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It's been an interesting experience.
by So long and thanks for all the fish!
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Summer reading!
by Have some free time this summer? A few books to add to your list...
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Plight Of The Postdoc
by Is modern American science strangling its young talents in the cradle?
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Bucky
by Richard Buckminster Fuller was a dreamer. No doubt about it. He had all sorts of ideas about how technology could be employed to solve the ills of our society and species. Most of them never saw the light of day, although his name lives on in a number of areas. There's an excellent opportunity to learn more about him by visiting an excellent new retrospective on him that is in New York's Whitney Museum, and there's a New Yorker article that you can read online.
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Micro-Beauty
by I just came across these fantastic images from Lennart Nilsson's site and had to post them. Seriously, who would think subway scum and malaria could look this beautiful? Nilsson is one of the pioneers of medical photography, and was also the first person to ever capture images of the HIV and SARS virus.
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Journey To South Africa!
Esteemed wildlife photographer and biologist, Nicolas Devos, is back in South Africa... and he's bringing Correlations readers on the adventure!
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In 2008, Dead Zones Are Deadlier
Remember those disgusting vast areas of the ocean depleted of oxygen and devoid of fish, shrimp, and marine life? They're getting worse.
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Return of the clones!
How much would you pay for Fido v. 2.0?
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Welcome Home Discovery!
The 14-day mission to the International Space Station ended as Discovery touched down on the 15,000-foot landing strip at 11:15 a.m Saturday morning in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
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When We Left Earth
Do you know about the Discovery Channel show called "When We Left Earth" ? It celebrates 50 years of NASA missions, and looks like a fun and informative series. Somethign for Sunday nights. Also, tonight there's a live chat with one of the show's creators.
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Venter's Energy Bug
Craig Venter is out to create a bacterium that uses CO2 to create fuel. If he succeeds, it could change everything...
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Ray Ray Ray
In other gamma-ray related news, the movie "The Incredible Hulk" is released this week. What was it with gamma rays (and other rays) playing such a prominent role in so many origins stories in the old classic comic books?
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Dancing About String Theory
by The World Science Festival ended yesterday. Was it the beginning of a mainstream acceptance of science, or was it just dancing about physics?
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Science Matters
I awoke this morning to find my Sunday ritual of nursing my hangover with a cup of coffee while perusing The New York Times enlivened by a lovely Op-Ed about the role of science in society.
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Stephen Colbert bows to our microbe overlords
Finally, someone acknowledges the superiority of microbial life...
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The Martians Are Coming
The internets are abuzz today with word that Denver resident Jeff Peckman has video 'evidence' of an intelligent alien life form. All is to be revealed tomorrow during a press conference, but in the meantime, I can't help wondering, do I really care?
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World Science Festival!
The World Science Festival is on in New York over the next few days. It looks like fun!
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With Honors. Without Options?
In the 21st century, we're producing more Ph.D. graduates than ever while the traditional academic trajectory affords fewer and fewer options.
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Video Contest!
Don't forget to view the 20 semi-finalists in the WIRED Science Video Contest!
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What is "hand, foot, and mouth disease?"
As if natural disasters aren't bad enough, China is also suffering from an outbreak of an enterovirus that has killed dozens of children over the past few weeks...and it's spreading.
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Class : Order : Family : Genus : Rock Star
By now, you've probably heard that rocker Neil Young recently had a trapdoor spider named after him: the Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi. Young however isn't the only rock star who holds the honor of being a critter's namesake.
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The Art Of Science
Sure, Carl Zimmer's got his Science Tattoo Emporium, but I suspect I've just witnessed the creation of the coolest science tattoo this millennium...
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Tanning industry claims sun good for you; doctors just involved in "sunlight scam"
Tanning good, doctors bad? What's going on here?
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Super-Genius, Hard Work, and Science
Ziya's been discussing some of the celebrated "super-genius" types who are regarded as thinking about deep problems about the universe on behalf of the rest of us. Yes, we should celebrate these people, and I'm very pleased to see Ziya's posts highlighting that sort of work, but I'm a bit worried...
