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Fisking the The Supreme "Second Law" of Devolution

In 2002 William Brookfield (our favorite "pleasurian" and "ID scientist") published his paper "In Search of a Cosmic Super-Law: The Supreme "Second Law" of Devolution" in Dembski’s vanity journal PSCID. Mark over at Good Math, Bad Math takes on Brookfield’s "science" here and here. When Mark took on Behe’s math a few weeks back, Dembski accused him to being insufficiently credentialed to comment - given Brookfield doesn’t "hold any degrees from any university of any kind," yet sees fit to accuse Hawking of making errors, I doubt Billy D will be defending Brookfield on this one!

Ecological Footprint

Over at the World's Fair, Ben and David have posted results from their taking of the Earth Day Ecological Footprint quiz. Here are my results: CATEGORY / ACRES FOOD / 5.4MOBILITY / 1.7SHELTER / 6.9 GOODS/SERVICES / 7.9 TOTAL FOOTPRINT / 22 IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 24 ACRES PER PERSON. WORLDWIDE, THERE EXIST 4.5 BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCTIVE ACRES PER PERSON. IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 4.9 PLANETS. At least I'm doing better that the US average ... but that's not really saying very much!

Thoughts on Kansas

The ID reaction to Kansas is beginning to trickle in. Paul Nelson gives us a little fable claiming that the science standards don't matter anyway, and John West said the outcome would not stop people from learning about the "growing controversy" over evolution." Let's face it guys -- up until last night, you saw the standards as being important Hell, you funded a media campaign with lecture tours and websites just to make that point. And here's the rub, in conservative Kansas, in Republican primaries (surely members of your "natural constituency") you lost. That must hurt.

Dangerous Interference with Science at FDA

The Union of Concerned Scientists will today release a survey of nearly one thousand Food and Drug Administration scientists that demonstrates widespread and dangerous political and commercial interference at the agency. FDA scientists report being asked to alter their findings for non-scientific reasons, experiencing inappropriate commercial influences on their work, and being afraid to publicly express concerns about public health for fear of retaliation. The report will be released at noon EST. Same-old same-old from a Republican administration that has done more to politicize science than…

Sunday Link Dump: Scandals, Masturbation, and Disasters!

Former Tour de France champ Floyd Landis is now disgraced. His "B sample" came up positive for synthetic testosterone. Bumblebees like their nectar warm, thank you. (Read about bee intelligence here!) Top ten places for future disasters in America to occur. Body modification is an increasing trend. Ever seen a split tongue?(ouch!) Masterbate-a-thon trying to lift taboos? Global warming could increase the price of food. E-passports: Good idea, or an invitation to hackers? Law enforcement using shame to curb speeding. Generation Y turning away from religion. Only 48% believe in a god.

Mini-Bosses from Castlevania?

We had a bat house hanging from the second story of my home growing up. My brother loved bats and I fully endorsed sharing our home with them. These critters might be a different story. Bat species, like many creatures, can be difficult to tell apart based purely on physiology. These new bats were recently identified as unique species by using DNA barcoding and immediately prepped for inclusion in female nightmares. trachops cirrhosus myotis riparious platyrrhinus helleri Our friends here are native to camping areas in the Midwest and various alleys on the Lower East Side of Manhattan...

Eye on DC Indie Scene: Cat Power and Spoon

height="350"> A break from serious matters for a focus on music... Last night I strolled down to the 930 Club, one of the top indie rock venues in the country to catch Cat Power. The band delivered as some of the best rock-blues-folk fusion since Janice Joplin. Next week, however, is the season's big event, featuring Spoon and the Shins in concert. If you haven't caught Spoon's latest album, listen to this review at NPR, and catch their buzz generating performance last week at Saturday Night Live (youtube above).

Proximity as Bias in Coverage of the World's Hurricane Problem

Over at The Intersection, Chris Mooney has a post up about the complete absence of U.S. news coverage dedicated to the record six tropical cyclones that have hit Madagascar, killing hundreds and causing massive damage. It's the old proximity norm creating bias in news coverage. The result, apart from any important disaster relief reaction, is that Americans fail to get a big picture about just how global the hurricane problem might be. Six tropical cyclones hit Madagascar over the past couple months, but you wouldn't know it if you lived in the U.S.

