People, Places and Things
GWEN DERU
HAPPY HOLIDAYS …FROM ALL OF US …TO ALL OF YOU!!!
TODAY…
**READ THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES. Catch up on the news!
**THIRD ANNUAL STORY POWER 2021: Hope, Wishes, Prayers and Dreams, a virtual event via Zoom at Noon. Members of the UAB Medicine community share uplifting, humorous and heartbreaking stories from their careers in patient care. Free and open to the public; register online. Sponsored by UAB Medicine. Go to www.alysstephens.org for more.
**EVERY THURSDAY HAPPY HOUR, 5:30 – 9 p.m. at the Kappa Komplex, 45 6th Avenue South.
**KARAOKE, 5-9 p.m. at Courtyard Alabaster Bar and Grill.
**TASTEMAKER THURSDAY – Every Thursday at Blaze Ultra Lounge, 228 Roebuck Plaza Drive, 8 p.m.- 12 a.m. with DJ Ace Twon (95.7 JAMZ) in the mix hosted by Audio Life and GMC Promo.
**THIRSTY THURSDAY at Hookah 114 17th Street No.
**THIRD THURSDAY BLUES JAM, 7 p.m. at True Story Brewing.
**PSYCHIC TANTRUMS PACE.MAKER, SOLSTICE & ANTHONY JSENSEI at The Nick.
**HOLIDAY KARAOKE LIVE BAND at Perfect Note.
FRIDAY…
**QUE’S BAR & GRILL GROOVIN’ on 19th Street in Ensley.
**LIT FRIDAYS WITH RIPCORD, 8 p.m. – 2 a.m. at 4501 Gary Avenue in Fairfield.
**AFRO CARIBBEAN NIGHTS (Every Friday Night) at Ash’s on 2nd, 7 p.m. until with Reggae, Afrobeats, Dancehall and Top 40 Hits.
**DEIRDRE GADDIS at the Perfect Note.
**ANNUAL HAPPY HOUR HOLIDAY PARTY, 3 p.m. at The Nick.
**CODY RHYTHM, AUSTIN MOON, RYAN FLYNT & MWAI MUHIHU at the Nick.
**THE VELCRO PYGMIES, 8 p.m. at Iron City.
**SUPER HILARIOUS COMEDY SHOW & TOY DRIVE, 7 p.m. at Woodrow Hall on First Avenue North with Comedians SKRAP SMITH, SHEP KELLY, KELVIN MCMILLER and LAWRENCE OWENS with COMEDIAN NARRATOR BENNIE MAC. Sounds by Tallahassee’s Finest DJ GREEN.
SATURDAY…
**SATURDAYS IN THE GARDENS at Birmingham Botanical Gardens..
**LEE BAINS AND GLORY FIRES LIVE at The Nick.
**WINE DOWN HAPPY HOUR, 4-9 p.m. at Saferoom Lounge Bar.
**DJ WRIGHT BAND at Perfect Note.
**MS. JOHNNIE AND THE JAMMERS Live After Five, 7-10 p.m. at Bistro on 19th located at 109 19th St. N., Bessemer. EVERY 2nd and 4th SATURDAY!!
**TREY LEWIS at Iron City.
**EDGEWOOD HEAVY! Late Night Show at The Nick.
SUNDAY…
**WORSHIP AT THE SIXTH, 9:30 a.m. at Sixth Avenue Baptist Church.
**WOODLAWN STREET MARKET, 12 p.m. at Woodlawn Street Market.
**HAPPY HOUR WITH KAYDEE MULVEHILL – FREE. at The Nick.
**THE VEGABONDS at Iron City
MONDAY…
**REGGAE MUSIC EVERY MONDAY NIGHT with DJ DUSTY, 8 p.m. at Black Magic 2904 Lomb Avenue.
**EVERY MONDAY is MONSLAYYY – THE CARIBBEAN WAY, 8 p.m. at the Vault with TRINI and BRENT TRINI-FRESH PIERRE. FREE.
**BIRMINGHAM BANDSTAND (Open Mic) at The Nick.
TUESDAY…
**EVERY TUESDAY – TRUE STORY BREWING PRESENTS TUESDAY JAZZ SESSIONS, 7- 10 p.m., 5510 Crestwood Blvd.
**TASTY TUESDAYS at Platinum of Birmingham.
**EVERY TUESDAY LIT AND JAZZ with DAVID TALLEY AND FRIENDS, 7 p.m. at Lit on 8th, 518 Rev. Abraham Woods Blvd.
**ANNUAL MARTINI PARTY, 8 p.m. at The Nick.
WEDNESDAY…
**INTERFAITH NOONDAY PRAYER SERVICES every Wednesday, Noon at Linn Park in Downtown Birmingham.
**WEDNESDAYS WEEKLY JAZZ JAM, 7- 10 p.m. at True Story Brewing Company, 5510 Crestwood Blvd. Food until 9 p.m. Music until 10 p.m. and Drink until 11 p.m.
