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Worth reading: Segregation, sexual harassment, and silencing scientists

A few of the recent pieces I recommend reading: Vox's Sean Illing interviews Nikole Hannah-Jones: “Schools are segregated because white people want them that way" Roxane Gay in the New York Times: Dear Men: It's You, Too Brady Dennis and Juliet Eilperin in the Washington Post: ‘Let us do our job’: Anger erupts over EPA’s apparent muzzling of scientists Rita Schoeny at the Union of Concerned Scientists Blog: I Am a 30-Year Veteran Scientist from US EPA; I Can’t Afford to Be Discouraged For HuffPost Highline, Lydia Polgreen interviews Sharon McGowan, Walter Shaub, Mike Cox, and Ned Price…

id these sf stories...

Ok - I'm crowdsourcing the internet, because the google has failed: there are two science fiction short stories that I need titles and authors for, source in anthology or collection would be better still. 1) humans in slower-than-light spaceship set out to colonize planet identified around nearby star. When they finally get there, they find the planet already colonized by humans, who had left after them but on a faster (ftl?) spaceship and arrived before them 2) humans expand around galaxy and find no intelligent life - finally contact is made, arrangements are set up to treat with aliens,…

Linkedy Links X

More Phenomenal random links to random stuff: life, the Universe and Everything Phenomena - new blog group under National Geographic, including some long time scibloggers: The Loom, Not Exactly Rocket Science, Laelaps and Only Human, to begin with. On the Usefulness of Useless Knowledge - Bee explains. Substantive Advice to Admissions Committees - Or, why, all things being equal, we should prefer candidates from less prestigious institutions. This is actually sensible - it is a "what have you done with what you were given" argument. But, all things are very rarely equal... and no one ever…

Climate Bill up for Vote in House

The House is voting today on the American Clean Energy and Security Act (aka the Waxman-Markey bill); at 5:30pm, members of Congress are still taking the floor to speak for or against it. Head over to Grist's site to check out climatebill@twitter feed, or watch it on C-SPAN. The political compromises that Henry Waxman and Ed Markey made to attract sufficient votes have significantly watered down the legislation, but its mandated reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions -- a 17% reduction from 2005 levels by 2020, and 83% by 2050 -- is at least a step in the right direction. If the bill passes…

David Michaels Speaks at Google

Last month, David Michaels spoke to Google employees about his book Doubt is Their Product: How Industryâs Assault on Science Threatens Your Health, and Google has now posted the video on YouTube as part of their Authors@Google series. The Google employees asked astute questions (starting around the 31-minute mark), touching on freedom of speech issues; what industry scientists should do about manufactured uncertainty (this from a former industry research scientist); international regulation; and the relative costs of workplace illnesses and profits. The videoâs below the fold:   Thereâs…

Yoko loses

I had mixed feelings about Yoko Ono's lawsuit against Expelled — fair use is a desirable goal, but I don't think Premise Media was exercising fair use, since their movie wasn't about Lennon's music or ideas — so I can't say that I'm at all surprised or upset that the lawsuit is likely to go down in flames. I'm also not appreciative of the fact that Lessig thinks this is a "great success"; it is at best a mixed result, because while it may support Lessig's principled defense of fair use, it is also a case where he's supporting people who are promoting lies and ignorance. It really doesn't…

Faith Healing Trips...Funded by an Insurance Company

John W. Miller reports in the Wall Street Journal about an unusual, insurance company funded program that brings many to Lourdes: In an unusual scheme, [VGZ] the Dutch company spends about $280,000 a year to fly 600 of its sickest and most disabled clients to Lourdes. The company doesn't expect the Virgin Mary to intercede. It hopes for a different sort of miracle. "Lourdes leads people to compassion and friendship," says Johan Rozendaal, a VGZ board member. "They remember what it's like to have somebody really care about them." It's difficult to quote from this article, because it's mainly a…

How Dare They!

Denyse O'Leary points us to an upcoming criticism of the New York Times from the crank journal First Things. Their great sin? Allowing Dawkins, a critic of Behe, to review his latest book. He notes the curious fact that the Times should never have given the book to Dawkins to review anyway, without giving Behe the right of reply (which it would never dare to do): You see, it's only OK for critics to review their opponents when Behe does it for Time. How dare the New York Times allow Dawkins to then say something about Behe's work? Then in yet another example of the ID cranks' stunning…

Belief doesn't protect you from being maimed by swords

Last week, our friendly neighborhood germ theory denier told us that: A thing can only be a problem as long as you believe in it. Now, think and don't stop before you've seen the light. (Hint: think of evil witches, dragons, ghosts etc. Do you believe in them? Yes? Then they're a problem for you. No? Then you laugh about them). (emphasis in original) Well, just in case you needed further assurance that this kind of magical thinking is just wrong, Evil Monkey has a rather graphic demonstration up of just how incredibly, and painfully, wrong it is: ...by aligning one's energy and going through…

While I'm out...