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The Black Mallet :: Vicarious Brain Explosion
I love the puzzles of the universe. How the simplest questions can drive us either completely bonkers or stretch our minds out toward greater enlightenment. The world's towering geniuses are those who have devoted their lives to questions like, "What is time?", "How fast is light?" and "How big is infinity?" For most of us, these "unsolvables" are put to rest at an early age. As Charles Lamb once quipped: "Nothing puzzles me more than time and space; and yet nothing troubles me less, as I never think about them."
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Is an Elite Elitist?
On matters of consequence, there are ideological predictors of who believes a particular piece of science. This can't be good news.
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Beauty and Truth
"Beauty is Truth, Truth Beauty" said the poet. I am not sure that is as true as it is beautiful, but scientists do find their work beautiful.
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Jimmy Kimmel: looking to go science-y
Bonus points if you incorporate Matt Damon...
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COLOSSAL SQUID!
On Wednesday, a 30 foot long, 900-pound colossal squid hauled up from the Antarctic last January will be studied by a team of scientists... but the catch is, they'll only have FOUR hours!
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Darwin Online!
Want to have a place where you can find all things Darwin? Notebooks, diaries, books, even recipes - to download and to view? Well, the Darwin Online Collection is the place you've been waiting for. Share it with your friends and your students!
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Book Awards - Summer Reading
What are you reading this Summer? Time to start planning. The LA Times Book Festival is this weekend. Maybe their lists of notable books, prepared for their awards ceremony, might give lots of ideas. We can start with the Science and Technology category, but don't stop there...
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Thank You for Smoking
Confusing the public about evidence that matters to the society is lying on a very large scale. Just like individual lies, though, it takes two to tango. Somebody has to do the lying, and somebody has to do the believing.
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"Expelled" fizzles
Earnings for the Intelligent Design film were much lower than creationists had hoped; are they enough to make an impact?
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A Bright Future
Saturday night I attended North Carolina's 'Celebration of Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education.' If the ceremony reflects the future for math and science, there is certainly reason for hope in tomorrow's leaders.
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Science Doc Series :: God-men vs Scientists
I'm guessing I'm not the only one here with a crack-like documentary addiction. And with literally hundreds of docs popping up each day, trying to spot the good ones online feels a bit like playing Whack-A-Mole. So dear readers, since I've got the "habit", the blog and the wherewithal, I've decided to share some of my favorite online science documentaries in a brand new blog series called: The Black Mallet (after all, I have won a mini-stuffed toy ;>)
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Taking Precocious Too Far
A famous mathematical thorem about the number of colors needed to cover a map has been solved since, but I took it up seriously in my childhood. Or so I thought. A cautionary tale for those who think they "know better"...
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Infectious disease and the birth of the modern city
The modern city, circa 1830: where the sewers overflow with human filth, and outbreaks of water-borne disease wiped out a tenth of the city's population in a matter of weeks.
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"I'd rather be smart than be a movie star"
..says actress Natalie Portman!
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Science Policy Forum
"Science and the Candidates" will appear in tomorrow's April 11th issue of the journal Science laying out out how ScienceDebate2008 began, its implications, and where it's going.
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Do the Math
Fifty years after a landmark psychological study into the human propensity to rationalize cognitive inconsistencies, an economist has revealed that the measuring procedures used were flawed. I know you must be shocked that a social scientific study had some failings. No? Okay, me neither, but let’s take a look at what went wrong and why doing the math is so important.
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The Psychology of an April Fool
Today is the day to make people (temporarily) believe in something they shouldn’t. Okay, maybe that's better stated as: today is the day to remind people that they should know better. April Fool’s Day tests our skepticism, our self-perception, and (often) our patience. Maybe that’s not such a bad thing.
The Bard of Evolution
Marine paleoecologist Geerat Vermeij is blind. And yet, he sees what others do not...
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Faith in Evolution?
'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
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
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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Go Dark Tonight For Earth Hour 2008
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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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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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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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?
DIY Arithmetic
In my final DIY-themed post for the month, I thought I'd simply point to an extreme example of DIY - Doing fast and accurate mental arithmetic instead of using a calculator. Arthur Benjamin has an amazing show, showing off his talents as a "mathemagician".
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Yellow fever causes panic in Paraguay
Yellow jack flies again.
