The Intersection

July 8, 2008

Oceans 14

Category: Marine Science

Well folks, it's that special time once again when we celebrate all things wondrous and marine... Carnival of the Blue 14 is now live over at The Blue Economy.

Posted by Sheril R. Kirshenbaum at 8:54 AM • 0 Comments

July 7, 2008

Do We Need Leatherback Turtles?

Category: Conservation

As I've written in the past, species are constantly blinking in and out of existence. This may or may not be of concern depending on your scale of interest. After all, extinction is the only real certainty.

Last month Andy Revkin asked, 'Does the world need leatherback turtles? '

Need, eh? Well, maybe he's posing the wrong question... We don't fully understand the ecological role of sea turtles, but we do know their numbers are a shadow of former abundance. Their loss is reflective of a growing global trend: the loss of ocean species through fishing down food webs and incidental bycatch. So many big critters are dwindling as we've altered the slowly evolved colorful diversity of animals living offshore.

Well folks, do we need leatherback turtles? Arguably, no. However, as J. Nichols responded, 'each lost species weakens us all, but the loss of sea turtles goes far deeper than the loss of a single thread in the fabric of life.'

Posted by Sheril R. Kirshenbaum at 9:24 AM • 6 Comments

July 3, 2008

Tropical Storm Bertha Sets Record

Category: Hurricanes

Meet Tropical Storm Bertha:

Chris may be driving across the desert, but he's always got an eye to developing storms and has asked me to post the latest while he's offline.

Bertha has formed in the far eastern Atlantic and according to Jeff Masters, this is the first time we're observing a tropical depression east of 34° longitude in the first half of July. Coincidentally, sea surface temperatures in the area are 2-3°C above average...

More at WunderBlog and from the National Hurricane Center.

Posted by Sheril R. Kirshenbaum at 12:44 PM • 6 Comments

The Chicken, The Egg, The Woman In Science

Category: Women in Science

According to ABC, a new study reports that women tend to drop out of research between their postdoc positions and running their own labs. I can't say I'm shocked. While personal anecdotes are not reliable evidence, by age 28 I've already seen this trend firsthand among my peers many, many times.

We ladies make up approximately 45% of postdocs, 29% of tenured faculty, and only 19% of those running independent labs. Yes I've written about this topic before, but what's different here is that researchers found no evidence of gender bias, but rather 'women's desire to be with their children trumped that of men's desire.' And most interesting is the suggestion that 'more women mentors could be a solution to the "dropout" problem'. Ummm, yes please.

"I think there is a paucity of 'role models for women' of accomplished researchers who have kids that turn out to be normal, because women don't go into the system, that just doesn't trickle down."

Right on! We need more visible women in science (and policy for that matter) blazing a trail by setting the example for the next generation that we can be independent and successful without sacrificing a desired lifestyle--whether as mothers, wives, or even fashionistas. Because the truth is, it's up to us (and that includes the fellas) to establish our own identities, which yes, can include taking on leadership roles in research and innovation.

So while I don't think a lack of role models accounts for the entire gender gap, perhaps it is, at least in part, the classic chicken and egg problem. We must place more bright and capable young ladies in the public eye who break the mold of what we've come to expect of a 'female in science'...

The question then to readers is, how do we get there?

Posted by Sheril R. Kirshenbaum at 10:04 AM • 25 Comments

July 2, 2008

Paradigm Sheep

Category: Framing Science

That's the title of my latest Science Progress column....even though the column itself is not entirely about sheep. Rather, it's a recounting of the Mooney-Nisbet science communication "boot camp" at Caltech....but, well, sheep came up, and believe it or not, it was in a pretty profound way.

Insofar as that's possible.

For more, read the column.

P.S.: Did anyone else notice Sheril subbing for me at Science Progress last week and writing a pretty profound column on the plight of postdocs? Even if you did notice, you may not know that this is her first piece of freelance science writing, and a very successful one at that...which calls for some applause, no?

Posted by Chris C. Mooney at 12:05 PM • 3 Comments

What Turned China's Yellow Sea To Blue-Green?

Category: Media and Science

Just before the Olympic Games, a 5,000 square mile blue-green carpet has covered China's Yellow Sea.