Traveling yet again today (things finally calm down in September, I think). In the meantime, here are a few posts from elsewhere I've been meaning to highlight: Some more background for those of you who may not be up to speed on HIV/AIDS: AJ Cann explains what we know (and don't know) about how HIV causes AIDS. Speaking of HIV, ERV has 4 years to come up with an HIV vaccine, and another bad story about science in the media. David asks if biologists have physics envy. I think I just have other-fields-of-biology envy, and want to do it all. PZ has a very nice posts explaining the…

When did "Christian" become a synonym for "crap"?

One century, you've got Bach, another century, you've got Li'l Markie. Christianity has really gone downhill from its prior status as the font of funding for culture and art and intellectual endeavor to being the being the bottom of the barrel source for kitsch and crap. Case in point: Denyse O'Leary's hideous, horrible, talentless hackery has been nominated for a Canadian Christian Writing Award. Even setting aside the fact that I disagreed vehemently with the content of the book, if you judge it on the quality of the writing, it doesn't deserve recognition, it warrants condemnation — it's…

Another good cause

A friend of mine is riding this weekend in the MS 150 bike tour in Minnesota. This is an annual event that raises money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, which works both to fund research into the disease and to serve people who've been diagnosed. I've never tackled the bike tour (150 miles in 2 days; this particular one runs from Duluth to the Twin Cities), but I've done the MS walks previously and will be doing another later this year. This is an important cause for me, as my mother was diagnosed with MS when I was 6, so if you have a few bucks (donations are tax-deductible)…

Neonatal mortality at home and around the world

Grand Rounds has eaten up most of my blog time for today, but I do want to direct you to this article on neonatal mortality in the United States and globally. Not good news for the U.S. and the UK--we're tied for the bottom of industrialized countries. The numbers, overally, are terrible: Each year, according to the report, more than a half-million women die as a result of pregnancy and childbirth difficulties, 2 million babies die within their first 24 hours -- more than 5,000 deaths a day -- 2 million more die within their first month and 3 million are stillborn. It's a brief article,…

Bush's pandemic plan--via Dave Letterman

This is too good to be lost in the comments. Letterman's Top Ten list for April 17th was "Top Ten Features Of President Bush's Bird Flu Pandemic Plan." The list is below the fold. 10. Hang "Mission Accomplished" sign in every Kentucky Fried Chicken 9. Torture some Perdue employees until they talk 8. Scare birds away with giant radioactive kitties 7. Be on the lookout for any bird which looks "fluey" 6. Build wall along border so birds can't walk in from Mexico 5. Never leave the house, avoid human contact -- like Letterman 4. Tax cuts for the rich 3. C'mon, it's a Bush plan -- you…

Lambert catches Cockburn in a big fat cherry-pick

I should have known better than to trust a single quote cited by a denialist or crank. In our Case Study of Alexander Cockburn we pointed out his selective use of data but we missed a big fat cherry-pick. It's based on this quote from Cockburns article: As Richard Kerr, Science magazine's man on global warming remarked, "Climate modelers have been 'cheating' for so long it's become almost respectable." Tim Lambert catches Cockburn in this dishonesty and it's a pretty bad behavior. It reminds me of the HOWTO again, in that people that become cranks really see only what they want to see in a…

The Bechdel Test for Women in Movies

tags: The Bechdel Test for Women in Movies, feminism, film, movies, entertainment industry, pop culture, cultural observation, Bechdel Test, Allison Bechdel, streaming video The Bechdel Test is a simple way to gauge the active presence of female characters in Hollywood films and just how well rounded and complete those roles are. It was created by Allison Bechdel in her comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For in 1985. It is astonishing the number of popular movies that can't pass this simple test. It demonstrates how little women's complex and interesting lives are underrepresented or non existent…

