Mike the Mad Biologist

Gromia sphaerica: It's a Cool...Macrobe?

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 10:34:27 -0500

There's a neat Discovery News article about Gromia sphaerica, a very large testate amoeba:

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Political Controversy and Research

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:12:52 -0500

There's been a bit of talk about a recent PLoS Medicine article about the chilling effect of political controversy on research. The main conclusion--yes, political controversy surrounding topics including "the sexual health and/or orientation of adolescents; abortion; emergency contraception; condom use; anal sex; childhood sexual abuse; homosexuality; and the use of various harm reduction strategies" does influence researchers career and research decisions:

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The Net Neutrality Canard: A New Corporate Conservative Wedge

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:47:55 -0500

One of the fights that will have a significant long-term effect on the freedom of the press is over net neutrality. Oddly enough, conservatives, even though, at one point, the political blogosphere was predominantly conservative (no, really, it was), have been shrieking about the Fairness Doctrine.

Why?

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The Fourth, Unnamed Horseman of the Apocalypse That Is the GM Bailout

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:07:20 -0500

I haven't a clue as to how to proceed about the potential auto industry bailout, and anyone who can say with confidence about how the largest industrial bailout in U.S. history will play out is kidding themselves. My instinct is not to lose U.S. controlled industrial capacity on national security grounds. But to follow on something driftglass discussed, there seems to be one group of people who aren't getting blamed.

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Why the "Center-Right" Debate Is Maddening: It's the Lack of Statistics, Stupid

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:14:17 -0500

Many in the Punditocracy are proclaiming that the U.S. is a center-right country. While it's pretty obvious that they're saying this to justify their feeble pronouncements, that's not what really bugs me about this center-right hooey.

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Are We Talking About the Same Democrats?

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:30:33 -0500

Apparently, Al-Queda is quite...concerned about having Democrats in power. By way of maha, I found this David Ignatius op-ed, who quotes Sheik Yusuf al-Qaradhawi (italics mine):

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The Irrationality of the Health Insurance Market

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 10:15:38 -0500

One of the arguments for keeping private insurers in the healthcare system is that they will incentives to control costs. In Massachusetts, erm, not so much. First, some background:

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Why Political Corruption Matters: Dianne Wilkerson

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 11:26:10 -0500

I've been meaning to post about the corruption case involving former MA State Senator Dianne Wilkerson because it really lays out the most corrosive effect of corruption--a loss of trust:

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"Facts Alone May Not Completely Allay Fears": Sums Up the Theopolitical Rightwing Pretty Well

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 10:41:50 -0500

By way of Amanda, I came across this letter sent to employees of a company that had installed a hand scanner to replace punch-card system for workers checking in and out of work (boldface original; italics mine):

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How Will the GOP Rebuild?

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 08:40:00 -0500

Not that this is a real concern of mine, but something Kos wrote a while ago about the possibility of Huckabee becoming the RNC party chairman interested me:

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Long Term Problems for the GOP: Maps of College Grads, Independents, and Moderates

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:47:49 -0500

At the Washington Independent, Aaron Wiener has made a bunch of electoral college maps that show how the candidates would have done if only one particular demographic group had voted. First, registered independents:

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Change Needed at the CDC: Gerberding

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 10:37:42 -0500

In light of all the executive branch changes people are hoping for, I wonder how much longer CDC Director Julie Gerberding has. I'm guessing she's there until late January....

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The Real Impetus Behind the Republican War on Science

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:13:03 -0500

Admittedly, this isn't anything regular ScienceBlogs readers haven't seen before, but it's nice to see it enter the mainstream media (albeit eight years too late). Sharon Begley:

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Commensal Bacterium May Reduce Crohn's Disease Outbreaks

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:28:09 -0500

A recent paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that the gut bacterium Faecalibacterium prausnitzii reduces the recurrence of ileal Crohn's disease.

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Interesting Dig at NY Times Public Editor by NYT Columnist

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:40:52 -0500

You don't see this every day: Charles Blow, the NY Times visual Op-Ed columnist, takes a dig at the Times' Public Editor:

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