Killer Cells, Invasive Species, Biosecurity: Why the War Metaphor Distorts Science

War metaphors have long been employed in science, ranging from the "War on Cancer" to the "War on Science" itself. These frame devices help draw attention to an issue, and dramatize for the public why a science-related topic might matter, but many scientists have long worried that they ultimately lead to distortion, canvassing over nuance and complexity. In a recent issue of New Scientist, they feature the voices of some of these critics of the "war" metaphor, and link to some useful resources on the long history of its use in science and medicine.

So You Want to Visit Mars

Today is a day for short updates, rather than deep essays. Update number 1: if you're interested in going to Mars, check out this podcast from Popular Mechanics in which I discuss the challenges astronauts would face living and working on Mars. The magazine will be running a series of articles on the future space travel, including one by me on the Red Planet. (NB: contrary to how PM introduces me, I am not officially "New York Times astrobiology reporter." The Times just lets me write about life elsewhere when a cool story arises.)

Methane News: Not Quite So Missing

A bit of journalistic irony. Last week I groused that a new paper on methane from plants was getting very little attention in the press, despite the fact that it refutes a 2006 paper published in Nature that got lots of press. I wished aloud that the situation would be set right. Well, five days later, a few more sites have published the press release, but I've only seen one new piece of original reporting. It appears in the news section of today's issue of Nature. Hats off to Nature for making room for some uncomfortable news.

DailyKos Interview

Over at DailyKos, DarkSyde has been interviewing science bloggers. Here's our exchange. Greetings to visitors from DailyKos--make yourself at home. If you're looking for a few samplers of the stuff I write, you may want to check out the "Starting Points and Old Favorites" list in the righthand column. I had hoped to respond to comments at DailyKos, but for some reason I can't set up an account. (And yet I still have the audacity to claim to be a blogger....) In the meantime, I'm happy to field any questions through the comments here.

A Trip to the Museum

Last year I was contacted by a team of scientists and museum exhibit designers to help put together a show about evolution. The result is Exploring Evolution, which is now opening at a string of state science museums in the midwest. (The list of participating museums is here.) The exhibit may not have a laser light show or a 100-foot long robotic dinosaur, but it does offer a look at seven examples of how scientists study evolution, from HIV to walking whales. Cornelia Dean includes the exhibit in an article in the New York Times on evolution-themed museum displays.

More agreement

Coturnix says: Teaching Biology without Evolution... ...is like teaching English without verbs. What is left are nouns and adjectives. DNA, enzyme, long bone, ductus arteriosus, pretty bird. Rote memorization. The reason why my (adult education) students are afraid of and bored with science to begin with. I am starting my biology lectures tomorrow. I have no control over the syllabus. The pages and chapters on evolution were removed from the syllabus. Sorry, but I am starting with evolution tomorrow night. I cannot speak English without verbs. And I agree. Having had the same experience about…

Last thoughts on Darwin

From the Autobiography: Therefore my success as a man of science, whatever this may have amounted to, has been determined, as far as I can judge, by complex and diversified mental qualities and conditions. Of these, the most important have been - the love of science - unbounded patience in long reflecting over any subject - industry in observing and collecting facts - and a fair share of invention as well as of common sense. With such moderate abilities as I possess, it is truly surprising that I should have influenced to a considerable extent the belief of scientific men on some…

Microcosm on MSNBC, Podcasts

I spoke Tuesday on Seattle, and there's proof now! Alan Boyle, MSNBC's science guru, wrote a great piece on both the talk and the subject, my book Microcosm. Meanwhile, folks from Real Science were taping, and now you can listen to the talk at their web site. If I had lots of free time, I'd combine the audio with my slides and post them, but I'm swamped for now. I also completely spaced out last week and forgot to mention that I was interviewed on the Skeptic's Guide to the Universe. You can listen here.

