August 23, 2006
Looking at my two yesterday's posts, one on science fiction and the other on LabLit, together with Archy's excellent post on history of SF, something, like a hunch or an idea, started to develop at the back of my mind (continued under the fold).
If you look at the way scientists are portrayed in…
August 23, 2006
One of the most gripping novels in the "Hot Zone" style I have ever read is "Rabies" (Besnilo) by Borislav Pekic.
The genetically engineered Rabies virus with a double protein envelope becomes extremely easy to transmit (biting is not neccessary any more) and spreads from one victim to another…
August 23, 2006
Not really a review of Greg Bear's "Darwin's Radio" and "Darwin's Children" but musing (practically SF itself) on the topic of these books (from April 20, 2005):
Did A Virus Make You Smart?
I've been reading science-fiction pretty much all my life. I usually go through "phases" when I hit on a…
August 23, 2006
After hearing Lynn Ponton on the radio and subsequently writing this, I read her book and wrote a brief comment about it (originally on June 14, 2005):
I recently finished reading The Sex Lives of Teenagers by Lynn Ponton. This interview is probably the best introduction to the book.
As parent of…
August 23, 2006
Carnival of Education #81 is up on Education Wonks.
Carnival of Homeschooling - It's a Swamp Thing - is up on Patricia Ann's Pollywog Creek Porch.
August 23, 2006
June 07, 2005 and another one of those....had to change all my answers so they differ from the previous one!
I got tagged by Revere to do the Book Meme. I did the Other Book Meme recently, which is similar, so this time around I have to make it different - all different titles to double your…
August 22, 2006
Facebook, always ahead of competition, just started a blog feature. While the Wall is a place to write notes to others, the Notes is the place to write on your own page.
You can edit or delete your posts and people can comment. I do not see any kind of e-mail notification for comments. Spam…
August 22, 2006
Apparently, there is more to this story than the first news articles revealed. Yes, Mrs. Lambert was fired and the Timothy from the Bible was cited, but only as a stupid cover-up.
August 22, 2006
Ezra Klein: BOOKS OF SAND (in keeping with my blog's book theme this week) and The Job Sen. Clinton Should Want
Amanda: Money and divorce go together like a horse and carriage
Dave Neiwert: Terror and Hate
August 22, 2006
It took only two months and 13 days for this blog to reach 1000 comments. The honors and a virtual prize, go to John McKay (aka Archy) who posted this comment just a few seconds ago. Thank you and keep 'em coming!
August 22, 2006
Biologist Trying To Crack Communication Code Of Proteins:
"Proteins interact; they 'talk' to each other," the associate professor says. "It's how they know what to do, and it's how most of the things that need to happen for living organisms get done."
---------snip--------------
"To begin…
August 22, 2006
Mr.WD posted the second part of his essay on Postmodern Christianity, focusing this time on the Exodus sermon by Rob Bell.
August 22, 2006
Kevin, lacking all the necessary literature out in the middle of China, is having some doubts about proper identification of one of the frogs. He sent an e-mail asking for help.
I know that many scientists read this blog, but are any of my readers Herpetologists? If so, check out the photos and…
August 22, 2006
Archy has a great summary of the history of planetary discovery, which puts the current question of Pluto and plutons in perspective. Did you know how Pluto got its name? Hint: it was not after Mickey Mouse's dog.
August 22, 2006
From January 30, 2006, a look at the "new" genre and the hype around it...
Lab Lit is all the buzz these days. Nature magazine had a recent article on it. Blogosphere is abuzz - see Hedwig's take on it.
SEED magazine has a contest. This is what they are looking for - it explains what they think…
August 22, 2006
What is your list of essential science-fiction books? I composed mine back on December 27, 2005 and I still agree with myself on it. Click on the spider-clock icon to see the comments on the original post.
A couple of months ago, Brandon (of Siris) wrote a post in which he listed twenty must-read…
August 22, 2006
A broken taxi, a mouthy snake, and a question about snake embryology.
Jiuchong, revisited
16 August
Day of rest. Day before I was at Banqiao, tomorrow I'm heading for Jiuchong. I discovered to my absolute horror that Independence Day has been taken off the air. My savior, my light at the end of the…
August 22, 2006
This review of Howard Gardner's "Changing Minds" I wrote on July 4, 2004 on www.jregrassroots.org and re-posted it on Science And Politics on August 25, 2004, so the political implications are quite outdated....
Book Review:
Howard Gardner Changing Minds
Yesterday I finished Howard Gardner's "…
August 22, 2006
This review was first written on April 14, 2005...
The final verdict has come from the shop: my computer is definitively dead, fried, kaputt. I will be scrambling for a replacament over the next week or so, but until then I cannot read 90% of the blogs (including my own), and while the car is in…
August 22, 2006
This was the first of several book-related memes I did, back on April 05, 2005. Follow the responses of people I tagged as well. And if you have not done this version yet, and you like the questions, then feel tagged and post your answers on your blog...
I was afraid this was going to happen. I…
August 22, 2006
OK, this is not a re-post of one old post, but three. The first one, from December 17, 2005, introduces Institutionalized. The second one, from January 20, 2006, adds some more info about the book. Finally, the third one, from May 17, 2006, gives a paragraph-long review of the book within a…
August 21, 2006
The 100th edition of Grand Rounds is up on The Examining Room of Dr.Charles.
August 21, 2006
If you are a blogger and you are in the Triangle area of North Carolina this Friday, I hope to see you at the Triangle Bloggers Barbecue. Sign up on the Wiki there if you know you can show up for sure.
Let's have fun kicking off the Fall '06 Triangle Blogger Season!
August 21, 2006
Archy on how politicians try to create conventional wisdom and on parallels between Balkans and Iraq.
Mr.WD on a new moevement within Christianity - Postmodern Christianity (part I).
Publius on the NSA ruling: Part I, Part II, Part III. Lindsay disagrees with some of his points.
Lance on '…
August 21, 2006
Several ScienceBloggers are reviewing Coming To Life today (see reviews by Janet, Shelley, RPM, Nick and PZ Edit: Razib has also posted his take), each one of us from a different perspective and looking from a different angle, so go read them to get the full scoop.
PZ Myers reviewed the book a few…
August 21, 2006
Church Fires Teacher for Being Female:
The minister of a church that dismissed a female Sunday School teacher after adopting what it called a literal interpretation of the Bible says a woman can perform any job - outside of the church.
The First Baptist Church dismissed Mary Lambert on Aug. 9 with…
August 21, 2006
Three interesting press releases/news-reports today. Click on links to read the whole articles:
Daytime light exposure dynamically enhances brain responses:
Exposure to light is known to enhance both alertness and performance in humans, but little is understood regarding the neurological basis for…
August 21, 2006
Why Piglets Shudder To Keep Warm:
Brown fat helps newborn mammals maintain their body temperature by burning fat, which converts into heat. The protein UCP1 (Uncoupling Protein 1) has a key role in this energy conversion, which takes place in the cell mitochondria.
No brown fat or UCP1 protein has…
August 21, 2006
This is not a re-post. This is a brand new book review.
What do you get when a scientist writes fiction? You get a novel that appeals to scientists who like to read fiction.
I know I'll incur the wreath of English majors now, but I skip over the "boring parts". If I am in a mood for a great turn…
August 21, 2006
This is not a real review - I never got to writing it - but it is about a book I mention quite often in my blog posts and think is one of the most insightful about the conservative mindset. Written originally on October 21, 2004:
Whenever a big black SUV with a "W" bumper sticker passes me on I-40…
