The International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) is a global celebration of astronomy and its contribution to society and culture, with strong emphasis on education, public participation, and the…

What is a bubble? As is often the case with language, one word can embody multiple meanings.  I am referring to the type of bubble emergent from large-scale social phenomena. It is generally a…

Evolgen clears up a misconception that drives me nuts: But this really points out flaw in how the general public, including journalists, understand academia. If I were to describe Eric Lander's…

Was anyone else as dismayed about the supposed choice for surgeon general as I was? President-elect Obama approached CNN's chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta to be the country's next surgeon…

Roystonea, the royal palms, are the most striking palms in the Caribbean, and arguably, in the world (though, granted, a talipot palm in flower comes a close second). The name of the genus was coined…

What?  Republicans getting a mention on the eve of a scientific Golden Age due to the presence of Democrats in both Congress and the Oval Office, a time when the heavens themselves shall burst…

A new way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and tackle climate change had been unveiled by a group of  economists.   Or an old way, depending on how long you have been around.   Under…

The periodic table goes well with many things, including, apparently, wine. This month's issue of Wired (with plenty of fodder for blogging and articles, so more to come) includes a nugget of…

Antibiotics may be overprescribed in kids because of concern by helicopter parents and worries about malpractice lawsuits, but in at least one instance they are saving a lot of lives - as a…

Religious people have more self-control than non-religious counterparts, says a study by University of Miami professor of Psychology Michael McCullough and he says this is why religious people may be…