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gregladen | September 4, 2010Cartoonist Jim Toomey created the comic strip Sherman's Lagoon, a wry look at underwater life starring Sherman the talking shark. As he sketches some of his favorite sea creatures live onstage, Toomey shares his love of the ocean and the stories it can tell.
gregladen | September 4, 2010A key binding that selects all and places it instantly on the clipboard, and works in all software. This is such a common sequence of commands it should be made into one command. It could be called "mop" or "nom."
See the whole "WANTED" list here.
kcollins | September 3, 2010We need everyone's help to get the word out about the USA Science and Engineering Festival and we appreciate all the blogs and posts that happen out there. We cannot get the word out without the help of everyone out there! Here eGFI, one of our partner organizations, is getting the word out about the Festival. Thanks!!
Kicking off with a songfest and building up to a huge expo on the National Mall, a two-week series of events in October will answer the question "How do you make science and engineering fun?" -- in hundreds of ways.
All activities at the first USA Science and Engineering…
stoat | September 3, 2010It am all de rage, as they say. But is it any good? And who are the IAC anyway? Go on, hands up, before they were asked to do this: had anyone heard of them? Thought not: I certainly hadn't. This is an organisation so well-known that the wikipedia article on [[IAC]] (note: that is today's version; I assume that someone will add it, eventually) doesn't even include them, although it has space for 15 or so other IAC's. Although Gavin seems to quite like the report, I'm less sure. So before getting down to reading the report, here is another piece of meta-analysis: if you read the exec summary…
gregladen | September 2, 2010As you know, I often write blog posts that are reviews or evaluations (or, often, just English translations) of Peer Reviewed Research. Those blog posts, and all the other ones written by dozens of bloggers around the world, are aggregated at Research Blogging Dot Org. It is a great place to get unfettered expert opinions and enlightened elaborations of current research in all fields of science.
Anyway, every now and then Researchblogging.org, on their own blog site, makes "Editor's selections" of their favorite peer reviewed reviews. It is roughly like getting an Emmy or an Oscar. Very…
mspringer | September 2, 2010This Saturday I'm getting married! The following week I'll be in Barbados relaxing on my honeymoon. While Barbados is a highly developed Caribbean economy with no shortage of internet access, in the interests of relaxation and matrimonial bliss I shall not be online. Posting will resume the following week.
Until then, I'll leave you with this Wired article about a wind-powered car that travels directly downwind faster than the wind. When I first read the idea, I thought "No, that's an obvious violation of the laws of nature and everyone involved is an idiot." Well, the proof is in the pudding…
illconsidered | September 2, 2010Any day now could be the start of a quiet period on the blog as my wife and I are expecting our daughter. I have to confess that the general excited anticipation became a bit more nervous when we went to the local hospital and saw this:
Yes, that is an actual typewriter! I have not seen one in action for decades so it does not exactly qualify as state-of-the-art technology anymore.
Now, in my own defense for not having bolted and booked us tickets on the next train out of our undisclosed eastern european location, they do have computers and ultra-sound machines and excellent birthing beds…
gregladen | September 2, 2010I lifted this from the fourth in a series on "why we vaccinate" from Elyse the Skepchick's blog. The first one is here.
gregladen | September 1, 2010No, not that Cedric. This Cedric.
A Tasmanian devil named Cedric, once thought to be immune to a contagious facial cancer threatening the iconic creatures with extinction, has been euthanized after succumbing to the disease, researchers said Wednesday.
The death of the devil -- previously heralded as a possible key to saving the species -- is another blow for scientists struggling to stop the rapid spread of the cancer, which is transmitted when the furry black marsupials bite each other.
"It was very disappointing indeed," said scientist Alex Kreiss of the Menzies Research Institute in…
gregladen | August 31, 2010First, go read this homeopathic web comic, and when you're done, like in ten minutes, come back.
Then, this:
A study in Michigan to learn why Bald Eagles are not recovering post-DDT exposure as fast as expected has discovered that nestlings are ingesting flame retardants and pesticides via their food.
Read the rest here
Will AI surpass human brain power in a few years? One can only hope. But it is probably mere hope.
Ask Surly Amy where to get your next Homeopathic Vaccine!
Archaeological study shows human activity may have boosted shellfish size
gregladen | August 31, 2010... similar diets, similar physiology, and they are even very intelligent ...
They say a lot of stupid stuff.
gregladen | August 31, 2010Human growth has strained the Earth's resources, but as Johan Rockstrom reminds us, our advances also give us the science to recognize this and change behavior. His research has found nine "planetary boundaries" that can guide us in protecting our planet's many overlapping ecosystems.
gregladen | August 31, 2010While the world was focused on the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, a BP refinery here released huge amounts of toxic chemicals into the air that went unnoticed by residents until many saw their children come down with respiratory problems.
Ick, BP!
Fossil Hunters in Romania Find a 2-Clawed Relative of Velociraptor. Here.
Why we vaccinate. Part 1.
Join the Minnesota Planetarium Society! (A Facebook Page)
Wolves Are Smart, but Dogs Look Back
Focus on Family says anti-bullying efforts in schools push gay agenda
Read more: Focus on Family says anti-bullying efforts in schools push gay…
gregladen | August 31, 2010If not, you should join it. This is a good time of year, with school starting and all, to show some support for science education.
gregladen | August 31, 2010She was a church lady. I could see it a mile away. Her hair cut, her clothing, her way of standing, and as I got closer, her way of speaking and, eventually, the things she said. I will call her Joan.
It is not that surprising to find a church lady like Joan at Har Mar Shopping Mall. Har Mar is a unique phenomenon. From the outside, it is a strip mall, and from the inside, it is a regular "inside" mall. Some of the stores are only on the inside part, some open on both the inside and outside part. None are only outside. So you park, walk into a store in the strip mall, like into the…
dolittle | August 31, 2010The oil spill in the gulf has me thinking about gators. Have you ever been to a restaurant in New Orleans and enjoyed the tasty alligator selections on the menu? If not, you are missing out. Although I have to admit, they really do taste like chicken. Anyway, you probably know that alligators are cold-blooded because they are ectotherms. But did you know that their hearts are linked to their ability to digest food? It's true! I was just listening to an interview of Dr. Jim Hicks at UC Irvine conducted by Dr. Martin Frank of The American Physiological Society. Many of us are aware that humans…
illconsidered | August 31, 2010So apparently, according to an "exclusive" in the Guardian, Bjørn Lomborg is about to put his "Cool It"thrusters into full reverse and declare that the world should be spending $100 billion per year towards "resolving the climate change problem by the end of this century".
This is a very interesting development to say the least.
My question to readers is both why do you think he is doing this and does it matter? Clearly we can only speculate on his motives and sincerity and I am not one to jump to negative conclusions without good reason, but should anyone care why he has changed his tune?…