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Junk Science
So when we left off in my last entry we were talking about shooting satellites out of orbit and the ulterior motives of our government. Oh, and we were trying to figure out what this all had to do with DIY month here on the WIRED Science website. I think I figured out the, umm, correlation.
Target Practice
So the other day the Pentagon made the decision to shoot down an ailing spy satellite. Why exactly would they go through all the trouble of firing a missile (that costs millions of dollars) at what amounted to a school bus-sized piece of space junk? And what does it have to do with DIY month? Answers and conspiracy theories abound after the jump.
Impacts of the Science Blogosphere
Science blogging may be gaining deserved influence. Here's another case in point.
Mapping Oceans Reveals Our Impact
Nearly forty percent of ocean areas are strongly impacted by humans and only four percent can be considered pristine. A fascinating new study provides a snapshot of what we're are doing to our home... the implications of which we're now only beginning to understand.
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MRSA: a patient's view
A patient divulges the "ugly truth" about life with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
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Paper Geniuses
Give me an A4 sheet of white paper and you might get a few doodles, a paper airplane, or a snowflake-cum-doily if I'm feeling particularly creative. But for some folks, a simple sheet of paper can evolve into a mind-melting trip into another dimension.
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How can bee deaths affect your dessert?
A die-off of honeybees has hit several states in the U.S.; how does it relate to your ice cream?
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James McCarthy on ScienceDebate2008
James J. McCarthy, President-elect of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and Alexander Agassiz Professor of Biological Oceanography at Harvard University
on ScienceDebate2008.
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The Third Branch of Science?
Some people these days are saying that computing has become so important to science that it constitutes a third branch. Even though computationally intensive science is what occupies my time, I am not sure that this is the right way to think about it philosophically. To some extent computing brings the theoretical and computational branches closer together. People interested in climate modeling whether as skeptics or as enthusiasts should consider how this works.
A microbiology giant passes away
A hero in biology has died.
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DIY dinner
Seeing as it's DIY month here on Wired Science, I was thinking we could delve into a few Molecular Gastronomy recipes. After all, nothing perks up the taste buds like a scrumptious hydrocolloid dinner! That said, Khymos.org is a fantastic resource for those of you who'd like to experiment with the "science of cooking". Download the digital cookbook here, and try your hand at making everything from Frozen parmesan air to Spherical mango ravioli, to White sangria in suspension! 
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Fashion :: The Future is so Yesterday
Fashion Week is about to kick off in New York tomorrow, but some of the craziest and most futuristic styles were actually showcased yesterday at the Boston Museum of Science. Dubbed, Seamless: Computational Couture, the show featured emerging designers from around the world who incorporate experimental technology into their designs. Check out a few of these concept pieces below:
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Space Exploration's Beginning In the USA
Today is the 50th anniversary of the day the US replied to the world-changing Sputnik launch by the USSR almost four months earlier. In some sense, the space race began in earnest with this launch of the craft called Explorer. It also marked the beginning of spacecraft-driven scientific discoveries about the world beyond and our own planet earth.
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Did you double-dip that chip!?
The science of Seinfeld: does double-dipping a chip really contaminate the chip dip?
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44 Orders of Magnitude
What a ridiculously large number 44 orders of magnitude is! Yet that is the span of science; the number of the smallest subatomic scale phenomena that we are interested in that span the largest cosmological scale.
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Marine Mammals... Cute, Cuddly, And In Crisis
Twenty-five marine mammal populations in the US of A are currently classified as either endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and thirty are listed as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). While these policies aim to reduce the greatest threats, we've got a long way to go. To get readers up to speed, I've outlined five of the most serious...
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Science Fiction Friday: Paolo Bacigalupi Part III
In this final installment of my conversation with Paolo Bacigalupi, I find out some of the methods and motivations behind the author's stories in his new book PUMP SIX. Whether it's over-consumptive Southern Californians sucking the Western water supply dry, or neo-feudalists bioengineering their impoverished subjects into living musical instruments like a next-generation "American Idol", Paolo manages to fashion truly terrifying and dystopic landscapes into strangely credible visions of our future.
Science Fiction Friday: Paolo Bacigalupi - Part II
In this, the second installment of my conversation with Paolo Bacigalupi, we turn to the substance of his stories and the origins of his various muses. Paolo discusses his environmentalist tendencies, why it's good to believe in the project of science fiction, and why it's not always so good to believe in our technology.