I'm beginning to hate Yahoo

Just a warning: lately, there've been a lot of nasty, slagging, one-off comments coming in from Yahoo accounts — you know them, the usual unreadable smear of a name that we all call yahoomess. I'm considering cutting them off altogether. All it will take is one click and the yahoomesses will no longer be afflicting the site. If there is anyone who objects, speak now. If there are a significant number of reasonable people who are logging in with those IDs, and have managed to successfully generate a readable name for themselves, I'll reconsider.

A Satisfied Customer

My talk last week at Carleton University in Ottawa went well--here's an interview with the university's magazine, and here's a report from someone in the audience. More talks are coming up-- Next week: The evolution of whales at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida. Next month: Soul Made Flesh at the University of Denver. And plenty more coming in May and June... [Update: I should also mention that if there's anyone interested in my giving a talk, the good people at the Knopf Speakers Bureau will be able to help you. ]

Whose Health Coverage Would Jesus Deny?

Answer: Everyone that couldn't afford it, if his representatives are any indication. From People for the American Way: Focus on the Family's James Dobson, on a recent conference call for anti-choice activists, sounded both those charges, calling reform legislation a "huge abortion industry bailout" as well as a "health care power grab by the federal government." Operation Rescue similarly conflates the anti-choice and anti-government arguments, urging activists "to act now to stop Obama's radical, socialistic abortion agenda..." The Christian Broadcasting Network has provided a major…

Let's All Hallucinate With Oliver Sacks

I probably don't need to introduce Oliver Sacks to you. You've undoubtedly already delighted over his wobbly affectation and tales of neurological strangeness on RadioLab or NPR. You might have read his lovely first-person account, in the New Yorker, of his early experiments with hallucinogens of all stripes, from the "pharmacological launch pad" of amphetamines and LSD, to the synthetic belladonna-like drug, artane. You may even have read one of his bestselling books of clinical studies, like The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat or Awakenings. I interviewed Dr. Sacks in 2007, on the…

Thirsty koalas saved by drinking stations

Thank you Dr. Barb Goodman (Director of SD Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network, Fellow of the American Physiological Society, Sanford School of Medicine of the University of South Dakota) who sent me information about thirsty koalas. Koalas typically hydrate themselves from the leaves of eucalyptus trees. But recently researchers at the University of Sydney have noticed the animals are drinking water as eucalyptus trees have succumbed to wildfires and climate change. Koalas have found a friend in Robert Frend, who is a farmer in New South Wales and creator of "Blinky Drinker", which…

2016 Michigan Physiological Society Meeting

I am very excited about the upcoming 3rd annual Michigan Physiological Society Meeting on May 12-13 in Detroit. This society is a local chapter of the American Physiological Society. I am most excited by their choice of a Comparative Physiologist for the keynote address: Dr. Hannah V. Carey from the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Carey is a Past-President of the American Physiological Society. She will be presenting her research on how the gut microbiome of hibernators changes seasonally as well as the symbiotic relationship between the gut microbes and the host.

How woodpeckers avoid concussions

By Hector Bottai (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons I just read an interesting blog entry from I Spy Physiology describing how woodpeckers avoid getting concussions even though they routinely bang their heads. By routinely, I mean an impressive 12,000 times a day approximately. I was amazed to learn that each time a woodpecker taps a tree, the impact is about 10 times that of an average hit in football. Turns out woodpeckers have an anatomical advantage. To find out what that advantage is, visit the blog!

Just in time for the holidays: Reindeer genome sequenced

Image of Aoluguya reindeer from www.chinatouradvisors.com Scientists have now determined the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Aoluguya reindeer (Rangifer tarandus). I wonder if the sequence will hold any more clues as to why Rudolph's nose is so red and bright. Although according to this prior blog entry perhaps it was the other 8 reindeer who were different... Source: Ju Y, Liu H, Rong M, Yang Y, Wei H, Shao Y, Chen X, Xing X. Complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Aoluguya reindeer (Rangifer tarandus). Mitochondrial DNA. 3:1-2, 2014. [Epub ahead of print]

Big-Eared Bat Rediscovered

Image of a big-eared bat from Scientific American The New Guinea big-eared bat (Pharotis imogene; specimen pictured above) was thought to be extinct for the past 120 years. The bat is now considered critically endangered or possibly extinct as this specimen is the only known member of the genus. Since very little is known of this endangered bat, researchers who identified this specimen suggest that further research is needed to determine its abundance and distribution. With ongoing deforestation in New Guinea, this species may very well actually become extinct. Source: www.theconversation.…

How to determine if you are a mammal...

