Mike the Mad Biologist
Archives for September, 2007
Some Sunday Links
Posted by Mike on September 30, 2007 Happy October! Here are some links for you. Science-related stuff firstest:
Greenwald Asks and the Mad Biologist Answers
Posted by Mike on September 30, 2007 Glenn Greenwald asks: One of the more baffling aspects of “political journalism” in the United States is the mind-numbing obsession which most of the political press has with “horse race” analysis. …the major newsweeklies — or view any of the cable news shows [are] filled with the analysts who think they are the super-sophisticated insider…
Republican Outreach to Jews Is Working Almost as Well as the Outreach to African Americans
Posted by Mike on September 30, 2007 And some Republicans wonder why most Jews don’t vote Republican. Well, conservative talk radio is one answer. Here’s what conservative talk radio host Mike Rosen has to say:
Saturday Sermon: Maha on Non-Violence
Posted by Mike on September 29, 2007 Maha on how violent resistance often fails over the long run:
NASA Scientists Are Terrorist Sexbots
Posted by Mike on September 29, 2007 There are no NASA scientists in this picture (from here) Because if NASA scientists do science, the terrorists win. Or something. Over at Culture Kitchen, there’s a good series of posts about the new NASA security procedures that apply to all NASA employees. Parts one and two are worth reading, but the categories of offenses…
Myanmar: This Is What Courage Really Looks Like
Posted by Mike on September 27, 2007 Protester in Myanmar (from here) I don’t have much to add about the situation in Myanmar; maha has some good posts about it, along with AmericaBlog. But the above picture is a study in contrasts.
Intelligent Design Creationists: Still Liars
Posted by Mike on September 27, 2007 And, thankfully, the NY Times‘ Cornelia Dean calls the intelligent design creationists out on it:
Good Schools and ‘Bad’ Students
Posted by Mike on September 27, 2007 When I was a post-doc, I once advised a student who definitely needed some remedial language skills help (since then, said student has gone on to be a very successful doctor–I take no credit for the student’s success, but I just want to note that this student was very bright). What I learned is that,…
Professional Wingnuts: IDiots and Gay-Haters
Posted by Mike on September 26, 2007 In a great post over at Pandagon about a lesbian mother who confronted the rightwing ninnies at the Family Impact Summit, I came across this link to a good column by a former employee of the American Family Association (italics mine):
More on Kuhnian Revolutions: the SteveG Edition
Posted by Mike on September 26, 2007 In response to this blast from the past about Kuhnian scientific revolutions, SteveG has an interesting discussion about the inadequacy of Popperian falsification for understanding paradigm shifts, or to use Imre Lakantos’ phrase “research programme” (italics mine):