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Note to Herbert: It's Not Radical At All, It's Centrist

A recent question posed by NY Times columnist demonstrates just how far to the Palinist right our political and social discourse has shifted: I always wondered why Howard Zinn was considered a radical. (He called himself a radical.) He was an unbelievably decent man who felt obliged to challenge injustice and unfairness wherever he found it. What was so radical about believing that workers should get a fair shake on the job, that corporations have too much power over our lives and much too much influence with the government, that wars are so murderously destructive that alternatives to…

GM, in Another Stunning Automotive Success, Kills Off Saab

With some sadness, we read that GM is killing off Saab, although spare parts will still be made. The BBC's Jorn Madslien explains how a well-engineered car line died (italics mine): When its owner GM bought Saab, it was seen as a brand that could become the US automotive group's European luxury brand. But the quirky cars did not attract a broad enough following, so it failed to make money. GM's solution was to cut costs by sharing ever more parts with Opel while, at the same time, toning down their design. Such moves alienated traditional Saab customers without gaining new ones. New product…

The Republican Establishment Is Absolutely Nuts

Seriously. This isn't a problem of the 'fringe' of the party. By way of Oliver Willis, look at what the Layfayette County Republican Central Committee (of Missouri) has erected on a billboard: This isn't a couple of guys or a crazy businessman--it's an official division of the Republican Party. "Prepare for war?" Because Obama might raise the amount paid on income above $250,000 by four percentage points? Or pass a healthcare bill that's weaker than a majority of American would like (or realize)? I also like how the sign capitalizes "Beast", when using Grover Norquist's phrase "starve…

When Lifting a Needle Exchange Ban Isn't

You might think that a bill winding its way through Congress which would lift the ban on organizations using federal funding for needle exchange programs would be a good thing. And it would be a good thing, except for this little provision: A bill working its way through Congress would lift a ban of more than 20 years on using federal money for needle exchange programs. But the bill would also ban federally financed exchanges from being within 1,000 feet of a school, park, library, college, video arcade or any place children might gather -- a provision that would apply to a majority of the…

It Looks Like Science Will Be Well Stimulated

From Speaker Pelosi's office: Transform our Economy with Science and Technology:  To secure America's role as a world leader in a competitive global economy, we are renewing America's investments in basic research and development, in training students for an innovation economy, and in deploying new technologies into the marketplace.  This will help businesses in every community succeed in a global economy. Investing in Scientific Research (More than $15 Billion) Provides $3 billion for the National Science Foundation, for basic research in fundamental science and engineering - which spurs…

Christopher Street/Sheridan Square Subway Art 3

tags: Christopher Street, Sheridan Square, The Greenwich Village Murals, subway art, NYC through my eye, photography, NYC The Greenwich Village Murals, 1994. Artist: Lee Brozgold and the students of P.S. 41. Mosaic and ceramic tiles at Christopher Street/Sheridan Square (Uptown 1 train). Image: GrrlScientist, 27 December 2008 [larger view]. This mural depicts people who were instrumental in establishing the Village, including an early land developer, the publisher of New York's first African-American newspaper, a muralist, and a novelist who immortalized Washington Square -- all gathered…

Christopher Street/Sheridan Square Subway Art 2

tags: Christopher Street, Sheridan Square, The Greenwich Village Murals, subway art, NYC through my eye, photography, NYC The Greenwich Village Murals, 1994. Artist: Lee Brozgold and the students of P.S. 41. Mosaic and ceramic tiles at Christopher Street/Sheridan Square (Downtown 1 train). Image: GrrlScientist, 27 December 2008 [larger view]. This mural depicts people who were instrumental in establishing the Village, including an early land developer, the publisher of New York's first African-American newspaper, a muralist, and a novelist who immortalized Washington Square -- all…

What Happened to Scientia Pro Publica?

Image: wemidji (Jacques Marcoux). Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est (And thus knowledge itself is power) -- Sir Francis Bacon. The writing-about-science-for-the-people blog carnival, Scientia Pro Publica, should have been published this past Monday, 4 January 2010. So what happened to it? Like you, I am curious to know the answer to this question. Despite excellent support from its regular contributors, this carnival has been struggling to survive mostly due to my own life situation. You might recall, I started this blog carnival in March 2009 to replace the defunct Tangled Bank. You…

Mystery Bird: Ferruginous Hawk, Buteo regalis

tags: Ferruginous Hawk, Buteo regalis, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz [Mystery bird] Ferruginous Hawk, Buteo regalis, photographed on the Fort Pierre National Grasslands south of Pierre, South Dakota. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow] Image: Terry Sohl, 16 February 2009 [larger view]. Photo taken with a Canon 50D, 400 5.6L. Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification. Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes: Here's a long-winged, long-tailed buteo with a dull white tail. For many of us, that might have been enough to…

Texas doesn't like Neil Armstrong?

