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If you lie down with dogs . . .

The US midterm elections have a nasty side, but so does another, less visible election, that for Director General of the World Health Organization. Thirteen candidates are vying for the position left vacant by the untimely death of Lee Jong-Wook in May. And the politicking is said to be fierce. One visible evidence is a new campaign against the Mexican candidate, Julio Frenk. Frenk is a well-regarded public health advocate for the poor who has been endorsed by the editor of The Lancet, the noted British medical journal (other posts on the election here and here). At issue is the role Frenk…

Little Axe, Oklahoma

Americans United has put up a story of religious discrimination from its files. Two women had a little problem with institutionalized religiosity in an Oklahoma public school district. In 1981, Bell had just moved to Little Axe and enrolled her children in the local public school system. At that time, school officials were allowing a teacher-sponsored student group called the Son Shine Club to gather before school to pray. Though the fundamentalist Baptist meetings were supposedly voluntary, the school buses dropped students off 30 minutes before classes started. Those who were not…

Freethinker Sunday Sermonette: The Preacher and the Slave

Sunday of Labor Day weekend. The Reveres are wending their way (separately) back to their home bases after a month on vacation (Mrs. R.:"Vacation? So how come you were blogging every day!"). Soon we'll be in the heaven of broadband after a month of dial-up. This heaven is here on earth, however, fiber optically speaking. Which brings us to our Sunday Sermonette, text by Joe Hill. Joe Hill (born Joel Emmanuel Haggland in Sweden) is one of the U.S.'s most famous labor activists and songwriters. An organizer for the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW, "the Wobblies") he wrote many songs, among…

Doomed to repeat it

It's a region where three major religions and various ethnic groups compete and pursue ancient grievances. It's a bad place for a war because things can easily spin out of control. The incident that sparked it all, the killing of two people by a terrorist, happened earlier in the summer but by the end of July it had started a war, with exhilaration and foreboding on both sides. There was regret over loss of life, yes, but it was balanced by the conviction the war would be short and just. All the previous wars, going back over 40 years were short, after all. More importantly, there was the…

Freethinker Sunday Sermonette: Oz without the Wizard

Sunday in the US. Since Australia is an 18 hour time difference I'm not exactly sure what day it is down there. But it doesn't make much difference because whatever day it is, the young folks are probably not in church. Or so says a new study, The Spirit of Generation Y (Gen Y are those born between 1976 and 1990). The survey was a joint project of Monash University, the Australian Catholic University and the Christian Research Association. Yes, there's hope yet for the younger generation, at least in Australia. Less than half believe in a god, with 20% outright atheists and another 32%…

Making even Indonesia look good

Indonesia has come under strong criticism because its agriculture department has been unable to cope with the avian influenza epidemic in its backyard and commercial poultry. Among other things, Indonesia doesn't have an effective mandatory surveillance program for the infection in birds. Guess who else doesn't have one? The U.S. Agriculture Department's failure to develop a "comprehensive" program to monitor for bird flu could leave the country unprepared if an outbreak happens, a bipartisan group of senators said on Friday. In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, six lawmakers…

Bird flu picking up speed

In the first six months of 2006 the number of countries detecting infected birds has doubled. Case fatality remains extraordinarily high. And limited human to human transmission, with at least one moderately large cluster is becoming more evident. WHO continues to say most human infections come from poultry, although the evidence for this is not conclusive. Many cases have scant or no history. The feared easy person to person transmission has yet to occur, but the virus is not standing still. It continues to change genetically and move into wider and more varied niches. Sixty countries are…

Faith hurts

Since a Wall Street Journal editorialist has denounced secularism as the source of all of society's ills, it's only fair to get another opinion. Like, say, of a social scientist who has actually done a comparative study of different nations, looking for correlations between religiosity and superior moral values or stability or whatever. Surely, faith-based societies will have some virtues, won't they? Uh-oh. The results don't look good for believers. In general, higher rates of belief in and worship of a creator correlate with higher rates of homicide, juvenile and early adult mortality, STD…

New Mommy on the Block [Sciencewomen]

I'm the new mommy blogger here at ScienceBlogs. I don't write about the latest ground-breaking research in my field. I don't even publicly reveal what my field is. What I do write about are my experiences as an early career scientist who also happens to be a woman. I share my life as the mother of a spunky seven-month old girl who has already "helped" with field work and seminars. I describe the dramas of being a first-year assistant professor, scrambling to write lectures and grant proposals and figure out what "service" means, while trying to be home for a little playtime before my…

