Author Archives: Janice Loffreda-Wren

About Janice Loffreda-Wren

Interested in science in general, and molecular genetics in particular. Avid reader, especially science fiction & fantasy.

Meet-Up (12/5) – “Skeptics in the Pub”

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The Ann Arbor Science & Skeptics will be having our December ‘Skeptics in the Pub’ on Wednesday, December 5, at the Colonial Lanes/Cubs A.C. restaurant from 6:00 to 8:00pm. We’ll be in the back room located down the short hallway past the bar.

There won’t be a special guest speaker at this meet-up; this is a purely social meet-up. So there will likely be multiple conversations happening at once.

Colonial Lanes is located on South Industrial (off of Eisenhower). As you walk up to the building, the entrance to the restaurant part of the establishment is on the left.

Maker Faire Detroit July 28-29

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This Saturday and Sunday July 28 & 29th, The Henry Ford in Dearborn will be hosting the 3rd annual Detroit Maker Faire from 9:30am-6pm each day. Over 400 makers will bring their wares, ideas, inventions and solutions to this two-day festival offering everything from robots, flame shooters and animatronics to solar-powered mechanical sculptures and fashionable finds.

From the website:

Maker Faire is the Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth—a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the Maker movement.  It’s a place where people show what they are making, and share what they are learning.

Makers range from tech enthusiasts to crafters, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers, artists, science clubs, students, authors, and commercial exhibitors. They are of all ages and backgrounds. Maker Faire’s mission is to entertain, inform, connect and inspire these thousands of Makers and aspiring Makers.

Tickets are available either through The Henry Ford or at the door. I highly recommend getting there early as there is much to see (and parking quickly becomes difficult). Be sure to catch the Coke Zero & Mentos Spectacular and Life Size Mouse Trap!

  • Maker Faire Detroit
  • Saturday & Sunday July 28-29
  • 9:30 am – 6 pm
  • The Henry Ford

Ann Arbor Mini Maker Faire

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Ann Arbor Maker FairThis Saturday June 2nd, A2geeks is hosting the 4th annual Ann Arbor Mini Maker Faire, a community-scale version of the big Maker Faires in Detroit, San Francisco, and New York City. The mini faire is free to attend and will feature exhibits and demonstrations by local builders, artists, students and Makers.

From the website:

Maker Faire is the World’s Largest Show (and Tell) festival—a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the Maker movement. It’s a place where people show what they are making, and share what they are learning.

Makers range from tech enthusiasts to crafters, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers, artists, science clubs, students, authors, and commercial exhibitors. They are of all ages and backgrounds. Maker Faire’s mission is to entertain, inform, connect and inspire these thousands of Makers and aspiring Makers.

 

  • Ann Arbor Mini Maker Faire
  • Saturday June, 2
  • 10 am – 5 pm
  • Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds

 

Review of “Fool Me Twice: Fighting the Assault on Science in America” by Shawn Lawrence Otto

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“Lack of absolute certainty is not weakness in science, it’s the only way you know it is science.”

In Fool Me Twice, Otto takes us on an intellectual journey through the history of and the public response to science, from the foundation of the United States to some of modern day’s most pressing political issues. Otto argues that our country’s current anti-science opinion neglects the fact that science and technology are integral parts of almost every facet of our lives and that our quality of life is entirely dependent upon sound science and the way that it shapes policy. Although it may seem preachy at times, Otto effectively outlines that we ignore science at our own risk.

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Counter-Arguments to Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth Part 2 WTC Building 7

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In preparation for our meetup on December 17th, that will feature a presentation by a representative of Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth, a detailed summary of counter-arguments to the AE9/11Truth claims that the collapse of World Trade Center Building 7 has all of the characteristics of controlled demolition.

Argument: A 47 story skyscraper NOT hit by an airplane that was the third tower destroyed on September 11th.

The building was 300 feet away from an 1100 foot building that collapsed after rapidly ejecting concrete, steel and other materials.  The building was severely damaged starting at the 18th floor and extending to the top floors.  WTC 7 was clearly in the debris field of WTC 1.  WTC7 was also on fire unabated for seven hours.

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Counter-Arguments to Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth Part 1 WTC Twin Towers

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In preparation for our meetup on December 17th, that will feature a presentation by a representative of Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth, a  detailed summary of counter-arguments to the AE9/11Truth claims that the destruction of WTC 1 & 2 shows typical features of controlled demolition, characteristic features of the use of high explosives, and evidence of the use of thermite.

Argument: The strong steel frames of the lower parts of the buildings would have arrested any collapse. However, the destruction zone not only proceeded symmetrically downwards but even accelerated constantly through what was the path of greatest resistance.

Stages of Collapse: (Stage 1) Fires caused by spilt aircraft fuel, exposes steel columns to temperatures exceeding 800°C. This leads to creep buckling of columns. (Stage 2) Buckling columns lose their load carrying capacity. (Stage 3) Weight of upper part of structure can no longer be supported once more than half of the columns suffer buckling, leading to collapse of the upper floors, gathering speed until impact. (Stage 4) Vertical impact applies enormous vertical dynamic load in excess of load capacity. Failure of trusses either accompanied by or quickly followed by buckling of core columns and overall buckling of the framed tube. (Stage 5) Building underneath impacted by even larger mass falling with greater velocity and stages 2 through 5 repeated all the way down the building until total collapse. Bazant, ZP & Zhou, Y. “Why Did the World Trade Center Collapse? – Simple Analysis.” Journal of Engineering Mechanics January 2002.

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