The state of Texas is considering striking the name of Neil Armstrong from the social studies standard. I hate to be the voice of restraint here, but I don't think it's as bad as it sounds. The reasoning given is completely bogus (because Armstrong wasn't a scientist? Give me a break), but the action is not unreasonable. The state should not be in the position of dictating the niggling details of instruction — they should be laying down the law on the broad picture of what is taught, but not how it was taught. So what the curriculum should do is say that the social studies classes for that…

Way to go, Charlotte — get out there and boogie down!

The Charlotte Pop Fest '09 is going on right now — it's a music festival that also raises money for charities. You should go. The recipient of the profits this year will be the Richard Dawkins Foundation. What, you say? They're raising money to promote secular science? In North Carolina? Yes, they are. And the organizer, James Deem, says he is doing it to raise awareness for science and science education. I blow kisses his way — what a great idea. Unfortunately, there are problems. Sponsors have pulled out, meaning that they had to cut some bands from the schedule, and of course, some members…

OH NOES!!!!!!

The Gardian The Grauniad published a piece that has me seriously worried! The Brits have apparently seized the gold medal from the Americans in sheer, unadulterated laziness; One in six people would rather watch a TV programme they didn't like than leave the sofa to change the channel if their remote control was broken. A third (36%) of the 2,000 adults surveyed for the study said they would not run to catch a bus and more than half (59%) would not walk up two flights of stairs to reach their office, choosing instead to take the lift. More than half of dog owners (52%) did not walk their…

Antarctica: Others Think I'd do a Helluva Job, Too

Since I have recently developed quite a history of visiting cold and snowy places, often during the winter, I wish to preserve that tradition. I am competing for the opportunity to go to Antarctica in February 2010 -- a dream adventure that I've always wanted to pursue (and almost did pursue when I was an undergraduate researching Fin Whales and Crabeater Seals at the University of Washington). To enter, all candidates must publish a picture of themselves and write an essay explaining why we think we are the best choice, and solicit votes from the public. Whomever receives the most votes wins…

Risky poultry handling in Cambodia is not from lack of knowledge

It is an unconscious assumption of many public health officials, experts and most health educators that The Truth Shall Make you Free. We know it won't, not even in something as simple as understanding what to do and not do about bird flu. A paper this month in CDC's scientific journal, Emerging Infectious Diseases, is a case in point. Public health workers at the Pasteur Institute in Cambodia, the London School of Hygiene, the Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture and the UN's FAO undertook a survey about the knowledge, attitudes and practices among rural villagers in Cambodia, a southeast asian…

Frivolous lawsuits, II

Oh, yes, yes, yes. Oh sweet poetic justice. Oh joy, oh joy. Last November, Shawn Hogan received an unsettling call: A lawyer representing Universal Pictures and the Motion Picture Association of America informed the 30-year-old software developer that they were suing him for downloading Meet the Fockers over BitTorrent. Hogan was baffled. Not only does he deny the accusation, he says he already owned the film on DVD. The attorney said they would settle for $2,500. Hogan declined. (Wired) The motherfuckers at Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and Recording Industry Association of…

Poetic justice or near tragedy. You decide.

With the news of the tragic death of "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin, stabbed through the heart by a stingray while filming a nature program, I was reminded of similar story. Well, maybe not so similar, because the victim was not a committed conservationist like Irwin, but a deep sea fisherman. Which makes a difference, at least to me, so I'm not sure exactly how to react to his. I'm not making fun of this. The human victim could easily have died. Still . . . Ian Card, 32, was in stable condition at King Edward VII Hospital in the British Island territory from a wound that his doctor said…

Indonesia's bird flu policy: all talk, no action

If you want a summary of all that is wrong with Indonesian bird flu policy, here it is: The huge territory and people's ignorance had hampered Indonesian health authorities' efforts to eliminate bird flu, Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla said on Friday. Since the government launched massive efforts to combat the spread of the virus a few years ago, many chicken and bird traders and owners have been reluctant to kill their belongings which were found infected with the H5N1 virus, due to the lack of knowledge about the danger of virus and the consideration that about ten U.S. cents…