This was just too cute (and funny!) not to share. I came across a blog in Scientific American that discussed a "standardized test" created by Hannah Bonner, illustrator and children's writer, to help determine whether someone (or some creature) is a mammal: Excerpt from "When Dinos Dawned, Mammals Got Munched, and Pterosaurs Took Flight" The test is part of her book called "When Dinos Dawned, Mammals Got Munched, and Pterosaurs Took Flight." What a great educational tool. It is published by National Geographic Children's Books. Kudos to you Hannah! Source: Scientific American

Curing brain cancer in a dog named "Petey"

A drug currently used to treat colon cancer in people successfully treated a type of brain tumor, called a glioma, in a dog named "Petey". After removing the tumor, Dr. Simon Platt administered the drug to the brain where it prevented the tumor from returning. The next step is to conduct a larger study that includes more dogs. If successful, the drug may be used in clinical studies of humans to treat glioblastomas, a similar form of brain cancer that affects roughly 13,000 people annually and for which there is currently no cure.

Wallace, the often forgotten co-discoverer of evolution

Alfred Russel Wallace. Image from: NPR, Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis Darwin is the more famous of the two when it comes to thinking about who came up with the theory of evolution. However, a man named Alfred Russel Wallace co-discovered the theory. Alfred Wallace died 100 years ago. In honor of his contribution to the theory of evolution, NPR ran a wonderful story about him and his discoveries the other day. Just in case you did not get a chance to hear it, you can either read the transcript or listen to the story here.

Dark circles under the eyes

From New Scientist ... rings are often a sign of being chronically worn out, stressed and run-down - tiredness rather than sleepiness. Tired people don't just need more sleep, but a better and more agreeable lifestyle. This is easier said than done, of course. They may even find that they have difficulty sleeping despite their tiredness, but resorting to sleeping tablets is not the answer. As for the anatomy of these rings and whether they are due to blood pooling, skin-thinning through dehydration or something else, no one really knows.

Commerce, the French way

The Big Sleep at NY Times Until the 20th century, few people needed money. Apart from salt and iron, everything could be paid for in kind. Economic activity was more a means of making the time pass than of making money, which might explain why one of the few winter industries in the Alps was clock-making. Tinkering with tiny mechanisms made time pass less slowly, and the clocks themselves proved that it was indeed passing. The last bit is an astute observation! It could, of course, be completely wrong, but still..

Intelligent Design is Religion

Intelligent Religion is Religion. This isn't news. The news is: UK Government has said so, shoving witless non-science like Intelligent Design and Creationism back into the holes they came from. "The Government is aware that a number of concerns have been raised in the media and elsewhere as to whether creationism and intelligent design have a place in science lessons. The Government is clear that creationism and intelligent design are not part of the science National Curriculum programmes of study and should not be taught as science." -Reported in The Register

Backward evolution

"He who rejects with scorn the belief that the shape of his canines, and their occasional great development in other men, are due to our early forefathers having been provided with these formidable weapons, will probably reveal, by sneering, the line of his own descent." That's a quite hilarious jibe from someone I thought was a serious dude. Guess who. The quote is via a New Scientist article (subscription-only) on evolution running backwards (i.e, supposing it had a direction, which it doesn't). The propensity for organisms to go backwards on their evolutionary path is also known as…

Goings on in Amersham

So, what's keeping me from blogging? Two things really. Firstly, we moved to a new house over the weekend. It's a bigger and better house. The move has taken all my time and has also put my back through a wringer. Secondly, I've got no internet at the new house. That'll take a few more days to arrive. Trying to get British Telecom to move it's lazy rear to provide us a phone connection (for DSL) has been a herculean task. Anyway, all shall be well soon. Your patience is, of course, much appreciated.

