north carolina
clock | February 23, 2008Last night we went to Raleigh Memorial Auditorium and saw the opening ("student") night of "Annie Get Your Gun", starring Larry Gatlin, who is apparently some big name in country music, and Raleigh-born Lauren Kennedy who we last saw as Lady Of The Lake in Spamalot when we went to NYC two years ago (btw, Spamalot is coming to Raleigh in April, but the Lady will be played by someone else).
It was fun (a couple of minor glitches that they skillfully masked or played for laughs, the biggest being when Larry forgot his line in one of the songs and Lauren saved him by singing them for him without…
clock | February 21, 2008Greensboro is the only North Carolina town on the 'Popular Science' list of the America's 50 Greenest Cities. We still have a lot of work ahead of us until we catch up with the West Coast.
(Hat-tip)
clock | February 19, 2008Sue and Ed are starting to plan the fourth ConvergeSouth and are asking the community to help with the planning.
clock | February 18, 2008Science Cafe on Teenage Brains :
Teenagers sometimes act as though they were from a different planet. On Tuesday February 19, the Museum of Natural Sciences will host a science cafe entitled "Altered States: Inside the Teenage Brain" at Tir Na Nog in Raleigh at 6:30p.m. The session will be led by Wilkie Wilson, Duke professor and director of BrainWorks, a program for brain research and education. Wilson studies the effects of drugs on learning and memory, and has helped write several books on teenage drug use. RSVP to Katey Ahmann by Monday, February 18.
clock | February 12, 2008As a part of the Darwin Day celebration the North Carolina Botanical Garden has organized a series of events for today, culminating in the lecture "Darwin the Botanist" by Dr.William Kimler, a Darwinian scholar and the professor of History (of Science) at NCSU:
Most people do not think of Charles Darwin as a botanist. He is famously connected to the animals of the Galapagos Islands, and to the subjects of animal and human evolution and behavior. But Darwin's famous curiosity did extend to plants. In fact, among his numerous publications are a book on carnivorous plants and one on orchid…
clock | February 10, 2008If you read my blog you must be aware how enchanted I am with the ZooSchool in Asheboro, NC. Unfortunately, at the last moment something came up, so the delegation of two teachers and six students could not make it to the Conference three weeks ago. I intend to go and visit there some time soon and I hope they can make it to the Conference next year.
But in the meantime, they need something that WE can help with - some lab coats. They have placed a proposal on DonorsChoose (read it carefully to understand why they need these) and I hope you feel generous today and help them get funded. I…
clock | February 4, 2008Yesterday, a bunch of us (e.g., Paul, Brian, Ruby, Wayne, Jackson, Mark and me) got together for tea at Anton's house, analyzed the past year of bloggy activity and plotted to take over the world next year: meetups (a.k.a. beer-blogs-bowling events), science blogging conference, faithblogging, foodblogging, storyblogging and other events we are thinking of doing over the next year.
The second Science Blogging Conference was a great success (see the ever-growing list of blog posts about it) and we intend to do it again next year. But this is certainly not the only thing we at BlogTogether do…
clock | February 1, 2008Carrboro Commons interviews Brian Russell about Carrboro Coworking. As a telecommuter, I am quite likely to participate in this. I'll keep you posted....
clock | January 12, 2008OK, this may not be very new, but for all of you taking a look at science in North Carolina next week due to the focus on the Science Blogging Conference, The Scientist has published a number of essays looking at every aspect of Life Science in the state - check it out: The State of Life Sciences.