Precision Farming

[Image: COMMON-Sense NET] Josh Ruxin has eloquently outlined the complexities of how technology plays into resource and land management. Ruxin: "Information Communications Technology is needed to connect farmers to markets and provide timely information to optimize incomes and expand efficiencies in the marketplace." Managing the landscape is undoubtedly increasing in complexity, and it only follows given the opportunities afforded by remote sensing, GPS navigation and market-homestead connectivity. Some further reading: ICTs and Food Security is a recent report that catalogs developments…

Ecology and Engineering

Below, Saleem Ali answers the second of our three questions. The connection between ecology and engineering will need to be strengthened in coming years to see how natural systems can help with some of our most challenging development issues. Foremost among these challenges will be to supply fresh drinking water to the world. Organisms are far more efficient at cleaning and purifying aquatic systems than most human technologies and we will need to focus on harnessing such efficiency. For example, plants or bacteria that can help with desalination as well as for more efficient treatment of…

TV's unintended consequences -- good and bad [Cognitive Daily]

Television can have a huge influence on our lives. But the most important influences may be the ones we don't even notice. I discuss several fascinating studies about television in my latest column on Seedmagazine.com. Here's a snippet: Travis Saunders, a PhD student at the University of Ottawa who studies the impact of sedentary lifestyles, questions whether a little exercise can make up for hours of inactivity. He refers to a study led by G.F. Dunton of the University of Southern California and published in October in the International Journal of Obesity. The researchers conducted a phone…

Morton on Arts vs. Science [Guilty Planet]

Oliver Morton wrote a delightful book all about photosynthesis called Eating the Sun: How Plants Power the Planet, which I reviewed earlier this year for Search Magazine (R.I.P.) under the title "A Song for the Heartless". One of my favorite passages in the book beautifully explains the difference between art and science: Discoveries feel determined. They are there to be made, and if one person doesn't, another will. This doesn't lessen the achievement; indeed it can give it spice. The thought that 'this is the way the world is--and I am the first to see it as such' is an intoxicating…

Rampaging Squirrel Attacks Elementary School, Injures 3 [Zooillogix]

Friends say he was a good neighbor who mostly kept to himself...Gray Squirrel, Sciurus Carolinensis A disgruntled squirrel stormed Evergreen Elementary School in San Jose, California and started biting anything in sight yesterday, injuring three people including two, 11-year old students and a teacher. The students who were preparing for a field trip made a costly error by leaving the outside-facing door to their classroom open, allowing the squirrel to infiltrate the unguarded facility. The school does not have a high squirrel population nor a history of squirrel attacks, said Will Ector, a…

Cool linky stuff for science undergrads (8)

I have a son who's starting his second year as a physics undergrad. As you can imagine, I occasionally pass along a link or two to him pointing to stuff on the web I think he might find particularly interesting or useful. Thinking on that fact, I surmised that perhaps other science students might find those links interesting or useful as well. Hence, this series of posts here on the blog. By necessity and circumstance, the items I've chosen will be influenced by my son's choice of major and my own interest in the usefulness of computational approaches to science and of social media for…

Around the Web: Cool linky stuff for science undergrads (4)

I have a son who's currently a first year physics student. As you can imagine, I occasionally pass along a link or two to him pointing to stuff on the web I think he might find particularly interesting or useful. Thinking on that fact, I surmised that perhaps other science students might find those links interesting or useful as well. Hence, this series of posts here on the blog. By necessity and circumstance, the items I've chosen will be influenced by my son's choice of major and my own interest in the usefulness of computational approaches to science and of social media for outreach and…

2011 Lane Anderson Award Shortlist: Celebrating the Best Science Writing in Canada

I saw an article in the Quill and Quire announcing the shortlist for the Lane Anderson Award, celebrating the best in Canadian science writing. The Lane Anderson Award honours the very best science writing in Canada today, both in the adult and young-reader categories. Each award will be determined on the relevance of its content to the importance of science in today’s world, and the author’s ability to connect the topic to the interests of the general trade reader.” The annual Lane Anderson Award honours two jury-selected books, in the categories of adult and young-reader, published in the…

Quick Picks on ScienceBlogs, July 31

Just what your case of the Mondays needs: "Darwin has nothing to do with science....There's not a shred of evidence that Darwin was a scientist." Ben Cohen heard a guy on the radio claim that there was 'no evidence that Darwin was a scientist.' And he asks: What? What does that even mean? He is curious, intrigued, and a little bit weirded out. "Collaboration, competition, and turf wars" Janet Stemwedel's continuing coverage of the bouhaha over MIT professor Susumu Tonegawa's role in the decision not to hire job candidate Alla Karpova. Notes on life in "the snakepit" of academic science. "…

