Mad rantings about politics, evolution, and microbiology. Comment policy: say what you want, but back it up with an email address. I don't like anonymous trolls.
mikethemadbiologist
Posts by this author
January 11, 2011
All ones in today's date. Deepak Chopra is no doubt proclaiming some mystical significance. Let's counteract that with some intelligent links. Science:
Hope and Change coming to Texas State School Board: Dr. Michael Soto!
UPDATED Asian Carp DNA Found: Nothing Between Them and Great Lakes
A…
January 11, 2011
There are two sides to every story (at least), but often one of those sides is flat out stupid, if not immoral. Yet journalistic convention, in part, helps contribute to the tide of eliminationist rhetoric. That's a point I touched on yesterday, but RMuse fleshes it out much more:
...the main…
January 11, 2011
Kevin Drum describes a question he threw out to his readers:
So how to get at the difference? Well, I figured one possible way is this: if you really were a fairly ordinary upper middle class wage earner making $100K per year, and you had a 50-50 chance of either joining the ranks of the elite or…
January 10, 2011
A melancholic Monday. Let's improve the mood with some links. Science:
Energy Drinks
Why do women cry? Obviously, it's so they don't get laid.
NDM-1: More Evidence It Started in India
Conquering an Infinite Cave
Other:
The Shameful Attack on Public Employees
$1 Million Survey on Newark Public…
January 10, 2011
We're now seeing all of the civility trolls coming out of the woodwork. If by civility, one means "not engaging in violent eliminationist rhetoric", well, then I'm all for it. But what I'm concerned about is that honest criticism will be silenced. While I'm not as sanguine about political…
January 10, 2011
The NY Times' Matt Bai writes a predictable article about the Gifford shooting:
Within minutes of the first reports Saturday that Representative Gabrielle Giffords, an Arizona Democrat, and a score of people with her had been shot in Tucson, pages began disappearing from the Web. One was Sarah…
January 9, 2011
Links for you. Science:
George Will and Cognitive Dissonance
When adaptation doesn't happen
Tough bacteria use domesticated viruses to resist antibiotics
Ancient Jamaican bird used wings to go clubbing
Slimy secrets: Biofilm finding may provide new direction in antimicrobial research
Other:
What…
January 9, 2011
Marshall Auerback comments on the new 'creative' economy (italics mine):
Finally, there is the odious problem of political corruption, which manifests itself in many forms, but most recently through the cynical revolving door policy between Wall Street and government. Peter Orszag's move to Citi…
January 8, 2011
Kinda snowy still, but no accumulation. Doesn't stop the links though. Science:
Bees in freefall as study shows sharp US decline: Disease and low genetic diversity might have caused US bumblebee decline over the past few decades, say scientists
Autism and the Affluent
On Tame Sows and Wild Boars…
January 8, 2011
Just when we thought the Turkey Menace had disappeared, they're back:
Thanksgiving II: The Revenge
A Gardner Road [Brookline, MA] man told police that he and his 9-month-old son were "surrounded and attacked by six turkeys" at about 12:14 p.m. on Dec. 12. Police offered to dispatch EMS to treat any…
January 8, 2011
I can't figure it, myself. By way of driftglass, we come across this report indicating massive employee dissatisfaction:
Workers can't wait to dump their employers: 84 percent of respondents to a survey say they plan to actively look for a new job this year.
That's up from 60 percent who said they…
January 7, 2011
It's supposed to snow here. Kinda. Sorta. Not really. Well, just in case, let's lay in a supply of links. Science:
Grad School Cost of Living
'Rev the Scientific Engine.' Great. How?
The Importance of Vacation
Other:
The world is socialist
Cory Doctorow: Net Neutrality for Writers: It's All…
January 7, 2011
Potentially, anyway. One of the challenges facing infectious disease medicine in the developing world is the cost of diagnosis: diagnostic tests are often invented in wealthy countries with access to expensive equipment and supplies (and, in those countries, these don't seem very expensive at all…
January 6, 2011
Having grown up (or at least physiologically developed) in Virginia, this story about the totally awesome and rigorous history textbooks used in what are the wealthier counties in the state is not at all surprising, though depressing (italics mine):
In the version of history being taught in some…
January 6, 2011
A couple of weeks ago, Jonah Lehrer wrote about the Decline Effect, where the support for a scientific claim often tends to decrease or even disappear over time (ZOMG! TEH SCIENTISMZ R FALSE!). There's been a lot of discussion explaining why we see this effect and how TEH SCIENTISMZ are doing ok…
January 5, 2011
Happy Wednesday! Links for you. Science:
Pacifists or pugilists?
