Announcements
sporte | January 12, 2009
The 2009 Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates in Environmental Microbiology at UNLV is now accepting applications. This NSF supported program provides undergraduates with an opportunity to perform independent research under the guidance of a faculty mentor.
Students will collaborate with faculty mentors in developing and carrying out hypothesis-based projects on microorganisms from diverse habitats such as hot springs, the deep terrestrial subsurface, hypersaline lakes, arid soils, and ephemeral water sources. Students may also choose to explore the mechanisms of magnetotaxis,…
oracknows | January 12, 2009Here's a cool idea. Take a newbie, who has never read Charles Darwins' On the Origin of Species, and have the newbie actually read the book. Then have him blog each chapter. That's exactly what John Whitfield, London-based freelance science writer, is doing, and ScienceBlogs has him over at Blogging the Origin. Check it out. John promises to have all the chapters of Darwin's seminal work blogged by the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth on February 12.
You know, come to think of it, I've never read all of Origin. I've read a couple of chapters of it, but I've never read the entire book.…
oracknows | January 11, 2009It's amazing how fast the time passes. The year 2008 is now history. 2009 is nearly two weeks old. But, for purposes of this blog, most important of all is that the very first Skeptics' Circle of 2009 is fast approaching. It will be held at Bug Girl's Blog on Thursday, January 15, a mere three days away.
But fear not! There is still time to get your best skeptical blogging to Bug Girl for inclusion in this very first gathering of skeptical bloggers of the new year. So do it already!
Also, if you want to get your name on the list of hosts of the Skeptics' Circle, all you have to do is to e-…
oracknows | January 9, 2009...but only temporarily!
As you may have heard, our benevolent leaders at ScienceBlogs are finally doing a major upgrade of our blog publishing software. That's the good news. I'm hoping the back end is much easier to use and more responsive. The bad news is that the whole ScienceBlogs site is going to locked down. It will still be there. You can still read it and browse every scintillating post, but none of the ScienceBloggers will be able to post, and none of the readers will be able to comment. Bummer. Hopefully the upgrade will be worth it.
The lockdown period will begin at 1 PM.…
illconsidered | January 6, 2009One of my first questions when I came to sci.environment for an education a few long years ago was "Does anyone know of a good resource for climate related information I can put on my mp3 player?"
I did not get much or any response then, but since I have found a few interesting podcasts that often have climate science related stories on my own.
So I thought I would make a new weekly posting out of it, "Climate science for your iPod", similar to H. E. Taylor's weekly Global Warming News Roundup.
Today will be the first installment, and I will endeavor to have one every Tuesday. Presentation…
oracknows | January 1, 2009I realize that I said I would take New Years Day off, but I saw this and felt a brief post was in order.
I also realize that some will never believe that it's not false modesty when I express amazement that so many people show up here day in and day out to read my written meanderings. It's also not false modesty when I marvel that I actually am nominated from time to time for various blogging awards and even (on rarer occasions) win.
So it is again that I've been nominated for Best Medical/Health Issues Blog of 2008 for the Weblog Awards.
Cool. My thanks to everyone who nominated me.
I also…
oracknows | December 31, 2008Now here's something that'll go to Orac's head (if, in fact, he actually had a head instead of a Plexiglass cube of blinking colored lights). He's been named by Rebecca Watson (a.k.a. The Skepchick) as one of the Top 10 Skeptics Who Kicked Ass in 2008!
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I'm tellin' ya, to be included in a list with luminaries such as Ben Goldacre, Amanda Peet, Susan Jacoby (whose book, The Age of American Unreason, I really really need to get around to reading), Phil Plait, and fellow ScienceBlogger P.Z. Myers. Of course, my…
oracknows | December 30, 2008Here's one for our favorite creationist neurosurgeon: A whole Grand Rounds all about the interface of and application to medicine of the theory of evolution.
oracknows | December 18, 2008'Tis a bittersweet moment.
On the one hand, I am happy that the 102nd Meeting of the Skeptics' Circle has landed over at Bing McGhandi's place. Not only is it chock full of excellent skeptical blogging, but the story is amusing, as evidenced by this little taste:
BM: Next, Orac from Respectful Insolence has sent you a warning about Dr. Egnor, the intelligent design advocate and friend of the Discovery Institute.
RB: I know all about this Dr. Egnor. I intend to make him Surgeon [bleeping] General when I become President in 2016!
Oh, but who is RB, this evil incarnate who would appoint Dr.…
oracknows | December 14, 2008...is due out in a mere four days.
Yes, on Thursday, December 18, Bing McGhandi over at Happy Jihad's House of Pancakes will be closing out 2008 by hosting the 102nd Meeting of the Skeptics' Circle.
