A Blog Around The Clock
Archives for June, 2006
Why fish in the Arctic seas do not freeze?
Posted by Coturnix on June 29, 2006 Here is a wonderful new study that demonstrates that the antifreeze substances in notothenioid fish are not produced by the liver as was believed for decades and taught in Comparative Physiology courses. Instead, it is produced in two places: most of it in the exocrine pancreas, and somewhat less in a portion of the stomach…
Sleep Experiment in Space
Posted by Coturnix on June 29, 2006 The absence of light-dark cycles in space (e.g., on the shuttle or space station) results in disruptions of sleep. It has been proposed that humans who spend prolonged time in space are suffering from jet-lag – the internal desynchronization of clocks in various tissues. A new experiment on the space station will take a somewhat…
It’s hard teaching evolution in public schools in some places
Posted by Coturnix on June 29, 2006 Evolution’s Lonely Battle in a Georgia Classroom: OCCASIONALLY, an educational battle will dominate national headlines. More commonly, the battling goes on locally, behind closed doors, handled so discreetly that even a teacher working a few classrooms away might not know. This was the case for Pat New, 62, a respected, veteran middle school science teacher,…
Kevin in China, part 5 – His Legend Preceeds Him!
Posted by Coturnix on June 29, 2006 The fifth installment just came in – read under the fold. (Oh, and BTW, I was wrong – the installments ARE in the correct chronological order)
Assault on (Higher) Education – a Lakoffian Perspective
Posted by Coturnix on June 29, 2006 This post was first written on October 28, 2004 on Science And Politics, then it was republished on December 05, 2005 on The Magic School Bus. The Village vs. The University – all in your mind.
Tesla links of the day
Posted by Coturnix on June 29, 2006 Apparently, there is yet another movie made about Tesla this year. Violet Fire Opera is an opera about Tesla. It will open in National Theater in Belgrade on July 10th. There is some stuff about the history of radio and moving pictures. Both essays mention Tesla’s contributions. Tesla Roadster is creating quite a buzz. I…
Obligatory Readings of the Day – Publius is on the roll
Posted by Coturnix on June 29, 2006 WHY DAVID BRODER AND MARSHALL WITTMAN THREATEN DEMOCRACY: If you look out over the landscape and think that both sides are equally bad and that the answer is somewhere in the middle, then you aren’t looking very closely. In fact, you’re not looking at all. You’re letting a pre-existing concept (the vanity of your own…
Science Teachers in action
Posted by Coturnix on June 29, 2006 The fifth part of Kevin’s snake research in rural China is coming up on this blog today at noon. How do you think Kevin became such a scientist at such a young age? And how can we get more Kevins? Answer: science teachers in our schools. That is why we need to help teachers make…
There need not be anything wrong with Kansas…
Posted by Coturnix on June 28, 2006 …if we all pitch in an help the challengers to get elected to the Kansas School Board – those people who are trying to replace the Creationists and get science education in the state back on track. How can you help? Josh Rosenau of Thoughts From Kansas has all the information put together so you…
It was the battery….
Posted by Coturnix on June 28, 2006 …so now you know. CFeagans, Mike Dunford and Dave S. were the closest to the correct diagnosis in the comments. You should start a car-repair show on NPR, guys! I also needed – badly – new front tires and alignment. Total cost = St.Peter’s scrambled eggs!