Learning
The Science of Knitting: Understanding How Stitch Types Govern Shape
"Every type of stitch has a different elasticity, and if we figure out everything possible then we could create things that are rigid in a certain place using a certain type of stitch, and use a different type of stitch in another place to get different functionality" said Elisabetta Matsumoto." Knitting is a periodic structure of slip knots. Textiles with intricate patterns are knit by combining slipknots in specific combinations. Members of the Matsumoto group are beginning to delve through the complex math which encodes mechanical properties within the interlocking series of slip knots of a material. more »
Alice Rivlin Spoke About Inclusive Prosperity and the Need for Political Compromise; Vox Declared "Alice Rivlin shaped every major policy debate of the past 40 years"
In terms of what sort of policies are needed for inclusive prosperity, Rivlin was optimistic that the US economy remains strong and that enacting or strengthening a few “sensible centric economic policies” would help the country see continued growth while expanding the pool of those benefiting from the growth. The issue, said Rivlin, who was the founding director of the Congressional Budget Office, was whether these policies could ever be translated into law and action. more »
Moms in Science From a Bay Area Newsletter: Organic Farming and Other Musings on Traditional Breedings, GMOs and the Vaccine-Preventable Diseases
We subscribe to a newsletter called Science Smooze. Here is part of their current message as well as the video: Watch any show about science now and you will see many women in key positions. Imagine how many more are in the trenches doing the work of scientists. "When I see weird behavior [from male colleagues], my first inclination is not to think, 'What's wrong with me. It's, 'What the heck is wrong with these guys?'" - Lene Vestergaard Hau (physicist, known for her work with cold atoms and light)
more »
How Educated Are We? About 13.1 Percent Have a Master’s, Professional Degree or Doctorate; Number Doubles Since 2000
Since 2000, the number of people age 25 and over whose highest degree was a master’s has doubled to 21 million. The number of doctoral degree holders has more than doubled to 4.5 million. Now, about 13.1 percent of US adults have an advanced degree, up from 8.6 percent in 2000The tables show, among other things, that women make up a smaller share of high school dropouts than men, the share of Asians with advanced degrees is growing and that recent immigrants are more likely to go to college than earlier immigrants or native-born. more »