Science Fiction Friday: Paolo Bacigalupi
In the last episode of Science Fiction Friday I had a conversation with one of science fiction's elite in Greg Bear and learned how we might all die from bioterrorism. This time around I've turned to SF's new guard in Paolo Bacigalupi and received an education about how we might all die from environmental disaster.
An ounce of prevention...
The rabies vaccine was one of the early public health success stories. Why, then, are millions of people still infected with the rabies virus every year--with a death from the virus occurring every ten minutes?
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Coming Attraction
In a world where people read science fiction... That's right, Science Fiction Friday is just two days away and I'm already getting all anxious about it. You too? I've got just the thing for that anxiety: a little preview of what SFF has on offer this week. Paolo Bacigalupi is a sharp and distinctive new voice in science fiction who has a lot to say about our world and where it might be headed.
Overgeneralizing
Sometimes things we learn in one walk of life can apply to another, and sometimes not...
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The Political Climate
Last night CBS aired the news special "The Age of Warming." Scott Pelley, the "60 Minutes" correspondent did a very "60 Minutes"-like job reporting on the climate science. After the requisite standing at the feet of some receding glaciers, it was off to see some penguins so we could shudder at the thought that they might not have anywhere to march. While it was encouraging to see some mainstream media reportage on science, it wasn't until the investigation turned to the Bush administration's censorship of one of the world's leading climate scientists that I decided that the program warranted a mention here. The revelations are astounding.
Science is Art.
The arts have a monumental role in culture which is, of course, at the intersection of politics, science... Life. They have always been so intricately connected, they are fundamentally aspects of the same entity. Scientists like Nicolas Devos remind me to look closer at our world now and then.
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Diagnosing disease--hundreds of years later
Epidemiologists investigate more than just disease in the present day. Biologic samples allow us a form of time travel, diagnosing diseases that killed their victim hundreds of years ago, and symptoms of disease allow us to speculate even on what ailed fictional characters.
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Reflections: XX and science
As the year draws to a close, Clifford reflects on top science stories. What were some highlights of 2007 when it comes to women in science?
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Essence
Both Science and Art are part of our everyday culture. Or at least they should be. Do you think of them as related, sharing some common goals, or quite different? Do you go to one as relief from the other, or for inspiration for the other? It is interesting to explore some common themes in art and science.
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Greg Bear Interview Part 3: Analogy Collisions
Science Fiction Friday has finally cooled its jet and settled into orbit around this holiday weekend. So comes to an end Mission: Ursa Major. In this third and final installment of my conversation with Greg Bear, we talk about: predicting the future, law enforcement as an immune response, and the kinds of complications - both real and fictional - science can create.
Greg Bear Interview Part 2: The Bullet You Don't Hear
Science Fiction Friday is so big this week that it can't be contained by just one day. As SFF expands beyond the day of Venus and into the weekend, Greg Bear opens up about his writing process, the longstanding tradition of science fiction writers consulting with the government, and how we better learn how to dodge the bullets we won't hear.
The Humpbacks Are Spared... For Now
The world was up in arms last month as Japan launched its whaling fleet in the first major hunt of humpbacks since the 1960s. The move wasn't great for public relations, and would you know it... turns out all the hullabaloo has made a difference.
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Science Fiction Friday: Greg Bear
Welcome to the very first installment of Science Fiction Friday! I am thrilled that we have one of the great SF writers of his generation, Greg Bear, for our conversation today. I've admired Greg's work for years and now, after having chatted with him, I can say that he's as interesting to talk to as he is to read.
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Adam Rogers Labs Out Loud!
by I just wanted to throw out a quick plug for my good friend, Adam Rogers, who also happens to be my editor at Wired Mag as well as our delightful roving field geek on Wired Science. He recently chatted with the National Science Teachers Association on their podcast, Lab Out Loud. The NSTA is located in Virginia and boasts a 55,000+ membership. Their main goal involves promoting not just science literacy but scientific excellence in our schools. They also advise Congress on relevant education issues involving science, and help focus attention on the scientific questions that society and its educators need to be asking.
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Science Fiction Friday Draws Nigh!