Friday Fun: The 5 Most Terrifying Ways Doctors Went Crazy on the Job

Er, this one is pretty disturbing, perhaps not suitable for summer entertainment. But still, sacred cows are always a target here in the Friday Fun space: The 5 Most Terrifying Ways Doctors Went Crazy on the Job. And thankfully, I'm about mid-way between checkups so I'll have plenty of time to forget about his one... #1. The Doctor Who Gave His Girlfriend a Corpse Hand Everyone has done something a little embarrassing in the name of love. We've all stood outside someone's window with a guitar, or, you know, lovingly dismembered a corpse to offer as a tip for our stripper girlfriend. Wait,…

Friday Fun: Bridalplasty: The New Reality Show That Proves We're Doomed

I generally try and avoid reality TV at all costs, mostly seeing as a sign of the coming apocalypse. But this new one shocks even me and seems to stretch the bounds of sanity. Sometimes I think only a wordsmith like HP Lovecraft could describe the existential horror these shows provoke. Cracked has a scorching take on it here. On E!'s Bridalplasty, 12 brides-to-be have to live in a house together, away from their fiancees, competing in challenges for four months. If they do well in their challenges, they'll get a new cosmetic enhancement each week but, if they do poorly, they could get…

Ask A ScienceBlogger (Round Two): the Results are In!

For this week, ScienceBlogs editorial asked its cabal of bloggers to answer, if the spirit moved them, the following question: Will the 'human' race be around in 100 years? More consensus this week than last -- but that is the nature of a yes/no question. Luckily, there was some fine exposition along the way. The good news: at least 7 out of 10 ScienceBloggers expect humanity as such to endure for at least ten more fun-filled decades. Their answers, glossed and linked, below the fold. At Cognitive Daily, the Mungers answer: yes, but.... In 100 or, more likely, 1000 years, advances in…

Best Science Books 2016: WIRED

As you all have no doubt noticed over the years, I love highlighting the best science books every year via the various end of year lists that newspapers, web sites, etc. publish. I've done it so far in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013,2014 and 2015. And here we are in 2016! As in previous years, my definition of "science books" is pretty inclusive, including books on technology, engineering, nature, the environment, science policy, public health, history & philosophy of science, geek culture and whatever else seems to be relevant in my opinion. Today's list is WIRED’s Required Science…

Best Science Books 2016: The Globe and Mail 100 Best Books of the Year

As you all have no doubt noticed over the years, I love highlighting the best science books every year via the various end of year lists that newspapers, web sites, etc. publish. I've done it so far in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013,2014 and 2015. And here we are in 2016! As in previous years, my definition of "science books" is pretty inclusive, including books on technology, engineering, nature, the environment, science policy, history & philosophy of science, geek culture and whatever else seems to be relevant in my opinion. Today's list is The Globe and Mail 100 Best Books of the…

Best Science Books 2016: Boing Boing's 2016 Book Gift Guide

As you all have no doubt noticed over the years, I love highlighting the best science books every year via the various end of year lists that newspapers, web sites, etc. publish. I've done it so far in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013,2014 and 2015. And here we are in 2016! As in previous years, my definition of "science books" is pretty inclusive, including books on technology, engineering, nature, the environment, science policy, history & philosophy of science, geek culture and whatever else seems to be relevant in my opinion. Today's list is Boing Boing's 2016 Book Gift Guide. What…

Best Science Books 2016: The Washington Post

And so it begins. As you all have no doubt noticed over the years, I love highlighting the best science books every year via the various end of year lists that newspapers, web sites, etc. publish. I've done it so far in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013,2014 and 2015. And here we are in 2016! As in previous years, my definition of "science books" is pretty inclusive, including books on technology, engineering, nature, the environment, science policy, history & philosophy of science, geek culture and whatever else seems to be relevant in my opinion. Today's list is The Washington Post…

The phony breakthrough vs deployment debate

David Roberts is, as usual, bang on in his latest Grist column, lamenting the pointlessness of the debate between those who insist we need more research and development before tackling climate change, and those who say we shouldn't wait. (Roberts is among the best commenters around when it comes to the social and political context of climate change.) For the amount of attention it gets, you'd think that settling this debate is the crucial first step in developing a policy plan or a political strategy. You'd think the "enough technology" question must be answered before anyone can move forward…

How do Flu Pandemics Start? Learn by "Picking a Giant Nose" at the Festival!