Zimmer gets into your dog's head

Henry could find the biscuit by sniffing the cups or knocking them over. But Hare does not plan to let him have it so easy. Instead, he simply points at the cup on the right. Henry looks at Hare's hand and follows the pointed finger. Kivell then releases the leash, and Henry walks over to the cup that Hare is pointing to. Hare lifts it to reveal the biscuit reward. via time.com Zimmer does dog research justice, and TIME makes a nice web presentation of it. With dog videos! Posted via web from David's posterous

Old brains, depressed brains, new viruses, returning salmon, and never ever healthcare reform

From my wanderings. We'll start with the happy stuff Salmon return to Paris! (photo: Charles Bremner, deep in Paris) Mind Hacks tours some really old brains. Zuska speaks wisely of health care reform. The Guardian serves up some glass viruses (smallpox is pictured above). Neuroskeptic covers a paper that is both encouraging, in its finding that EEG seems to predict antidepressant response, and infuriating, in that it withholds the information anyone else would need to replicate it. NOT GOOD. The Wall Street Journal checks out cool tools to track the flu.

Jay Rosen's Flying Seminar In The Future of News

From Jay Rosen: As the crisis in newspaper journalism grinds on, people watching it are trying to explain how we got here, and what we’re losing as part of the newspaper economy crashes. Some are trying to imagine a new news system. I try to follow this action, and have been sending around the best of these pieces via my Twitter feed. It’s part of my experiment in mindcasting, which you can read about here. I've not read all of it, but there's some good stuff in there.

OMG it's a Christmas Miracle! Congress passes law to get rid of loud commercials.

Or is it a 'Holiday' miracle now? Anyway... Finally, Congress passes a piece of legislation that citizens on both the right and left side of the political spectrum can get behind. Late yesterday, Congress approved the CALM (Commercial Advertising Loudness Mitigation) Act, which "requires TV advertisers to ensure their ads don't play at a volume louder than regular TV programming." The new bill requires ad makers to use "industry technology" to prevent the volume annoyance from occurring. I CAN NOT WAIT! Oh and Obama better pass it. I'll be very upset if he doesn't.

Lab tech afraid Ted Williams' cryogenically frozen head about to become zombie beats it to death

Seriously... well not about the Zombie thing. Maybe if him and his family weren't such assholes people wouldn't do this kind of thing. Well, maybe people shouldn't do this to begin with. Here's the schtick from ESPN: In "Frozen," Larry Johnson, a former executive at the Alcor Life Extension Foundation in Scottsdale, Ariz., writes that Williams' head, which had been severed and frozen for storage, was abused at the facility. Johnson claims a technician took baseball-like swings at Williams' frozen head with a monkey wrench. Seriously... look what they did to his head!

Japanese Whale Hunt: Help Is on the Way

The Japanese government has decided to go hunting for humpbacks, something they have not done since the 1960s. People here and at Deep Sea News don't seem too happy about the hunt. Some people are also discomforted by Paul Watson and his group, Sea Shepherd. In reponse to the recent decision by Japan, Sea Shepherd has launched Operation Migaloo. You can argue his tactics, you can argue his style. But what you can't do is show me someone aside from Watson and his team who is doing anything about the humpback hunt on the water.

Politics Tuesday (on Wednesday): A Real Man Protects Manatees

The New York Times reports today that Florida Republican Governor Charlie Crist asked to delay the vote today to reclassify the gentle, gigantic manatee as threatened (rather than endangered). The Governor hopes the delay will give the panel more time to review the issues, including the fact that there were 417 manatee deaths last year and will ultimately "preserve one of our state's beloved natural resources." It takes backbone to protect manatees (the grace of Fred Astaire, the body of Fred Flintstone) from the coalition of Florida speedboaters.

Summer Camp: A Shifting Interest Toward Marine Biology

Today's New York Times ran an article about the increasing interest in marine biology in today's youth culture (some of you believe I should now go confirm this story--check their sources and double-check their stats; I will not). In the U.S., about 50 summer camps, most of them near the ocean, now specialize in marine biology studies, which is up from 40 camps in 1998. Perhaps we can expect a growth in the number of marine biology majors in another ten years time (and, better still, more ocean awareness at the polls).