**REGGAE WEDNESDAY NIGHTS, 8 p.m. at Blue Onyx.
**SOUL OF CHRISTMAS, 7 p.m. at Encore Theatre and Gallery.
**CHRISTMAS ON THE KEYS featuring BYRON THOMAS & FRIENDS, December 22, 7 p.m. at Jazzi’s on 3rd. Let the soothing sounds of the maestro himself get you in the Christmas spirit. Cocktails and complimentary desserts served. So head out and unwind with all your favorite Christmas songs interpreted by the incomparable Byron Thomas. AND, he’s bringing a few of his friends to serenade you into the Christmas spirit. Grab a couple of friends and family for cocktails and carols. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
**KARAOKE at The Nick. Free.
NEXT THURSDAY…
**READ THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES. Catch up on the news!
NEXT FRIDAY…
**QUE’S BAR & GRILL GROOVIN’ on 19th Street in Ensley.
**LIT FRIDAYS WITH RIPCORD, 8 p.m. – 2 a.m. at 4501 Gary Avenue in Fairfield.
NEWS TO USE…
FOR THE COMMUNITY…
**WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN LAWSON STATE AND BUFFALO ROCK – Council President Wardine Alexander was awarded the $75,000 E Pluribus Unum (UNUM) Fellows Grant. Those funds have been allocated towards creating a workforce development pipeline between Lawson State Community College (LSCC) and Buffalo Rock that will provide specialized training to fill jobs in the area. Alexander is part of the inaugural class of UNAM fellows and is the only elected leader selected from Central Alabama.
**BUYBLACKBHAM.COM – If you have not heard, this is the website for a new campaign with Mastercard and Urban Impact. Called #BuyBlackBham, it is to urge residents to shop at more than 400 Black-owned businesses listed on www.buyblackbham.com during the holiday shopping season. The campaign continues through Kwanzaa, January 1, 2022. The #BuyBlackBham platform, developed by an African-American owned development studio, JWEB Development, allows citizens to scan, upload and text receipts and invoices from business purchases. Those creating a profile to log their receipts from Black-owned businesses located in the City of Birmingham will qualify for a raffle of prizes and rewards. Log receipts at BuyBlackBham.com or text receipts to 205-900-4750. The first drawing will be Friday, December 17 and the second will occur Tuesday, January 4. If interested, then this is for you.
FOR MUSIC, ENTERTAINMENT LOVERS…
AND MORE…
**BENNIE MAC and comedians from Orlando, New Orleans and Washington, D.C., 8 p.m. at Woodrow Hall, 5504 First Avenue North.
**SATURDAY – GLAM IN THE HAM HOLIDAY SOIREE – 7th Annual Holiday Soiree to benefit The A List HBCU Scholarship Fund! Saturday, at Birmingham City Club, 1901 6th Ave N, Suite 3100, Birmingham, Ala. Come out for a fabulous night of Holiday Cheer at one of the hottest places in The City with an amazing view! Enjoy delicious food, signature cocktails, upscale ambience, and FREE PARKING! Mixing live DJ C. Dubb with Special Invited Guests! You don’t want to miss this Holiday Party of the Year by the A LIST NETWORKING GROUP!
**SATURDAY – COCKTAILS & CANDY CANES, 9 p.m. – 1 a.m. at Fraternal Order of Police, 2899 Winewood Road. Call (205) 915-6747 for more.
**SUNDAY – A KRAZYMANN CONCERT with the best of the Best Acts, 7 p.m. at Eastside Lounge, 4110 Messer Airport Highway.
**NEXT WEDNESDAY – CHRISTMAS ON THE KEYS featuring BYRON THOMAS AND FRIENDS, 7 p.m. at Jazzi’s on 3rd.
**CHRISTMAS NIGHT w/ THE DIRTY LUNGS, BEC & THE FRETS – FREE, 9 p.m. at the Nick.
**NEW’S YEARS EVE – THE ANNUAL ALL BLACK ATTIRE NYE 2022, 8 p.m. at UAB Hilton Hotel, with DRUMMER GIRL DEE, DJ MAVERICK, DJ NEW ERA, and DJ HURRICANE hosted by HOMIE J.
**NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION with MARCUS ANDERSON at Perfect Note.
**NEW YEAR’S EVE w/714’s, FALSE JASMINE, DUJOUR, MEL.CROZBY & more at the Nick.
AT THE ALABAMA THEATRE…
**ANDERSON EAST IN BIRMINGHAM – Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and musician Anderson East will perform at the Alabama Theatre, Friday, December 31. The performance celebrates the release of East’s acclaimed new album, Maybe We Never Die. Produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb along with longtime bandleader and now co-producer Philip Towns, Maybe We Never Die finds East’s seductively vintage voice in a decidedly fresh direction.
AT VULCAN PARK AND MUSEUM…
**MAGICAL NIGHTS AT VULCAN – Vulcan’s Magical Nights presented by Alabama Power, weekends in December, Dec. 3-5, 10-12 and 17-23, 6 to 8 p.m. Vulcan Park and Museum will be transformed into a delightful wonderland filled with lights, holiday music, special guest appearances, and Santa. The Anvil and Museum will have extended hours until 8 p.m. There will be food, hot chocolate, wine and beer available for additional purchase. The Pixel Room, Alabama’s first selfie museum, will take photos curated by Swanky D. For more, go to visitvulcan.com.
FOR OUTDOORS LOVERS…
**SUNDAY EASY DAYHIKE, THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS. Meet 1:45 p.m. for Southeastern Outings Easy Walk at Vulcan Trail inside the City Limits of Birmingham – DETAILS: Enjoy an easy walk in the woodlands overlooking Birmingham on the day after Christmas. The trail is level, as it is on an old mining railroad right of way just below the crest of Red Mountain. This walk is an ideal activity for those Christmas guests who have been in your house for several days and with whom you are looking for something to do to get them out of the house. Meet at 1:45 p.m. in the Vulcan Park and Museum Parking Lot where you park when visiting the statue and Vulcan Park. Depart at 2 p.m. Walk from the big parking lot a short distance down some new stairs to the trail head and then on the trail to Green Springs Highway and back. The formerly unpaved section of the Vulcan Trail has recently been widened and resurfaced. There is no charge to participate in this hike and there is no charge for admission to either Vulcan Park or the trail. Well-behaved, carefully supervised children age 7 and older able to walk four miles are welcome. After the walk is completed, there will be an optional dinner at Jim ‘N Nick’s 11th Avenue Grill at Five Points South. Share and Bring a friend or friends to this walk. Info: Dan Frederick, seoutings@bellsouth.net or 205/631-4680.
FOR ART LOVERS … AROUND THE COUNTRY…
(Photo: Curator Angela Tate) (Photo Credit: Provided)
IN WASHINGTON, D.C…
**AT THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION … The Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative, Because of Her Story, has funded seven curators—including Angela Tate—to change the way the Smithsonian researches and shares American women’s history across our museums and research centers.
SPOTLIGHTING AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN – BECAUSE OF HER STORY – Curator ANGELA TATE Spotlights the Contributions of African American Women. Angela Tate works as a curator of women’s history at the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). She acquires works for the museum’s collections, writes scholarly articles, and advises leadership on topics that center on African American women and gender. A little from Tate about how African American women have shaped American history…Women have been the keepers of the flame of history. They have passed down rituals and celebrations. They have been in the kitchen cooking for these gatherings. Women have passed down not just Juneteenth but Black history in general. Tate wishes more people knew about educator and activist Mary McLeod. Bethune founded the National Council of Negro Women in 1935 and acted as their first president. She is the reason why Black women were allowed to enlist in the military in World War II. She was also close friends with Eleanor Roosevelt. The National Council of Negro Women influenced civil rights, education, U.S. relations with Africa, and other 20th-century movements. Bethune, the council, and council presidents who came after her should be highlighted even more. NMAAHC highlights her and the National Council of Negro Women in the Making a Way Out of No Way exhibition.
NEAR IN NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA…
AT THE HISTORIC NEW ORLEANS COLLECTION (THNOC)…
**HOLIDAY MARKET AT THE SHOP AT THE COLLECTION is Saturday, 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., for the annual market featuring local artists, authors and artisans.
**CREOLE CHRISTMAS is December 28 – 29.
**SPRING 2022 TOUR OF SPAIN – Registration deadline is December 20 for persons that want to experience luxury accommodations, special access tours and fine dining for the 10 day outing March 28 – April 6.
