How is it that computers can drive cars, interpret MRI scans, and recognize our children in photographs? For decades, we hand-crafted image analysis algorithms for computers to follow. Now, we set computers loose with more general algorithms and mountains of data, and the machines learn on their own. Both of these approaches are fascinating, incorporating … Continue reading Upcoming book announcement! “How We Taught Computers To See”
Descriptions of my general-audience book on biophysics are scattered across multiple blog posts, in some cases with outdated information like old versions of the title. Since it’s useful to have one definitive post to point to, here it is! So Simple a Beginning: How Four Physical Principles Shape Our Living World is a popular-science book … Continue reading “So Simple A Beginning,” A Popular Science Book about Biophysics
I’ve hit “send” on the final manuscript files for my popular science book on biophysics. The last round of revisions and edits took all the time I could spare over the past three months, and lots of time that I couldn’t! I should write a new, up to date summary of the book, but this … Continue reading Pop-Science Biophysics, now with a title!
A while ago I announced that I’ve been working on a popular science book about biophysics, and a few months ago I noted that the first draft is done. Since people have asked about the present state of the book, I thought I’d make a quick post about it. Princeton University Press sent the manuscript … Continue reading Book Update: Untitled Biophysics
On July 4, I finished a draft of the fourth and final part of Building Life, my popular-science book on biophysics. There’s still a lot to revise, based in part on comments from my editor and others on Parts 1-3 and, I’m sure, comments to come on Part 4, but nonetheless I’m delighted to say … Continue reading Book draft done!
I’ve been working on a popular science book about biophysics, writing as well as illustrating it. I’m about three-quarters done, hopefully on track for my contractually obligated completion date later this year. The book isn’t a secret, but I haven’t broadly announced it, nor have I posted a summary. So here it is: an announcement and … Continue reading Book Announcement: Building Life!
The Fall term here will start next week, and I’m once again teaching Physics of Energy and the Environment, a course for non-science-majors, that I’ve written about a few times before. Here, I’ll describe two experiments related to teaching this course, with the hope that the descriptions will be useful to others. One experiment was … Continue reading Writing about writing about a class
I wrote this piece on grant proposals about 6 months ago, which I remembered since I’m on a National Science Foundation review panel today! The panel lunch break is a good time to finally post it… There’s abundant advice out there about writing scientific grant proposals. Reading and reviewing a lot of proposals, however, I realize that … Continue reading How to annoy your grant reviewer, in 5 easy steps!
