Notable books, art, and research
February 1st, 2004 | by Brian |On Tuesday I heard a doctor speak about his new book, Surviving the Extremes. Incredible. The author, Kenneth Kamler relates true stories, some he is involved in, of people surviving extreme cold, heat, being lost at see, outer space, etc. One theme is that people sometimes beat the odds, and survive, out of sheer will, and they need a reason. One time it was revenge, in the case of the old prospector abandoned in the desert by his partner. One guy was lost at sea, and survived for more than two months by floating in some jetsam and using the nails stuck in the wood as fish hooks!! One 17-year-old girl was in an air plane that exploded, somehow she survived, landed in a jungle, and made her way out. As a doctor, he talks about the biology behind it, too.
Last week I also saw a presentation by Naomi Halas,a scientist at Rice. She talked about nano-particles, and their applications to killing tumors. Quite inspiring. Some popular articles about her work are here.
Lastly, a few months ago I saw a photography exhibit featuring the work of Nurit Wolf. Rarely do I respond to the visual arts, but her use of reflections in the windows of buildings is just phenomenal. Too bad I can’t find more of her work on-line.
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