ScienceBlogs

Envoronment

• July 5, 2009

• Uncertain Principles

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  Genesis 11:1-9 (Slight Variation) A reading from the Book of Genesis: 1 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. 2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land...

• Mike the Mad Biologist

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  On Scientific Embargoes: What Exactly Would Journalists Investigate? This highlights one of the fundamental problems inherent in science journalism: covering research findings, unless it's really shoddy science (which happens), is 'churnalism.'

• Dispatches from the Culture Wars

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  Another Crazy Poker Hand Here's a crazy hand I played on Friday night at the casino. It's a $1/$2 no limit hold em game and I'm in the big blind with As Kh (the ace of spades and the king of hearts). The player...

• Dispatches from the Culture Wars

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  The Award For Most Uncomfortable 4th of July Holiday Goes To... Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina: Gov. Mark Sanford will spend the long Fourth of July holiday weekend with his wife, Jenny, and their family in Florida, his office said today. Sanford will leave for Florida on Friday morning... Jenny...

• Dispatches from the Culture Wars

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  New Professionalism in Prince George's County, Maryland Here's another cop getting violent with someone and lying about it on his police report: Prince George's County police are reviewing the actions of an officer who arrested a motorist on charges of slugging and tackling him during a traffic...

• Dispatches from the Culture Wars

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  Kozinski Issues Unnecessary Apology Remember that ridiculous brouhaha over Judge Alex Kozinski having a private server that was inadequately protected, allowing those who knew how to look and went snooping to find - gasp! - a few emails he had sent on to friends...

• Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)

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  Was the Earth Designed for Life? This video provides an unbiased look at whether Earth's favorable conditions for life prove that a loving God planned it that way all along. (Hint: There's no other explanation.)

• Effect Measure

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  Freethinker Sunday Sermonette: when the winner is a loser Second prize: a free vacation. First prize: you keep you sanity.

• July 4, 2009

• The Primate Diaries

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  Declaration of Secularism Inspired by the nation's birthday, Larry Arnhart at Darwinian Conservatism has a few thoughts about the term "the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God" as it appears in the Declaration of Independence: That phrase provokes questions. Do the "Laws...

• The Primate Diaries

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  Rove Suggests Palin's Resignation a Ploy to Run There has been much speculation as to why Sarah Palin announced her sudden decision to withdraw as Governor of Alaska Friday. Nate Silver at 538.com speculates: There seem to be three* basic theories to explain why Sarah Palin decided to...

• Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)

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  The Declaration of Independence In this video, you'll get a chance to hear the entire document read by some of Hollywood's A-list celebrities. But the words are the real stars. It's not a perfect document. But it is one of history's most important.

• The Primate Diaries

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  Today in History On July 4th, 1852, Frederick Douglass gave a speech at an event commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence, held at Rochester's Corinthian Hall entitled, "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro": What, to the American slave, is...

• The Primate Diaries

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  On this Independence Day Danny Schecter asks, how independent are we? "This isn't just about Madoff. This is about the system in which Madoff's scam took place. This is about systemic fraud and malpractice, the cultural trade of due diligence for easy profit. It's...

• bioephemera

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  Fireworks + Gas Works + Seattle = environmental lawsuit In Seattle, a venerable fireworks show has become the subject of a legal dispute between locals and the city - and since this is Seattle, it's only to be expected that the dispute is over environmental impacts. But it's not...

• Gene Expression

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  I don't get political punditry Palin's Move Shocks G.O.P. and Leaves Future Unclear: Many Republican strategists have argued that it would be difficult for someone to run for governor in 2010 and turn around immediately, while running a state, and run for president in 2012....

• Neuron Culture

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  When fighting insurgents, eat with the locals "There's a reason that counterinsurgency mantras include Get Off The FOB and Don't Commute To The Fight. The greater the distance -- not just physically, but also culturally -- from a populace, the fewer opportunities U.S. troops have to demonstrate to that populace that U.S. actions are in their interest."

