Announcements
thusspakezuska | April 8, 2008From my email inbox: information about AWIS coaching seminars. Two dates, four times, 45 minutes in length, details after the jump.
You know AWIS as a networking and mentoring resource - Now try us as you move to the next stage of your career. If your life could use a little boost, try our new Coaching Program.
Specially designed for women in STEM fields, our one-of-a-kind team of professional coaches has put together some great packages to meet your work-life needs.
I would like to invite you to join us for a "live" coaching demonstration with
our team of professional coaches. They'll…
thusspakezuska | April 7, 2008Some things have recently led me to think it might be a good time to post the following reminders on this blog:
1. The legitimacy of feminist theory as a field of intellectual endeavor or feminism as a useful guide to action and public policy is not something that is up for debate on this blog.
2. Similarly, talking about gender and science is also not up for negotiation. It's the whole point of this blog and if that distresses you, I suggest you just not read anymore.
We might debate the particulars of these topics and how they play out in real life situations. But we're not going…
oracknows | April 6, 2008Holy crap, time flies. In fact, it flies to fast that I actually forgot to do this when I normally do: the Friday announcement of an impending Skeptics' Circle. This Thursday (that's April 10, folks), the host is Archaeoporn (who, by the way, posted a really hilarious April Fools' Day post about the upcoming Indiana Jones movie). Contact information for submissions can be found here, and guidelines for what the Circle is looking for can be found here.
As always, if you're interested in hosting your very own Circle, peruse the guidelines for hosts and drop me a line.
oracknows | April 5, 2008...at the Cancer Research Blog Carnival #8, hosted over at The Skeptical Alchemist.
Just the thing to while away a Saturday afternoon!
thusspakezuska | April 3, 2008I've mentioned Kay Weber and her lawsuit against Fermilab on this blog before. Sherry Towers forwarded an email to me that gives an update on Kay's situation:
Those of you getting the first wave of this email probably know Kay Weber personally, but may not know the story that has been a main focus of her life for the past 4 years. Here is her story:
Kay worked at Fermilab (a Department of Energy Laboratory) for more than 18 years. She has a degree in Mechanical Engineering, is a Licensed Professional Engineer, has Master's Degrees in Computer Science and Psychology. When Kay was hired she…
oracknows | March 31, 2008I have to admit that this one fell off the radar, even for me. I hate to admit it, but it's true.
I'm talking about the Cancer Research Blog Carnival, which is being hosted by the Skeptical Alchemist this Friday.
So, those of you inclined to write about cancer and cancer research, help a blogger out and submit your work to the Skeptical Alchemist before Friday and then come back to check out the carnival then.
oracknows | March 27, 2008I have to hand it to Mike, the host of this week's Meeting of the Skeptics' Circle. He's decided to do something that I never would have thought possible: He's gotten Ben Stein to introduce the entries to this week's festival of skeptical thinking--which is why you're all "expelled"! (I wonder what Matt would think of this "frame.")
Go check it out and be amused. I find, however, that it helps to get the full effect if you imagine Stein's whiny, monotone nasal voice reading it to you.
Next up to host is Archaeoporn on Thursday, April 10. (Archaeoporn? Oh, no, the word "porn" is in there!…
oracknows | March 23, 2008...because Boston skeptics get to have all the fun with a meeting of Skeptics in the Pub on Monday, March 24 at The Asgard (great name for a pub!) in Cambridge at 7 PM. Keynote speaker for the night is our very own Mike the Mad Biologist. We've done a little blog tag-teaming in the past of some idiotic arguments by creationists claiming that evolution is unnecessary to understand the development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria; so it's a shame I don't live in Boston.
Oh, well. One of these days I need to find out if there's a skeptics' group in my neck of the woods.
oracknows | March 22, 2008I've been remiss in not mentioning that one of the newer and better docs dedicated to skepticism and science= and evidence-based medicine has joined the SB collective. I'm talking about PalMD, formerly of the blog White Coat Underground. He's joined up with the Hoofnagles over at Denialism.com and is already posting away.
It's always good to see another doc dedicated to reason and science show up, especially one who can help me tag-team responses to the woo in the blogosphere.
oracknows | March 12, 2008Having just perused the 82nd Meeting of the Skeptics' Circle over at Happy Jihad's House of Pancakes, I was left with one question? Was the Founder of the Circle, the not late but still lamented St. Nate (mainly because he left the blogosphere and took his blog down) God? Is Orac his son? And what is the significance of all this prophecy and religious imagery?
It's all so confusing.
The only way to find out is to check it out. The kid's got promise.
Next up is an experienced host of the Skeptics' Circle, Mike over at Mike's Weekly Skeptic Rant (and, believe me, the title of the blog is…
oracknows | March 10, 2008I have no idea if this will post or not. Even so, I'll try. It turns out that ScienceBlogs is experiencing technical difficulties and has been since very early this morning. No one can comment (not even me), and some bloggers can't post (although apparently PZ can).