**MAKING MARDI GRAS – Preparations are underway for the blockbuster exhibition on the creativity that fuels Carnival season. Making Mardi Gras opens January 6. Visit the exhibition webpage to read up on the history of Mardi Gras traditions.
IN FAIRFIELD, ALABAMA….
AT STEPHEN SMITH FINE ART GALLERY…
**WONDERS – WONDERS GROUP EXHIBITION at Stephen Smith Fine Art, in Fairfield, 5104 Gary Avenue featuring nine nationally and internationally prominent, contemporary artists who create works that inspire a sense of calm and sublime. Artists include: Dan Addington, Chad Awalt, C. Dawn Davis, Margaret Dyer, Gerard Erley, Scott French, Susan Hall, R. John Ichter and Gwen Wong. This exhibition is curated by Laura Nadell through January 2. Call (205) 305-1451 for more or bhamfree@icloud.com.
AT BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM OF ART…
**VOICES SO TRUE: NEW NATIVE AMERICAN ART from the Clyde Oyster Bequest – This exhibition is now until January 30, 2022. OT features the work of seven contemporary Native American artists: NORMAN AKERS, SHAN GOSHOM, LARRY MCNEIL, KAY WALKING STICK, WENDY RED STAR, EUGENE TAPAHE and ZOE MARIEH URNESS. They are affiliated with different tribal nations including Crow, Eastern Band Cherokee, Mohawk, Navajo, Osage, Tlingit and more. The exhibition includes photographs, prints, paintings and basketry.
**LOST REALMS OF THE MOUNDBUILDERS OF THE SOUTH AND MIDWEST explores the archaeology and history of the Mississippi Moundbuilders. If you grew up in Alabama, you may be familiar with Moundville, located just south of Tuscaloosa. These ancient builders of North America, aka the Mississippians, were one of our country’s most important Native American Cultures. According to historians, the world they created was equal to that of the Aztec, Maya or Inca. The exhibition features objects from four major Moundbuilder sites: Spiro Mounds in Oklahoma, Moundville in Alabama, Etowah Mounds in Georgia and Cahoka Mounds in East Saint Louis, Illinois. This exhibition runs until February 6, 2022. Next stop Dallas. Curated by Dr. Emily G. Hanna, Senior Curator, Arts of Africa and the Americas and Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the Birmingham Museum of Art.
AT THE BIRMINGHAM ZOO…
**GLOW WILD – Glow Wild: An Animal Lantern Celebration is on select nights now through January 2022. Perfect for the entire family, guests will be captivated by jaw-dropping lantern creations of wildlife and plants of all sizes soaring up to 30 feet high! The Zoo will brilliantly sparkle to light up the night and offer something for everyone to enjoy! Take a wild ride on the Red Diamond Radiant Express Train* or go for a spin on the Protective Life Jingle Bell Carousel* (additional cost). Glow Wild is a weather-dependent event with nights being subject to cancellation. Please be aware that as a night event, Zoo animals will not be viewable during the event.
**BE WILDLY SUPPORTIVE CAMPAIGN – YOU ARE INVITED!!! The Birmingham Zoo invites the public to “Be Wildly Supportive” during this holiday and giving season. The Zoo has set an ambitious fundraising goal to raise $50,000 by year-end during the “Be Wildly Supportive of Your Zoo” campaign. Operating costs for the Zoo amount to $30,000 a day to provide food and vital care for its 550+ animals, including many endangered species. All gifts made now through December 31 will support the Emergency Animal Fund, providing vital nutrition and health care. Please support!! See you at the Birmingham Zoo, this Holiday Season!
FOR EDUCATION LOVERS…
**’MOBILE LIFE’ INITIATIVE LAUNCHED AT MILES COLLEGE – ‘MOBILE LIFE’ a Student Success Initiative has been created for a more innovative co-curricular learning and teaching environment for Miles College’s students and faculty to have an experience that can be accessed anywhere and anytime. The college will provide all full-time students enrolled during the Spring 2022 academic semester with iPad Pro, Apple Magic Keyboard, Apple Pencil and AirPods Pro at the beginning of the Spring semester. The College is planning to bridge the digital divide and level technological advantages by enabling professors to collaborate with students in various ways to improve the overall learning experience. This will enhance the opportunities for students to connect and communicate through the abilities gained from a common platform.
