science & society
apalazzo | May 31, 2006This week:
Since they're funded by taxpayer dollars (through the NIH, NSF, and so on), should scientists have to justify their research agendas to the public, rather than just grant-making bodies?
Yes, yes, and yes.
But if the public does not agree? Then the blame rests on our scientific leaders. They should be out there in the spot light, educating the populace as to why this research is important. If the public does not want to fund this research, then the scientific establishment has failed in educating the public on the benefits and importance of basic research.
Part of the reason for…
apalazzo | May 21, 2006I am back in Montreal for the weekend. Anyone who grows up in Canada is subjected to 3 things:
1- Hockey
2- Winter
3- CBC
And a great show that I used to watch as a kid on CBC was The Nature of Things hosted by David Suzuki.
Well I was just reading in the Montreal Gazette that Dr. Suzuki has a new autobiography (sorry I could not find a link to the Gazette's review).
For more on Dr. Suzuki click here.
apalazzo | May 16, 2006From RamblingsThoughts of Prof Bil the Man: Protein Synthesis the film (it's a 37MB file off of a slow server, be prepared to wait).
Some background on the film from Bil's blog entry:
I gather that it was made in the early 70s and we have clearly learned a lot about protein synthesis since then. The funniest part for me is the description of the ribosome as an amorphous mass that assembles on the mRNA chain.
The introduction is by Paul Berg, future Nobel laureate, and he illustrates the state of the art in the understanding of protein synthesis. At the time, Professor Berg was the chairman of…
apalazzo | May 11, 2006Gubernatorial Candidate, Chris Gabrieli, who made a fortune in the biomedical industry, has made a new pledge to support Stem Cell Research in Massachusetts. From today's Boston Globe:
Democratic candidate for governor Chris Gabrieli today will propose that the state invest $1 billion in embryonic stem cell research and life science research and create a new position of science and technology director, who would report directly to the governor.
''Stem cell research holds out the promise to be truly groundbreaking in treating diseases which are the most difficult and widespread such as…
apalazzo | May 8, 2006A great review of Dan Gilbert's first Book: Stumbling On Happiness in the NY Times Book review.
Gilbert is an influential researcher in happiness studies, an interdisciplinary field that has attracted psychologists, economists and other empirically minded researchers, not to mention a lot of interested students. (As The Boston Globe recently reported, a course on "positive psychology" taught by one of Gilbert's colleagues is the most popular course at Harvard.) But from the acknowledgments page forward, it's clear Gilbert also fancies himself a comedian. Uh-oh, cringe alert: an academic who…
apalazzo | May 4, 2006From a peice in the latest issue of Nature:
But this year, as three years of flat budgets begin to bite, Zerhouni's tenure at the NIH is being openly attacked by some scientists. The focus of their ire is his 'Roadmap', a set of activities that run across different NIH institutes and attempt to implement Zerhouni's vision for the agency. The critics say that the Roadmap isn't working and is diverting resources and attention from basic scientific research.
As the article states, it's hard to become the head of the NIH after such a rapid financial expansion. Harold Varmus was a tough act to…
apalazzo | April 19, 2006Remember that Open Letter to Canadian PM on Climate Control? Well there is a counter-letter out. From the CBC:
A group of 90 of Canada's most senior climate scientists have sent an open letter to the prime minister, warning that global warming is happening now and the federal government needs to do more about the problem.
...
A who's who of the country's atmospheric scientists from the government, the private sector and universities have written to Prime Minister Stephen Harper to say the federal government isn't doing enough about climate change.
...
"We urge you and your government to…
apalazzo | April 18, 2006Well remeber the entry about the Templeton Prize Winner John Barrow?
If you missed it here it is:
When Selfish Gene author Richard Dawkins challenged physicist John Barrow on his formulation of the constants of nature at last summer's Templeton-Cambridge Journalism Fellowship lectures, Barrow laughed and said, "You have a problem with these ideas, Richard, because you're not really a scientist. You're a biologist."
For Barrow, biology is little more than a branch of natural history. "Biologists have a limited, intuitive understanding of complexity. They're stuck with an inherited conflict…
apalazzo | April 18, 2006There is an OpEd on Stem Cell Research Support in today's Boston Globe by Christopher Thomas Scott and Jennifer McCormick.
From the OpEd:
The consequences of the Bush policy [on stem cell research] are profound and unambiguous. NIH officials admit the agency has ceded leadership in the field. Scientists no longer undertake hegiras to Washington to learn about important advances in stem- cell biology. Instead, countries where the research is encouraged have stepped into the breach, making new lines at an astonishing rate.
...
