Sexed Up Science
sheril | December 1, 2008Look up tonight at twilight... for the three brightest objects the sky--Jupiter, Venus and the moon (a crescent only 5-percent illuminated)--will align for a spectacular site. Regular readers know I love all things space and this evening offers a unique opportunity for enthusiasts everywhere. Gaze up at dusk (they'll set by mid-evening) and let's hope for minimal cloud cover...
We'll have to wait well over four decades before the trio appears this close again. Planetariums, weather offices and even police precincts expect a spike in UFO sitings as reports flood in of bright objects…
sheril | November 13, 2008The first visible-light snapshot of a planet circling another star thanks to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope:
Planet Fomalhaut b orbits the star Fomalhaut, 25 light-years away in the constellation Piscis Australis.
I cannot help but be reminded of Tolkien:
'The Eye was rimmed with fire, but was itself glazed, yellow as a cat's, watchful and intent, and the black slit of its pupil opened on a pit, a window into nothing.'
sheril | February 21, 2008If you watch prime time tv, music videos, or walk past a magazine stand, it would appear that the average adolescent male has sex on the brain. I never gave it much thought, although regular readers know by now I'm not particularly comfortable with any kind of generalization. We humans are a diverse bunch. If we're to assume the guys are most motivated in pursuing a relationship because of sex, there sure are plenty of anomalies. And isn't our reality hugely the result of cultural norms? Family experience? Social expectations? So uh, no, I don't quite buy research that attempts to…
sheril | February 14, 2008Let science calculate, postulate, and hypothesize,
Offer theories for feelings we can't rationalize,
Value a dopamine uptake equation.
Even so, love requires no explanation.
And with that I'm off to Beantown this Valentine's Day for AAAS...
sheril | February 7, 2008Ah, February... that very special time of year for celebrating the one we love (or bemoaning the greeting card industry). While flipping through the month's Scientific American, I came upon this article about 'Why We Kiss' and immediately found myself intrigued.
Now I expect most of us hope to experience the 'ever-elusive, out-of-the-ballpark-home-run, earth-shattering, perfect kiss,' but what exactly is it? How does it happen? Wait a sec, this is ScienceBlogs for goodness sake, so let's dissect this one carefully and get down to exploring the science of kissing...
Why do we kiss? It's…
sheril | January 29, 2008How's that for role reversal on Science Blogs?
Well, leave it to the good folks at Carnegie Mellon...
Scientists have long studied how information, influence or physical items move through networks. But by combining that field of research with how to optimally detect the flow in a cost-effective way, the Carnegie Mellon researchers have devised a formula, or algorithm, that could lead to dramatically improved sensor networks, whether geared toward political blogs or posture.
But how would this cascade be modeled? What sensors, or blogs in this case, should be tapped to maximize the…
sheril | December 19, 2007Long ago, before I wandered through tidepools and discovered the majestic sea cucumber, I wanted to be an astrobiologist.
To this day, little captures my imagination and attention so intently as the study of space. And I know I'm not alone... From Carl Sagan to George Lucas, most everyone seems just as completely fascinated about understanding the great, infinite beyond... collectively wondering about our place in the galaxy on this pale blue dot.
I came across this image in yesterday's Science Times and you can bet I was excited... What you see is a jet of energy shooting out of a…
sheril | September 27, 2007Okay folks, while I'm pleased so many are fascinated by Randy's video, I'm also overwhelmed by the sheer number of science related sex videos flooding my inbox. It's enough to make a marine scientist blush (and I'm starting to wonder if all this content may be setting off some kind of deviant cyberspace alarm). While I've not viewed every link, I assure you that the spectrum of species - and athleticism - is amazing. In any case, what follows is the best of what I've received in the mix. Note, this will be the last of such videos for now... although it may be a theme worth revisiting in…
sheril | September 27, 2007Yesterday's barnacle video was tremendously popular. So much so, that readers in the world of science have been sending me related links ever since I posted the well-endowed arthropod. Having spent time doing research at sea in the Gulf of Maine, this particular one spoke to my own heart.
