Reporting from the Crossroads of Science and Politics
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An Oxford graduate student by day and a scientific activist by night, Nick Anthis isn't letting his Ph.D. research in protein structure get in the way of defending scientific and social progress.
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July 31, 2006
Category: travel
After over two weeks on planes, trains, and automobiles (actually, more like planes, buses, and boats)--on a trip that involved a wild weekend in Newcastle, a relaxing week and a half on a small island in the Norwegian fjords, and...
Posted by Nick Anthis at 9:45 AM • 0 Comments •
July 28, 2006
Category: Fantastical Fridays
Genetic engineering holds a great deal of promise, but it can only be used on things that are "alive". Still, scientists have found other ways to make the stuff of genes, DNA, come alive in more artistic ways.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 7:45 AM • 0 Comments •
July 27, 2006
Category: capitalism
If sellers are allowed to compete freely without any regulations, market forces will inevitably drive down prices and improve the quality of services so that everyone wins. Right?
Posted by Nick Anthis at 7:45 AM • 3 Comments •
July 26, 2006
Category: drug industry
I'll be honest with you: sometimes I really don't know what to think about drug companies. I'll give them some credit, since unlike many of their peers they produce a product that is useful to society and has important humanitarian implications. I want to like them--I really do--but when I read about things like this, it becomes pretty difficult.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 7:45 AM • 2 Comments •
July 25, 2006
Category: universal health care
If Massachusetts were a physician, I'd have mixed feelings about visiting him or her. Sure, Dr. Massachusetts would be persistent and would try to make me feel better, but probably wouldn't do much to treat the underlying causes. Massachusetts would probably be an adept surgeon, but maybe not a great family doctor.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 7:45 AM • 7 Comments •
July 24, 2006
Category: universal health care
I had a great hassle-free trip to the doctor the other day, and it wasn't because I live in some fantasy world. I live in England.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 7:45 AM • 7 Comments •
July 21, 2006
Category: Fantastical Fridays
If you know what I'm talking about, and if you are in fact "cool", then you might also be interested in these recent research findings about the surprising lack of negative health affects associated with marijuana.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 7:45 AM • 2 Comments •
July 20, 2006
Category: marijuana
Which of the following does not belong: (a) abortion, (b) medical marijuana, or (c) physician-assisted suicide? According the Supreme Court, the answer is (b) medical marijuana
Posted by Nick Anthis at 7:45 AM • 7 Comments •
Category: stem cells
After it passed in the Senate on Tuesday, Bush proved he was as stubborn as promised and vetoed HR 810, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, on Wednesday. This was another step backwards for science in the US and a...
Posted by Nick Anthis at 3:33 AM • 1 Comments •
July 19, 2006
Category: Pro-Test
In the ongoing struggle against animal rights extremism, Oxford's pro-research organization Pro-Test held a public meeting in May at which people expressed support for animal research from a wide variety of perspectives.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 7:45 AM • 2 Comments •
July 18, 2006
Category: stem cells
I'm on vacation right now, but I had to come out of hiding for this one. HR 810 passed in the senate today, 63-37. That was enough to meet the 60 vote mark for passage, but it won't be enough...
Posted by Nick Anthis at 8:12 PM • 2 Comments •
Category: stem cells
As the Senate votes today on HR 810, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, this post from the archives describes how the ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research has negatively impacted some researchers. In light of these...
Posted by Nick Anthis at 7:45 AM • 4 Comments •
July 17, 2006
Category: stem cells
As debate begins today on HR 810, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, this post from the archives describes how some states have had to find their own solutions for supporting embryonic stem cell research in the face of a...
Posted by Nick Anthis at 7:45 AM • 4 Comments •
July 14, 2006
Category: travel
By the time you read this, I'll already be on a bus bound for Newcastle, where I'll spend the weekend before heading off to Bergen, Norway, for some much needed relaxation. I'm going to be gone for a couple of...
Posted by Nick Anthis at 11:45 AM • 0 Comments •
Category: Fantastical Fridays
Now here's an experiment I would have liked to take part in. Researchers from Johns Hopkins systematically test the psychological effects of the hallucinogenic drug psilocybin, and the results are pretty positive. Not only that, but a significant number of participants rate the experience as the single most meaningful one of their lives!
Posted by Nick Anthis at 7:45 AM • 8 Comments •
July 13, 2006
Category: religion
Although Francis Collins' goal of improving relations between science and religion is probably a worthy one, he seems to be all too willing to sacrifice his own scientific ideas when they contradict his religious views.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 10:45 AM • 5 Comments •
July 12, 2006
Category: biology
Australia is a scary place now, with more creatures that can kill you than anywhere else. Apparently, though, it used to be even more terrifying, with "killer kangaroos" and "demon ducks of doom" roaming about.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 7:59 PM • 2 Comments •
Category: stem cells
It has been announced that the highly anticipated debate and vote in the Senate on HR 810, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, will take place on July 17th and 18th (next Monday and Tuesday). This is great news, but...
