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About Robert Lamb
Robert Lamb
As a child, Robert Lamb dreamed of becoming a mad scientist when he grew up. As this profession later proved to be largely fictional, he swallowed his heartbreak and turned his attention to the written word instead. He earned his bachelor's degree in creative writing from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, which launched him on a path of positions such as high school teacher, journalist and newspaper editor. Robert finally landed a position as science writer for HowStuffWorks.com, which has allowed him to rediscover all the things that made the world seem so mad and amazing to begin with. He currently lives in Decatur with his lovely wife and their beautiful one-eyed cat.
Most Recent: Robert Lamb Postings
Football Mascot Uga VII Bites the Dust: Breeding to blame?
by Robert Lamb
November 20, 2009
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Before I retired to bed last night, I caught word (via the AJC) that the University of Georgia’s esteemed mascot Uga VII had passed on into that great Varsity parking lot in the sky. As I’m not a fan of American football, my reaction was muted. I hadn’t prayed for the team’s victory against Kentucky this weekend (though how’s that for a good omen, Kentucky?*), and I didn’t lose any sleep. But it did get me thinking about the plight of purebred dogs.
Own Everything, Advertise Everywhere
by Robert Lamb
November 12, 2009
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Like a lot of you, I recently watched the season finale of AMC’s “Mad Men,” the absolute best television show in which nothing actually happens. I got to wondering what a modern day Don Draper might apply himself to (aside from, obviously, sleeping around, drinking and smoking). Perhaps he’d use cutting-edge science for the good of advertising? Consider these two real-life possibilities. Each takes high-tech science and uses it to shill a product.
A New Way to Smell Old Books
by Robert Lamb
November 11, 2009
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I love the smell of old books. It’s just one of the reasons they’ll have to drag me kicking and screaming into the world of Kindles, Nooks and BeBooks. So it’s rather amusing that while the forces of technology and science seem intent on carrying out a kind of print holocaust, some scientists are hard at work creating new ways to smell books.
Psychic Soldiers: Cold War Dreams of Paranormal Warfare
by Robert Lamb
November 6, 2009
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Imagine a different world grew from the Cold War’s thawing soil, one defined not by a decades-long space or arms race, or even by oil-fueled expansionism — but by the rise of the psychic soldier.
Inhibit Hormones, Eat Soft-shell Crabs Year Round
by Robert Lamb
November 3, 2009
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Love soft-shell crab sandwiches? Wish you could have them all year? Well, a team of University of Alabama scientists may just have a way to make that happen.
Jonathan Coulton Talks Music, Technology and uPlaya.com
by Robert Lamb
October 28, 2009
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It’s possible I went a little overboard in writing this week’s Discovery News piece about uPlaya.com, the Web site that lets musicians upload a track for quick evaluation by music-savvy algorithms. The whole thing deals with AI’s designed to judge a song’s hit potential, and it goes a little into algorithmic musical composition as well. So I thought, “Who better to give a musician’s perspective on the whole deal than former programmer and overall Internet music sensation Jonathan Coulton?”
Depressed in the West: Cultural Neuroscience Chimes In
by Robert Lamb
October 27, 2009
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If you’re genetically susceptible to depression, you might be better off living in a collectivist culture, according to a new Northwestern University study.
Space Music Vol. 4: Carl Sagan – “A Glorious Dawn”
by Robert Lamb
October 19, 2009
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In another installment of space music, I have to help spread the word about this marvelous audiovisual creation by John Boswell, AKA melodysheep of Color Pulse Music. What he’s done here is take samples and footage from Carl Sagan’s “Cosmos” and Stephen Hawking’s “Universe” and mixed it all into a musical tribute.
Boswell’s talent really shines through, but the whole Auto-tune video also feels sincere — musically illuminating Hawking and (especially) Sagan’s passion for space in an almost spiritual sense. Luckily, we still have Hawking, the world’s foremost theoretical physicist, known mostly for contributions to our understanding of singularities.
Thailand: AIDS Vaccines, Cabbages and Condoms
by Robert Lamb
October 16, 2009
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I’ve been back from Thailand three weeks now (two of them flu-free!), so this is pretty much the last chance I have to get away with posting a few vacation photos. As with last week’s post on Bangkok sinking into the ocean, I’m wrapping this one around a relevant scientific topic: the battle against AIDS in Thailand.
Science is Scary (Steampunk isn’t)
by Robert Lamb
October 15, 2009
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Sure, steampunk makes for adorable costumes and some snazzy-looking gadgets, but is it really the stuff of haunted houses? Pittsburgh’s ScareHouse seems to think so, but just when is science terrifying and when does it merely promise us jazzy retro bikes?
