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cortex | November 16, 2007In response to my call for science critics, a position analogous to a music critic or art critic except that they review the latest science papers, a commenter wrote the following:
"Why don't we have science critics?"
We do. It's called peer review.
My response is that peer review is necessary but not sufficient. (I've discussed the limitations of the peer review process before.) As every scientist knows, lots of crap gets published in journals. (In fact, it's possible that most published research findings are false. ) The job of a science critic, like all critics, would consist of two…
petnoyer | November 16, 2007
Deep-sea poster art could make a great Christmas gift, don't ya think?
This one from Allposters.com is unique because it has a black-light quality.
It would look real nice next to my Velvet Elvis.
cmcclain | November 15, 2007We at DSN try to report on the research as it happens. Now we report on research before it happens! DSN's old whipping boy Kevin Zelnio is currently running several posts of his dissertation proposal for International Dissertation Writing Month. Head on over and wish him luck as he preps for his exams in the next few weeks. The proposed research? An ambitious plan linking classical ecological & evolutionary paradigms of zonation, stress tolerances, facilitation, community structure, and biodiversity with faunal patterns at hydrothermal vents. No doubt novel research with important…
grrlscientist | November 15, 2007Do you use gmail as your primary (or only) email server? Well, you'd better be careful because several dozen gmail users per month have been experiencing problems recently -- problems such as mysteriously losing some, most or all their email messages.
What does Google have to say about this?
According to a Google spokesman, as far as Google is concerned, "most issues like this are a result of phishing attacks or compromised passwords -- or sometimes simply messages mistakenly deleted or marked as spam -- not a data corruption issue."
But unfortunately, the missing email problems at Google…
cortex | November 15, 2007Daniel Engber should become a full time science critic.* Over at Slate, he eviscerates the latest sloppy fMRI study of the political brain, which was published in the Times on Sunday:
To liken these neurological pundits to snake-oil salesmen would be far too generous. Their imaging study has not been published in any science journal, nor has it been vetted by experts in the field; it can't rightly be called an "experiment," since the authors weren't testing any particular hypothesis; and the arbitrary conclusions they draw from the data aren't even consistent with their own previous research…
cortex | November 15, 2007It's nice to be back home. I had a really wonderful time on the book tour, but it's nice to return to my boring routine. I'd like to thank everyone who came out to hear me talk. To be honest, I expected to be speaking to empty rooms. After all, why would anyone want to listen to me? So I was incredibly flattered and gratified by the crowds. My favorite part of the tour, without a doubt, were the questions from the audience. They were always thought-provoking, challenging, and insightful. I only wish I had better answers.
Photo by Lori Duff
revere | November 14, 2007Our SciBlings at The Intersection, Chris Mooney and Sheril Kirshenbaum, remind us that pandemics aren't the only natural disaster. I'm kidding, of course. You knew there were others, right? Like Cyclone Sidr, practically on top of the people of Bangladesh. First story on CNN, right? I'm kidding of course. They have to wait for the bodies to wash up first. Anyway, Chris says the latest from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) has this hurricane bearing down on that poor country at almost Cat 5 levels and it may still be intensifying. Chris is the author of the excellent book, Storm…
cmcclain | November 14, 2007
Over at the World's Fair...
Anyway, this meme asks that you come up with your own scientific eponym. What's that exactly? Well, first read this excellent primer by Samuel Arbesman, which basically provides a step by step description of how to do this effectively. Then have a go at your own blog. If all goes well, I'd like to create a page at the Science Creative Quarterly, that collects (and links to) the good ones.
The credit for this scientific eponym goes completely to Jason Robertshaw at Cephalopodcast, the formalization is mine.