But there's a problem.
Bing has informed me that he only has three entries as of last night. With only four days to go, that's not good. Come on, skeptics! Do you want to finish out 2008 with a bang or with a whimper? This is not only going to be the last Skeptics' Circle for a year, but it's going to be four weeks between the 102nd and 103rd Meetings of the Skeptics' Circle. The reason is that…
oracknows | December 4, 2008And so it begins...
The first 100 have passed, and now the second 100 begin. This time, it comes from Africa, the 101st Meeting of the Skeptics' Circle. Go forth. Read. Enjoy. Be enlightened.
Next up two weeks hence will be Bing McGhandi over at Happy Jihad's House of Pancakes on December 18. (I really love the name of that blog.) Start getting your skeptical pens ready (metaphorically speaking, of course). Check out the guidelines here. And while you're at it, check out the Carnival of the Africans, basically an African version of the Skeptics' Circle.
illconsidered | December 1, 2008"While we have been working on the economy, the Opposition has been working on a backroom deal to overturn the results of the last election without seeking the consent of voters," Harper said. "They want to take power, not earn it.
"
So says Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada
Of course, if the will of the voters had really been for him to govern they would have given the Conservatives a majority. Given they did not get that majority, a coalition government is hardly undemocratic! This quote is from this story here. According to this bit of good news, there is a real possibility of a…
thusspakezuska | November 30, 2008Tomorrow I'm off to western Pennsylvania, for a week with mom. Taking her to some doctor appointments, but more importantly, finishing up the planning and preparation for her 80th birthday party, which we will celebrate on Saturday the 6th. After the party I'll be back home for just a few days and then off on a long-anticipated vacation with Mr. Z.
The upshot, of course, is there won't be much happening around this blog for the next two-three weeks. I should be back and ready to blog again just about the time all of you are winding up your academic terms and ready to take off and not…
oracknows | November 29, 2008Having finally hosted the Skeptics' Circle myself last week after a long absence and having had a blast doing it to celebrate the 100th Meeting of the Skeptics' Circle, I know it's time for me once again to turn over the reins to the next host, who will inaugurate the beginning of what will (I hope) become the second 100 Meetings of the Skeptics' Circle.
Scheduled to take on that task is Mike Meadon at Ionian Enchantment this coming Thursday, December 4. So, please, help Mike out with your best skeptical blogging. Let's get the second 100 of the Skeptics' Circle going with a bang!
oracknows | November 27, 2008Continuing the theme from yesterday one last time this week and bringing our long disused blog mascot front and center, I wish all my readers a happy Thanksgiving!
illconsidered | November 25, 2008...on whether or not the EPA should regulate CO2, the primary cause of climate disruption today.
I received this via unsolicited email:
Friday is the last day to voice your opinion on whether the EPA -- the Environmental Protection Agency -- should regulate carbon dioxide pollution, the primary cause of the climate crisis. This is a big deal.
The EPA is taking public comment before making a ruling. I sent my message in and it will appear on the EPA's website, and be part of the public record.
Of course, special interests -- like the oil and coal lobbies -- are working overtime to defeat a…
oracknows | November 17, 2008Everyone knows that the quackery-friendly, antivaccine blog Age of Autism has a rather--shall we say?--hypocritical stance when it comes to free speech. For one thing, for all their complaints about censorship and not being heard by the government, its denizens frequently confuse freedom of speech with freedom from criticism. For another thing, they also ruthlessly censor comments that they do not like on their blog itself. Worst of all, they tacitly support the "outing" of pseudonymous commenters if such commenters annoy them enough.
Someone's finally gotten tired of it. Indeed, someone has…
oracknows | November 16, 2008As hard as it is to believe, it's almost here. In a mere four days on Thursday, November 20, the 100th Meeting of the Skeptics' Circle will land right here at its mothership for the first time in three years. As of this morning, I only have six submissions. That's not nearly enough! I need more, lots more, by 5 PM EST on Wednesday. Send them to orac@scienceblogs.com.
Don't make me start perusing skeptical blogs to raid and pillage posts as I see fit. You wouldn't like that, and neither would I, as I somehow managed to schedule myself to do this little shindig during a particularly insane week…
sporte | November 12, 2008Is ready for reading at Submitted to a Candid World.
I never thought I'd see the day when a Tangled Bank host would compare PZ Meyers to John McCain, but I admit, it was tastefully done.
thusspakezuska | November 7, 2008Zuska is thrilled to announce that Dr. Isis the Scientist, Domestic and Laboratory Goddess, has joined ScienceBlogs! Yay! Another kick-ass woman blogger in the neighborhood! And a well-shod one, too! Stop on over and say hi as she gets settled in to her new digs. Welcome, Dr. Isis!