A Modest Proposal: Take "News" out of "Science News" (a point that could be made about most news reporting)
A big experiment in big science: Broad Institute's attack on disease brings answers, questions
Other:
Year 2010, Republicans…
January 5, 2011
...and there's another important date right around then. First, the crazy:
Exley is part of a movement of Christians loosely organized by radio broadcasts and websites, independent of churches and convinced by their reading of the Bible that the end of the world will begin May 21, 2011...
"A lot…
January 5, 2011
...or it won't be much of a revolution. Yesterday, I discussed the difference between a DNA sequencing revolution and a genomics revolution, and how we have a long way to go before there's a genome sequencer in every pot (or something). But let's say, for argument's sake, these problems are…
January 4, 2011
Links for you. Science:
Why I don't debate creationists anymore, part whatever
Science is not dead (Superb treatment of the decline effect)
The science vs. creationism debate exemplified on a facebook page
Other:
Massachusetts Sets Targets to Slash Carbon Emissions
Most Minimum Wage Earners Can't…
January 4, 2011
This report suggests that we either have a major public health problem or a significant theological event:
More than 10 percent of teens who said they were abstinent also tested positive for a sexually transmitted disease, says a study in Pediatrics released Monday -- a figure public health…
January 4, 2011
Last week, Forbes had an article about the advances in genomics, which focused on the Ion Torrent sequencing platform. It's a good overview of genomics and the Ion Torrent technology, albeit a bit much on the cheerleading side. For instance, this:
Audaciously named the Personal Genome Machine (…
January 3, 2011
Back to work. Got some links though. Science:
Ancient England: Before Homo Sapiens
How to afford a big sloppy genome
Former NIH Director Spins Through Revolving Door, Ends Up at Sanofi-Aventis
Other:
From the Pentagon to the private sector: In large numbers, and with few rules, retiring generals…
January 3, 2011
We typically don't think of money as technology, but money is very different than it used to be. Over at the Agonist, Bolo has two very good posts about the implications of having a fiat, non-gold standard currency, and in doing so, he gives a very good summary of modern monetary theory ('MMT')…
January 2, 2011
It reached 56F yesterday. In January. In Boston. Let's celebrate with some links. Science:
A stunning year in climate science reveals that human civilization is on the precipice. The first anniversary of 'Climategate', Part 1: The media blows the story of the century
U.S. Science-Funding Boost…
January 2, 2011
While I don't agree with Mike Konczal that Obama's greatest disappointment is his inability to lose well, for me, it's probably the second greatest disappointment (the greatest being the inability to focus on the employment deficit). At least, I did agree, but now I'm pretty certain I don't.
A…
January 1, 2011
Lots of ones in today's date. No doubt some woomeister is making a ton of money from that. Anyway, here are some links. Science:
That's How Science Works
Utilities Seek Fresh Talent for Smart Grids
There's plenty of time for evolution
Turnout low for Rhode Island's school-based flu-vaccination…
January 1, 2011
The largest political battle, barring something really stupid coming along, in the next few months will be over the attempt to raise the federal debt limit. While it sounds boring, it's critical to every budget item, including science funding. Without increasing the federal debt limit, the U.S.…
December 31, 2010
Happy Erev New Years! Links for you. Science:
A reversal on carbs: Fat was once the devil. Now more nutritionists are pointing accusingly at sugar and refined grains.
The Decline Effect Postulate Fails to Find Its Theory
Hospital meals make it difficult to control blood sugars
Other:
Will…
December 31, 2010
So maybe NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg isn't a centrist? 'Centrists', who seem to be beloved by the Washington political press corpse and few others, typically style themselves to be common-sense people who just solve problems--consider them the up-scale version of the "jus' folks" flapdoodle…
December 30, 2010
Links for you. Science:
Fixing the economy the scientific way: Worried about the economy? Try investing in scientific research -- it can solve problems and create jobs.
Are the old folks holding us back?
Patterns of human height & lifestyle
Other:
The Year Kenny Loggins Ruined Christmas
Panic…