Science & Society

God is the origin of life. He created earth, man, and all the inhabitants of earth.     There is much argument made about the origin of life and where, how and when the earth was created. The argument is between two main parties the scientist and the “religious” or, as I like to call myself, Jesus Freaks. The scientific side states that everything happened by chance and just happened. As opposed to the argument of the Jesus Freaks who say that God was the one who indeed created the world and everything in it. I, being a Jesus Freak, believe the latter with all my heart, mind…

Academics are being increasingly pressured to produce 'publishable' results and The quality of scientific research may be suffering as a consequence, according to a new PLoS ONE study. The analysis of papers in all disciplines shows that researchers report more "positive" results for their experiments in US states where academics publish more frequently. The condition of today's scientists is commonly described by the expression "publish or perish". Their careers are increasingly evaluated based on the sheer number of papers listed in their CVs, and by the number of citations received – a…

Miguel de Cervantes said that a "man must eat a peck of salt with his friend, before he knows him." If the Institute of Medicine has its way, there are going to be a lot fewer friends out there for you, guys. Add a little sodium and a little chloride together with some electrostatic forces and you get that ubiquitous mineral, salt. It is used in pretty much every way, shape or form possible, from food to transportation to fire extinguishers to manufacturing, the list goes on and on. As a dietary staple, a little salt (in moderation) can go a long way to enhancing flavor. The problem is…

Grisha Perelman continues to make huge headlines - several days ago he has reportedly turned down the official proposal to participate in the so-called "Russian Silicon Valley" project. The reason he has given for his refusal is that he has "long nothing more to do with the science". Even after the reminder, that one of the scientific leaders of the "Russian Silicon Valley" project will be the Winner of Nobel Prize in Physics 2000, Prof. Zhores Alferov, Grisha has not changed his mind. The reaction in Russian-speaking Internet to Grisha's decision is predominantly very positive - the vast…

Welcome To The Science Party Today, 20 April, sees the launch of The Science Party, a new political party led by bestselling author and New Scientist consultant Dr Michael Brooks. Brooks is standing for the party in the forthcoming British general election in the East Midlands constituency of Bosworth. Brooks launched The Science Party, whose slogan is “Because Science Matters”, at a Skeptics event in Leicester on Tuesday evening. “Science is not just an indulgence for the curious, but is vital to British life, culture and economic well-being,” Brooks says. “Science-based healthcare has made…

3 NASA employees out of the 22,000 people about to lose their jobs sat in a room full of loyal Democrats and listened to President Barack Obama talk about how much he loved NASA.  Then he talked about how he was gutting it. Not everyone is buying hope in this instance.  Buzz Aldrin agrees with Pres. Obama that the Moon has been done but Neil Armstrong, first man on the Moon, and Gene Cernan, the last, think it is a  big step backwards to instead go to an asteroid.   I am probably not the first to say it but it seems we will now boldly go where no one really wants to go.…

"The common curse of mankind - folly and ignorance." - Shakespeare, Troilus and Cressida "And of all plagues with which mankind are cursed, ecclesiastical tyranny's the worst." - Daniel Defoe, Jure divino: a satyr I liked the title of Newsweek's article on the Texas curriculum controversy so much that I used here as well. A brief backgrounder: every 10 years, the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) reviews the state's public school curriculum on all sorts of subjects. In many states, the commissioner of education or a state education agency assists, but not in the Lone Star State. A panel…

Team Plans To Row To The North Pole - Media Claims A team plans to row to the magnetic pole next year. Proving once more, if proof be needed, that the media can't publish a story without incorporating 'added value', the media is misreporting a valiant team effort to reach the geographical North pole next Summer.  The public needs to know that this has nothing whatsoever in any shape or form to do with the possibility of rowing to the geographical North Pole. Its the magnetic pole, ok? The Old Pulteney Row to the Pole Expedition will start from Resolute Bay and end at the Magnetic North…

UEA CRU Scientists Cleared Of Malpractice Allegations An independent panel of scientists has cleared scientists at the University of East Anglia's Climate Research Unit of the malpractice allegations which have been made against them. This follows the the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee report, which I abstracted in The Mother Of Inquiries: Parliamentary CRU Report. Response by the University of East Anglia to the Report by Lord Oxburgh’s Science Assessment Panel Wed, 14 Apr 2010 UEA welcomes the Report by the Lord Oxburgh’s Independent Panel, both in respect of the…

Simon Singh Wins Legal Battle Good news for lovers of freedom of speech across the planet. The British Chiropractic Association (BCA) this morning dropped its libel claim against Dr Singh. Thanks to the adoption by British judges of a principle of US Law, the BCA has finally realised that the legal maxim: 'when you find yourself in a hole, you should stop digging' is a truth of universal application. The principle of US Law which whipped the carpet out from underneath the BCA's collective feet is this:  "Scientific controversies must be settled by the methods of science..." "[Plaintiffs…