Hi everybody. I have a fun announcement. I am instituting a new, recurring feature on my blog. It's called Science Fiction Friday. On the third Friday of the month I will interview a different writer about his or her current work. The inaugural installment will be a chat with science fiction legend GREG BEAR!!! He's an author, illustrator, government advisor, and so much more. Dare I call him a polymath? I dare, I dare.
A Holiday Gift Guide for Science Geeks
If there's one thing that I've learned from working on this show, it's that science nerds truly are a diverse & colorful bunch. So this year, instead of re-gifting that "one-size-fits-all" pocket protector, here's a handy little guide to finding that perfect science-inspired present for geeks of all persuasions.
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Science Debate 2008
So what's all the hullabaloo about a presidential Science Debate?
In short - It's something entirely new, exciting, and in my humble opinion - something extraordinary! Let me explain how I got involved...
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Free To Be M.I.T.
Want to learn about statistical methods in the brain sciences? How about brush up on your single variable calculus? Well, you can do all of this and more without ever getting out of your pajamas. Sound too good to be true? How about if I throw in a bunch of M.I.T. professors to teach it all to you. . . for free!?!
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The Sideshow (and also the circus)
The American Geophysics Union meeting got a fair amount of press coverage, notably for a deliberately high-profile talk by Jim Hansen, and a couple of other climate change related talks by Lonnie Thompson and Richard Alley. Each of these talks took place in huge and packed rooms, and the speakers certainly had interesting points to make. The problem with this sort of thing is that it may leave people with the wrong idea of what a scientific conference is and what it is for.
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Over to you...
by Find out anything you want to know about Antarctic life and science... from how long you have to wait to book your Antarctic beach holiday to how we go to the toilet when camping in temperatures of -40 Farenheit. All you have to do is ask!
The Beauty of Old Science
Science of the 1800's always seems filtered to us through a sepia-colored imagination. There's a warmth & beauty to the feel of the time that is so different from the cold and clinical aesthetic of modern science. It's that whole romantic image of manuscripts, mechanical tinkering & taxidermied falcons, that you just don't get sitting in front of a laptop in a lab today.
A different kind of "behind the scenes"
Teacher, public speaker, writer, lab rat...my job changes every day.
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Science is Life.
How do we pursue a collective push for improving the state of things? As a nation, there are some major decisions to be thinking about over the coming year and right now is the greatest opportunity to emphasize our national priorities while everyone is paying attention.
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Opting In
So in the last entry I began a discussion of just how much more energy those of us living in the industrialized world use to eat what we want to eat, buy whatever we want to buy, live where we want to live, and go where we want to go. Considering the strain this lifestyle puts on global resources it seems it could better be described as eating too much, buying too often, living where we shouldn't, and just generally going too far.
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How to Say When
So I'm back from an extended Thanksgiving holiday and I've been thinking about overconsuming. The percentage of my wardrobe that I can wear without feeling as though it's an act of mortification seems to be decreasing at alarming rate, but that's just the beginning.
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Ebola: beyond the hype
Ebola. The name conjures mental images of death and sickness unlike any other. Much like "Black plague" or "AIDS," "Ebola" is a disease which has transcended medicine to become a part of our popular culture. And like AIDS, it has done this in a remarkably short period of time.
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Simple is Beautiful: Why I love my science
So we've admitted human induced climate change is real. We've seen the sharp rise in carbon dioxide levels over the last few decades and we've accepted that the evidence is now overwhelming. But how many of us have stopped to think how we know all these things?
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I Know What You're Thinking
So we had trouble settling on a name for the segment Face Reader. The software being demonstrated in the segment is called Mind Reader. Why not name it 'Mind Reader' you ask. Or should I say, why not name it 'Mind Reader' I ask on your behalf.
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The Universe, on TV
WIRED Science is not the only science show that launched on television this year. A number of channels are making new science-themed TV shows, with others under discussion. This is good news for everyone! The second season of the History Channel's new show "The Universe" has begun airing, and there's some fun stuff coming up.
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Tiro the Moonlighting Robot
I guess this is what it's come to now...even robot teachers are on the lookout for extra cash. Here's Tiro (a project developed by Hanool Robotics) teaching English to elementary school kids in South Korea:
Holiday Ethics or Blatant Humbuggery?