Quick Picks on ScienceBlogs, July 28

"How to Get a Ph.D. and Never Pay a Dime For It!" If you're in the sciences and you're paying for your Ph.D., says Shelley, you're getting fleeced. Plus, there looks to be a lively discussion shaping up in comments. "Science and Hard Work: II" Is science hard work? Steinn compares a summer job in a fish-processing factory, fieldwork as a hydrologist, and the life of a Caltech graduate student (including taking the last class that Feynman ever taught). The verdict? No. And yes. "Life and Death in a Lady Beetle Colony" Karmen's trees are infested...with a gardener's best friend. "Antibiotics…

Around the Web: Why music ownership matters, Beyond jazz's boys club and other tales of the music industry

Why music ownership matters Forgetting What I’ve Heard: Why I Miss Buying Music Henry Rollins: Will I Be Able to Finish Listening to All My Records Before I Die? Beyond Jazz’s Boys Club The Forgotten Architects of Jazz — And the New York Women Bringing Them Back Beyond the boys club: Striving for diversity and inclusion in experimental music Sexism In The Music Industry - When Women Lean In, Others Need To Listen Up Almost Famous, Almost Broke: How Does a Jazz Musician Make It in New York Now? Be a good girls or play like a man: Why women aren't getting into jazz 10 Women Instrumentalists…

2015 Lane Anderson Award Shortlist: Celebrating the Best Science Writing in Canada

One of the real highlights for me every year is the late-summer announcement of the Lane Anderson Awards short list. Celebrating science books is a good thing. Celebrating Canadian writers is a good thing. Somehow in 2016, sunny ways and all, celebrating Canadian science writers seems like the best thing of all. Some info on the award: The Lane Anderson Award — created by the Fitzhenry Family Foundation — honours the very best science writing in Canada today, both in the adult and young reader categories. The winner in each category receives $10,000. And the shortlist from their website here…

Around the Web: MOOCs: Expectations and Reality and other recent reports

I'm always interested in the present and future of libraries. There's a steady stream of reports from various organizations that are broadly relevant to the (mostly academic) library biz but they can be tough to keep track of. I thought I'd aggregate some of those here. Of course I've very likely missed a few, so suggestions are welcome in the comments. I've done similar compilations recently here and here. MOOCs: Expectations and Reality: Full Report Trends in Digital Scholarship Centers Sustaining the Digital Humanities Supporting the Changing Research Practices of Art Historians A Guide…

Quasicrystals on Tap

If you followed this year's chemistry Nobel, you know about the quasicrystal design on the ties made for Prof. Dan Schechtman's 70th birthday. Even the prime minister was seen sporting one last week. But did you know there is also a quasicrystal scarf? While Prof. Schechtman was getting his white tie and tails ready for the formal ceremony, this scarf was on display in fashionable Tel Aviv around the shoulders of Prof. Gitti Frey, a nanoscientist at the Technion. Despite the photo op, fashion took a back seat to science last Thursday evening. Frey was the guest speaker at a Science on Tap…

Blithering utopianism in the cause of ignorance

The TED folks are sponsoring a disturbingly vacuous call for a Charter for Compassion, which they claim is an attempt to rescue religion from an aberrant fundamentalism by emphasizing the goodness of faith. I don't see it. What I see is a foolish whitewashing of religious history to claim that it is all about tolerance, when it's the opposite: it's all about tribalism. Instead of opening minds to the wonders of the world, it's all about clamping down on the human mind and imposing the strictures of dogma. It's all very nice to sit around and dream up a religion that's all beauty and sweetness…

A climate change report for the Tea Party

"Major storms could submerge New York City in next decade" cries a randomly selected mainstream media outlet over a story about a new report warning residents that climate change could make life difficult in the not-too-distant future. The report, from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, is pretty standard stuff for those who have been paying attention to the growing link between global warming and extreme weather. And maybe it will spur New Yorkers to take the subject a bit more seriously. But there's a certain set who will welcome this 600-page conpendium of…

Whale of a whopper

James Delingpole's relationship with what is commonly understood by the term "journalism" is not readily apparent. 1. PLOS One publishes a peer-reviewed paper by some of the world's leading marine biologists with an interest in the effects of underwater noise pollution. The paper tests the idea that naval sonar could have an impact on whale behavior. It makes no mention of wind farms. 2. The Telegraph publishes a story, "Wind farms blamed for stranding of whales" citing the paper, which has the conveniently precise title of "Beaked Whales Respond to Simulated and Actual Navy Sonar." 4.…