Mouse Agility Course

tags: Mouse Agility Course, animal training, clicker training, target stick, behavior, behavioral modification, streaming video Training animals (and people) to do what you wish them to do is a vanishing art. However, there is a training method that is gaining popularity for teaching animals, ranging from rodents to whales, to perform certain behaviors on command. This training method is clicker training. Here is one example of clicker training with a common ordinary pet mouse, where it has been trained to follow an obstacle course that is truly epic in its size. How the heck did this mouse…

The Kalahari Persistence Hunt

tags: Kalahari Persistence Hunt, film making, marathon, kudu, Africa, BBC One, David Attenborough, streaming video During a persistence hunt, an antelope, such as a kudu, is not shot or speared from a distance, but simply run down in the midday heat. Depending on the specific conditions, hunters of the central Kalahari will chase a kudu for about two to five hours over 25 to 35 km in temperatures of about 40 to 42°C (104 to 107°F). The hunter chases the kudu, which then runs away out of sight. By tracking it down at a fast running pace the hunter catches up with it before it has had enough…

Creation Astronomy

Hah, I knew it had to happen. Phil Plait is now obsolete — he hasn't been keeping up with Creation Astronomy! We live in a Universe of breathtaking size and grandeur-but where did it come from? Secular astronomers tell us it formed without a Creator about 14 billion years ago. The Bible tells us it was created by God only thousands of years ago. Which model does the evidence support? The answer to this question might surprise you! Recent discoveries have plunged the evolutionary model into a crisis. This site is dedicated to documenting this unfolding drama, and exposing the bankrupt…

Double your impact!

Less than a week to go in our DonorsChoose drive! Good news from the Seed Overlords: Though we're already well into the campaign, ScienceBlogs has finally gotten a Double Your Impact donation set up with DonorsChoose for the Blogger Challenge; this means that $15,000 of Seed money will be distributed between our 21 participating bloggers (about $715 each) to benefit their projects as they see fit. Because there is such a limited time remaining in the challenge, DonorsChoose is working to credit each blogger's account with this money as soon as possible--it will likely be set up by tomorrow (…

Scarlett Johansson - Bioterrorist?

You may have heard the story that Scarlett Johansson had a cold when she appeared on Jay Leno's show the other day. And you may have heard that she got the cold from her 'The Spirit' co-star Samuel L. Jackson. And you may have heard that she had to blow her nose into a tissue during the show. And you may have heard that this particular tissue is now up for sale on eBay. And you may have heard that all proceeds of this sale will benefit USA Harvest, the charity of Scarlett Johansson's choice. What you may not know is that, due to the content of the tissue being regarded as biohazard (or even…

The Open Laboratory 2009 - the 'Submit' buttons for you to choose

It really helps the Open Lab project if a lot of people have handy little 'submit to Open Lab' buttons/badges on their side-bars. More blogs have it, the better. Just one click, and the entry is submitted (instead of coming here and searching for the link). So, I asked for new button designs and got more than one to choose from. Instead of choosing one myself, I thought I'd ask the hive-mind: which one do you like the best so we can turn it into the 'official' design? Suggest changes to designs as well. Post your vote in the comments and in 5 days I will tally them up and post the codes for…

Google Peer Review!?

This appears to be from Google: GPeerReview: We intend for the peer-review web to do for scientific publishing what the world wide web has done for media publishing. As it becomes increasingly practical to evaluate researchers based on the reviews of their peers, the need for centralized big-name journals begins to diminish. The power is returned to those most qualified to give meaningful reviews: the peers. As long as big journals provide a useful service, this tool will only enhance their effectiveness. But the more they take months to review our publications, and the more they give…

Science Reporting - the dead-tree press perspective

Deborah Howell, the WaPo Ombudsman (for a few more days), wrote her thoughts on science reporting in the Washington Post (and in general) - Making Sense of Science Reporting: The job of science reporters is to take complicated subjects and translate them for readers who are not scientifically sophisticated. Critics say that the news media oversimplify and aren't skeptical enough of financing by special interests. That led me to review papers that are to be published soon as part of a project sponsored by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences on how the media cover science and technology,…

The world that contains giant spherical bunnies and poisonous birds is worth living in

And blogging about! Obligatory readings of the day: The Evolution of Poisonous Birds: This research elegantly demonstrates that the evolution of just one character -- in this case, toxicity -- can profoundly affect the evolution of a suite of other characters, ranging from body size and behavioral traits to ecological niche. Allen's Rule, Phenotypic Plasticity, and The Nature of Evolution: Within species ... across clines or subspecies ... this raises very significant (and addressable) questions regarding adaptation in the genetic vs. the ontogenetic realms. If Allen's rule is primarily an…

What is wrong with the picture?