Nose picking is encouraged at the USA Science & Engineering Festival booth of AstraZeneca, and its biologics research and development arm, MedImmune. Visitors to the booth can “pick” a giant nose and learn how flu pandemics start. It's this type of hands-on science experience that inspires kids to pursue a STEM career. AstraZeneca and MedImmune feel strongly that they can have the greatest community impact where they have the greatest expertise. As a leading biopharmaceutical company, they have chosen to invest significantly in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education.…

Northrop Grumman Foundation Gives a Unique Look at NASA's James Webb Space Telescope

True to its mission of helping to advance STEM education in dynamic ways, the Northrop Grumman Foundation, a major sponsor of the USA Science & Engineering Festival, will take visitors up close and personal this April with one of the most ambitious projects today in space science: NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. At Festival Expo 2014, get ready for fascinating updates on this endeavor from two Northrop Grumman leaders who are ushering in the Webb Telescope — the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. The Webb Telescope is a joint project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the…

Google Hangout On Air "Science of Monsters"!

Join us TODAY- Tuesday October 29th at 5:30 EST, for our very first Google Hangout on Air! In preparation of our "Science in Fiction" Kavli Video Science Contest launch (Nov. 1)  we are hosting a "Science of Monsters" Hangout! We have recruited an incredibly talented team of zombie and monster experts that have graciously dedicated their time to participate in the Hangout. With Halloween just days away, enjoy our spirited live Hangout on Air by listening to our experts tackle questions like "Why are zombies hungry all of the time? What regions of the brain change in the fictional zombie? What…

USA Science and Engineering Festival Mascot Contest

Are you a talented artist that loves science? The USA Science & Engineering Festival is looking for a Mascot and we need YOUR help to design the new face of the largest celebration of science and engineering! We are looking for a mascot design that captures the spirit of the USA Science & Engineering Festival! The mascot will transcend our love of all things STEM and will be something or someone that will excite others about our mission! Our mission is to re-invigorate the interest of our nation's youth in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) by producing and presenting…

Featured Author Homer Hickam Shares a Glimpse into his Latest Novel

The Festival is thrilled to have Homer Hickam, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Rocket Boys, as a Featured Author this year. Homer's new book Crater, the first novel in his new Helium-3 series for young adults, will be released just in time for the Festival. You have the opportunity to meet Homer at the Teen Book Fair Stage: Fiction on Sunday, April 29th at 10:55 AM with a free book signing after! Homer will also be a part of USA Science & Engineering Festival Book Fair Featured Author Panel Discussion entitled Science Stories in Society & School: Using Narrative to Bridge…

Technology Review Magazine Poised to Return as Festival Sponsor!

Known as "the authority on the future of technology " and the world's oldest technology magazine,Technology Review - published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - is bringing its prestige and expertise back to the Festival as a Media Partner! Technology Review, published by MIT since 1899, continues today to provide unparalleled insights into cutting edge technologies that are changing the world and the way science and engineering do business. In returning as a Media Partner, the magazine joins a growing list of other top science media leaders who are also serving as Festival…

What's Happening at the ScienceBlogs Book Club?

The ScienceBlogs Book Club launched earlier this month with Carl Zimmer's new book, Microcosm. Zimmer is a widely prolific science writer whose articles appear regularly in the New York Times, National Geographic and other publications; he also maintains a blog here on ScienceBlogs, The Loom, on which he muses about recent discoveries in life science. Microcosm is his sixth book. It is an intimate portrait of the E. coli bacteria, a familiar and yet widely misunderstood organism with limitless potential to reveal the secrets of life. For it's inauguration, the ScienceBlogs Book Club…

What's New On ScienceBlogs.de, May 1-7

It's the pithiest headlines of the past week at our European partner site, ScienceBlogs.de! Friedrich Schiller's Skull Still at Large A two-year investigation to determine which of two skulls belonged to the celebrated German poet Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805) has found that neither is a match. This prolonging of a 180-year-old mystery doesn't thrill Ludmila Carone: "It is not that I do not appreciate Schiller's works. But the man is dead and a dead skull is not expected to create new literature." Schools Resist Standardized Rankings Germany's teachers don't like to be graded. As the…