The event is likely due to excess nitrates from pollutants like sewage and agricultural run-off, which can act like extra fertilizer for plankton. (Remember The Simpsons?) While Chinese officials blame warmer waters--and yes, it may potentially exacerbate the likelihood of algal blooms--that influence more likely serves to compound the effects of a bad situation.

While it appears this species is not toxic, impacts may still be severe. Algae can deplete surrounding waters of oxygen and result in dead zones where little survives. And it's not just bad for fish, but socioeconomic implications can ripple out from unemployment in fisheries to the price of dinner.

Reports of the large-scale clean-up are mainly focused on whether this disgusting muck will impede sailing in the Olympics, but I'm afraid that's not our biggest concern. I'm wondering why algal blooms are occurring around the world with increased severity and frequency than before...

Posted by Sheril R. Kirshenbaum at 9:10 AM • 5 Comments

July 1, 2008

The Science of Attraction

Category: Culture

What is it about that person? You know the one... You can't explain it, but when they're in the room, no one else matters. You light up and feel more alive. Try to think of something clever to say... a joke, a story, anything that might invoke a smile. Attraction.

'They Always Do' is a track about this force of nature. A jazzy melody by singer/songwriter Heath Brandon on his new CD 'Stand Clear of the Closing Doors'. About sixteen years ago, Heath and I played percussion together in the Suffern Jr. High School orchestra. His voice was much squeakier back then and he didn't know it at the time (or maybe until this post), but I had crush on him. He was a year older and far better than me on drum set. I've always been a sucker for musicians... So what is attraction?

Biologists and psychologists say it all has something to do with pheromones--those chemical signals that could signify immune compatibility for offspring. Maybe. Cosmetic companies sure cash in on the concept. Or perhaps it's defined by the social norms and cultural expectations for cues we've been trained to pick up on. Or do we innately search for universal exhibitions of health and vitality like long shiny hair, voluptuous hips, or height? Still, these explanations don't account for the fleeting attraction to a passerby wearing the cologne of your first love, or the reason Norah Jones or that extra glass of pinot (or viagra pill for that matter) stirs up a different kind of drive. What is it that invokes desire?

The thing is, science hasn't got it all figured out yet. And I like that. Call me a romantic, but when there's something there, I'm not sure I want it measured and calculated. In fact, mystery is half the allure. And while my ephemeral preteen crush on Heath ended abruptly upon meeting a 9th grade soulful guitarist, I still do love his music. Readers will too. My favorite song on the album is the called 'I Can't Wait' about the very best kind of attraction... A head-over-heels-in-love desire to be with your partner:

More from Heath here.

Posted by Sheril R. Kirshenbaum at 9:10 AM • 8 Comments

June 27, 2008

Plight Of The Postdoc

Category: Education

This week I've composed my first column at Science Progress called 'Plight of the Postdoc: Is modern American science strangling its young talents in the cradle?' The piece explores some illuminationg--and troubling--figures about the arduous road ahead for many early career scientists.

At first glance, it might seem that American science finds itself in a kind of golden age. According to the National Science Foundation, the United States is graduating more Ph.D.s in science and engineering than ever before, with 29,854 in 2006 representing an all time high. Meanwhile, we spend more on research, employ more scientists, and publish more peer-reviewed research than all competitor nations. There's no end in sight, either: Just last week, the House of Representatives voted to boost the budgets of four key science agencies by $337 million.

Appearances, though, can be deceiving. Mounting evidence suggests that looming institutional shortcomings are eroding the ability of the so-called "science pipeline" to produce a healthy future national science infrastructure--and unless we shift the traditional paradigm rapidly, the consequences could be dramatic. Two recent studies underscore this point: One, from the National Institutes of Health, reports that the current generation of young scientists may be turning away from careers in research due to funding issues and the need for institutional change. Concurrently, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences' new report, "ARISE: Advancing Research In Science and Engineering," concludes that early-career researchers face greater challenges today than ever. The continual and grueling search for funding, the Academy suggests, fosters overly conservative decisions about laboratory research directions, which in turn impede the impact of government-funded science and thwart the careers of younger talents.

You can read the entire column here.

Posted by Sheril R. Kirshenbaum at 10:06 AM • 11 Comments

June 26, 2008

Women We Like

Category: Women in Science

'I wanted to blaze a trail as a woman in math--once I decided I probably couldn't be a baseball player.'