Pirates and zombies, oh my

First, the Minnesota zombies invaded the lakes. Then there was some unpleasantness from the police when they took over the mall. Now there's going to be a zombie pub crawl in Minneapolis on Saturday, September 9. But wait! There's also going to be a pirate pub crawl on the same day! What to do, what to do… Actually, my personal dilemma is easily resolved by the date. It is a very bad idea to do a pub crawl the evening before your wife's birthday. Even if the possibility of a pirate-zombie war tempts you. (via MNspeak)

Japan and the awesome Christmas miracle

Toyama Bay got a visit from a mythological being, all dressed in red, on Christmas day. It was beautiful. It seems to be Architeuthis dux, and is about 4 meters long. It just cruised in, ambled about, and the authorities plan to just let it swim away. If it can -- giant squid on the surface tend to be sick and unhappy. But still…! I'm waiting for the day one swims up the Pomme de Terre river to bring me presents. There's more discussion about this squid (in English!) on TONMO.

Plankton Art

I'm always intrigued when artists use marine life for inspiration, but these are even better than most. The artists vision: to investigate plankton for themselves, and relate their observations in a unique collection of work made in wood, silver and gold The two artists, Louise Hibbert and Sarah Parker-Eaton, use nature for inspiration to create intriguing sculptures. Here's some from their Plankton series: Now those are some nifty marine-inspired artworks. But the artists don't just recreate plankton - they also have been inspired by jellies and seed pods.

Picture of the Day - 19 January 2010

Squall line crossing Oahu. Picture taken from ridge behind Tripler Army Medical Center. The Salt Lake-Aliamanu tuff cones are visible slightly to the left of center, just beyond the strawberry guava bushes in the foreground. The narrow entrance to Pearl Harbor appears as a small break in the coast; if you look at the full-size version (click on the picture), you can just make out the Arizona memorial at the very right edge of the shot. Oahu, Hawaii 21 May, 2005 HP Camera. Technorati Tags: blogpix, Oahu, weather

Physioprof at Feministe

Hello, dear readers...if there are any of you left...I've been away for a week taking care of mom, plus the usual migraine breaks...back home now, and hoping to get back in the blogging groove asap. Meanwhile, Physioprof is off guest-blogging at Feministe for two weeks and you absolutely have to read his deconstruction of a really atrocious piece of reporting in the New York Times about Title IX and science, Teh Ladeez Jus Don Liek Teh Scienz. Warning: the quotes from the NYT will make your teeth hurt.

5th Scientiae Is Up

The 5th Scientiae Carnival is up at Clarity. I've been so out of it most of this month that I had nothing to contribute to it this time. The carnival theme this time is why and how do you labor at what you do? There's lots of good stuff on the carnival, as usual. You might want to check out this horror story, I mean nightmare, I mean descent into hell and back, I mean tale of a graduate student's struggle to wrest her PhD from the slimy paws of her advisor and committee.

We Are Experiencing Technical Difficulties...

If you have tried to post a comment to this blog in the last few days and got a message telling you it was being held for approval by the blog owner, don't feel bad. I got the same message. Also, I didn't receive my own comment to be able to approve it. And I didn't receive yours, if you made one. So don't think I'm ignoring you. I just haven't heard from you. I don't know why. The good folks at Scienceblogs.com will have this sorted out in no time, I am sure. In the meantime... Please stand by...

When even the NYT notices, it's obvious

From the New York Times: The Internet is no longer just an essential channel for commerce, entertainment and information. It has also become a stage for state control — and rebellion against it. Computers are becoming more crucial in global conflicts, not only in spying and military action, but also in determining what information reaches people around the globe. The article notes that a number of repressed groups, including Women in Iran, the Falun Gong in China and so forth, are making hacks available to evade internet filtering. About time, too...

Well, I guess it's something

I was just watching the Today Show a couple of minutes ago. They're getting ready to set up the Christmas Tree, and someone from the Center was just talking about their new, environmentally-friendly approach to the tree. Apparently, this year they used a handsaw to trim up the base instead of a power saw. They're also going to be stringing the tree with power-saving LED lighting instead of the usual bulbs. And they were discussing all of this right next to the 84-foot high tree that they cut down to use as a holiday decoration.