For the latest news on life science in North Carolina, visit the Bioscience Clearinghouse, a very useful website hosted by The North Carolina Association for Biomedical Research.
clock | January 5, 2008Wayne Sutton (of 'Local Conversations') posted a great interview on the evolution of blogging with Anton Zuiker:
Local Conversation interviews Anton Zuiker from waynesutton12 on Vimeo.
clock | December 8, 2007Indy has the entire issue devoted to the topic of Global Warming, with some excellent articles:
10 years after Kyoto: You're getting warmer by Bill McKibben
10 years after Kyoto: Winners and losers by Sena Christian
James Hansen won't be quiet by Lisa Sorg
Ryan Boyles, state climatologist by Matt Saldana
Energy interests fund Duke University's research on climate change policy by Matt Saldana
State senator parades dubious 'global warming experts' before commission by Mosi Secret
clock | December 7, 2007You may remember that a couple of weeks ago, a bunch of us bloggers got to meet Rep. Brad Miller (D - NC13) and talk about the effects of new media on politics. Now you can read two accounts of the meeting by Seth Wright and Emily Burns.
clock | December 4, 2007For winning the second place at the Siemens science competition:
Mentored by N.C. State University professors Donald Bitzer and Anne-Marie Stomp, the students developed a computer model that helps scientists determine which gene sequences to use to produce specific proteins. The research could provide a cost-effective method of commercially producing useful proteins such as insulin.
clock | November 30, 2007The editors of American Scientist magazine invite you to join them next week for the current installment of the fabled Pizza Lunch Seminar. This time, they have invited Alan Finkel, a neurologist at UNC Hospital, to describe his studies on migraines, cluster headaches and other, similarly delightful topics next Wednesday, December 5 at 12:00 noon at the Sigma Xi Center in RTP. The official title of his talk is "Headaches and Migraines: Causes, Treatments and Effects on Behavior." To put people in the right "frame of mind," a continuous loop of Alvin & the Chipmunks' "Chipmunk Song (…
clock | November 26, 2007I'll be there, of course:
Join Congressman Brad Miller for a discussion hosted by Ruby Sinreich of OrangePolitics.org and Brian Russell of Yesh.com about the impact of blogging on today's political environment.
When: Thursday, November 29, 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Where: Mill Town Restaurant, 307 E Main St, Carrboro
Suggested Donation: $10
Cash Bar
Congressman Brad Miller (www.bradmiller.org) is currently serving his third term representing North Carolina's 13th Congressional District. He has often blogged on many progressive sites, including the DailyKos and Blue NC. Congressman Miller serves on the…
clock | November 23, 2007...the computers and the Web:
If you are not clear about the difference between the Net (aka Internet), the Web (aka World Wide Web) and the Graph (aka Social Graph), then this post is a must read (via Ed). He explains much more clearly what I had in mind before, e.g., here.
In order to use the Net, the Web and the Graph, you do need some kind of a machine, perhaps a computer, and Greg Laden puts together a dream (or nighthmare) setup for you!
Speaking of dream computers, I could not resist... as you may have seen before, Professor Steve Steve and I got to play with the XO laptop back at…
clock | November 13, 2007Join us at the brand new Wine Authorities tomorrow night at 6pm for our special Durham Blogger MeetUp:
The shop has a cool Enomatic machine with which you serve yourself a taste or glass of wine, and a nice big table around which to sit. Teetotalers can grab a coffee or tea next door at Sips.
clock | November 13, 2007My friend, Greensboro blogger Jay Ovittore is running for Congress. He started the campaign blog and the website will be up soon. He is trying to unseat Howard Coble. The Press Conference will be on Thursday, November 15, 2007 at 12:00pm - 12:30pm on the Governmental Plaza/Phill G. MacDonald Plaza in Greensboro, NC, so if you can, please come to support the start of his campaign.
Jay's run was first scooped by the Greensboro News & Record back on November 6th.
clock | November 11, 2007
After many, many months of drought, the Tar Heel Tavern is back, covering the drought and the water issues, both in NC and globally, on Mistersugar.
clock | November 3, 2007Yup, Chris Surridge, Managing Editor of PLoS ONE (and the author of the legendary comment) swung by the Chapel Hill office last night. Since my initial stint was in the San Francisco office, and Chris is working in the Cambridge UK office, this was the first time we met in person. Much fun was had by all. The pictorial story under the fold:
After I picked Chris up from the airport and let him drop his stuff off at myplace, we went to my office in the wonderful La Vita Dolce, where Chris went wild with the camera taking pictures of me sitting at my table pretending to work:
Then we…