Cloudy forecast

Long weekend reading: Over at e360, Climate Central's Michael Lemonick sums up the latest thinking on the big question of whether clouds will alleviate or accelerate global warming. It's no small detail. Just about everyone agrees that anthropogenic climate change will produce more cloud cover. The mystery is whether that in turn will produce a positive or negative feedback. Lemonick's take-home message is that the evidence is beginning, just, to tilt in favor of the bad-news scenario. And although researchers are still far from certain whether an anticipated increase in cloudiness will…

Does the world need nuclear energy?

A debate at TED in February over nuclear power's merits as a clean source of electricity featured Whole Earth Catalog guru Steward Brand (pro) and Stanford energy systems analysts Mark Jacobson. A lot of ground covered in 23 minutes, including just how much ground various clean energy options cover. The winner? It was a slam dunk for ... I'll let you figure it out for yourself. "Does the world need nuclear energy?" is an important question, for at least two reasons. First, Congressional legislators seem intent on including increased support for the nuclear industry in any climate or energy…

Why is it so hard to achieve Energy Efficiency?

More live blogging from The Aspen Environment Forum, sponsored by the National Geographic and the Aspen Institute. Panelist include: Brian Keane, Amory Lovins, Will Wynn, with moderator Jack Riggs. Brian: Each one of us can and must be part of the energy efficient solution. It is the small little simple things that we do everyday that will make a difference. Amory: Given the political fault lines in our society, we need to be careful about our language and the motivations that we convey. Eg. auditing, property assessment, and so on. No one wants these things. When we talk to others about…

Flood tolerant rice soon to be released to Bangladeshi farmers

The Daily Star of Dhaka reports today that flood-tolerant rice will soon be officially released in Bangladesh. The flood-tolerant rice varieties (called Sub1- rice) can help farmers, many who live on less than $1/day, dramatically increase yield during floods. Dave Mackill of the International Rice Research Institute (formerly of UC Davis) led the precision breeding efforts. The team introduced the Sub1 gene into BR-11 and three other varieties that are popular with farmers and consumers. The new BR-11 Sub1 variety has been embraced by farmers in field trials because it is effectively…

Role Models in Science & Engineering Research: Eva Crane -- World-Authority on Bees

--Trained as a nuclear physicist, she abandoned that field to travel the world researching the behavior and history of bees --Established the first worldwide organization for exchanging authoritative research information on bees Born in Britain in 1912, Eva Crane earned a Ph.D. in nuclear physics but left that field to pursue her fascination with bees and their hives -- a deep interest cultivated after she received a box of bees as a wedding gift in 1942. (Such a present was very much welcome in Britain during those days of World War II to help lessen the short supply of sugar.)  Eva would…

Saving Lives With Biomedical Engineering

When biomedical engineering scientist Erin Lavik received the prestigious New Innovator Award last year from the National Institutes of Health for her work in advancing the development of synthetic (artificial) blood platelets, she was already becoming known in biomedical circles as a rising researcher. Erin's laboratory at Case Western Reserve University, where she is currently an associate professor of Biomedical Engineering, was attracting attention for its focus on developing new approaches to understand and treat hemorrhaging, spinal cord injury, glaucoma, and diseases of the retina…

Here We Go Again!

With the new year hot out of the gates, ScienceBlogs wishes everyone a wonderful 2010. Dr. Isis on On Becoming a Domestic and Laboratory Goddess shares a study with us waistline watchers, comparing two approaches to calorie reduction. One group of overweight individuals consumed 25% fewer calories while the other group ate only 12.5% less but burned the other 12.5% through exercise. Both groups lost the same amount of weight, but only the exercisers "improved their fitness, saw a decline in diastolic blood pressure and LDL and improved insulin sensitivity." Getting in shape is well and good…

Rawness versus Pasteurization

Although it is illegal to sell in most states, raw milk is gaining popularity as claims about its healthfulness multiply. Proponents of raw say the heat of pasteurization destroys beneficial enzymes and probiotic bacteria, while homogenization damages the natural structure of milk. Sharon Astyk drinks raw milk on Casaubon's Book, but only from animals she raises herself. She says raw milk "tastes better," "is easier to digest," and "should be available for sale everywhere." But she also acknowledges the inherent bacterial risks of rawness, warning that it is not for everyone and requires…

The Buzz: In Defense of Drug Addiction Research

This week, Jessica Palmer of Bioephemera posted an illuminating report on the politics that govern—and often hamper—scientific research for drug abuse treatment. In her post, Jessica points out, "research to help [cigarette] smokers quit is generally portrayed as necessary and important," but the media, politicians, and society at large view research for treatment of other drug addictions as "a waste of money." She posits that these "cheap shots" are easy to take because many people find it difficult to relate to drug addicts, resulting in a "knee-jerk lack of sympathy." In the following…

Seed goes to the New York City Science Fair!

