The Scientific Activist
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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Recent Posts
- Video Primer on Animal Research
- US to Consider No Longer Calling Mandela, ANC "Terrorists"
- McCain's Own Agents of Intolerance
- More Political Interference at the EPA
- The Gas Tax Suspension: Political Pandering of the Worst Kind
- Pervasive Political Interference at the EPA
- China Behaving Badly
- Senate Passes Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act
- South African Unions Prevent the Delivery of Arms to Unstable Zimbabwe
- Do You Want to Be Able to Crap Gold?
Recent Comments
- Organic Chemistry on Senate Passes Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act
- Tom Holder on Video Primer on Animal Research
- Asia on Video Primer on Animal Research
- James on Video Primer on Animal Research
- brian t on US to Consider No Longer Calling Mandela, ANC "Terrorists"
- KeithB on McCain's Own Agents of Intolerance
- Azkyroth on McCain's Own Agents of Intolerance
- Nick Anthis on McCain's Own Agents of Intolerance
- Joshua on McCain's Own Agents of Intolerance
- Mike on McCain's Own Agents of Intolerance
Most Popular Posts
- Why Are Veins Blue? (17 Apr 08)
- Metric System (Apparently) a Plot by Liberal Communist Anti-American Immigrants (13 Oct 07)
- Bush Administration Muzzled Surgeon General (11 Jul 07)
- A Sun Ray a Day.... (19 Jun 07)
- Study Finds Alcohol and Tobacco More Harmful than Marijuana, LSD, or Ecstasy (23 Mar 07)
- A Shocking Decrease in Funding of NIH Grants (12 Sep 06)
- Psychedelic Psilocybin Psychology (14 Jul 06)
- Cloning - Who Cares? (10 Jul 06)
- An Inconvenient AP Story for Republicans (28 Jun 06)
- Organic People Chemistry (16 Jun 06)
- Oxford Scientists Bite Back at Animal Rights Activists (26 Feb 06)
- NASA Science Censor Resigns (08 Feb 06)
- George Deutsch Did Not Graduate From Texas A&M University (06 Feb 06)
- Caught in the Line of Fire: Animal Rights Activists Take Over Oxford (15 Jan 06)
Useful Resources
News for a Scientific Activist
- Curbs to be relaxed on stem-cell consent - Times Online
- A crash course in true political science - International Herald Tribune
- Experience With Syria Exemplifies Challenge That Detection Presents - Washington Post
- Bihar Science Congress uncertain - Hindu
- Chris Mooney: Lab geeks need to toughen up, get involved - Dallas Morning News
- Global warming - The Daily Star
- Attacking Earth Day and a Soap Opera Kiss (and the case of the ... - Atlantic Free Press
- Not an Emergency - Washington Post
- Leading climatologist demystifies the science of global warming - Santa Cruz Sentinel
- Longevity High on Agenda for International Science Congress in Croatia - ITTF
Recommended Reading
Donate to the Cause
For additional details on these science-related causes, click here.
