Archives for May, 2009
Linux tip: GUI ssh/ftp
Posted by Greg Laden on May 24, 2009 ftp is for transferring files over networks, and ssh is for doing that plus more. These are pretty easy to use command line tools, but there is a program in Gnome that provides an excellent GUI interface for them. gFTP: To comment on this post, please visit this open thread on my old blogs. The…
The Chemical Industry: Without it, you would all die of terrorism!!!!
Posted by Greg Laden on May 24, 2009 You have noticed, no doubt, that the latest and most common banner ads on Scienceblogs are for Americanchemistry.com, a blogospheric entity representing a handful of Chemistry special interest organizations. (“Without chemicals, life itself would be impossible.” and all that.) Which is fine, who cares? But what I want to draw your attention to is the…
Yes, my comments are borked
Posted by Greg Laden on May 24, 2009 Something is wrong with my site. Comments appear to be totally screwed up. This situation started on Friday, and I informed Scienceblogs Central of this. Since then I’ve been off the internet, wandering through the wilderness in the Great American Southwest. The tech people are aware of this, but I have not heard any details…
Librarians = Open Access and New Media Advocates
Posted by Greg Laden on May 24, 2009 hat tip Bora, where you can find more.
Radical Librarianship
Posted by Greg Laden on May 24, 2009 John Dupuis is the Head of the Steacie Science & Engineering Library, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada. And now he is blogging at Science Blogs about all sorts of radical librarian stuff. Check it out.
New Global Warming Predictions: Bad news and really bad news.
Posted by Greg Laden on May 23, 2009 One item is just published in the Journal of Climate. Simply put, the use of some very sophisticated and probably quite trustworthy models suggests that extratropical cyclones (so this means winter storms and such, mainly) will have a good deal more precipitation in them. In the model … … There is a small reduction in…
Aliases for your Linux command
Posted by Greg Laden on May 23, 2009 The example Sean gives us here is probably kind of dumb. One of the more useful aliases is for people trained on another system who want things like “dir” to give you a directly lesson (so you set dir to be an alias of ls, with whatever options you like).
Which is better, cats or dogs?
Posted by Greg Laden on May 23, 2009 Cats: More cat: Dogs: More dog: Bonus Kitties:
Jonathan Haidt on the moral roots of liberals and conservatives
Posted by Greg Laden on May 23, 2009 Minnesotans: The Flying Spaghetti Monster Needs You!
Posted by Greg Laden on May 22, 2009 Consider attending the Flying Spaghetti Monster Dinner Fund Raiser for Minnesota Atheists on Sunday, May 31st Details here.
Using the Bash complete Command
Posted by Greg Laden on May 22, 2009 This is mundane but important. A word on the command line. I recently read a critique of Linux written by some pinhead from Russia explaining in detail why Linux was not “desktop ready.” Which is laughable. Anyway, Dweeb claimed that one of the reasons that Linux was not desktop ready is that it is not…
Metablogging on Ida the Fossil
Posted by Greg Laden on May 22, 2009 Mat Nisbet’s Framing Perspective: Interview w/ The Scientist on Ida’s Media Strategy Creationists react to Darwinius masillae at Dr. Joan Bushwell’s Chimpanzee Refuge. Google co-opts Ida. Thus creating Gidagle. Creationists freak out over Darwinius (In case you have not seen, here’s my non-meta straight-up science writeup: Ida the Fossil Primate)
Ten interesting things you didn’t know about orgasms (Mary Roach)
Posted by Greg Laden on May 22, 2009 “Bonk” author Mary Roach delves into obscure scientific research, some of it centuries old, to make 10 surprising claims about sexual climax, ranging from the bizarre to the hilarious. (This talk is aimed at adults. Viewer discretion advised.)
