clock | March 30, 2009Truth or Consequences? Engaging the 'Truth' of Evolution:
John is the only one of the four evangelists who recounts Jesus' (possibly apocryphal) statement to Pilate that he was in fact a king whose role was "to bear witness to the truth; and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice." Pilate is said to have replied to this, "What is truth?"
This is a question that Jerry Coyne never really engages in his excellent new book [1], which purports to explain why evolution is "true." This raises the question of who his intended audience is. But we'll get there in a minute. First, make no…
clock | March 30, 2009You know I have been following the "death of newspapers" debate, as well as "bloggers vs. journalists" debate, and "do we need science reporters" debate for a long time now. What I have found - and it is frustrating to watch - is that different people use different definitions for the same set of words and phrases. "News", "reporting", "media", "press", "journalism", "Web", "Internet", "blog", "citizen journalist", "newspapers", "communication", etc. are defined differently by different people. Usually they do not explicitly define the terms, but it is possible to grasp their definition from…
clock | March 30, 2009This is today:
A Conversation with Dr. Oliver Smithies
Excellence Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
2007 Nobel Laureate
Moderated by Dr. Tony Waldrop, Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development
Monday, March 30, 2009
4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Room 527
Health Sciences Library
Light refreshments to follow
Join us for a chat with Dr. Oliver Smithies about the importance of information access to scientific research, especially his own. Audience participation will be encouraged. Don't miss this opportunity to have your questions answered by Dr. Smithies. You may also submit…
clock | March 30, 2009Optimal Running Speed Associated With Evolution Of Early Human Hunting Strategies:
Runners, listen up: If your body is telling you that your pace feels a little too fast or a little too slow, it may be right. A new study, published online March 18 in the Journal of Human Evolution, shows that the efficiency of human running varies with speed and that each individual has an optimal pace at which he or she can cover the greatest distance with the least effort.
Early Agriculture Left Traces In Animal Bones:
Unraveling the origins of agriculture in different regions around the globe has been a…
clock | March 29, 2009Nothing destroys authority so much as the unequal and untimely interchange of power, pressed too far and relaxed too much.
- Francis Bacon
clock | March 29, 2009
Here are the submissions to date. Please use the submission form to add more of your and other people's posts:
A Blog Around The Clock: Circadian Rhythm of Aggression in Crayfish
A Blog Around The Clock: Co-Researching spaces for Freelance Scientists?
A Blog Around The Clock: The Shock Value of Science Blogs
a k8, a cat, a mission: Moms asking for help
a k8, a cat, a mission: What does good mentorship look like?
a k8, a cat, a mission: Praise and Appreciation
a k8, a cat, a mission: Proximate mechanisms
a k8, a cat, a mission: The lives of women in science
Biochemical Soul: Darwin and the…
clock | March 29, 2009Missing Or Mutated 'Clock' Gene Linked To Vascular Disease:
The circadian clocks that set the rhythmic motion of our bodies for wakeful days and sleepy nights can also set us up for vascular disease when broken, Medical College of Georgia researchers say. Mice with mutated or missing "clock" genes are prone to thick, inflexible blood vessels with narrow passageways, unhealthy changes typically associated with risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure and cholesterol, according to research in this week's issue of Circulation.
Visual Learners Convert Words To Pictures In The Brain And…
clock | March 28, 2009The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.
- Mark Twain
clock | March 28, 2009Why Animals Migrate: New Understandings:
For the first time, MIT engineers and colleagues have observed the initiation of a mass gathering and subsequent migration of hundreds of millions of animals -- in this case, fish.
A Venomous Tale: How Lizards Can Shed Their Tail When Predators Attack:
University of Michigan ecologists and their colleagues have answered a question that has puzzled biologists for more than a century: What is the main factor that determines a lizard's ability to shed its tail when predators attack?
Hair Structures Of Blind Cavefish Inspire New Generation Of Sensors:
A…
clock | March 27, 2009Kim is excited:
It's official!
The Medbloggers are now a part of BlogWorld/New Media Expo 09!
Thanks to sponsorship from Johnson & Johnson and MedPage Today, the "Medlblogger Meet-Up" is now a reality.
But it is so much more than "just" a meet-up.
A full day of topics, voted on by the medical bloggers themselves, will be presented, with plenty of time to mix and mingle with our blogging colleagues.
Blog World/New Media Expo 09 will take place at the Las Vegas Convention Center the weekend of October 15-17.
New blogger, established blogger, podcaster or internet broadcaster, there is a…
clock | March 27, 2009If you write blog posts about PLoS ONE papers, you are eligible for a prize every month! I explain in some detail here, but this is the main point:
...every month, I will read all the blog coverage aggregated on ResearchBlogging.org and pick a blog post that, in my opinion, showcases the best coverage of a PLoS ONE article. I know, there is no way to quantify the "quality" of writing, so my picks will be personal. I will be looking for the posts that do the best job at connecting the center of the [science publishing] ecosystem - the paper - to the outside world. I will announce the winner…
clock | March 27, 2009Check out the show's web page:
Fifteen thousand years ago North America was like the Serengeti on steroids, with mega-creatures roaming a continent teeming with incredible wildlife. But then, in a blip of geologic time, somewhere between 15 and 35 magnificent large types of animals went extinct. In a television exclusive, NOVA joins forces with prominent scientists to test a startling theory that may finally explain the Last Extinction, on Tuesday, March 31 at 8pm ET/PT on PBS (check local listings). The program features scientists representing all sides of this debate.
clock | March 27, 2009Raising The Alarm About Chimpanzee Massacre In The Democratic Republic Of Congo:
Poachers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) threaten the existence of the largest remaining continuous population of chimpanzees in the world. This conclusion is drawn by Cleve Hicks, based on observations made during his 2007-2008 survey of towns, villages and forests in the Buta-Aketi region of the country.
Australia's Most Endangered Snake Might Need More Bush Burning:
Conserving Australia's most endangered snake might mean lighting more bush fires, ecologists have proposed. The last remaining…
clock | March 26, 2009Early in life I had noticed that no event is ever correctly reported in a newspaper
- George Orwell
clock | March 26, 2009Let's see what's new in PLoS Genetics, PLoS Computational Biology, PLoS Pathogens and PLoS ONE this week. As always, you should rate the articles, post notes and comments and send trackbacks when you blog about the papers. Here are my own picks for the week - you go and look for your own favourites:
Association of Tinnitus and Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity: Hints for a Shared Pathophysiology?:
Tinnitus is a frequent condition with high morbidity and impairment in quality of life. The pathophysiology is still incompletely understood. Electromagnetic fields are discussed to be involved in…
clock | March 26, 2009Diversity in Science Carnival #2: Women Achievers in STEM - Past and Present, is up on Thus Spake Zuska
The 108th Skeptic's Circle is up on PodBlack Cat
Grand Rounds Vol. 5 No. 27 are up on Code blog
Carnival of the Green #172 is up on The Evangelical Ecologist
clock | March 26, 2009BBC 4 had a fascinating half-hour show yesterday, interviewing Till Roenneberg and Helen Emsellem on all sorts of fascinating new findings in the field of human chronobiology. Well worth a listen. But hurry up as the podcast is available only for another six days! (what do they do afterwards? why such a limited time? archives should be freely available forever).