Serbian Ministry of Health, as part of their fight against AIDS, inserted a condom inside a women's magazine this month. The condom is German-made, named "Bumper-Bumper" and in a fun-looking package: [Image from] The timing is unfortunate (I'm sure it was planned months in advance and was too difficult to pull back at the last moment) - this was mailed out just 2-3 days after a guy in Belgrade killed his wife - a pretty brutal case of domestic violence that everyone is talking about (this is not something that happens often there). Question #1: Why are condoms not sent to men? Are the…

New principal hired at Carrboro High

Ruby reports: Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools just released a statement saying that the School Board selected a new principal for Carrboro High list night. Parents at the brand new school have been feeling shafted as their students have less advanced courses available, and their last principal was let go rather swiftly and unceremoniously. I wonder if people will be more satisfied after this new principal gets settled in. Fortunately, both of our kids avoided having to go to the new Carrboro High School, so we have been watching this saga from the sidelines. It is, nonetheless, the local school…

EuroTrip '08 - Belgrade, the ugly

After the 1999 Clinton/Clark bombing of Belgrade, almost all of the ruined buildings were quickly torn down and replaced with modern buildings, perhaps out of spite (which is the national character trait). After all these years, the city is unrecognizable - it is cleaner, livelier, prettier, more modern and more optimistic than ever. Replacing the bombed buildings was also good for everyone's sanity here - to forget quickly, move on, build new... But, if you arrive in Belgrade by bus, by train, or by plane (and then take the bus into town), one of the first things you will see are these…

Farrell Prize in Sleep Medicine

From the Harvard Division of Sleep Medicine: To honor the distinguished career of Professor Richard Kronauer, we will again award the Richard E Kronauer Prize for Excellence in Biomathematical Modeling. This is presented to a graduate student or post-doctoral fellow who has made significant contributions to Modeling Circadian Rhythmicity, Sleep Regulation or Neurobehavioral Function. If you would like to be considered for this prize or would like to nominate someone, please send a recent abstract or paper as well as a current C.V. to ebklerman@hms.harvard.edu before April 27 2008. The award…

Is research information as important as medications for Third World countries?

Gavin has an interesting take on it: I've long believed that there are parallels between the global campaign for open access to the biomedical literature and the campaign for access to essential medicines. For a start, both information and medicines can promote health and save lives. Indeed the late James Grant, former executive director of Unicef, argued that, "the most urgent task before us is to get medical and health knowledge to those most in need of that knowledge. Of the approximately 50 million people who were dying each year in the late 1980s, fully two thirds could have been saved…

Science+Art+Technology+Media - meetings around the World

There were already two Science Foo Camps (in summers of 2006 and 2007) and two Science Blogging Conferences (in winters of 2007 and 2008). But the hunger for such meetings is far from satiated. So, if you have time and money and can travel, you can choose to attend the SciBarCamp on March 15-16, 2008, where Eva is one of the organizers and Larry will be there. Or you can go to the International Science Media Fair in Trieste on April 16-20, 2008. I'll be there, on two panels, one about Open Access, another on Science Blogging. Or, a little later, you can attend the World Science Festival…

Sleep News

Wide Range Of Sleep-related Disorders Associated With Abnormal Sexual Behaviors, Experiences: A paper published in the June 1st issue of the journal SLEEP is the first literature review and formal classification of a wide range of documented sleep-related disorders associated with abnormal sexual behaviors and experiences. These abnormal sexual behaviors, which emerge during sleep, are referred to as "sleepsex" or "sexsomnia". See also this, this and this. Why Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea Are At Higher Risk For Cardiovascular Disease: Researchers have found that patients with…

Blog Plagiarism Alert

It happens to many bloggers sooner or later, and now it happened to Danica - someone is completely stealing and mirroring her blog (and of course earning money from adSense while doing it). Unfortunately for the guy, he (I am assuming it's a he) chose the wrong person to infuriate. Danica is an IT expert and an experienced blogger and she is mad like hell right now (and you don't want that happening to you!) and she knows how to deal with such cases. This includes actually posting (in hope the guy is reading his own creation) exactly what she will do to him. Perhaps the pirate will…