Geek Love

Nerds have seldom been held up as paragons of romantic prowess, and that's generally gone double for those of the female persuasion. But an essay in the Boston Globe by historian of the family Stephanie Coontz uses demographic evidence to punch a few holes into the popular idea that over-educated women have a hard time finding mates. Entitled "The Romantic Life of Brainiacs," the essay argues that, contra to stereotype, highly-educated women are more likely to be married, to enjoy lasting marriages, and to be sexually satisfied than their less-educated counterparts. "The myth of the bitter,…

And Now For Something Completely Different

Animals of the Ocean: In Particular the Giant Squid By Dr. and Mr. Doris Haggis-on-Whey McSweeney's Books 64 pages $18 "You have purchased this book and now you will learn. My name is Dr. Haggis-on-Whey and I am a scientist. I will not pretend to be your friend. We are here to study animals of the ocean and I will not mince words. If you pay attention I will be less dissatisfied." So begins Animals of the Ocean: In Particular the Giant Squid, the third in McSweeney's HOW Series, 'Dedicated to the Exploration and Dissemination of Unbelievable Brilliance.' (Warning: Everything about the HOW…

What Are 'Smart' Metals and How Are They Revolutionizing the Way Alloys Are Used

Metals have often been overlooked as a viable field for innovation, but materials scientist Ainissa Ramirez is helping to change that. Her groundbreaking research has resulted in new ways to control and shape metals into materials that can be put to practical everyday use - from producing stronger circuitry for cell phones to developing more efficient medical devices that save lives. "The diverse applications of these metals have made them increasingly important and visible to the world," says Ainissa, associate professor of Mechanical Engineering at Yale University where research on shape…

Good Science Writing Takes Clarity, Grace and Intrigue

Nifty Fifty Speaker Carl Zimmer is often called one of the nation's most astute, informed and lyrical science writers. Specializing in communicating about the wonders and mysteries of evolution, biology and neuroscience, Carl Zimmer - in such books as The Tangled Bank, Parasite Rex, and Soul Made Flesh - writes with such grace, skill and clarity that he makes even difficult subjects like natural selection and the brain understandable and exciting to readers who have little formal education in science. "I like to write books about subjects that greatly intrigue me --subjects that I want to…

Climate Change: Reconstructing the Past to Understand What We May Expect in the Future

In her quest to study the fundamentals of climate change, prominent geochemist and climatologist Kim Cobb has sailed on six oceanographic research voyages and led five caving expeditions to the rainforests of Borneo. Her challenge: working out of her primary research base in the tropical Pacific, how to better understand and reconstruct climate variability of the past in order to construct a sense of what climate changes or trends to expect in the future, including, for example rainfall. "There is so much we still do not understand about predicting rainfall, especially because satellite…

Thanks VAHomeschoolers Connection!

Thanks VAHomeschoolers Connection for helping us get the word out to the homeschooling community about the USA Science and Engineering Festival! On the weekend of October 23 and 24, the National Mall in Washington D.C. will be the site of the first-ever national Science and Engineering Expo, with performances and activities for kids, teens and families. The two-day Expo will include more than 1,500 hands-on activities and over 75 stage shows. In the words of the program's organizers, "The two-day Expo is perfect for teens, children and their families, and anyone with a curious mind who is…

Does Science Need a Jingle?

A few months ago, I told a well-connected colleague about the USA Science & Engineering Festival. He asked me how he could help and I suggested he help us spread the word. Well, he enthusiastically sent out a blast and I was copied on his email to about forty scientists. One of the recipients responded to the email, almost instantaneously, saying that he had visited our website and saw a link to our jingle contest. His complaint to the email list was: "What has science come to? Do we really need a jingle contest?" I must admit that I was taken aback as I had initiated the contest…

Funding dreams and writing Advanced Technology Education proposals for the National Science Foundation

It only takes a quick trip to the grocery store to see that familiar jobs are vanishing. Unless you're in Oregon, grocery store checkers are going the way of gas station attendants, travel agents, and secretaries. Jobs are changing, new jobs require different skills, and even those jobs will be obsolete within a short time. Community colleges can cushion the blow by developing education programs in response to the needs of their local communities. Not only do these programs help displaced workers, they help their communities attract new businesses and support economic growth. Georgia's…

Bracing for President Trump

The election of Donald Trump to the Presidency of the U.S. caught nearly everyone by surprise, and fingers were immediately pointed in all directions as the election's losers looked to lay blame. Chad Orzel offers one relevant narrative: "There are a lot of people who feel like they’re being screwed by a system run for the benefit of people in big cities on the coasts who sneer at them as ignorant, racist hicks." Ethan Siegel extends an olive branch on Starts With a Bang, saying "we all have our biases, even if we ourselves are scientists," and encourages EVERYONE to accept the responsibility…

