Lisa Roberts blog

2011/08/04

A physics thing

Filed under: Science — Lisa @ 20:08

I find a way to upload an old film Beware of Pedestrians:

Human forms express diverse and often contradictory responses to an environment co-created by fellow pedestrians: a self portrait from inner suburban Melbourne, 1994 to 1995. The cage is a house and the grid maps Melbourne roads.

How does the film relate to my experience of the current environment? How does it relate to yours?

For me the film reflects my anxiety about what can be done to regain balance in the natural world. But it does not reflect my faith people to affect change. Beware of Pedestrians was made by a pessimist struggling to be an optimist. Now I am an optimist! I agree with the artist and educator Ludwig Hirschfeld Mack who advocated ‘belief in individual creativity in benefiting the common good’ (Jacqueline Strecker in The Mad Square exhibition catalogue, p. 130.). Artists, scientists and engineers must be encouraged to keep creating.

My engineering house mate sends me this video.

He describes it as “a physics thing”. I see it as a dance. That we see the world from our own perspectives can be challenging when working together on such a massive project as regaining global balance. But conversations between people with different views are a great start.

Reference:

Strecker, J. The Mad Square: Modernity in German art 1910-37 (2011) Sydney: Art Gallery of New South Wales

2011/06/10

Desertification of sea and land

Filed under: Acidification, Desertification — Lisa @ 07:24

Animation is a compelling medium. Animated metaphors and data visualizations convey aesthetic and scientific ways of knowing. Both are important for understanding climate change.

Bubble from Elliot Dear on Vimeo.

In this animation by Elliot Dear I see a dog, a bubble and a mirror as metaphors for caring, unity and connectivity.

Harnessing the power of knowledge for combating desertification, land degradation and drought. New system for monitoring UNCCD. from UNEP WCMC on Vimeo.

The caption for this Vimeo animation reads:

With support from GEF, UNEP and the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, the UNCCD launches a new system for monitoring international efforts for implementation of the Convention. This innovative tool, named the PRAIS portal, aims at harnessing the power of knowledge for combating desertification, land degradation and drought worldwide through a new, quantitative approach. With the 2010 reporting and review process, the PRAIS portal has allowed to establish for the first time in the history of the UNCCD an objective baseline of the implementation of the Convention, particularly on performance indicators, financial flows and best practices on sustainable land management. The system will be further improved in the coming months by developing an analytical module and incorporating impact indicators.

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2011/06/09

Practice makes change

Filed under: Methods — Lisa @ 15:22

It’s the last week of my first semester at UTS. Here’s what I’ve learned from my Design students:

Easy in theory, but
practice makes change.

Learn.
Contribute.
Share.

Make sense.
Make beauty.
Appeal to the mind.
Appeal to the senses.
Work.
Play.

Be yourself.
Transform.

2011/06/02

Lab note 01

Filed under: Conferences, Methods — Lisa @ 20:08
Drawing Movement

Drawing Movement

Since starting to read the book Experimental Methods: An introduction to the analysis and presentation of data by scientist Les Kirup (1994), I am inspired to begin a Research Lab notebook .

As I start using the scientific format to report on an experiment I am doing with Daniela Giorgi, I suspect there will be room for jokes!

Date: 2011-06-02

Title: How methods used by a theatre producer and an animator can be combined to present an academic paper.

Aims of the experiment:
1. Describe methods used by a theatre producer and an animator
2. Identify their similarities and differences
3. Identify any new methods that result from their collaboration

Description of the apparatus:

Sketch of apparatus:

Experimental method:

Measurements:

Graphs:

Calculations:

Conclusion:

2011/05/24

Acidification demonstration

Filed under: Climate-Change-Communication, Presentations, Science — Lisa @ 07:57

In today’s Scuttlebutt newsletter I read:

Event Description

Guest lecturer Dr. Richard Feely will discuss the present and future implications of increased temperature and CO2 levels as they relate to the health of our West Coast ocean ecosystems. He will also conduct a live demonstration of ocean acidification.

Dr. Feely is a senior scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle.
He also holds an affiliate full professor faculty position at the
University of Washington’s School of Oceanography. His major research
areas are carbon cycling in the ocean and ocean acidification processes.
He received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of St.
Thomas, in St Paul, Minnesota in 1969. He then went on to Texas A&M
University where he received both a master’s of science degree in 1971
and a Ph.D. in 1974. Both of his post-graduate degrees were in chemical
oceanography.