Quote of the day

This is a real letter from Muskegon, Michigan. On the Feb. 8 "60 Minutes" program, we were captivated while viewing the Katie Couric interview of the crew and passengers of Flight 1549. However, we were struck there was not one mention of God, who directs pilots of planes and secures the safety of passengers. We have written CBS and asked them for more realistic programming. Help protect our freedoms. Write CBS about this. It was fine right up through "not one mention of God", then swoooosh, it plummets off the cliff of insanity into the sucking sludge-pit of unreality. God keeps planes…

Woolly Breasts Have Global Appeal

The Liverpool Women's Hospital in Britain has appealed for public help with knitting the "woolly breasts" that they use to show new mothers how to breastfeed and how to express milk, especially for premature babies that are in the hospital. These knitted versions are cheaper that the latex model that they were using. "We've taken loads of calls with offers of knitting, which is brilliant, from Scotland, England, Ireland and the USA. "The Lactation Consultants of Great Britain are happy to put the pattern on the website for free for people to download after the weekend. "I'm accepting all…

Monarch

Male monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus, on its host plant, Asclepias curassavica. Notice the pheromone glands in the two dark spots, one on each hindwing near the abdomen. This Monarch was in very good condition so it is difficult to know whether it was migrating since there is a small, nearly-year-round population near Houston, Texas, where this photo was taken. Image: Biosparite. I am receiving so many gorgeous pictures from you, dear readers, that I am overwhelmed by the beauty of the images and the creatures and places in them. If you have a high-resolution digitized nature image (…

The Top 100 Greenies

A view of the Earth from the space shuttle Endeavour shows sunshine reflected off an ocean. Rising global temperatures are increasingly melting icecaps, causing storm havoc and flooding large areas. Image: Corbis. The Guardian has listed the top 100 people of all time who have done the most to save the planet. Rachel Carson, Author of Silent Spring EF Schumacher, Green economist Jonathan Porritt, Government adviser David Attenborough, TV naturalist James Lovelock, Biologist Wangari Maathai, Conservationist Prince of Wales, Green royal William Morris, Craftsman and writer…

Magisterium

I have run across this particular word in every book I've read these past few weeks, so I decided to share it with you here, finally. The book where I found this word today is E. O. Wilson's The Creation. I assume that many of you will find it surprising to find this specialized word in so many non-theological books. magisterium (maj-uh-STEER-ee-uhm) [Latin, the office of a teacher or other person in authority, from magister, master. Also see magisterial] -noun Roman Catholic Church the authority and power of the church to teach religious truth. The authority to teach religious…

Atavistic

I found this fine word in the interesting and well-written book Not in Our Classrooms, edited by Eugenie C. Scott and Glenn Branch. Atavistic (at-UH-vis-tik) [French atavisme, from Latin atavus, ancestor: atta, father + avus, grandfather] adj. Of, pertaining to, or characterized by atavism; reverting to or suggesting the characteristics of a remote ancestor or primitive type. The reappearance of a characteristic in an organism after several generations of absence, usually caused by the chance recombination of genes. An individual or a part that exhibits atavism. Also; throwback. The…

Red-Fan Parrot Comes Home

tags: hawk-headed parrot, red-fan parrot, Deroptyus accipitrinus, streaming video I just added a four-month-old hawk-headed (red-fan) parrot, Deroptyus a. accipitrinus, to my household. Since I don't have a camera or video camera at my disposal (yet) I decided to share a video with you of another young Hawk-headed parrot, named Scooter, who was approximately five months old in this video. Scooter had just come to his new home four days prior to this video. [1:51] I am bringing my own Hawk-headed parrot home on the subway from the airport this afternoon. This video appeared at the time when…

Arrr, Matey! It's Talk Like a Pirate Day Today!

tags: pirate, talk like a pirate day As you all know, today is talk like a pirate day, a day that is so important to all of us pirates because of the tight correlation between the increase in global temperatures and the decrease in pirates worldwide! So join with me and my parrots by declaring your pirate-ness, and help save the world from global warming! You can do it! I also have a cute cartoon below the fold to share with you that two people sent to me within the past couple hours, and a pirate quiz that you will enjoy. Image source: Partially Clips [Shiver me timbers size] And of…

Encephalon: Request for Submissions

tags: blog carnivals, encephalon, cognition, learning Yep, here I am again, asking you to send me submissions for the upcoming issue of the blog carnival, Encephalon, which I am hosting on Monday, 24 September. Of course, I want my efforts to be recognized as the best ever on behalf of this carnival so I am going to ask you all again to send me your submissions! Encephalon is THE carnival that focuses on blog writing about all aspects of neuroscience, from the molecular to the cognitive. So if you want your brainy words to be read by a larger and more diverse audience than you usually enjoy…