Science Advocacy
Scientists and Engineers for America
(donate here)
The National Center for Science Education
(donate here)
Alliance for Science
(donate here)
Kansas Citizens for Science
(donate here)
Kansas Alliance for Education
(donate here)
Science Education
ScienceBlogs/DonorsChoose Challenge
(donate here)
South African Education and Environment Project
(donate here)
Project Exploration
(donate here)
Animal Research
The Foundation for Biomedical Research
(donate here)
Americans for Medical Progress
(donate here)
HIV/AIDS
The Stephen Lewis Foundation
(donate here)
Security
Federation of American Scientists
(donate here)
Conservation
Blogroll/Links
Election 2008 The Good Stuff
- Aetiology
- Bad Astronomy
- A Blog Around the Clock
- Daily Kos
- Dispatches from the Culture Wars
- Migrations
- NASA Watch
- The Panda's Thumb
- Pharyngula
- Pure Pedantry
- RealClimate
- Research Blogging
- Respectful Insolence
- Sciam Observations
- ScienceBlogs
- Of Two Minds
- Afarensis
- Bad Astronomy
- A Blog Around the Clock
- Blogs for Industry
- Celcias
- Climate Change Action
- Cosmic Variance
- Deltoid
- Denialism Blog
- DeSmogBlog
- Dispatches from the Culture Wars
- Dot Earth
- Effect Measure
- Engineering Science
- Evolgen
- Greg Laden's Blog
- Hope for Pandora
- The Intersection
- Island of Doubt
- It's Getting Hot In Here
- The Lay Scientist
- Migrations
- Mike the Mad Biologist
- MindFull
- Nanopublic
- NASA Watch
- Page 3.14
- The Panda's Thumb
- Pharyngula
- Prometheus
- Pure Pedantry
- RealClimate
- Respectful Insolence
- Responsible Nanotechnology
- Sandwalk
- Sciam Observations
- ScienceBlogs
- Science Progress Blog
- Sex Drugs & DNA
- Speaking of Research
- Stranger Fruit
- Sustainablog
- Synthesis
- Terra Sigillata
- Thoughts from Kansas
- Adventures in Ethics and Science
- Cocktail Party Physics
- Jacks of Science
- Liberal Debutante
- Mind the Gap
- Neurophilosophy
- Of Two Minds
- Uncertain Principles
- Aetiology
- Badscience
- Cognitive Daily
- The Daily Transcript
- Everyday Scientist
- Gene Expression
- GreyThumb
- The Loom
- Nature Blogs
- Not Exactly Rocket Science
- PLoS Blog
- Pondering Pikaia
- Research Blogging
- Science Blog
- Sciencebase Science News
- Stan's NMR Blog
- Stem Cell Research Blog
- Atheist Revolution
- Blogzilla
- LivePaths
- Media Matters
- NY Times
- Oxford Internet Institute
- PressThink
- Slate
- Wired Blogs
Archives
- May 2008 (5)
- April 2008 (7)
- March 2008 (7)
- February 2008 (16)
- January 2008 (7)
- December 2007 (3)
- November 2007 (7)
- October 2007 (15)
- September 2007 (16)
- August 2007 (17)
- July 2007 (20)
- June 2007 (7)
- May 2007 (3)
- April 2007 (4)
- March 2007 (12)
- February 2007 (4)
- January 2007 (16)
- December 2006 (5)
- November 2006 (22)
- October 2006 (9)
- September 2006 (16)
- August 2006 (28)
- July 2006 (34)
- June 2006 (38)
- June 2006 (old site)
- May 2006 (old site)
- April 2006 (old site)
- March 2006 (old site)
- February 2006 (old site)
- January 2006 (old site)
Other Information
About
Welcome to The Scientific Activist, your source for news and commentary on science...
...and politics...
...and the exciting areas where these dynamic fields clash.
Recognizing science as a path toward understanding nature, distinct from corporate and other applications, The Scientific Activist opens up a new dialogue on the proper role of science in an ever changing society. The truth isn't always black or white, but an informed public is an empowered one, so I won't shy away from the complex issues. Most importantly, though, The Scientific Activist takes on the people and obstacles standing in the way of the progress and proper application of science. Enemies of science, beware!
In May 2005 I graduated from Texas A&M University, where I researched blood vessel development, a fascinating phenomenon essential for normal development but also an active contributor to disease, especially in cancer. No stranger to politics or the media, I was president of the Texas Aggie Democrats and later a science writer and opinion columnist for Texas A&M's student newspaper, The Battalion.
I'm currently a graduate student and Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford pursuing a D.Phil. (Oxford's equivalent of the Ph.D.) in biochemistry. I use NMR to study the structures of cell surface proteins in order to understand how human cells sense and react to their surroundings. In my free time I enjoy reading, traveling, SCUBA diving, and playing tennis, and I somehow find a bit of time to blog now and then.
Read more about the photos above here. Photo credits go to my awesomely sciencey girlfriend, Meredith Clancy:
