, for example, is viewed by many as the antithesis of American democracy, but Brain cites the public school system, the post office, fire departments and police departments as examples of socialist institutions.

Regardless of our individual views on health care, politics or any other topic, it is important to be precise when choosing one’s words.  Without some agreement about a word’s meaning, written and verbal communication becomes impossible, and debates devolve into shouting matches.

Just as words can be used in an attempt to clarify, they can also be used to inflame, distract and confuse.

Using the word “design” as an example, Dr. Adrian Bejan discusses the importance of knowing a word’s meaning and history:

(Hopefully I’ve made myself clear.  Wouldn’t it be ironic if I have not?)

Further Inquiry

Why is it important to be precise when choosing and defining words?

What is the difference between a word’s “definition” and a word’s  “meaning”?  Give an example of a word that has multiple definitions?  Give an example of a word that has multiple meanings?

Give an example of a word that is often misused?

Give an example of a word that has taken on a new meaning?

What does it mean if a word has a negative connotation?  Give an example of a word that has a negative connotation?

Do you think Brain’s definitions of socialism, communism, fascism and Nazism are correct?  Do you think Brain’s characterization of certain American institutions as socialist is accurate?

Bejan and Brain are both engineers by training.  Why do you think words and precision are so important to them?  Why is it important for people in all walks of life to learn how to communicate effectively?

Extra Credit: Define “ironic”.

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By jasonkorreck, September 18, 2009 2:08 pm

S.B. 797, the bill that would have banned BPA in baby bottles, sippy cups and infant formula containters, failed to get the 41 votes it needed to pass in the California Assembly on September 11th.  The bill will be revisited in 2010.

Proponents see the bill’s defeat as a victory for the powerful chemical and plastics industry that lobbied against the measure.  While some of those who voted against the bill see the legislation as redundant – citing California’s Green Chemistry Initiative as the proper channel for such matters.

Newsinferno.com is reporting that twenty-four states have bills in the works regarding BPA, and the AP is reporting that BPA will likely be on the state of Washington’s list of the top 50 chemicals that are toxic to children.  We haven’t seen the last of this issue.

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By jasonkorreck, September 11, 2009 5:17 pm

When we last left the bisphenol-A (BPA) issue, the California Assembly was set to vote on a measure that would ban BPA in baby bottles, infant formula containers and baby food containers.  We’re still waiting to see how that will play out, after the vote was delayed twice this week amidst a heated debate.

If the Assembly fails to pass the measure today, before adjourning for recess, the vote will most likely have to wait another year.

Lobbyists for the chemical and packaging industries continue to mount a concerted effort opposing the measure, while public health and environmental groups have come out overwhelmingly in favor of the ban.

The bill needs 41 votes to pass into law.  As of yesterday, the vote stood at 35 in favor versus 31 against, with most Democrats supporting the measure and most Republicans voting against the bill.   A handful of Democrats in Southern California have so far declined to vote.

Many manufacturers and retailers continue to take steps to distance themselves from BPA products, but another layer of complexity has emerged.  Some manufacturers have been accused of deliberately misleading customers regarding the existence of BPA in their products, while products that have been labeled “microwave safe” or “BPA safe” have been shown to contain high to low levels of BPA, according to this report.

Further Inquiry

Scientists and reporters are trained to be impartial.  Government officials and regulating bodies are supposed to act with the best interests of the public in mind.  But, even in the realm of science there are disagreements, often fiercely contested, about what is true.

When an issue involving scientific evidence is brought out of the lab and into the world of government, politics and media to be debated, the conversation becomes even more complex.

Define the potential sources of motivation for government officials, companies, lobbyists, journalists and scientists involved in this case.  How could factors such as loyalty, money, politics and publicity play a role in a case such as this one?

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By jasonkorreck, August 14, 2009 12:54 pm

“All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.”

- Arthur Schopenhauer

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health issued a warning regarding bisphenol A (BPA) earlier this month.  The warning advised parents and caretakers of children up to two years old to avoid using formula containers and baby bottles that contain BPA.  Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding were also advised against using food and beverage receptacles that contain BPA.   This is the latest event in an ongoing and multi-layered debate about the impact of BPA on human health.

What is BPA?

BPA is a compound found in many products, including polycarbonate plastic containers and the epoxy linings of metal cans.  Many baby bottles, water bottles and other plastic containers contain BPA – as do most food and beverage cans.  The compound leaches into food and liquids in small doses, and is then ingested by people.  The leaching increases when the containers are heated.  In a study of 2,517 Americans aged 6 years and older, scientists at the Centers for Disease Control found 93% had detectable levels of BPA in their urine.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/the-smiths/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Since the 1930s, scientists have known that BPA mimics the properties of estrogen, and over the years BPA has been linked to several negative impacts on human health.  In the last two decades, multiple studies have been undertaken to assess BPA’s impact.

Dr. Heather Patisaul of North Carolina State University, in conjunction with the National Institute of Environmental Health, has been leading a team of researchers who are interested in determining whether or not BPA (and other artificial estrogens) is a contributing factor in the increasing rate of early puberty.

Here she is explaining the focus of her research:

How harmful is BPA?

A new study by Patisaul and three other researchers was published online in the journal Biology of Reproduction on June 17, 2009.  For the study, Patisaul and her team injected neonatal rats with two different dose levels of BPA.  The first dose of 50 micrograms/kilogram of body weight/day is the dose considered safe for humans by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the second dose of 50 milligrams/kilogram of body weight/day is the “Lowest Observable Adverse Effect Level” set by the EPA.  Rats exposed to the lower dose showed signs of early puberty, while rats exposed to the higher dose showed ovarian malformation and disruption of the estrogen cycle.

Also on June 17th and in response to the Patisaul study, Dr. Steven G. Hentges issued a statement on behalf of the American Chemistry Council, that says, “study designs should be based on sound scientific principles and data so as to be directly relevant to human health.  This new study fails to meet these basic study design principles and practices.”  Hentges gives two reason for why he believes the study is of “very limited relevance to human health”: the study was conducted on laboratory animals, and the BPA was administered through injection instead of orally.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/naturalmom/ / CC BY 2.0

Patisaul has also warned against drawing too straight a line from the rat study to a human population, but believes that this study contributes to a growing body of research that raises questions about the safety of BPA, particularly for infants and young children.  Others, such as reporters at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and an oversight committee of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have called into question the motives and methods of the American Chemistry Council, the FDA and certain FDA board members.

What is to be done?

Other states and organizations have also been confronting the issue.  On June 3rd, the California state Senate passed a bill that would ban BPA in baby bottles, sippy cups and other containers.  On July 15th, a California regulating body decided there was no need to place BPA on a list of chemicals believed to cause reproductive harm.  The state Assembly is set to vote on the bill from the Senate this week.  While consumer and environmental advocacy groups are supportive of the measure, representatives of the plastics and chemical industries have unleashed a powerful lobby against the bill.  Meanwhile, most of the major baby bottle manufacturers have begun voluntarily phasing out bottles containing BPA.

Further Inquiry

With all the contradictory statements, how are we to know the truth about BPA?  In the absence of conclusive evidence, how are we to make an educated decision about how to act?

Like the scientists, journalists and others involved in studying this problem, you and I can exercise our skills as investigators and critical thinkers to come up with our own version of the truth and our own course of action.  Keep tuned as we explore techniques for investigating the layers of this case in future posts.

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By jasonkorreck, August 3, 2009 11:57 pm

http://www.flickr.com/photos/torridrocks/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

Technology = Speed

After Michael Phelps was beaten by Paul Biedermann in the 200-meter freestyle last week at the FINA World Championships, his coach, Bob Bowman, threatened to have Phelps boycott international events until certain swimsuits were banned.  The threat added to an already brewing swimsuit controversy. Forty-three world records were set in Rome, and most believe advancements in swimsuit technology were primarily responsible.

Size = Speed

According to a recent study published by Jordan Charles and Dr. Adrian Bejan in the Journal of Experimental Biology, both Phelps and Biedermann (along with Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell) have an advantage that has nothing to do with high-tech fabric. According to the study, the sprinters’ size and shape – a combination of height, mass and slenderness – provides an advantage over shorter, lighter opponents.  How long before the smaller swimmers stage their own boycott?

Charles and Bejan have analyzed data from the men’s world records and world record holders in the 100-meter freestyle and the 100-meter dash from the past 100 years. Their findings have verified their prediction, based on the application of the constructal law, that the increase in speed of the fastest human beings in water and on land has occurred in conjunction with an increase in the size of the sprinters. Bigger is better, or at least, faster.