**MILES COLLEGE RECEIVES FUNDS FOR STUDENTS FROM REGIONS FOUNDATION – The Regions Foundation gave a $250,000 grant to Miles College to help cover student tuition needs and pay for scholarship opportunities. The grant will support current students and students who previously attended Miles College in the fall of 2019 or prior years wishing to return, but have unpaid students balances.
COMING SOON…
**JULY 7-17, 2022 – THE WORLD GAMES are coming. Look for more!
Well, that’s it. Tell you more ‘next’ time. People, Places and Things by Gwen DeRu is a weekly column. Send comments to my emails: gwenderu@yahoo.com and thelewisgroup@birminghamtimes.com.
Holy Smoked: Pope Saved As Techs Zap Rogue Drone
When a rogue drone appeared over a large public Mass led by Pope Francis in Slovakia on Sept. 15, the threat was neutralized — without any disruption to the worshipers — by the EnforceAir anti-drone ground-level tactical solution from Israel’s D-Fend.
According to newly available information, the suspicious drone flew over the religious ceremony attended by 90 bishops, 500 priests and 60,000 Catholics in Šaštín, site of the National Marian Shrine.
“EnforceAir fended off the rogue drone, sending it back to its original takeoff position, far away from the large crowd,” a D-Fend spokesman said.
Working in coordination with the Slovakian Interior Ministry, D-Fend deployed its technology at several outdoor appearances by the pope in Slovakia from Sept. 12 to 15.
“Our system, in either autonomous or manual mode, detects, locates and identifies rogue drones in your airspace and then neutralizes the threat by allowing you to take full control over the drone and land it safely in a predefined zone,” the company explains.
“Since the system does not rely upon jammers or kinetic technology, EnforceAir avoids collateral damage, interference, disruption and disturbance. Continuity prevails as communications, commerce, transportation, and everyday life smoothly proceed.”
A representative of the pope’s security team said that the EnforceAir solution “took control of the rogue drone that threatened the potential safety of the pope, the crowd and the VIPs in attendance, quickly and easily.”
One day before that incident, the Ra’anana-based D-Fend Solutions announced that its Multi-Sensor Command & Control (MSC2) system won Security Today’s “New Product of the Year” award in the unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) category.
Organizers of the G7 Summit held last June in Cornwall, England, also chose D-Fend’s technology to protect the visiting world leaders.
EnforceAir was also used in a joint three-day exercise led by INTERPOL and the Norwegian Police. During that event, EnforceAir “detected, identified and accurately located multiple unmanned aerial systems (UASs), took control of a drone and safely landed i,” the company said.
“The first two days of the event focused on detection and location counter-drone capabilities. During the exercises, EnforceAir detected unique communication signals used by multiple drones, without producing false positives. EnforceAir also decoded telemetry signals to determine types of drones and extract drone positioning with GPS accuracy,” the company said on its website.
“Rain was falling on day three, which focused on rogue drone mitigation. D-Fend Solutions successfully showcased its cyber-takeover technology. Within 2 seconds and without a prior calibration flight, EnforceAir took over a fast, non-static drone that utilizes an advanced and popular radio protocol. D-Fend’s system reprogrammed the drone to fly along a two-point, predefined flight path and landed it in a safe zone, highlighting the full control and continuity that are facilitated by EnforceAir.”
Produced in association with Israel21c.
Recommended from our partners
The post Holy Smoked: Pope Saved As Techs Zap Rogue Drone appeared first on Zenger News.
Sun Stroke: Spacecraft Touches The Sun For The First Time
A space mission has reached into the solar atmosphere, known as the corona, withstanding a temperature of 2 million degrees Fahrenheit and making observations that could previously only be conjectured.
A paper presented at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union this week provided data from the April 2021 entry of NASA’s Parker Solar Probe into the solar corona, becoming the first spacecraft to enter the outer margins of the sun.
“This marks the achievement of the primary objective of the Parker mission and a new era for understanding the physics of the corona,” said lead author Justin Kasper, a professor at the University of Michigan and deputy chief technology officer at BWX Technologies.
The mission was the first to make direct observations of the solar atmosphere. Beyond its outer boundaries, the sun’s gravitational and magnetic forces directly control the solar wind, which consists of a dangerous stream of charged particles or plasma, that is regularly deflected by Earth’s atmosphere. Launched in 2018, the probe spent five hours in direct contact with the sun’s plasma.
The goal of the probe is to learn how the sun works, according to study co-author Michael Stevens, an astrophysicist at the Center for Astrophysics. “The only way to do that is for the spacecraft to cross the outer boundary, which scientists call the Alfvén point. So a basic part of this mission is to be able to measure whether we crossed this critical point,” said Stevens.
