clock | September 22, 2008The Open Laboratory 2008 is in the works. The submissions have been trickling in all year, but it is time now to dig through your Archives for your best posts since December 20th 2007 and submit them. Submit one, or two, or several - no problem. Or ask your readers to submit for you.
Then take a look at your favourite bloggers and pick some of their best posts - don't worry, we can deal with duplicate entries. Do not forget new and up-coming blogs - they may not know about the anthology - and submit their stuff as well.
As we did last year, we encourage you to also send in original poems…
clock | September 22, 2008An oldie but goodie for the connoisseurs of my long political rants (May 11, 2005):
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I am not an economist. Actually, I have no background in economics at all, if one ignores "Capitalism for Beginners" and "Marx for Beginners".
Like all Yugoslavs of my generation, I suffered through a couple of years of "Marxism" classes back in high school and college - classes that both teachers and students hated and did the absolute minimum. My high-school teacher gave us not-so-subtle hints about what she thought about it. When it was time for Marxism class,…
clock | September 21, 2008Remember how long thou hast been putting off these things, and how often thou hast received an opportunity from the gods, and yet dost not use it. Thou must now at last perceive of what universe thou art a part, and of what administrator of the universe thy existence is an efflux, and that a limit of time is fixed for thee, which if thou dost not use for clearing away the clouds from thy mind, it will go and thou wilt go, and it will never return.
- Marcus Aurelius
clock | September 21, 2008Danica announced:
The third BlogOpen: meeting of all the participants in blogosphere (from authors, readers, IT workers to mainstream media) will happen on October 4-5 in in Bor, Brestovacka banja, Serbia. Main goals of this public meeting are:
1. Discussion about the topics and problems characteristic of this manner of public communication;
2. Realization of virtual communication in real, public space;
3. Calling wider public's attention to this mode of authors' presence and to the importance of an information society;
4. Promotion of an information society, electronic…
clock | September 21, 2008Miss Hoffman is using her blog for the second year in a row - she would like to see some guest-posts.
Miss Baker can use some of your help:
I would be excited to see scientists contribute to student-run science blogs! They could comment to student posts or submit their own post and converse with students. A conversation could continue with a video conference or an actual visit to the school. My students work so hard on their blog and would benefit greatly from input from scientists.
Perhaps we can get some of the science teachers with experience in using blogs in classrooms to bring their…
clock | September 21, 2008This post from November 26, 2004 was my fourth (out of five), and longest, analysis of the 2004 election. With Balkans and Creationism sprinkled in. How did it stand the test of time over the past 3.5 years?
Oftentimes, an outside observer can see what a native observer cannot. The native is too deeply immersed in one's own culture, takes too much for granted, sees too many things as "normal" ("doesn't everyone do it this way?") that an outsider finds highly idiosyncratic and unusual.
I spent the first 25 years of my life in a nicest country. Life was great. I had everything I wanted, and…
clock | September 21, 2008Under the fold....
Marine Debris Will Likely Worsen In The 21st Century:
Current measures to prevent and reduce marine debris are inadequate, and the problem will likely worsen, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Research Council.
Receptor Activation Protects Retina From Diabetes Destruction:
Diabetes can make the beautifully stratified retina look like over-fried bacon. A drug known for it pain-relieving power and believed to stimulate memory appears to prevent this retinal damage that leads to vision loss, researchers say.
Global Warming's Ecosystem Double Whammy:…
clock | September 21, 2008A new book explores the challenges of balancing motherhood and a career in science:
Editor Emily Monosson has collected the voices and personal stories of 34 mother-scientists working in various fields. In eloquent and often witty essays, these women directly address the challenges of being mothers in the scientific workforce.
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Essays in the book are arranged chronologically, according to the date by which the writer's PhD was conferred. The book opens with scientists who received their PhDs in the 1970s, and marches onward through the 80s and 90s, ending with the voices of…
clock | September 21, 2008Amy Harmon, a national correspondent covering the impact of science and technology on American life, answered questions from readers Sept. 15-19.:
Talk to the Newsroom: Amy Harmon:
Ms. Harmon, who won a Pulitzer Prize this year for her series, "The DNA Age,'' is part of a team of national reporters that focus thematically on contemporary social issues. She is interested in all the ways science and technology shape how we live. Her DNA series examines how ordinary people (including herself) are dealing with new genetic technologies that reveal perhaps more than we were ever prepared to learn…
clock | September 21, 2008The September 2007 issue of JCOM - Journal of Science Communication - (issue 3, volume 7) is online.: Next issue will be online on the 18th December 2008. There are several articles in this issue that I find interesting and bloggable.
Contents:
EDITORIAL - The better you know, the better you make your choice. The need for a scientific citizenship in the era of knowledge by Pietro Greco:
Martin W. Bauer is right, two evolutionary processes are under way. These are quite significant and, in some way, they converge into public science communication: a deep evolution of discourse is unfolding,…
clock | September 21, 2008A clock is supposed to tell time. Furthermore, it is supposed to do it accurately and precisely. These days, it is not too difficult to build a mechanical, quartz, digital or atomic clock that is marvelously accurate and precise. But if a clock is not so good, it will have a systematic error, i.e., it will go slightly too fast OR slightly too slow and will, over time, get seriously inaccurate.
On the other hand, a biological clock is messy - it relies on ineractions between molecules. Thus, it will display occasional fluctuations - getting a little bit ahead at one point, a little bit…
clock | September 21, 2008Just six days after we opened registration for ScienceOnline'09 there are already 52 registrants!
And some more people are blogging about it:
49 percent: Random
Biochemicalsoul: Science Blogging Conference in Research Triangle Park, NC!
Catalogue of Organisms: Open Lab 2008
Deep Sea News: Science Online '09
PODelation: Science Blogs
Lecturer Notes: ScienceOnline'09
Flying Trilobite: ScienceOnline'09
clock | September 20, 2008I have always felt that laughter in the face of reality is probably the finest sound there is and will last until the day when the game is called on account of darkness. In this world, a good time to laugh is any time you can.
- Linda Ellerbee
clock | September 20, 2008
The North Carolina scienceblogging contingent celebrated the millionth comment at the NC Zoo in Asheboro yesterday.
We met at 1pm and were first greeted by the Executive Director of the NC Zoological Society, Russ Williams, who also runs a delightful blog Russlings.
Then, we were taken on a delightful tour of the zoo by Jayne Owen Parker, Ph.D., the Director of Conservation Education of the Society. Dr. Parker's personal interest is in animal behavior, especially social behavior. As much as this is my own area of expertise, I have to admit that I learned a lot of stuff I did not know…
clock | September 19, 2008It is great when you write a blog post about somebody, then that somebody shows up in the comments and clarifies his position thus starting an interesting conversation (both in the comments and via e-mail), then you realize that his book-signing tour is bringing that somebody to your town, so you go there and meet that somebody in person and have a great conversation, which inspires you to write yet another blog post - the one under the fold....
It's too late and I am too tired to write a long post on this, but I know I won't have time tomorrow. All dirty, scrungly and unshaven after a day…
clock | September 19, 2008He who refuses praise the first time that it is offered does so because he would hear it a second time. -
Francois, Duc de La Rochefoucauld