One-Hundred Meter Dash World Record Holders Since 1932:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/richardgiles/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

In the last post we introduced the constructal law as a principle of physics that governs everything that moves and flows in nature.  It states,

“For a finite system to persist in time (to survive) its configuration must evolve (morph) in time in such a way that it provides easier flow access.”

-Adrian Bejan

One can think of the 100-meter dash or 100-meter freestyle as a flow system which contains a finite set of variables:  distance (100 meters), the moving mass (the sprinter), method of locomotion (running or swimming) and tendency (to get from beginning to end as quickly as possible).  Within this flow system, the world-record holders (the small population of the best sprinters through time) continue to evolve in such a way that they move more and more efficiently.

As in all animal locomotion, efficiency equates to finding the least imperfect method of moving against two forces – gravity and friction.  Any animal in motion must move its weight up and away from the earth (acting against gravity), and propel itself forward (acting against the friction caused by air or water).  Thus, the string of the fastest swimmers and runners through time continues to morph toward an optimal configuration of height, mass and body shape that allows the sprinter to move more easily against gravity and friction.  The record shows that the fastest runners and swimmers are becoming taller and heavier.

The study predicts that size and speed in these sports will continue to evolve in the same direction and at the same rates going forward, allowing us to make an educated guess about the size and speed of the world’s fastest men 100 years from now.  The study gives us a peek at both the evolution of speed, and the speed of evolution.  As Bejan says, this is what makes science powerful:

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By jasonkorreck, July 16, 2009 1:42 am

Connessione

Connessione is the Italian word for “connection”.  In his book, How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci, Michael Gelb, uses the word connessione as shorthand for da Vinci’s ability to recognize and appreciate “the interconnectedness of all things and phenomena.”

Finding connections between things, especially things which at first glance appear to be dissimilar or opposite, is, like the ability to notice differences, a skill that can be developed.

Dr. Adrian Bejan, J.A. Jones professor of mechanical engineering at Duke University, utilized this skill to uncover a principle of physics that explains how all systems that flow or move in nature are connected. Leonardo would be proud.

The Geometry of Flow

Have you ever watched rain water flow down a window pane, or seen a lightning storm?  Have you ever wondered why the rain drops or a bolt of lightning follow a certain path?

Prof. Bejan began formulating a theory to explain these phemomena while working to solve a specific engineering problem:

Improvements in the development of cooling architectures (L to R).

Prof. Bejan recognized that the tree-like architecture he developed for cooling computers, existed in river basins, the aveoli of the lung, human migration patterns and many other systems.

Bejan hypothesized that these configurations and all others are derived from a single principle.  A principle he calls the Constructal Law:

For more information about Constructal Law and Prof. Bejan, please click here.

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By jasonkorreck, July 2, 2009 4:40 pm

Here is Pat Stith discussing one of the techniques he uses when conducting an investigation:

On June 29, 2009, financier Bernie Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison for his role in a $50 billion Ponzi scheme that defrauded thousands of investors.   Nine years before Madoff was arrested, Harry Markopolos, an independent financial analyst and investigator, suspected Madoff was a fraud.

Comparing what he knew of financial markets and investment strategies to Madoff’s reported ROI (Return on Investment), Markopolos hypothesized that Madoff was running a Ponzi scheme.  He then tested that hypothesis by collecting more data and performing statistical analysis.  The results of his analysis, further convinced Markopolos of the high probability that Madoff was falsifying his reports.

On several occasions Markopolos sent evidence to the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission), asking them to conduct an investigation.  Though the SEC did investigate Madoff, they did not uncover the Ponzi scheme.  Markopolos and others have questioned the thoroughness of these investigations and the financial literacy of the SEC’s investigators.

Can you think of any situations where you have asked yourself “Which one of these doesn’t belong?”  In what other careers could one use this skill?

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By jasonkorreck,

What do a mechanical engineer, an entrepreneur, a coach, a historian, a literature professor, an architect, a zoologist and a reporter have in common?

The answer is “the question”.  That is, they all start their work by asking a question.  Like the telephone call that begins so many detective stories, a question is the starting point for any investigation – whether it is conducted on the streets of New York, or in a laboratory on a college campus.

Here is Pat Stith on the importance of asking the right question: