Science Education & Policy

Creationists and intelligent design proponents have scored an important victory in Louisiana this week, at least for now. In its appalling lack of wisdom, that State’s legislature overwhelmingly approved a bill that requires teachers to introduce to their students material that “promotes critical thinking skills.” The Republican Governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal, predictably said that he will sign the bill into law because “the way we are going to have smart and intelligent kids is exposing them to the very best science,” according to an article in (a real) Science magazine. What’s…

NEW YORK, June 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Board of Directors of WITNESS (www.witness.org), the international human rights organization co-founded by musician and activist Peter Gabriel, announced the appointment of Yvette J. Alberdingk Thijm as Executive Director. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080625/NYW021) Alberdingk Thijm is an attorney with nearly two decades of experience in media and new technology. Most recently, she served as Executive Vice President of Content Strategy & Acquisition at Joost, the global online video platform formed by Niklas Zennstrom and…

LONDON, June 25 /PRNewswire/ -- - Few Countries Have Prioritised This Potentially Preventable and Curable Cancer The first cross-country report on the management and funding of colorectal cancer (CRC) reveals an urgent need for action to improve the survival of patients diagnosed with this common cancer in Europe and Australia. Key findings from the report published today by the London School of Economics (LSE) confirm that few countries have prioritized CRC screening and treatment. Problems exist with data collection from cancer registries on which to base research and policy decisions,…

A classified assessment by the National Intelligence Council (NIC) says climate change could threaten U.S. security in the next 20 years by causing political instability, mass movements of refugees, terrorism, or wars over water. The House Intelligence Committee will get a briefing today on the main findings and the full report will be released Monday, June 30th. It's the perfect storm of buzzwords. This might be check and mate for environmental activists. Relating global warming to terrorism is a masterstroke of logical and cultural hand trickery but what can Big Oil do, deny there is…

BASEL, Switzerland, June 24 /PRNewswire/ -- - The following is an op-ed by Frank Waltmann, Head Corporate Learning, Novartis Corporate philanthropy in Africa can come in many forms. Financial funding and product donations are often heralded, but perhaps its time for other, more specialized forms of giving to take their place in the spotlight -- for instance, skills and leadership training. A recent experience with an African AIDS group provides an example. In AIDS-ravished Africa, between 15 and 40 percent of all children in the southern countries have lost either one or both parents to this…

NEW YORK, June 24 /PRNewswire/ -- - Awards Target Researchers in Developing Countries and Academic Workplace The Elsevier Foundation is seeking grant proposals for its Innovative Libraries in Developing Countries and New Scholars programs. Grant proposals for the two programs sponsored by Elsevier, a leading global publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, are due by September 15, 2008. The grants will be awarded in December 2008 and provide one, two and three year awards between US$5,000 to US$50,000 per year. The program for Innovative Libraries in…

LONDON, June 24 /PRNewswire/ -- The Disciplinary Committee of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons last week passed judgment on one veterinary surgeon, and dismissed the case against another, in an unusual double disciplinary hearing that involved two former colleagues. At the four-day hearing which concluded on Thursday (19 June 2008), Marius Louw and Marthinus Botes MsRCVS were both charged with failure in their duties to Defor, a Yorkshire Terrier belonging to Carol Keeling, whilst they were in practice at Companion Care Veterinary Surgery in Broadstairs, Kent, in April 2007. Mr Botes…

REDWOOD CITY, California, June 24 /PRNewswire/ -- - Industry analyst firm MSearchGroove discusses how service providers and mobile operators can compete and win against the Internet giants Market trends are converging to create a major opportunity for service providers and mobile operators -- mobile email for the mass market. To seize this opportunity, service providers can deploy a solution that is based on open source for the broadest device compatibility, and supported by advertising to foster adoption among cost-conscious users. This is the key message in a new white paper released by…

LONDON, June 24 /PRNewswire/ -- - London Dates Confirmed for 4/5 November 2008 Third Door Media & Rising Media Ltd today announced that SMX - Search Marketing Expo, will be held on 5/6 November at The New Connaught Rooms, London. Now a global event, SMX is programmed by renowned search marketing expert Chris Sherman, who has analysed and influenced developments in search marketing for more than a decade. He continues that work daily as Executive Editor of SearchEngineLand, the leading news and analysis blog for search marketing professionals, and as a creative force behind SMX. He is…

THE HAGUE, Netherlands, June 24 /PRNewswire/ -- - Industry Leader Continues Strong Growth in European Market Vital Images, Inc. (Nasdaq: VTAL), a worldwide leader of enterprise-wide advanced visualization and analysis solutions, has surpassed the milestone of 1,000 installations of its advanced visualization software solutions in the European market. "We're pleased to have reached this exciting milestone," said Marc Lamont, managing director of Vital Images Europe. "We have invested in the European market by establishing our headquarters in The Hague, and developing a sales force with a…