Corny Science (It's Good for You)

Modern science stands on the shoulders of giants, as well as average humans, dwarves and elves, ancient civilizations, and all the bones of the dead—forgotten and otherwise. But sometimes you have to start a new branch of science from scratch. On Uncertain Principles, Chad Orzel continues his count-up to Dec. 25, the birthday of Sir Isaac Newton. Orzel explores the origins of agriculture in the Americas, where nativized people made the best of their local flora, turning a humble, nearly inedible grass into one of the biggest food staples on Earth. Chad writes, "Our other staple crops are also…

Spoiler Alert: Elysium

For writer and director Neill Blomkamp, Elysium is round two of sci-fi feature as social allegory, following in the footsteps of 2009's District 9.  Whereas District 9 paralleled the history of apartheid in South Africa, Elysium deals with issues of illegal immigration and social class, centered on everyone's favorite pre-apocalyptic wasteland, Los Angeles. It's a pure joy to see L.A. extrapolated to a vibrant, populous, spray-painted pile of rubble in the year 2154, where even gringos like Matt Damon hablan español.  This proletariat L.A., where ex-con Damon earns minimum wage building robot…

My picks from ScienceDaily

'Ecstasy' Linked To Survival Of Key Movement-related Cells In Brain: New research from the University of Cincinnati suggests that the widely abused club drug "ecstasy," or MDMA, can increase the survival of dopamine cells in the brain during fetal development. Because these cells are critical in the regulation of voluntary movement, the findings, the researchers say, may lead to better therapies for neurological diseases like Parkinson's. Latest Buzz: Marijuana May Slow Progression Of Alzheimer's Disease: New evidence in rats suggests that marijuana may contain compounds that slow the memory…

Well, maybe it is exactly like their brains

Reader wombat found a fascinating site in response to the creationist debate in Kentucky, led by Dr. Ben Scripture. It's an utterly bizarre page about a petrified human brain, and it is typical creationist tripe. They have gathered a collection of "authorities", where they make much of their pedigrees (don't blame me, the "Dr. X, Ph.D." is the redundant formula they use on the site.) Dr. Suzanne Vincent, Ph.D., a neuroanatomist(!) at Oral Roberts University Dr. Ross Anderson, Ph.D. of The Masters College Dr. Bedros Daghlian, M.D., a retired doctor Dr. Ben Scripture, Ph.D. in biology Dr.…

Freethinker Sunday Sermonette:"ignorant, deluded, wicked, foolish, or oppressed victims of obsolete mythologies in the United States"

A couple of days ago my SciBling, PZ, at Pharyngula, posted a characteristically funny and on target rant about the preternaturally religious country we both live in. Displaying a map of the US, thematically colored by frequency of religious affiliation, he commented: It shows the concentration of ignorant, deluded, wicked, foolish, or oppressed victims of obsolete mythologies in the United States, with the lighter colors being the most enlightened and the dark reds being the most repressed and misinformed. (PZ, "I'm surrounded!" at Pharyngula) Some people took great exception to this (see…

Responsible investing

Some federal money ($430 million) for pandemic preparedness is now being released to help states and communities "to respond to bioterror attacks, infectious disease, and natural disasters that may cause mass casualties." The bulk of federal pan flu money has been for procurement of vaccines and antivirals. Over the years money$2 billion has been released to increase acute care capacity. There isn't a lot of evidence we are in much better shape for all that. So do we think this new bolus of dough will help? The good news is that it isn't more procurement money for vaccine and antivirals. It's…

Doubts about anti-oxidant supplements

The new public health site, The Pump Handle (TPH), continues to produce top notch posts. The latest is by David Michaels, Professor and Associate Chairman in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (and former Assistant Secretary for Heath at the Department of Energy in the Clinton administration). It's about the dietary supplement industry, or as I prefer to call it, the quackery in a capsule biz. One of their favorite products is the anti-oxidant cancer preventative scam. There is quite a body of…

From The Mouths Of Babes...