In 2002, roughly one-third of the papers were from US research…
apalazzo | April 15, 2006After the death of my computer I decided to take the Chinatown express (15$ buys you a ticket from Boston to Chinatown NYC) and visit some old friends. Last night, what we call the Portuguese Mafia (aka the Federation of Portuguese Scientists living in New York) came over for drinks (and it's was Claudia's 30th).
With my veins acquiring the right level of Alcohol I asked several individuals the question. "WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IS TRUE EVEN THOUGH YOU CANNOT PROVE IT?"
Here is what Edgar told me:
Reproducibility. "When I wake tomorrow morning and jump, I will fall back towards the ground." We…
apalazzo | April 14, 2006Sorry I promised you all some thoughts on "WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IS TRUE EVEN THOUGH YOU CANNOT PROVE IT?". Last night my laptop was disintegrating, and now it's on the verge of a coma. Having said that let's see what some notable thinkers answered:
[Short aside - this type of Q&A was initiated by John Brockman who asks the 100 most important thinkers (as defined by ... well we're not too sure) to ask each other the questions they ask themselves. So every year, one thinker asks one question, and all 99 others give answers. This project has been going on for a while and a compendium of each…
apalazzo | April 13, 2006Talking to some people about Dyson, I was told to take a look at this open letter in the National Post (the conservative national newspaper in Canada): Open Kyoto to debate
Sixty scientists call on Harper to revisit the science of global warming.
From the article:
As accredited experts in climate and related scientific disciplines, we are writing to propose that balanced, comprehensive public-consultation sessions be held so as to examine the scientific foundation of the federal government's climate-change plans. This would be entirely consistent with your recent commitment to conduct a…
apalazzo | April 9, 2006Just saw a glowing review in the NY Times' Suday Book Section on Eric Kandel's new autobiography: In Search of Memory.
Prof Kandel is one of the nicest people in science (and one of the most enjoyable lecturers). And this book seems to convey his love of work and of life. From the Ny Times review:
Kandel's early studies were done using the simplest of neural circuits: a single sensory cell connected via a synapse to a single motor cell mediating the gill withdrawal reflex of the giant marine snail, Aplysia. This experimental preparation provided a complete biological system in which to…
apalazzo | April 6, 2006Surfing on William Gibson's blog, I stumbled on to this amazing video of an amphibious snake-like robot.
apalazzo | April 5, 2006Last night I was invited to a Seed dinner in Cambridge. The idea, I guess, was to throw together scientists from various disciplines and Seed contributors, and observe the resulting chemical reaction.
I had very interesting discussions with Drew Endy of MIT who is developing a molecular tool kit to engineer prokaryotes. Engineer? Well the idea is to reprogram bacteria to perform simple tasks such as turning on and off the production of fluorescent proteins over a regular time interval. These blinking bacteria are just the tip of the iceberg. Endy and others (such as Pam Silver) want to have…
apalazzo | April 4, 2006Plagued with scandals and other baggage, today DeLay announced that he's giving up.
Usually I've steered clear of pure political talk on my blog, although those of you who know me personally know that I've been politically active. Well with DeLay's announcement I have a story to tell - and it's connected to science, or to be precise NIH funding.
Back during the "Contract with America" years the NIH was in desperate need of funding. The Republicans, in full starve the beast mode, campaigned to slash government spending on frivolous spending items such as Government sponsored research. Numerous…
apalazzo | March 30, 2006If you haven't, go and read to evolgen's entries on the Specter-Harkin Amendment that successfuly passed in the Senate to increase the NIH budget. Next up is the House. If you care about basic research in the biomedical sciences contact your local reps pronto.
Contact Your US Representative about the NIH Budget (@ evolgen)
The First Step in Increasing the NIH Budget (@ evolgen)
apalazzo | March 26, 2006So I've been bumping into this idea on several blogs (idea? or is it a cult? ... I refuse to call it a meme, sorry Richard). I have some trouble understanding what it all means. Is it hard, as in hard core?
To help us understand the meaning of all this rhetoric, they (a bunch of hard core German Science bloggers) even have a manifesto:
I am a hard bloggin' scientist.
This means in particular:
1. I believe that science is about freedom of speech.
2. I can identify myself with the science I do.
3. I am able to communicate my thoughts and ideas to the public.
4. I use a blog as a research tool.…
apalazzo | March 25, 2006In today's Boston Globe, Derrick Jackson echoes what we in the sciences have been worrying about. From his OpEd:
Nobel laureate and Princeton physics professor Joseph Taylor this month said on Capitol Hill that budget cuts will drive future astronomers to other fields or out of science altogether and ''other bright people will decide not to enter." Last week, Granger Morgan, the chairman of the Environmental Protection Agency's science advisory board, said on the hill, ''We all want environmental decision-making to be based on sound science. However, our nation is not investing adequately in…