- Moon Duchin

A pioneer in mathematics, Moon hopes to do interdisciplinary teaching and research incorporating math and the humanities.

Moon has a keen mathematical intellect, which she brings to bear on problems of history, politics, and philosophy seldom touched by rigorous logic. Her essays and teaching breathe new life into the ancient idea that mathematics is the prerequisite for all serious thinking.

More at Scientific American...

Posted by Sheril R. Kirshenbaum at 12:02 PM • 2 Comments

June 25, 2008

Wired Geoengineering Feature Now Online

Category:

You can read it here. It starts like this:

It was one of the largest public demonstrations in US history. On June 12, 1982, an estimated 750,000 protesters thronged Central Park in New York City, chanting "No nukes!" and bearing signs reading "Reagan is a bomb -- both should be banned" and "Arms are for embracing." Some demonstrators called for unilateral US disarmament, others for renewing arms control talks with the Soviet Union. It was a diverse coalition that had been pulled together by Ken Caldeira, a 25-year-old activist and computer geek. Back then he was paying the rent doing software consulting on Wall Street, but his passion for the environment would eventually lead him to become one of the nation's leading experts on global warming.

Around the same time, at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory near San Francisco, Lowell Wood -- then 41 and a protégé of the brilliant and controversial hydrogen bomb inventor Edward Teller -- was leading a secretive team of young geniuses called the O Group. They weren't merely working with the nukes that Caldeira and his fellow peaceniks reviled; they were dreaming up new and expanded uses for them. One plan called for channeling the energy of a hydrogen bomb into laser blasts that could theoretically destroy enemy ballistic missiles from outer space. It sounded crazy, but Wood and Teller's ideas inspired President Reagan's famous March 23, 1983, "Star Wars" speech introducing the Strategic Defense Initiative, the bane of arms-control advocates everywhere.

What's surprising, then, is that today, 25 years later, Caldeira, the left-wing environmentalist, calls Wood, the Cold Warrior and Star Wars proselytizer, "one of my best friends." Recently, they have collaborated on strategies for a process known as geoengineering....

You can read the full piece here.

Posted by Chris C. Mooney at 11:11 AM • 1 Comments

Intersection Pick: EVO

Category: Conservation

Well I'm impressed...

It's called EVO or www.evo.com. The goal is simple: To increase transparency in the green market, decrease green washing, and encourage corporate responsibility.

In response to this increasing demand for product transparency, EVO spent several years developing an objective and scalable technology to screen millions of products for their green attributes. EVO publishes and rates the best products (<1% of all products screened, or 20,000 products thus far) on a one to five leaf scale. Not only that, but the fact that we do not sell any products (instead linking directly to retailers) lets consumers know that we are scoring products objectively, using a scientific method rather than letting green washing affect our opinions.

It's a simple idea, but an entirely unique and honest approach toward empowering individuals. The message is that we can all help to solve environmental problems by making smart consumer decisions everyday. Sound familiar? As Jane Goodall once said:

'Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference.'

And the small group of partially volunteer folks running the site certainly seem to agree with her. But you don't have to take my word for it, go visit EVO and judge for yourself...

Posted by Sheril R. Kirshenbaum at 8:56 AM • 0 Comments

June 24, 2008

The Not-So-Lost Brazil Tribe

Category: Culture

Real tribe. Not really lost.

Turns out, the photos were a hoax to call attention to the dangers of the logging industry.

The disclosures have been made by the man behind the pictures, José Carlos Meirelles, 61, one of the handful of sertanistas - experts on indigenous tribes - working for the Brazilian Indian Protection Agency, Funai, which is dedicated to searching out remote tribes and protecting them.

In his first interviews since the disclosure of the tribe's existence, Meirelles described how he found the group, detailed how they lived and how he planned the publicity to protect them and other tribes in similar danger of losing the habitat in which they have flourished for hundreds of years.

Regardless, don't take deforestation lightly.

Posted by Sheril R. Kirshenbaum at 8:02 AM • 4 Comments

June 23, 2008

My Wired Feature on Geoengineering

Category: Global Warming

The latest issue of Wired is now on newsstands, though not yet online. In it, I have a lengthy feature story about the scientific mainstreaming of geoengineering, which has occurred because of several trends:

1. Global warming seems to be moving even faster than scientists originally expected.

2. Political solutions seem to be evolving even more slowly than many pessimists would have expected.

3. One geoengineering idea--putting reflective particles in the stratosphere--is outdistancing all the other proposals and has become a clear, and apparently affordable, front-runner.