I love my kids, and they are growing into wonderful, passionate atheists. This one is from March 24, 2005, under the fold.... The kids' spring break just started, the weather is gorgeous, and the computer is broken. What a great opportunity to spend a lot of time together (instead of timing each other's computer use)! Zoo next week? Oh, yeah! In the last post about my kids, I concentrated on Coturnix Junior. This one is more about Coturnietta. She is eight years old. We went to Weaver Street Market for lunch (and also to get food for the rest of the family who remained at home). At one…

Swine flu: why I'm not complaining

There is a tendency to be preoccupied with the latest in fast moving events, but I want to pause for a moment to make a point that has been lost in the discussion: we are witnessing a medical science landmark. Never before have we watched a flu outbreak of global dimensions unfold in real time. Nor have we ever had the opportunity to alter the course of such an outbreak. I have been critical of WHO for being late to the party, but they are fully on board now and by raising the pandemic threat level to phase 5 have done something very important: served notice that it's time to mobilize…

Iranian miscarriage of justice and its mirror images

The US national news is all about American journalist Roxana Saberi who has received an 8 year sentence in an Iranian prison for who knows what. There are plenty of places to read about it (CNN here). There aren't that many places to read about another Iranian miscarriage of justice affecting scientists and doctors, the Alaei brothers: An Iranian appellate court rejected the appeal of Dr. Kamiar Alaei, an internationally recognized AIDS physician and doctoral student in the University at Albany's School of Public Health. Alaei and his older brother, Dr. Arash Alaei, also an AIDS doctor, have…

The new buzz phrase

Since I professed that Intelligent Design creationism is zombie pseudoscience, but that creationism was far from dead, people were wondering what new slogan or tactic will emerge. It's already here! It's been lurking about for a few years now, and Glenn Branch and Eugenie Scott discuss the new tactic at some length. The magic words are, of course, "academic freedom". Those words in the hands of creationists are used the way Republicans name bills: exactly contrary to the actual content. "Academic freedom" bills have been getting pushed into legislatures all across the country by — you…

Freethinker Sunday Sermonette: up against the Wall

Our weekly feature: So we had a joyous inauguration, although the obligatory religious bookends were a bit hard to take. The Invocation by Pastor Rick (Warren) was a real piece of work, typically self-righteous and obnoxiously exclusionary. It goes without saying he alienated atheists, but then he went on to do the same for non-Christians (invoking Jesus as his Lord and Saviour) and then Catholics (by reciting the Protestant version of the Our Father). Obama, at least, had the courtesy to include non-believers in a short list of religious affiliations. I agree with PZ that it was a small…

Sneezing and sex

Sneezes occupy the attention of flu mavens because the aerosol created is likely one of the chief ways the virus finds a new host. So it's a selective advantage to a respiratory virus to make someone explosively expel air from the lungs through the nose. A sneeze even has a medical name: sternutation. The speed of the estimated 40,000 aerosol droplets has been variously given as 90 to 650 miles per hour. But sneezing is a complex act and lots of things can make someone sneeze besides the flu or a head cold. Things that irritate the nose cause some people to sneeze. And there is an inherited…

Freethinker Sunday Sermonette: Wichita Falls, Texas

When my sister and brother-in-law were stuck in Wichita Falls, TX during his military service (we're talking the 1950s, folks) it was a godforsaken part of a godforsaken state. No longer. God has moved in and set up shop. The Wichita Falls Times Record has the genesis of this development: In the beginning, the state of Texas created a Bible course. And the course was formless and void. Darkness hung over the details of the course. Eventually, the state said, "Let there be K-12 instruction in religious literature that includes the Old and New Testaments." And the Wichita Falls Independent…

Dems dump Dirty Air Dingell

John Dingell (D-MI), longtime Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, has done some good things in his time, but overall he's been a net minus. When Henry Waxman (D-CA) toppled him from his perch today my feeling was an uncharitable, Good Riddance. The vote in the Democratic Party caucus was close but not very close: 137 - 122. Dingell has not been representing the people of his District as much as he has been representing the US Automakers. He he got the sobriquet Dirty Air Dingell the old fashioned way: he earned it: The Energy and Commerce panel is one of the most important House…

Serendipity and bleach

Interesting new findings on household bleach as a disinfectant. Yes, we know it's a disinfectant. What we don't know is why it is a disinfectant. How exactly does it work? This utilitarian question has just been explored in a paper in the super select and prestigious journal Cell. Here's a bit of background, courtesy the PR flacks at the University of Michigan, whose job it is to publicize the work of their faculty: In a study published in the Nov. 14 issue of the journal Cell, a team led by molecular biologist Ursula Jakob describes a mechanism by which hypochlorite, the active ingredient of…