Misc
vhughes | September 2, 2007
Attention ScienceBloggers and science bloggers! Registration is now open for the second annual Science Blogging Conference, to be held on January 19, 2008 in the Research Triangle Park in Durham, North Carolina.
The conference was organized by BlogTogether, a network of North Carolina bloggers, "to explore new ways in communicating scientific exploration." Last year, more than 150 scientists, teachers, bloggers and journalists attended.
This year, several ScienceBloggers are scheduled to lead talks at the conference:
Janet on ethics; Zuska and Karen on gender and race; and Chris, Sheril,…
apalazzo | August 31, 2007I am sick and tired of quantitating my microinjection data. I've been doing this for two weeks and I'm going crazy. I've microinjected and quantified over 10,000 cells in this time period, all in the attempt to finish this damned paper. I've injected soo many cells that I've even accidentally microinjected the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) on several occasions (for anyone who has never microinjected, this is a very rare event). Want proof? Here's fluorescent dextran in the ER:
But I'm going crazy. I give up. I can do it anymore. I've put aside my blog, our policy paper, walking to work (too…
apalazzo | August 29, 2007A couple of weeks ago, Linda Wang from C&E News contacted me about my post on pipette tip usage methods (with a little side note on the Jesus Gel incident). Apparently the article came out August 20th and since then I've received emails containing people's pipette box artwork. If I get my act together I'll try to post a compilation of photos and testimonials.
If you want to contribute a story or a photo, email me.
vhughes | August 28, 20078.20.07 to 8.26.07
Announcements
Welcome Zooillogix!
Please welcome the newest addition to ScienceBlogs, Zooillogix.
Brothers Andrew and Benny Bleiman author Zooillogix, "a hobby and a secret outlet of forbidden passion" that showcases their shared obsession with zoology. Check out the Bleimans' recent Gallery d'Bug Arte post, and their Video of the Week, where a male jumping spider dances for a foxy spider babe.
Homepage Buzzes
8/21: Gender Benders
Are young boys more likely to get rowdy in the classroom? Do girls really prefer pink? Yes, say a couple of recent scientific studies done by…
lee billings | August 27, 2007"Within thirty years, we will have the technological means to create superhuman intelligence. Shortly thereafter, the human era will be ended." - Vernor Vinge, 1993
Unless you're an avid science fiction fan or futurist, there's a good chance you've never heard of "the Singularity"—broadly speaking, a hypothetical point in the future where technological development accelerates past the threshold where humans can predict or (more ominously) influence its further progress. The creation of superhuman artificial intelligence is typically seen as the most likely catalyst that could cause such a "…
apalazzo | August 25, 2007I moved to the US.
To commemorate this event here's The Immigrant Song, as performed by the original mash-up group, Dread Zeppelin:
ksharpe | August 23, 2007Flattering news from elsewhere on the web: The New York Times has just launched a beta version of My Times, a personalizable homepage feature that allows users to mix their favorite Times content with widgetized utilities and news and entertainment items from around the internet.
One of the niftiest features is the Times Journalists' Selections—recommended web content from beloved Times reporters and columnists.
It would be nifty even if the Journalists' Selections didn't include a handful of ScienceBlogs. Times science reporter Kenneth Chang likes Good Math, Bad Math and Pharyngula; science…
vhughes | August 22, 2007Please welcome the newest addition to ScienceBlogs, Zooillogix.
Brothers Andrew and Benny Bleiman author Zooillogix, "a hobby and a secret outlet of forbidden passion" that showcases their shared obsession with zoology.
Check out the Bleimans' recent Gallery d'Bug Arte post, and their Video of the Week, where a male jumping spider dances for a foxy spider babe.
ksharpe | August 20, 20078.13.07 to 8.19.07
Homepage Buzzes
8/13: Science Panel on C-SPAN
On Saturday, C-SPAN aired a televised broadcast of the "Science, Politics, and Activism" panel that took place on August 3 at the YearlyKos Convention. The video of the panel, moderated by Tara Smith and featuring science bloggers Sean Carroll, Chris Mooney, and Ed Brayton, is available online.
8/14:Karl Rove Out
Karl Rove, who has been a political adviser to President Bush for over 10 years, has announced his plans to resign as White House deputy chief of staff. He will leave his position on August 31, bringing to an end an…
apalazzo | August 16, 2007Sorry about the lack of posts. The lost week spent roaming around the California wilderness has really taken a toll. I have been microinjecting my brains out, but fortunately it looks like I'll be able to get the last piece of data that the reviewers asked for. In addition there has been much post-scifoo activity that I have yet to contend with. And then yesterday I sacrificed a day's worth of work to be with a dear friend who is leaving town this morning. We'll miss you, pumpkin seeds.
