This morning, I faxed to my elected officials letters discussing the importance of the method by which Congress reviews publicly funded science. This letter-writing campaign was kicked off by the singling out in June of three climate scientists by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which I’ve mentioned in previous […]
When science doesn’t inform policy, money can be cut from vital areas of the federal budget without an inkling of the consequences. “As Molly Ivins noted in the Chicago Tribune”:http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0509010009sep01,1,6491327.story?ctrack=1&cset=true, when the Congress did away with the Office of Technology Assessment in the 90s, they appear to have done away […]
Jodi and I are taking today to recover from head colds, stomach problems, shifts (me), and work (both of us). Ungh. We hit our favorite breakfast place this morning, then came back to tie up some little home/work things for the day (like finances and, for me, planning for 2006 […]
Sometimes, in science, it’s just laid out like that. Yeah. And here is a wonderful example. The “National Center for Science Education (NCSE) has posted on its website four nearly simultanoeous op-ed pieces from scientists confronting intelligent design”:http://www.ncseweb.org/resources/news/2005/US/170_a_quartet_of_opeds_9_1_2005.asp. The papers in which these were published include the New York Times, […]
WIRED magazine has a “nice article detailing the timeline and scope of knowledge and preparedness avalable to local and state officals in the Gulf region”:http://www.wired.com/news/planet/0,2782,68738,00.html. It’s clear there is a deep-seated frustation on the part of people who spent their lives preparing (and trying to prepare others) for the Katrina […]
This labor day weekend, I am setting aside the sacrifices of my ancestors.These brave men and later, women, struggled to free themselves of the oppressive bonds of the industrial elite. The won their rights, they won their dignity, and for that we should be eternally grateful. But, here I am, […]
“An AP article posted today indicates that the worst of the weather for the Gulf region may not have yet arrived”:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050903/ap_on_re_us/katrina_more_storms. Hurricane season lasts until the end of November, and its peak is in September. Given the limitless energy available in the warm, tropical Atlantic, one thing is clear: more […]
“…Hurricanes in August are as much a part of life in this town as hangovers on Ash Wednesday. But the next day the storm gathered steam and drew a bead on the city. As the whirling maelstrom approached the coast, more than a million people evacuated to higher ground. Some […]
Sometimes, University of Maryland physicist Bob Park has an uncanny knack for hitting every week’s science and society issues right on their collective head. This week is an excellent example. “Just go and read all his comments”:http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN05/wn090205.html. From women’s health and the growingly arbitrary definition of “life”, to the irrefutable […]
Let me just quote verbatim from Mr. Park: (“full article”:http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN05/wn090205.html) 2. THE POLL: INTELLIGENT DESIGN IS IN THE RIGHT PEW FAR RIGHT. The respected Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that 64% of Americans favor teaching creationism along with evolution in public schools. A scary 38% want to […]
“The Associated Press is reporting that Katrina is reigniting the interest in the connection between the reality of human-induced global climate change and the strength/frequency of hurricanes”:http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/science/09/01/katrina.warming.ap/index.html?section=cnn_space. I guess I wasn’t too far off the mark [Sekula29] [Sekula30]. This looks like a very active area of research – that is, […]
When Pat Robertson blatantly disobeyed the commandment “Thou Shalt Not Kill” by calling for the assassination of Venezualen President Hugo Chavez, the reaction from some camps (ones with power) was subdued while the outcry from others was fierce. A man like Robertson, with the ear of the President, who professes […]