Science Education & Policy

A middle school in East Harlem recently implemented a new invention in the area of rules. It can be described in two words—attendance court. In the area of tardiness, truant individuals may be able to add science as another excuse to their ongoing list. “Telling a late person just to be on time is a little like telling a dieter to simply stop eating so much,” is a widely used quote from the San Francisco time management consultant Diana DeLonzor’s book "Never Be Late Again: 7 Cures for the Punctually Challenged." It is so simple that it’s a concept easily overlooked. In her book DeLonzor…

CAMBRIDGE, England, August 15 /PRNewswire/ -- - Moviestorm Will Attract a Whole New Generation of Amateur Movie Makers Short Fuze Limited, the award- winning Cambridge company set up to bring movie making to the world, today announces the first consumer release of Moviestorm. Moviestorm is a complete software package for creating animated movies that is both easy-to-use for first-timers and fully featured for advanced movie makers. It can be downloaded free from http://www.moviestorm.net Moviestorm takes first-time users through the entire movie making process from set-building, character…

LONDON, August 15 /PRNewswire/ -- - Southwest EU Makes Strides in Transparency, but Not Yet Level Playing Field for New Entrants Spain has the edge over France and Portugal when it comes to providing access to trading and other information about the operation of the European Union's southwest electricity markets, according to research published in Platts EU Energy newsletter. "There's been quite a bit of discussion at the European Union (EU) level in recent years over the need for more open access to power and gas market information to create a more level playing field in the liberalized…

Scientists at the Smithsonian Institution have discovered a new species of bird in Gabon, Africa, that was, until now, unknown to the scientific community. Their findings were published in the international science journal Zootaxa today, Aug. 15. The newly found olive-backed forest robin (Stiphrornis pyrrholaemus) was named by the scientists for its distinctive olive back and rump. Adult birds measure 4.5 inches in length and average 18 grams in weight. Males exhibit a fiery orange throat and breast, yellow belly, olive back and black feathers on the head. Females are similar, but less…

In yesterday's Wall Street Journal, we read an argument for getting rid of the college degree. You've heard this argument before: under our current system, a college degree doesn't mean anything, because most of the time you don't come out with any directly applicable job skills: The solution is not better degrees, but no degrees. Young people entering the job market should have a known, trusted measure of their qualifications they can carry into job interviews. That measure should express what they know, not where they learned it or how long it took them. They need a certification, not a…

Which of the Earth’s species, among bats, bees, fungi, plankton, and primates, are truly irreplaceable? You will have a chance to decide at this year’s debate hosted by Earthwatch, the international environmental charity, on Thursday, 20th November 20th, 2008 from 7pm–9pm at the Royal Geographical Society, London. Five scientists, all experts in their field, argue the case for their chosen species. It’s not difficult to name a personal favorite species, whether endearing, exciting, or endangered, but what of the less charismatic species, whose loss would have an immeasurably greater impact…

To some on the fringes, the only good planet is one without people. To some pseudo-environmentalists, a good planet is one where theirs is the only SUV. To millions more, nature is a way to escape the rigors of city life and enjoy the outdoors without being intrusive. Ecotourism is big business these days. Convincing society that nature's beauty should be preserved and enjoyed has convinced more people than ever they should actually enjoy it. But an examination of Californian forests says that hiking, bird-watching and other low-impact activities are linked to a sharp drop in carnivores…

SHEFFIELD, England, August 13 /PRNewswire/ -- - With Photo Rocksure Systems in association with leading housebuilder Taylor Wimpey has been announced as a finalist in the prestigious Housebuilding Innovation Awards 2008. Rocksure's Peoplesafe system is entered into the Best Innovation in Technology category, the winner of which will be announced on the 23rd of October. Taylor Wimpey's comprehensive health and safety policy was the prime reason behind signing a national agreement for the Peoplesafe service which is a comprehensive lone worker safety system - not just a panic alarm. Peoplesafe…

Religious conservatives who decry postmodernism in the academy, and object to what they see as identity-based scholarship, such a Marxist school of history or African American Studies, have no problem trying to push their own Christianity-based science on academic institutions. These efforts hit a major legal setback recently, as a California judge ruled that it's OK for the Unversity of California system to reject creationist high school biology classes as valid pre-college course work. An association of Christian schools had sued the University of California for not considering creation-…

BASKING RIDGE, New Jersey, August 12 /PRNewswire/ -- - NAC Provides Strong, Multifaceted Security Defense for Large Businesses Verizon Business is using its unique blend of worldwide professional and managed service capabilities to help customers understand, deploy and manage one of the most promising yet complex security technologies in years -- Network Access Control (NAC). The technology helps boost network security by allowing only authorized users and compliant devices to access a company's extended network. NAC is increasingly important as businesses become more distributed and mobile…