Gorton's Measure states that the time for someone to ask "…
cmcclain | November 14, 2007Bora over at A Blog Around the Clock publishes, edits, and composes (just about everything else) the Science Blogging Anthology, "Open Laboratory 2007". Last year's was a great piece of work. Bloggers and readers are asked to submit their favorite posts. Peter and I submitted our Half Glass Empty/Full posts. We urge you to submit your favorite science writing posts from DSN. The submission form is easily and quickly filled out.
gregladen | November 14, 2007Nineteen former pilots and government officials ... told reporters their questions can no longer be dismissed ..."We want the US government to stop perpetuating the myth that all UFOs can be explained away in down-to-earth, conventional terms," said Fife Symington, former governor of Arizona... "Instead our country needs to reopen its official investigation that it shut down in 1969," Symington told a news conference. [source]
I saw an UFO (pronounced "ooofo") once too. It was a sight I can never forget. Let me tell you about it.
I was in an airplane, a 737 to be exact, departing from…
katie glasrud | November 13, 2007I once overheard an interesting confession from a friend of a friend. This guy had been drinking and was admitting to his buddy that he just wanted to get into a fight, punch the next person that walked through the door, stir things up. That sort of thing. I complained to my companion that it was precisely this attitude that causes so much conflict in society and, though my friend agreed, he sheepishly added that sometimes he too enjoyed the thrill of physical violence.
I was reminded of the incident recently in a class on the origins of aggression when we read a passage from Journalist Bill…
gregladen | November 13, 2007The one on the right:
Photos by GTL. Location: Pilanesberg, South Africa
cmcclain | November 13, 2007
So once again, things are slow and I ask you to suggest some questions/topics. Just put them in the comments and Peter and I will do are best to answer them. You may want to keep the questions deep sea related or you will be forced to read our ramblings on matters we have no idea about!
cmcclain | November 13, 2007
Lyrics below the fold. More of Flight of the Conchords at YouTube.
J: Ah Ah...
B: Ah Ah...
J: Ah Ah...
B: Ah Ah...
B+J: Ah Ah...
B: Mermaid
J: Mermaid
B: Mermaid
J: Mermaid
B: Mermaid
J: Mermaid
B: Mermaid
J: Mermaid
B+J: Mermaid Mermaid
J: Mermaid
B: Mermaid
B: Mermaid murmured
Into my ear
The answers to questions
I'm longing to hear.
B+J: Does it relax you
To hear the sound of the land?
Do you, a mermaid, have
Slightly webbed hands?
(AH AH AH)
B+J: Is it normal for a guy to wear
A scuba apparatus
When he makes love in the sea?
Make love to me.
Would it be weird for you
If I touched your…
cmcclain | November 13, 2007
The much loved Texas Clipper will be sunk on this Thursday as part of the ships to reef program. Those from Texas A&M Galveston will remember the 473ft ship as a classroom from 65-94. Those older might remember the ship as the USS Queens, a troop and wounded carrier during WWII. Will try to post pictures as the come available.
gregladen | November 13, 2007For I and the Bird, send your posts to me RIGHT NOW.
(Or really soon. Technically the deadline is tonight.)
For Oekologie, send them over to Mike, here.
gregladen | November 13, 2007A team of researchers has figured out that that certain bacteria can tell the difference between light and dark, and become ten times more virulent when exposed to sunlight...
This not a really new story, but i think it might interest you.
This is the first time light has been shown to change the course of a bacterial disease. And these particular bacteria are probably not alone: As many as one-third of other bacterial species may react to light by producing physiological or chemical changes.
Brucella, the bacteria that cause the infectious disease brucellosis, and more than 100 other kinds…
grrlscientist | November 13, 2007tags: wifi detector shirt, geek wear, gift ideas, holiday gifts
What is this? It is a shirt that detects the presence of wifi signals where ever you happen to be, and shows the strength of those signals on an animated emblem on the front of it, as you see here. Not only can you see whether wifi is available where ever you might be located, but everyone else who is nearby can also see it. The only sad thing about this is that it doesn't show whether the wifi signals are secured or free, but otherwise, this is the ultimate geek shirt!