• erv

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  Video from Anti-Silly-Sally Rally! Via DAM10N, video from Kerns 'morality proclamation' that is both nauseating and inspiring :) So, Im starting the betting pool: What is Sally Kern/her psycho hubby going to be outed with? Oxycontin? Boinking babies? Maybe theyre illegal immigrants! Normal people...

• Dispatches from the Culture Wars

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  Palin's Resignation I spent Friday evening at the casino playing poker all night, so I didn't see the news about Palin's resignation until I got home around 2 am (which is when I'm writing this). This is absolutely bizarre, there's no other...

• Dispatches from the Culture Wars

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  Turkey Doesn't Get Reality TV A network in Turkey is dipping its toe in the reality TV pool with a rather novel idea: A new show set to grace Turkish television screens will see a Muslim imam, a Christian priest, a Jewish rabbi and a...

• Dispatches from the Culture Wars

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  Dumbass Quote of the Day From a Worldnutdaily article about Joe the Plumber that declared, "He's Back!" When, exactly, did he ever leave? Her husband, Greg Holloway, said the protest will also feature doctors who will offer insight about the reality of government health care....

• Greg Laden's Blog

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  Bachmann on Census "It is pretty bad when Glen Beck cuts you off for being too crazy."

• Pharyngula

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  What is it with atheists and GLBT folk? There is a strange correlation: most of the atheists I know are straight, yet when I post a pointless poll like this one, I know with near certainty which way the godless hordes of Pharyngula will try to skew it....

• July 3, 2009

• Pharyngula

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  Quitter That wacky know-nothing up north, Sarah Palin, has quit her job as governor. She doesn't give a good reason why; in an annoyingly chipper speech, she whines about the way she was being scrutinized for ethics violations, and the fact...

• Neuron Culture

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  CJR: The health-care reform debate as Groundhog Day It's been 26 years since health-care reform failed. Does the debate reflect anything that's happened since?

• Gene Expression

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  Sarah Palin resigning, the Obama effect? Palin announces resignation: Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin announced Friday that she was resigning her office later this month, a stunning decision that could free her to run for president more easily but also raises questions about her political standing at...

More ScienceBlogs

Avian Flu

The recent swine influenza outbreak has brought the fear of a global pandemic to the forefront of the public consciousness. But before pigs, the suspected carriers of the next pandemic were of the avian species. But what does it mean to have swine or avian influenza and how do they differ from the regular flu? Can you be vaccinated against it? How do these viruses spread from animals to humans? Read the ScienceBlogs posts below to find out!

Effect Measure December 28, 2008

Another flu paper that "unlocks the secret" of 1918 virus virulence

We're learning important things. This evidence strongly suggests that some feature of the polymerase complex allowed the virus to invade the lower respiratory tract and lung tissue of ferrets. Understanding that is a big step forward, a direction different than we have been looking up to now, where much work has gone into the difference between bird and human receptors in the upper and lower respiratory tracts.

Not Exactly Rocket Science June 21, 2008

Round peg, square hole - why our bird flu drugs are a fluke

The world's nations are stockpiling two drugs, Tamiflu and Relenza, to counter the threat of a bird flu pandemic. These drugs work by blocking a key protein that allows the virus to spread. But two years ago, a study revealed the structure of this protein and in doing so, shown that both Tamiflu and Relenza only work through a fortunate fluke.

Effect Measure August 6, 2008

What killed people in the 1918 flu?

Most people in 1918 who got flu didn't die of it and the ones that did probably died mostly from secondary bacterial pneumonias. But now we have to ask what this has to do with today's pandemic planning assumptions.

Aetiology January 26, 2006

Pandemic Influenza Series

Day 1: History of Pandemic Influenza. Day 2: Our adventures with avian flu. Day 3: Challenges to pandemic preparedness. Day 4: 1918 influenza virus reconstructed. Day 5: How ready are we, and what can YOU do?