I live in the Eastern chunk of Hollywood, California (near Silver Lake, for you ironic t-shirt-wearing hipsters). This past Monday, the 19th, I was caught up in the worst traffic jam of the year. "What happened?" I wondered. "What sort of terrible accident has clogged even the sneaky side-streets that usually pave my way home? Geez, I hope no one died..." Then it donned on me. The "terrible accident" was, in fact, the first evening of the annual DWP Holiday Light Festival that illuminates a mile of Griffith Park, which you may remember from such wildfires as "May of This Year." Perhaps it was the hour-long drive that should have taken ten minutes that got me unreasonably riled up, but I was REALLY MAD at the Festival: "A month and a half of unnecessary traffic?!! Why, the very IDEA!!! (or something similar but with more swears)" The anger was lame on my part, I admit, and as the bubbling chemicals from my limbic system began to ebb I wondered how a light festival that stretches a mile long could possibly be good for an energy crisis.
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The Hole Story: A Penguin's Nemesis
With all the fuss about climate change these days it's easy to forget about the hole up there in the ozone layer. Does it still matter? Why hasn't it gone away yet? And most importantly, does it really suck penguins out into space?
Every day I work with the very instrument used to discover the hole in the ozone layer so hopefully I can shed some light...
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An Easy Cell
There's been a breakthrough in stem cell research that could have profound implications for how research on the science and medicine is done, especially in the USA. This research touches on issues that continue to spark lively debate, and that changed the research landscape in the USA, compromising some competitiveness. How these new results will change things will be interesting to watch.
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Judgment Day: the Intelligent Design trial in Pennsylvania
NOVA takes on the "intelligent design" advocates tonight!
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Reflecting on the Quantum
Do you think of quantum physics as something weird? Irrelevant? It is not weird, really, and your life depends on it in so many ways. The problem is more to do with the way the subject is presented.
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Is Antarctica Melting?
The short answer is yes, parts of Antarctica have certainly been melting at an accelerated rate in recent years.
But wait a minute...
As some areas of the continent warm up (as a result of recent climate change) melting increases but snow accumulation increases too. The overall Antarctic contribution to sea level rise depends on the sensitive balance between melting and accumulation, so the real question is: Is more snow melting or falling?
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Art, Butchers & Science
Related to last week's segment on Body Builders, I've been quite interested in following the "issue of tissues" as seen through the lens of contemporary BioArt. Shawn Baily and Jennifer Willet, are artists from my old home town of Montreal, who've formed a research project called Bioteknica.
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On the Retention of Women in Science
We know women in academia make less than our male counterparts, are promoted more slowly, and hold fewer leadership positions. So what's the big deal about examining gender bias? Well, yesterday's Boston Globe Op-Ed by Cathy Young suggests there could be trouble past all the inquiry.
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The Age of Aquarius
Ever stare out at the great blue wondering what's going on below the ripples that seem so serene? When I do, I often envision the myriad of whales, corals, dolphins, turtles, sharks, and all sorts of critters going about their day in a maze of complex interactions that we can only imagine from up here. So what's really happening just below the surface?
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Scientific Group Wins Peace Prize
The Nobel Committee announced the award of this year's Peace Prize jointly to Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Gore is cited by the committee as " probably the single individual who has done most to create greater worldwide understanding of the measures that need to be adopted." Much attention will be duly given to Gore's role in doing exactly that, especially in the US. Still, it would be a shame if the attention to Gore's contribution completely distracts attention away from his co-recipient, the IPCC.
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Life In A Test Tube!
Okay folks, it's not marine biology, but this is tremendous news in the world of science...
Today The Guardian reports that Craig Venter has created a synthetic chromosome. Call it life imitating science fiction where the big question now is, what will this mean to you and me? Such a breakthrough will undoubtedly have enormous implications across disciplines and Venter suggests there is the potential for solutions to climate change while others warn of possible new weapons
for bio-terrorism.
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Tortoise vs. Hare
Politics, business, culture, and sports can be relied upon to provide some fodder for the news media every day, yet there's not that much sense of long-term improvement. Day to day changes in science are very small, and rarely newsworthy. We science writers have a lot to write about, but it's not usually about current events.
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