mikethemadbiologist

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

...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…

...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…

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…

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…

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 (…

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…

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')…

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…

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…

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…

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.…

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…

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…

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…