He is the co-chair of the U.S. CLIVAR (Climate Variability and
Prediction)/CO2 Repeat Hydrography Program. He is also a member of the
steering committee for the U.S. Ocean Carbon and Biochemistry Program. He
is a member of the American Geophysical Union and the American
Association for the Advancement of Science.

Dr. Feely has authored more than 200 refereed research publications. He
was awarded the Department of Commerce Gold Award in 2006 for his
pioneering research on ocean acidification. In 2007 he was elected to be a
Fellow of the American Geophysical Union.
For more information, please visit our website or call (562) 590-3100,
ext. 0.

Price

$5 for public; FREE for Aquarium members, seniors (age 62+), teachers, and
students with valid ID and advanced reservations

When

Wednesday, May. 25 (7pm—8:30pm)

Where

Aquarium of the Pacific

100 Aquarium Way

(562) 951-1663

LIMELIGHT Long Beach Events Calendar, more information.

///////////////////////////////////////////
Method of performing in situ calibrated potentiometric pH measurements

Posted: 23 May 2011 12:37 AM PDT

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/wordpress/lRgb/~3/Cu3dwJZN65A/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email

A device for the precise and accurate potentiometric pH measurements in
situ. Embodiments of a potentiometric device according to the invention
consist of one or more glass pH-sensitive electrodes connected to a
potentiometer. A key feature of the device is that, rather than being
calibrated conventionally with buffers, it can be calibrated with an in
situ device that measures pH spectrophotometrically. Spectrophotometric pH
measurements obtained via sulfonephthalein absorbance measurements are
inherently calibrated (do not require buffers). Thus, devices according to
the invention allow for continuous potentiometric pH measurements with
occasional spectrophotometric calibrations. The spectrophotometric
calibration device consists of a spectrophotometer with associated pumps
for combining a sulfonephthalein pH indicator with the aqueous medium whose
pH is to be measured. The device will record potentiometric pH measurements
for an extended period of time until the spectrophotometric device is
autonomously activated for another calibration. In this manner precise and
accurate pH measurements can be obtained continuously in the environment,
and the low energy expenditure of the potentiometric device provides
excellent endurance. Also provided is a method and associated devices for
spectrophotometrically determining the salinity of an aqueous medium.

Inventors: Byrne, Robert H. (St. Petersburg, FL, US)

Application Number: 12/180021

Publication Date: 05/17/2011

freepatentsonline.com, 17 May 2011. More information.

2011/05/15

Celestial dance NOW

Filed under: Science, dance — Lisa @ 07:46

2011/05/13

More dance!

Filed under: dance — Lisa @ 08:42

Spike Jonze, Yo-Yo Ma, Lil’Buck + Jabbawockeez Tribute + Quest Crew:

Children dance a story

Filed under: dance — Lisa @ 08:27

This morning at breakfast a house mate tells me the story of The King, The Mice and The Cheese. When I Google to find it I find this home video of children starting to dance it:

How wonderful to have friends who enrich my lives with ideas that I may never have known. The story is a lesson in going with the flow and sharing. I wonder if these children understand that? Whatever, they are sharing an experience of story-telling through dance and they’re going with the flow!

Here’s a REVIEW of the story by Josef W. (age 8).

2011/05/12

Google Doodle, animated dance

Filed under: DrawingMovement, animation, dance, drawing — Lisa @ 20:05

Yesterday’s Google Doodle was a beautiful animation. I was pretty busy and didn’t get a chance to find out anything about it. After asking friends I found out (THANK YOU ALL) that:

It was made by Ryan WoodWard to reflect the dance style of Martha Graham.

The Martha Graham Center site has lots of information.

The site Animated Google Doodle Honors 117th Birthday of Dancer Martha Graham is where you can download animation key frames.

Someone has put music to it.

Someone explains (in German) technical information about it.

2011/04/28

Impressed by Nature

Filed under: Antarctic Garden — Lisa @ 15:18

I receive notice of the exhibition Impressed by Nature.

Images from the exhibition inspire thoughts of impressions that leaves in my garden are making in the pouring rain. Leaves on trees are heavy with water and those that have fallen drift lightly over puddles.

I find ‘10 things I have learned about the sea’:

ten things i have learned about the sea from lorenzo fonda on Vimeo.

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