Ever wonder what it's like to be on an oceanographic cruise? Here's invaluable insight from the Coastal Ocean Observing Center at the University of New Hampshire. It captures the fun, serious, and at times frustrating reality of life on a research vessel... all to the sound of Vanilla Ice! And there's…
sheril | September 6, 2007According to another groundbreaking study on mate selection, men prefer good looking women. Who knew? Wait didn't I touch on this in May? And we ladies apparently are trading off our attractiveness for 'higher quality men' or whathaveyou. Really? Before I comment (deep breath), I'll start with the research to be fair. Out of this week's edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences:
While humans may pride themselves on being highly evolved, most still behave like the stereotypical Neanderthals when it comes to choosing a mate, according to research by Indiana University…
sheril | September 5, 2007Well, we've gotten some creative entries so far... With two weeks left, Chris and I want to remind everyone about the The 1st Annual CRASH THE INTERSECTION Contest!
Design an "Intersection" banner and have your art displayed atop our blog for at least one year where the world can be dazzled by your creativity and wit! That's thousands of views a day all credited to you! We like to mix things up so there are no guidelines as long as it's not rated NC-17. Out-of-the-box ideas encouraged and keep the theme in mind: An Intersection of Science, Policy, and Pop Culture. Maximum size that…
sheril | August 15, 2007...or at least picked a B rate movie...
In an apparent attempt to "sex up" a news program, the TV station has been caught passing off footage from the 1997 Hollywood blockbuster Titanic as a real-life report on the Kremlin's recent attempt to stake its claim to the riches of the Arctic Ocean.
While I'm all for appealing to the general public, there's a stark contrast between sexing up science and ripping off the highest grossing film of all time. Someone had to notice and in this case it was Finnish 13 year old Waltteri Seretin:
I have heard that they don't always tell the truth in Russia…
cmooney | June 19, 2007posted by Sheril R. Kirshenbaum
Last week the National Academies reported that stereotypes affect women's academic performance. Their report, Beyond Bias and Barriers: Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering came out earlier this year concluding:
Women are underrepresented at higher levels of science and engineering academics because of the influence of gender bias and the disadvantages that such bias generates.
Another report, To Recruit and Advance: Women Students and Faculty in Science and Engineering, goes on to say female high school students are less…
cmooney | June 8, 2007posted by Sheril R. Kirshenbaum
Back soon with the review of Capitol Hill Oceans Week (CHOW), but in the mean time, a suggestion to keep you out of the heat..
At the moment, I'm still in the District where I happened upon Cosmic Collisions at the Air and Space Museum. A friend and I ducked into the planetarium to retreat from the hot soup that is June in the city. I'd heard about this phenomenal show in NY and was not dissappointed. Amazing visuals and a great story.. not just for Trekkies either - a must for anyone within biking distance. It's a great way to get out of the summer…
cmooney | June 1, 2007It never ceases to amaze me how research may be portrayed through the lens of pop culture. Although I often argue that the right 'spin' in a science story allows it to appeal to broader audiences, certain efforts only leave me dizzy. Here's an example..
The Research:
Dr. Benjamin Hayden at the Centre for Neuroeconomic Studies at Duke's School of Medicine published an article with his team in this month's Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Findings were relatively inconsequential, suggesting what we already know: Men place higher value in looking at the opposite sex than the ladies do. […
cmooney | January 15, 2006I must say, I'm kinda proud of myself. The very first book that I've ever blurbed is now out. It's by Cristina Page and it's entitled, How the Pro-Choice Movement Saved America: Sex, Virtue, and the Way We Live Now. For me, Page's book was a revealing look at what's really driving the Christian right. Reading it made me realize, really for the first time, that religious conservatives aren't simply driven by their opposition to abortion; they're also driven by opposition to out-of-wedlock sex, and, in some cases, opposition to all sex that is not for the purpose of procreation.
Page starts out…