Mike the Mad Biologist
Archives for April, 2008
Expelled and the Challenge to Population Genetics
Posted by Mike on April 20, 2008 What? You thought I was serious? I’m Mad, not crazy. But the release of Expelled gives me an opportunity to note one facet of creationist stupidity.
Roger Ebert to Return to Film Criticism
Posted by Mike on April 18, 2008 Film critic Roger Ebert has been fighting cancer, but he’s getting back to work:
The Definition of Insanity Is When…
Posted by Mike on April 17, 2008 …the New York Times gives David Cay Johnston a buyout, and keeps Maureen Dowd on payroll.
Orange Juice: Is It Possible for the Entire Traditional Media to Jump the Shark?
Posted by Mike on April 17, 2008 You might have read about the latest conclusive proof that Democrats are the party of out-of-touch elitists: Senator Obama ordered orange juice instead of coffee. While many see this as an attempt to manufacture controversy, I think the hypothesis that the press corps is so stupid as to border on mental disability is operative here.…
Industry Pay, Doctors, and Bloggers
Posted by Mike on April 16, 2008 The NY Times has a story about the welcome trend of doctors who refuse to accept industry pay such as consulting fees for sitting on advisory boards. In one case, at least, bloggers played a role (italics mine):
Resistant Bacteria Stick Around for a Long Time
Posted by Mike on April 15, 2008 Well, it’s a better title than “Duration of Stool Colonization in Patients Infected with Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae.” What the authors were looking at is how long E. coli and K pneumoniae (another opportunistic commensal that is found in people at low densities) that carry resistance genes that encode enzymes known as…
Torture: I Hate It When I’m Right
Posted by Mike on April 14, 2008 Tristero, who is also disgusted by Bush’s de facto admission that he authorized torture, writes (emphasis original):
Some Sunday Science Blogwhoring
Posted by Mike on April 13, 2008 Here are some science links that you might have missed.
Income Inequality, Magic Ponies, and the Presidential Candidates
Posted by Mike on April 13, 2008 I’ve never understood why so many liberals and progressives think the Democratic field is strong. Yes, the candidates aren’t insane, but neither of them are particularly good on economic issues. There is nothing in either Clinton’s or Obama’s records or speeches that suggests that they will do anything significant to reduce income inequality, other than…
Falsification, Likelihood, and Intelligent Design Creationism
Posted by Mike on April 12, 2008 Steven Novella at NeuroLogica Blog has a great post explaining why ID can’t meet the criterion of falsification. How does one conclusively disprove the existence of the Great Vorlon?