clock | June 26, 2007You probably know by now, but you can access for free (at least for a couple of days) a whole slew of articles about evolution on the Science page of New York Times. Most are excellent, as usual (hey, it's not the front page or some lukewarmly-pro-creationist he-said-she-said op-ed they tend to publish every now and then).
Most of the blogospheric responses are to the article by Douglas Erwin. As always, framing something as conflict sells the paper. I don't think we are all eagerly awaiting a 'paradigm shift' in evolutionary biology. Much of the new thinking has been around for decades…
clock | June 26, 2007Apophenia, danah boyd's blog is one of the first blogs I ever read and have been reading more-or-less continuously over the past 3-4 years (since she took a class on framing with George Lakoff and blogged about it).
She is probably the most thoughtful analyst of online behavior. There are thousands who can write about technology and "killer apps", but she understand better than anyone the users' point of view: what works and what not and why.
Her ethnographic/sociological/anthropological/psychological approach to the study of the Web is, to me, much more insightful than any technology…
clock | June 26, 2007The Union of Concerned Scientists has picked the 12 finalists in their cartoon contest and it is now your turn to vote for the best one.
While I personally prefer the TomTomorrowesque #9, I think that the simpler cartoons, e.g., #2 and #10, may 'frame' the issue the best (i.e., making it simple and not limiting itself to just one or two topics, e.g., global warming). You take your own pick...
clock | June 26, 2007Why Starling Females Cheat:
While women may cheat on men for personal reasons, superb starling females appear to stray from their mates for the sake of their chicks, according to recent research. The study found that superb starling females (Lamprotornis superbus) cheat on their mates for a variety of reasons. Some females mate with subordinate males from within their social group when they need help to raise their chicks. (Superb starlings are cooperative breeders, meaning breeding pairs get help in raising chicks from other family group members.) This additional male then also acquires food…
clock | June 25, 2007We can neither put back the clock nor slow down our forward speed, as we are already flying pilotless, on instrument controls, it is even too late to ask where we are going.
- Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky
clock | June 25, 2007...to Katherine Sharpe, Rob Knop and Rev. BigDumbChimp, science bloggers extra-ordinaire.
clock | June 25, 2007A few days ago, Nature launched its newest Web 2.0 baby, the Nature Precedings.
It is very interesting to see the initial responses, questions and possible misunderstandings of the new site, so browse through these posts and attached comments by Pedro Beltrao, Timo Hannay, Peter Suber (and again), Kaitlin Thaney, Jean-Claude Bradley, Guru, Egon Willighagen, Deepak Singh, ChemSpy, Putting Down A Marker, Maxine Clarke, Bryan Vickery, Clarence Fisher, David Weinberger, AJC, Euan Edie, Tim O'Reilly, Dean Giustini, Peta Hopkins, Eric, mrees, Sally Wyman, Michael Jubb, Alex Palazzo, Marie, Corie…
clock | June 25, 2007Karen is looking for a nice new banner for her blog. Biochemistry, science, medicine and journalism are the themes. Go wild with your creativity!
clock | June 25, 2007Dum Luk's
The Glass is Too Big
Bugs 'n' Gas Gal's Lair
Angry Toxicologist
My Dinner with Andre the Giant
Future Majority
Barbarian Blog
clock | June 25, 2007For information, check my older posts here and here. The most recent e-mail is copied+pasted under the fold.
Forgive me if you've already received this email. This is a very important moment as our Senators decide whether or not they will stand with the People of Colorado and the U.S. House of Representatives.
PCEOC / Not 1 More Acre! / Grassland Trust
Action Alert - Continue calls
June 25, 2007
Please continue calling and activate your email lists, blogs and phone trees today to encourage people to PHONE Senators Ken Salazar and Wayne Allard TODAY AND EVERY DAY THIS WEEK .
The Senators…
clock | June 25, 2007Bees Seem To Benefit From Having Favorite Colors:
A bee's favourite colour can help it to find more food from the flowers in their environment, according to new research from Queen Mary, University of London. Dr Nigel Raine and Professor Lars Chittka from Queen Mary's School of Biological and Chemical Sciences studied nine bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) colonies from southern Germany, and found that the colonies which favoured purple blooms were more successful foragers.
How Dads Influence Their Daughters' Interest In Math:
It figures: Dads have a major impact on the degree of interest their…
clock | June 24, 2007I've been a little behind (as in 'few weeks') in adding the blogs I tagged in my Blogrolling for Today posts into the actual Blogroll but I caught up with that a few minutes ago. That Blogroll is a Monster! But, check it out anyway - at least check if your blog is there and if the link is correct. I don't know how useful it is to anyone, but having about a thousand blogs personally chosen and listed in one place is better than browsing tens of millions of blogs that are in existence out there.
Anyway, I am looking for a new newsfeed. Having this many blogs listed is tough on any newsfeed…
clock | June 24, 2007The new edition of What's up postdoc? is up on Being a Scientist and a Woman
Carnival of the Godless #69 is up on The Uncredible Hallq.
clock | June 24, 2007Professor Steve Steve, Wesley Elsberry, Tara Smith and Jason Rosenhouse [edit: Part 3 is now available] went to that funny new "museum" in Kentucky and report about it so you don't ever have to go yourself!
clock | June 24, 2007By Kidoakland: Abel Guillen: the Rise of the Millennials:
In my recent and direct experience, millennials are engaged, groundedly idealistic and willing to make careers that will change their nation and world over the long haul. I see this every day. Even among the youngest of this consort, the strains of progressive politics run deep and wide. That counts for something. These young Americans may have grown up with Madison Avenue and Hollywood cliches of political activism, but their own actions are no less idealistic even if they go on under the cover of less flamboyant and more conventional…
clock | June 24, 2007
Individual Differences In Sleep Structure Are Biologically Determined:
Sleeping pattern variability has long been attributed to differences in several non-biological factors. Now a study from the Sleep and Performance Research Center at Washington State University Spokane, Wash., has shown that these individual differences are in large part biologically determined and may even prove to be genetic in origin.
North Carolina Coastal Economy Vulnerable To Sea Level Rise:
A new report finds that North Carolina's coastline will continue to experience significant loss in land area, property and…