4. With possible climate catastrophes looming, a little extra stratospheric sulfur seems more and more of a tolerable outcome, environmental consequences notwithstanding. What would you prefer--a wrecked planet, or only a somewhat messed up one?

Accordingly, scientific minds are opening up to geoengineering as a real possibility--and especially as a last ditch "emergency response" measure to have on tap in case we reach the point where it's clear that, say, we'll lose Greenland if we don't act fast.

In this context, I build my Wired story around Stanford ecologist Ken Caldeira, an intriguing character because he's a big time environmental lefty--but, at the same time, has become increasingly interested in geoengineering, for the reasons mentioned above. Indeed, these trends have begun to collapse the distance between left and right on the issue, a clear indicator of mainstreaming.

I'll include some passages from the story in later posts--and will try to blog any reactions that emerge....

Posted by Chris C. Mooney at 12:59 PM • 8 Comments

'Love, Sex, and Lies in the Jungle'

Category: Media and Science

Meet Vanessa Woods... internationally published author, journalist, and [full disclosure] among my most interesting friends. I've just finished her latest book 'It's Every Monkey For Themselves: A true story of love sex and lies in the jungle' and cannot recommend it highly enough--An honest, funny, and poignant account of her research in Costa Rica with capuchin monkeys, it's the tale of a brave, independent, and fascinating young woman as she learns about life; kind of like Sex And The City meets Gorillas in the Mist. Her witty commentary and incisive perspectives kept me turning pages and sometimes wondering how she survived. I haven't enjoyed a read this much in years.

Unfortunately for me, but lucky for readers, Vanessa is off to Congo with her husband, professor of biological anthropology and anatomy at Duke, Dr. Brian Hare, to study chimps and bonobos. And while I'm going to miss them, the good news is all of us can follow their adventures at Bonobo Handshake, Vanessa's Congo blog:

'Imagine a relative who thinks sex is like a handshake. Who organises orgies with the neighbours, doesn't mind if their partner sleeps around, and firmly believes females should be in charge of everything. Imagine there was a whole tribe of these relatives - crazy yes? But definitely a lot of fun.'

Brian and Vanessa will begin at Point-Noire in the Republic of Congo, head to Brazzaville, and finally travel across the Congo River to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo to Lola Ya Bonobo sanctuary. [I hope readers will consider adopting a bonobo to help support this wonderful organization].

The Intersection will be checking in with Bonobo Handshake throughout the summer, but in the mean time, you can read more about Vanessa in her interview over at Bora's place.

Posted by Sheril R. Kirshenbaum at 9:46 AM • 0 Comments

June 22, 2008

This Morning In South Africa

Category: Culture

The animals are difficult to see and the density of the populations of grass eaters is very low right now... it is the dry season.
~ Nicolas Devos, Biologist and Wildlife Photographer

My favorite wildlife photographer, Nicolas Devos, is back in South Africa. This morning I was delighted to open four incredible new photographs from the field... images of lions, meerkats, and this one which I chose to feature here at The Intersection. It captures an ephemeral moment at the water's edge leaving me nostalgic to return to the magnificent country I visited this week last year.

Head over to Correlations to see a gorgeous big cat from the field!

Posted by Sheril R. Kirshenbaum at 11:10 AM • 1 Comments

June 20, 2008

When Weather Forecasts Disease

Category: Weather

NOAA's Conrad Lautenbacher describes it as 'science without borders': Scientists around the world are converging data on health, weather, behavior, and disasters to anticipate illness and prepare for pandemics.

It's called the Global Earth Observation System of Systems, recognizing that patterns and behaviors all about planet earth are intimately connected. Man-made delineations aside, we truly are One World and I'm encouraged that 73 countries and more than 50 international organizations have joined so far:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A cyclone wrecks coastal Myanmar, spawning outbreaks of malaria, cholera and dengue fever. Flooding inundates Iowa, raising an array of public health concerns. As these disasters draw attention to weather hazards, which many fear could be exacerbated by climate change, scientists are working to be able to better predict health dangers as they forecast the weather.

Read more here.

Posted by Sheril R. Kirshenbaum at 9:10 AM • 1 Comments