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pharyngula | February 16, 2009There's at least one account on the web now — this one is from a theist and critic, though, so you know he must be all wrong.
cwilcox | February 15, 2009I can has cheezburger has too many cute photos. Like this one:
I just want to give it a hug.
But you should give it your best LOL caption!
pharyngula | February 15, 2009You've eliminated measles in Australia.
High take-up rates of the infant measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine has led to the elimination of the endemic measles virus in Australia, immunisation experts say.
Researchers from the University of Sydney, writing in the Bulletin of the World Health Organisation, claim that in 2005 and 2007, Australia satisfied the main criteria of having a low level of measles infection, with less than one case per million people.
Cool. Now if only certain people would stop making up nonsense about vaccinations…
Unfortunately, there are occasional setbacks.
A total…
gregladen | February 15, 2009"The Giants' Shoulders" is a monthly science blogging event, in which authors are invited to submit posts on "classic" scientific papers. Information about the carnival can be found here.
The last Giants' was hosted at The Questionable Authority, here. The next issue will be hosted at The Evilutionary Biologist: All Science, All The Time, which resided here.
Since this is Darwin Month in Darwin Year and almost, indeed, Darwin Day, we start with ... Paleontology. We'll get to Darwin at the end.
Early palaentologists and the Giant killer lungfish from Hell as well as the Revenge of…
gregladen | February 14, 2009Minnesota Atheists' "Atheists Talk" radio show.
Sunday February 15, 2009, 9-10 a.m. Central Time
The Minnesota Atheists have reached an important milestone. The new elections today will mark the changeover from the founding members who will be leaving the board but remaining active, and turning over in democratic fashion the leadership to new and enthusiastic talent. The Minnesota Atheists goal was to create an organization which fosters and encourages growth and new ideas, and it shows in our achievements.
August Berkshire and Steve Petersen will talk about the organization and how it has…
denialism | February 14, 2009For those artistic evilutionists out there, Burning Man, the yearly festival celebrating freedom, expression, and self-reliance, is sponsoring art based on this year's theme of Evolution. The details for getting a grant to support your artwork are here.
So, come up with some ideas for interactive, creative expressions of what evolution means, where humans have come from or where are we going, and submit them for entry into the festival!
gregladen | February 14, 2009Christos Greek Restaurant is one of three well-known Greek restaurants in Minneapolis. The other two are It's Greek to Me and Gardens of Salonica. Which one you like may be a matter of cultural survival.
It turns out that Greek restaurants in Minneapolis are to the citizens of this area what operating systems and political candidates are to computer users and activists. You've got one you love, and the rest suck. Although I've lived here long enough to be mistaken at times for a native, this particular form of Greek love/hate is not one I've assimilated. I've been to all three of these…
gregladen | February 14, 2009Linux Love.
Top ten reasons men don't say "I love you" .... and the obverse.
Oh, and watch this and this.
mspringer | February 14, 2009News from around the world of physics:
Near and dear to my heart is any clever experiment involving lasers. And via Swans on Tea, this one's a doozy. It's paddleball, but instead of a rubber ball you have a single atom. And instead of a paddle you have a beam of laser pulses. No string, so it's an extra challenge. Of all the esoteric ways people have devised to measure g, I think this one is the best.
Over at Uncertain Principles, Chad discusses science writing. Lots of it isn't very good, but he gives some excellent examples of the cream of the crop. Very, very far down my list of…
gregladen | February 13, 2009First of all, I want you to understand that I'm a lightweight in the Mario Kart game. Julia is not. So my pointers come mainly from watching her. (Watching her kick my butt, actually.)
I also want to make a few other comments that are not tricks, tips, or "cheats" on how to win, but rather, general observation.
First this: You never know who is watching you. On the Wii, you can make a Mii to look like yourself, a loved one, a famous historical character, or a blogger. So when we are driving around Coconut Mall (one of the race tracks) we often see, for instance, Charles Darwin or PZ…
grrlscientist | February 13, 2009I've been getting worried emails from people who want to know if I am alright.
Yes, I am fine, although my troubles have multiplied since I am now ill with a rather nasty cold as well as experiencing other unpleasantnesses. In fact, due to my inability to sleep, I wonder if my illness is partially (or totally) due to that alone. So I started taking citalopram once more, just for a few more days, so I can make myself get some sleep, and hopefully, recover from this cold more quickly.
In addition to all that drama, I am leaving for Finland in a few days (this is last-minute, at least as…
mspringer | February 13, 2009There was, if I am not mistaken, an episode of I Love Lucy wherein Lucy manages to get her head stuck in a metal teakettle. Ethel jokingly (I hope!) suggests that she put her head in the oven to heat up the metal so it will expand and she can fit her head out. A clever idea, not counting the fact that it would have unfortunate side effects for Lucy!
But we shouldn't be so convinced it would work. Consider a piece of sheet metal with a circular hole punched out. Heated, the metal expands. The hole will either get larger or smaller - does the overall expansion cause the metal to expand…
cwilcox | February 13, 2009When I first saw the headline, I just shook my head. Then I looked at the picture of the kid - and I really do mean kid. Look at him! He looks like he's 8! Heck, I know adults that don't seem to know the consequences of unprotected sex, but for a 13 yr old and a 15 yr old to have to deal with them is heartbreaking. The couple got pregnant after only 1 night of unprotected sex, and didn't tell their families until she was over 18 weeks pregnant.
What's saddest is that it's clear from the way he and the baby's mother talk about sex and parenting that they were never really taught about sex…
ddobbs | February 12, 2009Seriously.
The Times and many more have the scoop.
From the Times:
For decades, space experts have warned of orbits around the planet growing so crowded that two satellites might one day slam into one another, producing swarms of treacherous debris.
It happened Tuesday.
My favorite hed is Knight Science Tracker's: Smithereens spreading fast.
pharyngula | February 12, 2009
People are telling me that the French and UK versions of Google are highlighted today with the image above, a picture of Charles Darwin's tangled bank, but that the US has snubbed the man. I think they're wrong; I just looked, and google.com does have the above image. I can think of a few explanations: google just updated the logo a little later for our time zone, users may have been seeing a cached version of a frequently used page, or the explanation I prefer, I'm special and google takes care to present me with a special personal version of the page so that I don't get mad at them.…
jjacquet | February 12, 2009For the last month, I have been a visiting researcher in the conservation science unit at Cambridge University, which turns 800 (!) this year. Another impressive birthday is today: Charles Darwin's bicentennial--a grand event here in England, although they do admire Darwin daily (note the 10 pound note):
Across the nation, events are commemorating Darwin and his contribution to science, including two of my weekend plans: the British Natural History Museum's Darwin exhibit and tonight's lecture at the Bath Royal Literary & Scientific Institution by Shifting Baselines' own Daniel Pauly (…
pharyngula | February 12, 2009
In the past, I've tried to make my Polyphyletic Jambalaya for dinner on Darwin Day — if you make something with seafood, it's especially easy to toss in representatives of a great many phyla all at once. Alas, this year I'm busy busy busy all afternoon and evening, with no time for anything…I may be wolfing down a crust of bread and a glass of water.
You surely have better plans.
gregladen | February 12, 2009Seed Magazine has a Darwin 200 page, here. It is loaded with cool Darwin stuff. Enjoy!