Sunday March 1, Seed employees and friends of Seed ventured up to the NY City College campus to help judge the annual New York City Science Fair. The event was sponsored by Seed, as science fairs are an important part of the learning and scientific development process for young minds. Additionally, Seed's founder and CEO Adam Bly won the "Best in Category" Grand Prize in biochemistry at the 1998 Intel International Science Fair, so the enthusiasm for science fairs runs deep throughout the company. To start off the day, five of science's most intriguing figures took part in a panel on…

Welcome, Bioephemera! (An Introduction by the Neurophilosopher)

(This is a guest post written by Mo, the Neurophilosopher.) I'm very pleased to announce that the fantastic Bioephemera has been "acquired" by ScienceBlogs. When I first started reading it, I knew that I had found a unique blog, and it soon became one of my favourites. (More below the fold...) Bioephemera is a curiosity box filled with weird and wonderful things from the intersection of art and biology. Take, for example, this wax anatomical figure of a pregnant woman, attributed to Stephan Zick, and dated to around 1700. Jessica Palmer, the author of Bioephemera, is not a biologist with an…

Conference Redux: Science Blogging Ethics

What can I and can't I write on my blog? Why hat-tip? Should I censor my commenters? Should the MSM be able to take quotes from my blog out of context? These were the TUFF questions discussed at the first session I attended at yesterday's NC Science Blogging Conference: "Science Blogging Ethics," led by Janet. The discussion that followed Janet's talking points led to one great idea: A blogger's code of ethics. More below the fold... "Some people still see the blogosphere as the wild west," Janet said. Which means that the laws of this wild land are few and far between. Many of the session…

Live Blogging from the NC Science Bloggers Conference!

Just one day to go before the second annual North Carolina Science Blogging Conference at Research Triangle Park! More than 200 bloggers, scientists, journalists, blogger-scientists and blogger-journalists are registered for a craaaazy line-up of discussions, lab tours, dinners, cocktails, and fun. (More details below the fold.) My plane lands in Durham tomorrow morning, and I'll be live-blogging for Page 3.14 all weekend to let you know exactly what's buzzing at the conference. I'm also planning to do some 3.14 *exclusive* interviews with the ScienceBloggers. Got any TUFF questions you'd…

Annoyed? Maybe You're Tired

Feeling irritated? Getting blown off course by the emails pinging into your inbox, or the six open tabs in your web browser? Take a deep breath...but also, if you can, take a nap. A Dutch researcher named Harm Veling has conducted research into distraction and concluded that the state of being tired compromises the ability of a person's brain to filter out distracting stimuli. Veling gave standard tests, in which words to be remembered are interspersed with 'distracting' extraneous words, to normal subjects and to subjects who were mentally tired. He found that normal subjects are able to…

Meet Bill Nye, the Science Guy, on the Mall this Weekend

Even Bill Nye will be at the Expo! Read more here. The first USA Science & Engineering Festival will take science out of the lab and onto D.C.'s National Mall this weekend: October 23rd and 24th. The free, two-day expo will feature over 1500 fun, hands-on science activities and over 75 stage shows and performances on four stages. The family-friendly festival hosts a PBS Kid-Zone, activities including birdhouse building and Rubik's Cube solving, and much more. Making it easy on parents seeking age-appropriate activities, the festival's exhibit-finder sorts by age-group. The expo will be…

Join America's Youth As They Tackle Top Environmental Issues

On Wednesday, October 6, 2010, the third annual 4-H National Youth Science Day, will bring together hundreds of thousands of youth around the nation to complete a single science experiment. This year, the National Science Experiment, 4-H2O, focuses on water quality and climate change - two critical issues facing our global community today. In anticipation of 4-H National Youth Science Day, you can now pre-order a 4-H2O experiment kit with all the necessary materials to complete the first two tiers of the experiment! Kit includes enough materials for 15 youth and one facilitator to…