Posted by Nick Anthis at 7:10 PM • 0 Comments •
Category: stem cells
Bush hasn't used his veto yet, but he's promised to employ it on, of all issues, stem cell funding. Not surprisingly, this is indicative of the general Republican Party attitude toward the field.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 8:51 AM • 12 Comments •
July 11, 2006
Category: open access
Bad: PubMed Central isn't looking too hot. Good: UK research councils are starting to make public access manditory.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 7:45 AM • 0 Comments •
July 10, 2006
Category: blogosphere
It looks like everyone has a new angle on the recent Nature science blog rankings. Now, my blogging platform, Movable Type, is claiming its own bragging rights, noting that 30 of the 50 top science blogs are "powered" by Movable...
Posted by Nick Anthis at 10:22 PM • 3 Comments •
Category: Nikola Tesla
Since my Ph.D. research is on protein NMR, I would be remiss if, as we celebrate his 150th birthday, I didn't mention Tesla's connection to my field--particularly since the unit for the strength of a magnetic field bears his name!
Posted by Nick Anthis at 7:56 PM • 2 Comments •
Category: blogosphere
It looks like the good folks at Seed (thanks, Tim!) have fixed some of the posting problems that were plaguing ScienceBlogs over the weekend. This means that the system is no longer keeping me from, among other things, using the...
Posted by Nick Anthis at 12:32 PM • 0 Comments •
Category: Ask a ScienceBlogger
In 2006, cloning for cloning's sake isn't where it's at. Instead, the future of cloning lies in its applications to biomedical research. Today, that means, among other things, the prospect of using cloning to generate unique lines of embryonic stem cells.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 7:45 AM • 6 Comments •
July 8, 2006
Category: stem cells
On the 29th of June, the Senate finally announced an upcoming vote on HR 810, a bill which would overturn President Bush's current prohibitions on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. The progress of the bill still faces many hurdles, and a recent article in the journal Science did little to publicize them and in fact contained several problematic and even inaccurate statements.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 8:00 PM • 1 Comments •
Category: blogosphere
Word on the street is that people have had trouble commenting on some of the ScienceBlogs. I don't think there has been any trouble here, but if you have had any issues, give me an email at scientific.activist@gmail.com so I...
Posted by Nick Anthis at 12:59 PM • 0 Comments •
July 7, 2006
Category: Fantastical Fridays
Now I have an excuse for my behavior the next time I get into a bitter political debate: I can't help being defensive--it's hardwired into me! Those are the findings, at least, of a study led by psychologist Drew Westen.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 7:55 AM • 2 Comments •
July 6, 2006
Category: nuclear weapons
New developments in nuclear testing simulations may allow the US to sidestep current limits on nuclear testing imposed by the Nuclear Test Ban Treaties. However, although limiting nuclear testing is alone a means in itself, the fundamental purpose of the various Nuclear Test Ban Treaties was to encourage nuclear disarmament, in hopes of opening the door to a more peaceful and reasonable society.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 7:15 PM • 0 Comments •
Category: blogosphere
Yes, it's true. I've been called a "budding Matt Drudge." In a post on the recent Nature science blog rankings, The Tech Chronicles wrote: And Nick Anthis is a budding Matt Drudge. His revelations about a NASA official who was...
Posted by Nick Anthis at 5:40 PM • 0 Comments •
July 5, 2006
Category: blogosphere
This Thursday's issue of Nature ranks the top 50 science blogs on the internet and, somewhat surprisingly, The Scientific Activist lands in the #5 spot. The top 5, with their Technorati ranks in parentheses, are as follows: Pharyngula (179) The...
Posted by Nick Anthis at 6:17 PM • 1 Comments •
Category: blog carnivals
The newest edition of The Tangled Bank is up at e3 Information Overload. As usual, it's a great place to go and check out what people have been writing about in the science blogosphere....
Posted by Nick Anthis at 7:59 AM • 0 Comments •
July 4, 2006
Category: Ask a ScienceBlogger
One success of science influencing policy in a good way that might not be so obvious was the Partial Test Ban Treaty of 1963, which was largely influenced by the work of one scientist, Linus Pauling.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 9:33 PM • 5 Comments •
July 2, 2006
Category: events
The ScienceBlogs/DonorsChoose Challenge is now officially over, and Janet Stemwedel has the results at Adventures in Ethics and Science: 195 of you made donations. Together, those donations added up to $16,097.27. You also helped 4 of the 19 challenges meet...
Posted by Nick Anthis at 6:10 PM • 2 Comments •
Category: Pro-Test
I've been following Oxford's pro-research organization Pro-Test since its inception, and a few weeks ago I wrote a post describing its second large march through the streets of Oxford. Pro-Test has received quite a bit of well-deserved press in general,...
Posted by Nick Anthis at 5:33 PM • 1 Comments •
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