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choofnagle | April 6, 2012In a matter of weeks, activists have been able to assassinate a popular product through a confluence of events: an official labeled it derogatorily as "pink slime," social media buzz (or anti-buzz), and media attention against the background of Americans' greater concern about processed foods. Could this happen to other products? Does it relate to a broader shift in power from PR firms and industry to the consumer mob?
John Bussey has a good article in today's Wall Street Journal featuring some of the wound-licking of the lean finely textured beef industry. Note the tactics:
1) Make it about…
denialism | April 5, 2012A great article from the awl asks writers and book critics which books they liked when they were younger, but now make them cringe.
The results are interesting, the two authors those surveyed reported most cringe-worthy were Kerouac and, you probably guessed it, Ayn Rand. Ha!
gregladen | April 5, 2012
Not really. Do people who design social networking systems really think we LIKE push notifications???????? Seriously?
By the way, I'm working at a place these days that seems to produce a correct and incorrect (and inexplicably so) result on Google Maps at about a 50-50 ratio. This means that when I tell people to meet me there I have to work twice as hard, and even with my additional efforts, a certain percentage show up late anyway. A system like that depicted in the video has to be 99.999% perfect, and it has to never change unexpectedly once it is in place. That is not how modern…
gregladen | April 5, 2012I'm showing you this animation because I think it illustrates the difficulties of explaining things that exist or occur at different scales, and because it's kinda fun:
sb admin | April 4, 2012Portland artist Eric Franklin spent over 1,000 hours sweating over hot glass and noble gasses to produce Embodiment, a glass skeleton filled with glowing krypton.
Speaking about the process, Eric says:
Every glass seal has to be perfect, and this piece contains hundreds. Everywhere one tube joins another, or a tube terminates, glass tubes were sealed together. They have to be perfect in order to preserve the luminosity of the krypton. If one rogue molecule gets inside the void of the glass tubing it can eventually contaminate the gas and it will no longer glow. There are times when the…
gregladen | April 3, 2012Huxley's grandfather takes him to swimming lessons every week, and between grand-dad and mom, Huxley goes to a pool about once a month outside of "class." This has been going on for about two years, and Huxley is about two years old. I estimate that this particular toddler has been in the pool for an extended period well over 100 times, and probably more times than I've been in a pool over my entire life.
He can do something like 11 bananas. If you know what that means, then, well, you know what I mean. Otherwise don't worry about it.
By the way, did you know that toddlers naturally sink…
gregladen | April 2, 2012Suzie Gilbert is the author of Flyaway, which in turn is a chronicle of life as a bird rehabilitation expert. And, she is the newest addition to the Beat Writer's staff at 10,000 birds. You can find her bio at the Beat Writer's Page, and starting on April 6th, she'll be contributing regularly to 10,000 birds.
In case you were unaware, I contribute a monthly post to 10,000 birds, and they are listed here.
gregladen | April 2, 2012NCSE policy director Steve Newton explores the evolution of American creationism and how anti-evolution activities have changed from the Scopes era to the present. Newton explains creationism's many faces, from dinosaurs-lived-with-humans young earthers to "intelligent design" advocates to legislators promoting "academic freedom" legislation. Newton's talk will examine why teaching evolution--and science in general--is so important, and suggest ways for the pro-science community to counter creationist assaults on science education. Where: Oakmont Sunday Symposium, Santa Rosa, CA. When: 2/15/…
gregladen | April 2, 2012Oklahoma's House Bill 1551, one of two bills attacking the teaching of evolution and of climate change active in the Oklahoma legislature during 2012, is now in effect dead, according to Oklahomans for Excellence in Science Education. Originally introduced in 2011, HB 1551 was rejected by the House Common Education Committee in that year, but revived and passed by the committee in 2012, and then passed by the House of Representatives on a 56-12 vote on March 15, 2012, and sent to the Senate Education Committee, where it died. April 2, 2012, was the last meeting of the Senate Education…
gregladen | April 2, 2012... in the Twin Cities.
Free Libraries Hit Minneapolis Lawns: MyFoxTWINCITIES.com
Hat Tip: Alyson Foster
gregladen | April 2, 2012One of my favorite bloggers, Dana Hunter, who blogs with me at FTB.com, is now also blogging at Scientific American at a new blog called Rosetta Stones.
I was five years old, and Mount St. Helens was busy erupting all over my teevee. I made it a get well card. It looked like it hurt. Thus began an ongoing conversation between me and objects people tend to think of as inanimate until they explode, rip apart, or fall down.
Go check it out!
gregladen | March 31, 2012A very interesting perspective. Different kinds of craters results from the intersection of different size impacts and different geological conditions prevailing at the time .
I wonder if that first big meteor would have come in at that angle. Anyway, very cool animation.
gregladen | March 31, 2012On Skeptically Speaking:
This week, we're looking into the many strategies that animals employ in the struggle to eat other animals. We're joined by freelance science writer Matt Soniak, to discuss the often complex relationship between hunter and hunted. And on the podcast, biological anthropologist Greg Laden returns to tell us about humanity's history as hunters, and how it may - or may not - affect our behavior today.
It is here.
gregladen | March 30, 2012I have two only vaguely related items for you, and the first is really two items.
Paul Douglas has written a piece on climate change that you should read. Douglas is the famous Twin Cities meteorologist who worked for several years at our own WCCO. He was a regional celebrity, much loved by all, and a lot of people stopped watching television when he left that station a couple of years back. The blog post is: A Message From A Republican Meteorologist On Climate Change.
Given how sensible and smart he is, one would have never thought Paul was a ... oh never mind, that, there is a second…
gregladen | March 30, 2012Go here and click on the thing. You know Shawn from his book "Fool me Twice."
Like the page then scroll down a page or two to "Fool me Twice: Fighting the Assault on Science in America by Shawn Lawrence Otto" and vote on that one. Forget about all the other books, they suck. YOU MUST DO THIS NOW.
gregladen | March 29, 2012How to learn language
Me: "Huxley, this is your milk. I'm going to drink it myself!"
Huxley: "I'm going to drink it ME-self!"
Me: "What?"
Huxley: "I'm going to drink it I-self!"
Me: "Huh?"
Huxley: "I'm going to drink it Huxley-self!"
Me: "Oh, OK, here's your milk!"