Science blogospherics
Posted by Greg Laden on May 22, 2009 It is handy to think of energy as all being the same thing but operating at different wave lengths. So the kinetic energy of ocean waves blends into the also kinetic energy of sound waves, which blends into things like infrared heat waves and microwaves and light waves. But that would be wrong. See: Light…
Rewriting Comrade Physioprof
Posted by Greg Laden on May 22, 2009 … I admit, sometimes I just want to delete the guy. But at least for now, stet wins the day, and instead of erasure I’m calling for some heavy editing. I recently made this challenge to those poking around at Almost Diamonds that they should have a look at PhysioProf’s non-rules (follow the links above…
New Geo Paper from Mars Rover “Opportunity” Out Today
Posted by Greg Laden on May 22, 2009 The Mars rover Opportunity has explored Victoria crater, a ~750-meter eroded impact crater formed in sulfate-rich sedimentary rocks. Impact-related stratigraphy is preserved in the crater walls, and meteoritic debris is present near the crater rim. The size of hematite-rich concretions decreases up-section, documenting variation in the intensity of groundwater processes. Layering in the crater walls…
Vatican Gets Facebook Page, iPhone Apps
Posted by Greg Laden on May 22, 2009 Pope Benedict XVI has entered the world of social networking sites and smartphones with a Vatican portal that includes Facebook and iPhone applications. The Pope2You Web site was launched Thursday and allows Facebook users to send virtual postcards with photos of Benedict. An application for iPhone and iPod Touch gives surfers video and audio news…
Wisconsin … the funnylooking state.
Posted by Greg Laden on May 21, 2009 For those of you who have never seen Wisconsin, have a look at my friend Elizabeth’s blog to get an idea. Really; It pretty much looks like this everywhere I’ve been in the state, and I used to live there.
Climate Change Bill
Posted by Greg Laden on May 21, 2009 James Hrynyshyn points us to the Waxman-Markey bill and tells us where to learn more.
The Google Magic Circle (examples)
Posted by Greg Laden on May 21, 2009 Hat Tip: Joe
Poll: Should parents be allowed to refuse cancer treatments for their children?
Posted by Greg Laden on May 21, 2009 Seriously, you may want to participate in this poll. Via Pharyngula.
Is the Upper Midwest a center for medical denialism?
Posted by Greg Laden on May 21, 2009 I was quite dissapointed this morning to hear the Minnesota Public Radio station interview a guy who had kept medical treatments from his son several years ago withoiut asking some of the truly critical questions that would be needed in this kind of situation. In that case, the father claims, doctors claimed that the boy…
Is this an appropriate facebook photo?
Posted by Greg Laden on May 21, 2009 Probably not, but not for the reasons suggested by the subject of this excellent post by Sheril Kirshenbaum.
Blogospherics
Posted by Greg Laden on May 21, 2009 Why Girls Don’t Like Math Girls like to look at Pink while contacting the dead Cancer, cults, and kids Chemotherapy refusenik Daniel Hauser: On the way to Mexico with his mother? Phylogenetic roulette and the identification of sea monsters Gender Rule Follow-Ups
The dumbest thing I’ve seen all day.
Posted by Greg Laden on May 20, 2009 … almost. This is the Solar Birdhouse. The idea is that the bird house sits there and collects energy from the sun all day and stores it in a battery, then at night, there is a kind of nightlight that lights up the perch on the front of the birdhouse. According to the ad that…
Ida the Fossil Primate
Posted by Greg Laden on May 20, 2009 You probably know that there is a new primate fossil, nicknamed “Ida,” and that there is quite a buzz about it. Darwinius masillae, aka Ida Ida comes from fossil deposits in Germany, and was originally excavated in two different parts by private collectors, and only recently rejoined and recognized for the amazing fossil it is.…
Genie Scott Interview
Posted by Greg Laden on May 20, 2009 Dr. Eugenie Scott of the National Center for Science Education will be interviewed next week on “Culture Shocks” by Barry Lynn, Executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. The interview is planned for Tuesday the 26th, at 4pm EST/1pm PST. Details will be posted here. Live feed will be here The…
Don’t mess with Tex …
Posted by Greg Laden on May 20, 2009 … tbooks. (get it?) Josh Rosenau, of the National Center for Science Education, has a piece in Seed online: The National Center for Science Education, in Oakland, CA, where I work, has tracked hundreds of attacks on evolution education in 48 states in the last five years. In the last two years alone, 18 bills…
Somebody’s got to stand up to the experts on evolution!?!!?
Posted by Greg Laden on May 20, 2009 It’s hard to stand up to brilliant people! This guy is OTT. I was waiting for him to explode the whole time. Ouch ouch ouch ouch. My brain hurts now.
Homeschooled child snatched from the jaws of life by religious mother
Posted by Greg Laden on May 20, 2009 I really have nothing against homeschooling, but it must be admitted that among the homeschoolers, there is a disproportionate share of crazy people that should not be allowed near children. And, the way homeschooling operates politically, the children of homeschooling families are less likely to be rescued from their abusing parents (when there are abusing…
, which is now available for the 