I have no idea when commenting capability will be restored, which is a shame because today's post would likely have provoked some interesting comments. On the other hand, it would likely have attracted antivaccinationists as well. Oh, well...
ADDENDUM: The technical glitches seem to have been resolved.
oracknows | March 7, 2008It's that time again. Well, not quite yet. But it soon will be. That's right; everyone's favorite blog carnival the Skeptics' Circle is fast approaching and is scheduled to land at Happy Jihad's House of Pancakes next Thursday, March 13. (I have to say, I like the blog name!) But Bing McGhandi needs your help to pull it off. He needs some seriously good examples of blog posts applying skepticism and critical thinking skills to a question that can be resolved with evidence. General guidelines for what the Skeptics' Circle is about and what kinds of posts belong in the Circle can be found here…
thusspakezuska | March 6, 2008Lucky for Scienceblogs - Jane of See Jane Compute has just moved in with us!
Scienceblogs has really needed someone from a computer science/engineering perspective. I am thrilled to pieces that she has signed on.
thusspakezuska | March 6, 2008Bora has posted an interview with me at A Blog Around the Clock. See here for all the interviews in the series. He keeps adding new ones so check back now and then.
Via the Chronicle news blog, I found this wonderful site with all of Audobon's paintings of North American birds. Bird lovers, rejoice! Thank you, University of Pittsburgh!
Again via the CNB, The Scientist has named names - the best places for postdocs to work. The Chronicle advises:
Read the fine print: Only 17 international institutions (and 82 in the United States) received five or more survey responses; the magazine…
thusspakezuska | March 5, 2008Maria told me about WOC PhD. A link in this post led me to the Feminist Studies Collections: Women of Color & Women Worldwide pages, from which I hopped to the Women of Color page from the Wisconsin Women's Studies Librarian, which in turn took me to Joan Korenman's Women of Color websites list. Joan's excellent list includes Black Women in Mathematics, Digital Sisters, summaries of a few studies, and Sister Mentors, among others.
Abel pointed me to Urban Science Adventures! - which, by the way, has a nice post on women's history month up. Also, Diary of a PhD Student, Education and…
retrospectacle | March 2, 2008Retrospectacle has been a wonderful hobby and outlet for my writing for almost three years. I started writing at Blogspot for a few reasons- to critically report science news, to convert the tomes of science to layperson-speak, to attempt to educate and entertain myself as well as my audience (hopefully). I think that it has been a terrific success. As of this posting, which will be my last here, there are 837 entries and 6912 comments which marks at least *some* kind of contribution to the "conversation about science" we're all trying to have here at ScienceBlogs. I sincerely thank all of…
oracknows | February 22, 2008With the invasion of the orbs discussed earlier today, it's become apparent to me that now, more than ever, a healthy dose of skepticism and critical thinking is imperative. Fortunately, the Skeptics' Circle is fast approaching and due to land on Thursday, February 28 at the Conspiracy Factory. So, if you're a skeptical blogger who wants to strut his or her stuff, now's the time to submit your best stuff from the last couple of weeks to Factician. Edition-specific instructions, deadline, and contact information are here. General guidelines for submitting and the schedule of future Skeptics'…
oracknows | February 17, 2008Due to the unfortunate intrusion of real life into blogging resulting in the inability of this week's previously scheduled host to be able to fulfill his hosting duties for the February 28 edition of the Skeptics' Circle, there has been a last minute change of hosts for the next Circle. The 81st Meeting of the Skeptics' Circle will now be hosted by Factician at the Conspiracy Factory. Instructions for submitting posts are now found here, and I will forward the submissions that were sent to me to our new host. Help him out and send him your best skeptical entries following the usual guidelines.
thusspakezuska | February 14, 2008Abel Pharmboy reports on inaccuracies in breast cancer websites:
So it was no surprise to me and actually quite alarming to read a recent report suggesting that while only 1 in 20 breast cancer websites offer incorrect information, CAM-focused [CAM = complementary and alternative medicine] websites were 15 times more likely to contain inaccurate or incorrect information.
Go read the whole post, and the comments too.
oracknows | February 14, 2008Of course Valentine's Day is the right time for skepticism! What better time? If you don't believe me, visit Bug Girl's Blog for the 80th Meeting of the Skeptics' Circle: Valentine Edition! She'll show you why there's no time like today for a healthy dose of critical thinking.
Next up is (I think) Sorting Out Science on February 28. I would be remiss in my organizing duties, however, if I didn't inform you that it is quite possible that there might be a change in hosts before then. Don't worry, though. For now, just send submissions both to Sam Wise and me. If a host switch occurs, I'll make…