London Science Blogging Questions 2

St Paul's Cathedral London, December 20, 2004. Image: Peter Morgan from Beijing, China (Wikipedia). I am a panelist at a one day conference being held in London, England. This conference focuses on the value of blogs to the public, to science and to scientists, and is being held at the Royal Institution of Great Britain on 30 August 2008. My fellow panelists are Jennifer Rohn, editor at LabLit.com and Anna Kushnir, who works for Nature Network Boston and writes the blog, Lab Life. The panel moderator is my friend and ScienceBlogs colleague who lives in London, Mo. I need your help as I…

Nanomaterials in Ecosystems: Should we worry?

Duke's Periodic Tables at the Broad Street Cafe March 9, 2010 | 7:00 P.M. Nanomaterials in Ecosystems: Should we worry? Nanotechnology has the enormous potential to change our society. New advances in medicine, energy production, environmental cleanup and better access to clean water are just a few of the many possibilities. According to the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, the number of products that use nanomaterials has increased almost 380% since 2006. But, is it the same special properties that make nanoscale materials so useful that also pose potential risks to humans…

To Be or Not To Be ..

You won't believe this but Senator McCain says he thinks he will commit suicide if the Democrats win the Senate in this upcoming election. McCain, on a visit to Iowa to campaign for Republican congressional candidates, was asked his reaction to a potential Democratic takeover of the Senate in the November 7 elections. "I think I'd just commit suicide," McCain told reporters, to accompanying laughter from Republicans standing with him. "I don't want to face that eventuality because I don't think it's going to happen." Promises, promises .. do you think McCain is serious? Regardless of…

How Logical Are You?

As I said, I want to remind you, dear readers, that I am still here, and still missing you all, so I dug up a quiz that you might enjoy. This quiz presumably determines how logical you are. The good thing about this quiz is that I have some evidence that all the drugs I've had to take recently haven't permanently impaired my cognitive functioning, at least. But wow, the illustration that accompanies the quiz sure could be improved. What do you all think? You Are Incredibly Logical Move over Spock - you're the new master of logic You think rationally, clearly, and quickly. A seasoned…

An Orgasm of Beery Delight

Okay, my peeps, I have made an amazing discovery! I found a pub with free wifi AND affordable beer! I can sit on a sidewalk in Manhattan (well, until my battery konks out or I run out of money -- it's a race), watching horse racing on the pub TV, watching people and cars on the streets -- all while I drink beeeeer and write essays and musings for my blog. This is as close to heaven as I will ever get, to be sure (shaddup, PZ! I'm allowed!). OMG, there is a HUMAN SKULL on the window sill above the doors (I'm sure it's all fakey and stuff) and they are playing Nirvana on the jukebox! Excuse me…

life in a small town

I don't know which is more annoying - seeing blue & maize clad athletes carrying another enormous trophy away from Penn State on the plane (well, two, actually, apparently, for men and women's gymnasts); or the fact that it even crossed my mind to care what team won a sports competition... There are real benefits to being at a university where you know sports don't matter at all, ever. As for the guy who was disappointed when I sat next to him instead of one of the female gymnasts: he was wearing an OSU sweater, she was UoM - ain't gonna happen... I was also reminded of why I never fly…

fuelling rumours

unconfirmed AsiaTimes article claims "refueling assets" are being relocated to Diego Garcia big US air base on Diego Garcia (leased from UK) if one were to make active contingency plans involving large numbers of aircraft dropping stuff, then one step would be to quietly move air refueling squadrons forward a week or two earlier. Not sure which squadrons those could be, many are ANG or reserve; some were called up for recent Red Flag exercises. No news on them. In the meantime the 5th Fleet got a new commander, the old one moves back to Pentagon and up in rank after 16 months on the job…

cosmology conspiracy

Apparently Standard Model cosmology is some sort of a Pharisee conspiracy. Dearie me. So, of course, they say, is evolution. And given this astonishing revelation, the person in question feels it better no cosmology or evolution be taught. Just to be safe. This would certainly simplify life for some of us teaching in the sciences, but it might violate the spirit of the American Competitiveness Initiative... "Indisputable evidence -- long hidden but now available to everyone -- demonstrates conclusively that so-called 'secular evolution science' is the Big-Bang 15-billion-year alternate '…