As for posts that I wanted to write include the new Singer paper, the Vault paper, the incredible imaging…
apalazzo | August 12, 2007Yesterday I surrendered to the gods of the electronic world as I finally got a cellphone (now people can reach me where ever I may be, yikes!) and I registered with facebook where I will forever be eating plums (don't ask, this has to do with last night and it's a long story.)
Well it could be worse, I could have been a citizen of Shenzhen (aka Canton). From today's NYTimes:
Starting this month in a port neighborhood and then spreading across Shenzhen, a city of 12.4 million people, residency cards fitted with powerful computer chips programmed by the same company will be issued to most…
vhughes | August 10, 2007
Science is perhaps the academic discipline most dependent on acronyms, from the common NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) to the less recognized laser (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation). In fact, Wiley Publishers' dictionary of "Scientific and Technical Acronyms, Symbols, and Abbreviations" includes more than 200,000 entries!
On Thursday, Mind Hacks pointed out some of the cleverest acronyms used in cognitive science, and asked readers to send in any especially "awkward, contrived or borderline inappropriate acronyms…
apalazzo | August 9, 2007From petermr's blog:
A+A ran on young scientists and the culture of fear. This was probably the highlight of the meeting for me - where else could you get an idea which surfaced at 0930 on one day and 26 hours later there was a deep debate among equals?
Wow, thanks!
stoat | August 5, 2007 I've been on holiday, I don't know if you noticed. We came back via Bayeux and here I post a little-known pic from the famous tapestry (yes really). You are to imagine the nice ladies of the time happily needle-pointing away, although perhaps that isn't such a good image now I think of it.
lbillings | August 3, 2007
Just before 5:30 a.m. Saturday morning, a Delta 7925 rocket will launch from Cape Canaveral carrying an important payload for planetary exploration: the Phoenix, NASA's latest mission to Mars. If all goes well, Phoenix should land in the northern polar region of Mars in May 2008, giving scientists the first close-up views of this relatively unexplored area of the Red Planet.
In many ways Phoenix resembles the Viking landers of the 1970s, the ambitious probes that tried to determine whether or not life existed on Mars. Like the landers in Viking 1 and Viking 2, Phoenix will make a "soft"…
apalazzo | August 3, 2007What a trip.
I'll post more pics in the near future. Tonight I'm off to scifoo.
vhughes | July 31, 2007
Last Friday, NASA released a report on astronaut health care that revealed two incidents of on-the-job alcohol abuse. Even though NASA rules forbid drinking alcohol while in orbit, a New Scientist article published online on Tuesday suggests that a few astronauts have done it (including Buzz Aldrin, who sipped communion wine from a chalice after landing on the Moon).
But in a zero-gravity environment, could an astronaut (or a space tourist) really enjoy beer's frothy bubbles?
Yes, explains the New Scientist article:
The answer, Dutch researchers suggested in 2000, is to store beer in a…
hrynyshyn | July 27, 2007The Guardian wins the prize for best headline for its coverage of the tipsy astronauts: "Drunk astronauts go from Right Stuff to the hard stuff." While we're on the subject, though, how about this, even less amusing, story: "Three die in Branson's space tourism tests."
apalazzo | July 26, 2007I was once asked "do you ever run out of things to write about in your blog?" My answer was that I am just lucky. I'm surrounded by inteligent people who always have something interesting to say. Usually I have too many things to write about, but sadly I don't have enough time.
Well last night was another example of this principle - I would write more on the many conversations we had, but today is crazy, I just don't have the time.
Why?
Andy and Dr J, two good friends, are leaving the lab and we'll be having a farewell party tonight. Tomorrow my wife and I are off to California and the…
vhughes | July 25, 2007
We city dwellers tend to shudder at the sight of the beady-eyed, black rat. Its kind invades our subways, trash cans, and water systems and may carry dangerous diseases.
But science writer Natalie Angier defends the oft-loathed rat in Tuesday's New York Times, pointing out that basic rat research on major organs, physiological systems, and cancers has undoubtedly saved many thousands of human lives. What's more, new studies reveal that rat behaviors are surprisingly humanlike: The critters laugh when tickled, get addicted to drugs, and know the difference between good and bad sex. They even…