stem
The four major disciplines propelling our students and our society forward; all about education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
The Danger of Cats Eating Chicken Bones: A Serious Health Risk
Cats are beloved pets, admired for their playful behavior, independence, and companionship. While many pet owners enjoy sharing food with their feline friends, certain human foods can pose serious risks to cats, with chicken bones being a particularly dangerous example. Despite their small size, chicken bones can be extremely hazardous to cats, potentially causing life-threatening injuries if ingested. Understanding the dangers of feeding cats chicken bones is crucial for responsible pet ownership and the health of these cherished animals.
By Shiran Pallewatta4 months ago in Education
OpenAI reverses course on Sora: new owner controls and a path to monetization
OpenAI announced this week that it will give rights holders of content much more control over what becomes of their characters and copyrighted material within **Sora**, its new text-to-video app — and will pilot methods for sending revenue to rights holders who decide to get involved. The announcement follows a botched launch where users quickly flooded Sora with short AI-generated clips of mainstream characters and, in some cases, generated violent, hateful, or otherwise objectionable material that filtered through the app's moderation. Sora, its second iteration, enables users to produce around 10-second videos — typically stylized or character-based — and post them to a social feed.
By Shiran Pallewatta4 months ago in Education
Fumfer Physics 13: Information, Entropy, and the Universe’s Memory
Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner explore the elusive meaning of information in the universe. Jacobsen frames physical impacts, like smashing a rock, as information exchanges, then asks how fluids, solids, and plasmas differ in recording such exchanges. Rosner notes humans treat information as news or signals, but cosmically, “it from bit” theorists see every quantum event as informational. Yet many events, like collisions or solar reactions, leave no lasting record. He compares this to consciousness, where micro-events are integrated into larger patterns. The dialogue highlights entropy, durability of records, and whether the universe meaningfully “remembers” its countless micro-events.
By Scott Douglas Jacobsen4 months ago in Education
Fumfer Physics 12: Do We Face Infinite Whys and Finite Hows?
Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner debate whether the limits of knowledge lie within philosophy, physics, or both. Rosner explains that what was once metaphysics has largely been replaced by theoretical and experimental science, leaving philosophy more concerned with humanity’s relationship to existence. While physics seeks the "how" of reality, philosophy pursues the "why," which may be infinite. They discuss the logical foundations of existence, the role of contradictions, and how quantum mechanics blurs certainty at micro scales but stabilizes at macro scales. Even with a “final theory,” Rosner argues, our assumptions can always be questioned.
By Scott Douglas Jacobsen4 months ago in Education
Quantum Mechanics In A Nutshell
Introduction Quantum mechanics, at it’s core, aims to explain the ultimate structure of reality by essentially zooming into reality until we cannot zoom anymore. However, to grasp this level of reality, to see beyond the veil of appearances, we must first understand that truth does not arrive fully formed — it emerges through the convergence of many threads. Reality is not a single fact to be found, but a vast tapestry woven from countless interlocking patterns. Each thread — from physics to philosophy, from the architecture of the mind to the hidden geometry of existence — is a necessary step toward the greater whole.
By Silence In The Void | The Codex Of Eternity 4 months ago in Education
Fumfer Physics 11: Is Information in the Universe Preserved or Lost Over Time?
Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner discuss whether information is ultimately preserved or lost in both human minds and the universe. Jacobsen suggests that minds accumulate information until cognitive decline, while Rosner emphasizes that contradictions do not erase prior knowledge but reframe it within context. Extending the analogy, Rosner argues that the universe may form “thoughts” over billions of years, similar to how the brain integrates sensory and memory inputs. However, because each universal “thought” takes about 15 billion years, humans cannot perceive its arc of knowledge or decay within our limited lifespans.
By Scott Douglas Jacobsen4 months ago in Education
Dystopia is the most-read literary genre ever.
There is a powerful and essential question we must ask ourselves when we look at the shelves of bookstores, when we examine the most shared, most talked-about narratives circulating across the globe: why this fascination, this enduring hunger, for stories set in troubled, fractured futures? Why, when we face so many serious challenges in our own lives, do we choose to inhabit worlds that are deliberately stripped of comfort, of freedom, and often, of genuine joy? The sweeping global popularity of the dystopian genre is not, as some might assume, a symptom of pessimism. Instead, I believe it speaks to a fundamental, profound maturity in our collective conscience—a readiness to stare into the uncomfortable shadows of potential outcomes, not to despair, but to understand our present responsibilities.
By Ria Bassett4 months ago in Education
The Architect of Ability
In a world that never stops evolving, the ability to learn and improve new skills is no longer a luxury; it's a necessity. Whether you want to advance your career, pursue a passion, or simply keep your mind sharp, the process of skill improvement is a journey that follows a reliable map. It’s not about innate talent, but about strategy, consistency, and a mindset geared for growth.
By KAMRAN AHMAD4 months ago in Education
Chasing Knowledge: A Student’s Journey
The Beginning of a Dream Every great journey begins with a single step, and for Ali, that step was taken the day he walked into his new classroom at university. His heart carried both fear and ambition. Coming from a small town where resources were limited, Ali had always believed education was the only bridge that could take him to a better future.
By Mujeeb Khan4 months ago in Education
Fumfer Physics 10: Algorithms, Emergence, and the Universe
In this dialogue, Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner debate whether algorithms adequately describe the universe. Jacobsen begins with the standard definition of an algorithm as a step-by-step, finite process like a recipe. Rosner counters that the universe does not follow strict routines but operates through emergence—patterns forming from possibility rather than predetermined rules. They compare laws of physics to contours shaped by statistical dynamics and symmetry, not rigid instructions. Rosner emphasizes counting numbers as emergent from discrete macro objects, while quantum systems can blur definitions. Their exchange highlights the tension between algorithmic order and emergent complexity in nature.
By Scott Douglas Jacobsen4 months ago in Education
Fumfer Physics 9: Algorithms, Emergence, and the Nature of Physical Reality
Scott Douglas Jacobsen asked Rick Rosner whether distinguishing between algorithmic and non-algorithmic processes is meaningful in physics and cosmology. Rosner rejected the primacy of algorithms, arguing that computation is linear while associative information is multidimensional, shaped by correlations among variables. He described the universe as compressing vast possibilities into efficient three-dimensional structures, with protons, electrons, and neutrons transmitting information. For Rosner, physical reality emerges from principles of efficiency and existence rather than fixed step-by-step rules. Algorithms can be imposed retroactively as explanatory frameworks, but they miss the improvisational, self-organizing nature of the cosmos. Emergence, not recipes, defines reality’s unfolding.
By Scott Douglas Jacobsen4 months ago in Education
