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March 2008 Archives
The potential of vaccines: Uganda's experience with Haemophilus influenzae
by Vaccination campaigns aren't a historical relic, and still have the potential to change the world.
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Faith in Evolution?
by 'BC Tours' runs alternative tours of science museums and zoos for interested children and their parents. A private company involved in science education? Sounds so WIRED Science, right? Wrong. BC stands for "biblically correct" and their alternative is the denial of the evidence of evolution. Why should we care what some creationists have to say about science? A recent Gallup poll found that 66% of Americans believe Creationism is "probably or definitely true." Sweet cheeses! What century is this?
The Unforeseen
by The idea that each person is responsible for their own fate and is justified in the fiercest resistance to anyone who implies otherwise has no deeper resonance anywhere than in Texas. Yet, water is a key to the landscape and water obeys no boundaries. A remarkable clash emerges between the individualist, historic and literate, geographic views of Texas, which is examined in the remarkable film "The Unforeseen".
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Geospatial Technologies & The Art of Destruction
by The images below may look like pieces of modern art, but they're actually hi-res shots of human rights violations around the world. Developed by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the Geospatial Technologies and Human Rights Project uses GIS & satellite imagery to get a bird's eye view of destruction on the ground.
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On being an outlier
Some people can't abide broccoli. Myself, I cannot swallow a brussels sprout. I have had severe side effects from common drugs. Am I an outlier, or should I suspect that there is something wrong with the drug? What if the drug appears in the news?
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Go Dark Tonight For Earth Hour 2008
by Tonight at 8:00 pm, millions of people around the globe will be turning off their lights... Why?
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Vaccines aren't just for kids
So-called "childhood" illnesses don't end with the onset of adulthood.
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A Cosmic Salute to Arthur C. Clarke?
by As Damon pointed out earlier, the great writer Arthur C. Clarke died on Wednesday of last week. Did you know that on that same day, there was a huge celestial event? Coincidence, or the universe's way of paying tribute?
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Science Fiction Friday: Harlan Ellison and the Lies That Are a Life
February found itself without a Science Fiction Friday interview, but – fear not – I’ve an entertaining behind-the-scenes SFF story for you in this March installment. The last time we checked in Paolo Bacigalupi was opining on a possible future shaped by environmental irresponsibility and regaling me with a story about being tracked down by Harlan Ellison. The thought of the former becoming my reality seemed credible. The thought of the latter happening to me seemed a flight of my imagination. A flight of my imagination, that was, until my imagination crashed into the reality of Harlan tracking me down.
Continental Drift and Global Warming
Fifty years from now, when the seriousness of climate change becomes obvious, will scientists be blamed for soft-pedalling their message?
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Four Degrees of Separation
The British Antarctic Survey reported that a 220 square mile ice shelf in Antarctica is “hanging by a thread.” The cause? Global warming they say. Also, this big melt is happening much faster than scientists’ original predictions. Just how concerned should we be?
Sand, Man
Sometimes, if you look at things the right way, there are patterns all around to be spotted. Much of physics begins (and sometimes ends) with the business of looking at things the right way and asking the right questions in order to find important features of even the most complicated systems. Take sand, for example...
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On The Importance Of Oceans
It seems nearly universal that we are drawn to oceans. Children and adults alike marvel at whales, sea turtles, manatees, dolphins and on. Our imagination runs wild wondering about all the biodiversity and mystery lurking just below the surface of the great blue. Sure, it's easy to love oceans, but let's explore what makes them so important...
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Fetal Teddy Bears & Dream Anatomy
Ever wondered where teddy bears come from? Ok, to be honest, neither had I. But felt artist Stephanie Metz has certainly given some thought to the development of animals in the womb. In her Genus Ursulus project she examines the anatomy of the imaginary
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Attacking the Clones
Just when you thought the champion bulls that challenge the celebrated Spanish toreadors would only live on as namesakes for Italian sports cars, the biotech company ViaGen has stepped in to promise the “preserving and multiplying” of these superior genetic specimens for generations of bullfighters to come (and kill).
Kitty and Fido: providing companionship, entertainment, and nasty bacteria?
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) goes beyond just humans...
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Science And Society
Last week, Inoculated Mind's Karl J. Mogel interviewed me about ScienceDebate2008, the role of science in policy, science blogging, and the ever charismatic sea cucumber.
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Sad News
Legendary science fiction author and luminary Sir Arthur C. Clarke has died at age 90. The impact his work had on me personally certainly affords the motivation to use the word 'hero' when describing him, but it's his impact on society broadly that demands the use of heroic modifiers when remembering the man.
Beer As A Science
It's St. Patrick's Day and what better way to celebrate than to explore the science behind your favorite brew!
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Relativistic Art
It's time for some art. Featured here is Tamsin Van Essen, who works in ceramics on a variety of themes. Here, I point to some of her work that has a spacetime theme or two.
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Pie in the basement
You've probably heard of the concept of vertical farming. Columbia University professor Dickson Despommier generated a lot of buzz last year with his proposals for geoengineered sky farms designed to feed our planet's growing population. But, as usual, the Japanese are way ahead of the curve, and have been at this indoor gardening business for some time.
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"Listeria sandwiches" in New Zealand--and potentially, in your own fridge
A bacterium that can grow over a range of 100 degrees F is a formidable opponent.
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Rings around Rhea
The Cassini probe has found evidence of a new ring system! Not about another planet (Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune all have rings, by the way), but about a moon of another planet, Rhea, which orbits Saturn. This opens up yet another new avenue in the exciting field of planetary science.
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Reaching the Right Audience
Science communication needs to convey that there is something cooler than breezy-cool. There is deep cool, a sort of cool that can be obtained only by careful contemplation, whose rewards are greater the deeper you go.
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Evolution for everyone
Free access to a new evolution education journal for a year...spread the word!
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Is Obama A Mac And Clinton A PC?
About the same time I was debating which computer was the best choice, I noticed the NYTimes had an interesting take on a similar question. Well sort of...
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Science and the Presidency
Tomorrow (March 4) is yet another super Tuesday in a line of Super Tuesdays. Why so super? Not just because it's my sister's birthday -- Happy Birthday Jacqui!), but also because people in Texas, Ohio, Vermont, and Rhode Island get to voice their opinions about who will get to spend millions of dollars to run fo the Presidency. Yay, America!
Whudder Ya Doin' HERE?
Why should a scientist try to be a science writer?