The corona is where the sun’s magnetic fields keep plasma and turbulent solar winds in check. At the Alfvén point, when solar winds exceed the critical speed, they break free and lash out at the cosmos.
“If you look at close-up pictures of the Sun, sometimes you’ll see these bright loops or hairs that seem to break free from the Sun but then reconnect with it,” Stevens said. “That’s the region we’ve flown into — an area where the plasma, atmosphere and wind are magnetically stuck and interacting with the Sun.”
Dangerous outbursts from the sun, such as high-speed solar wind and solar flares, can impact the Earth by causing power and communications outages. Co-author Anthony Case of the Center for Astrophysics said the Solar Probe Cup on the spacecraft is an amazing bit of engineering.
“The amount of light hitting the Parker Solar Probe determines how hot the spacecraft will get,” Case said. The cup is on the exterior of the craft and has no protection. While making its measurements in the corona, it glows red-hot and surpasses 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. Made of tungsten, niobium, molybdenum and sapphire, it resisted degradation.
Making three passes above and below the surface of the sun, the probe was not only the first spacecraft to enter the solar corona, but it was also the first to touch the solar atmosphere. It is also the fastest vehicle ever produced. It has already made several other discoveries about space weather and the dangers posed by superfast space dust.
“We have been observing the sun and its corona for decades, and we know there is interesting physics going on there to heat and accelerate the solar wind plasma. Still, we cannot tell precisely what that physics is,” said Nour Raouafi of Johns Hopkins University, who also worked on the study. “With [the] Parker Solar Probe now flying into the magnetically dominated corona, we will get long-awaited insights into the inner workings of this mysterious region.”
The next step for the probe is to dive deeper and stay longer in the solar atmosphere to learn more about the origins of solar winds and coronal heating.
Edited by Siân Speakman and Kristen Butler
Recommended from our partners
The post Sun Stroke: Spacecraft Touches The Sun For The First Time appeared first on Zenger News.
It’s Not Rocket Science: Astro Engineers And Brain Surgeons Aren’t As Smart As We Think
While it’s common to hear “It’s not rocket science” or “It’s not brain surgery,” a new study may provide evidence that aerospace engineers and neurosurgeons may not be as smart as many people think.
Findings published in the British Medical Journal suggest that neurosurgeons and aerospace engineers are equal to the general population in terms of intelligence levels.
“The main purpose of our study was to settle this debate once and for all and to provide rocket scientists and brain surgeons with evidence to support their self-assuredness in the company of the other party,” wrote lead author Inga Usher of the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London.
Researchers conducted an online intelligence test of 329 aerospace engineers and 72 neurosurgeons and compared the results with 18,257 people from other walks of life. Each was asked to complete a test measuring six distinct domains of cognition, including reasoning and planning, attention span, working memory and processing emotion. Factors such as experience, gender and whether the participants were right- or left-handed were considered.
The researchers used the Great British Intelligence Test from the Cognitron platform to make the assessment. The authors stressed their observational study of populations in the U.K., U.S. and Canada doesn’t represent the global range of neurosurgeons and aerospace engineers.
While the two specialties were matched across most domains, they showed differences. Rocket scientists have better mental manipulation abilities, while neurosurgeons are better at semantic problem-solving. But all three groups displayed a wide range of cognitive abilities, according to the study.
Neurosurgeons appeared to be quicker at solving problems than the general population but were slower at recalling memories. Meanwhile, aerospace engineers showed few differences across the above domains from ordinary people.
“In situations that do not require rapid problem-solving, it might be more correct to use the phrase ‘It’s not brain surgery,’” the authors of the paper wrote. “It is possible that both neurosurgeons and aerospace engineers are unnecessarily placed on a pedestal and that ‘It’s a walk in the park’ or another phrase unrelated to careers might be more appropriate.”
While many people consider individuals in science, technology, engineering and medical, or STEM, careers to be “clever,” according to the authors, this “perception is heavily influenced by gender, class and race,” which “deters females, people from lower socioeconomic groups and people of non-white ethnicity from pursuing STEM careers.”
“Questioning these stereotypes could have implications for public outreach and future recruitment,” the authors said.
Edited by Siân Speakman and Kristen Butler
Recommended from our partners
The post It’s Not Rocket Science: Astro Engineers And Brain Surgeons Aren’t As Smart As We Think appeared first on Zenger News.
