Science & Society

Electronic cigarettes fail to deliver nicotine to the consumer and be should be regulated and packaged in a manner consistent with the product's effect – even if that effect is a total failure to deliver nicotine as demonstrated, according to a study published in Tobacco Control. Electronic cigarettes consist of a battery, heater and cartridge containing a solution of nicotine, propylene glycol and other chemicals and have been marketed to deliver nicotine without tobacco toxicants. Despite no published data concerning safety or efficacy, these products are sold in shopping malls and online.…

"The Age of Stupid," a 2009 docudrama set in 2055, asks why didn't we save Earth when we had the chance. "Stupid" was first conceived by Director Franny Armstrong as a documentary integrating themes of excessive consumption, war and climate change. Armstrong began developing the idea in 2002 and began shooting in 2004. Armstrong and Producer Lizzie Gillett sought out the main characters from seven countries: India airline founder Jeh Wadia; French mountain guide Fernand Pareau; New Orleans Shell Oil Company paleontologist Alvin Duvernay; English wind farm developer Piers Guy, Nigerian…

Marc Cenedella has excavated an old resume of da Vinci, the very definition of 'renaissance man' and  'genius'.  At the time, da Vinci was applying to work for the Duke of Milan. Wired UK looks at his resume (Was Da Vinci the right man for the job?) and (being Wired) come to exactly the wrong conclusions. "I doubt he'd get an interview in today's recruitment market. His CV is all I, I, I - no mention whatsoever of any teamwork, people management skills or teamwork. I can't believe he built all these wonderful things entirely on his own. "And what about commercial awareness? No…

The trial over gene patents, Association for Molecular Pathology, et al. v. U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, et al., is beginning. Discover summarizes the case: When Lisbeth Ceriani, a 43-year-old Massachusetts woman, was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, her doctors recommended that she undergo genetic testing to see if she carried mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes that increase risk of breast and ovarian cancers... When Ceriani’s doctors submitted her blood to Myriad Genetics—the only company that offers a sequencing test for BRCA mutations—the company refused to process it,…

We scientists have a desperate need to make our science interesting to everyone-- including ourselves. Our terminology reflects this. In astronomy, we have the Big Bang. In comp sci, computers Crash. In engienering, "Test to Destruction". But at some point, usually when I'm in a classroom, my science audience wants me to do something extreme. Mix chemicals until they explode. Shatter a rose in liquid nitrogen. Fire off a rocket. Something 'kinetic', in the sense of lots of fragments of something once whole being rent a'sunder. As usual, parody best covers the dilemma, as with this week's "The…

The scientific community may agree that anthropogenic global warming poses a real threat, but the general public isn't all that worried about the changing climate. Public concern about global warming has dropped sharply since the fall of 2008, according to the results of a national survey released today by researchers at Yale and George Mason universities. The survey found that Only 50 percent of Americans now say they are "somewhat" or "very worried" about global warming, a 13-point decrease. The percentage of Americans who think global warming is happening has declined 14 points, to 57…

Planet Earth's Vanishing Act Dr Frank Drake said the phasing out of analogue transmissions from television, radio and radar was making our planet electronically invisible from outer space. "I was watching the image on my display, and it just sort of vanished.", said a spokesmonster from Tau Ceti.  "Well, I wrote WOW! in the log and hypermailed my colleagues.  We thought that maybe the human race had finally wiped itself out, but no such luck!  No, they seem to have decided to do something about all of that pollution they were throwing out into the cosmos.  You know:…

Death By Fraud Jim McCormick has been charged with fraud over his sales of a totally bogus explosives detection device, as reported in my earlier post  here.  I was beaten to the punch in writing about this bogus device by Barry Leiba back in November 2009. Jim McCormick is a believer in dowsing, and that is what his gadget is based on.  It is a lump of plastic with a telescopic antenna.  It pays lip service to science by having exchangeable RFID chips to "detect" different substances.  The devices retail for 40,000 US dollars each.  Of the many countries which…

Today Grant Barrett, co-host of Public Radio’s A Way with Words, complained, “Wikipedia is not reliable. There are times when I’ve entered information into a page, gone back later, and found someone has, excuse me, crapped all over my work.” I have long advised my students not to cite Wikipedia as a source, and not to believe anything found therein without cross-checking other sources. After learning what I will relate to you below, I’ve revised that advice: Now I tell 'em, don’t go to Wikipedia at all. (Disclosure of potential bias: I too have written paragraphs for Wikipedia on topics on…

Games Don't Cause Rickets In the latest bad science reporting saga, many media reports are saying that scientists have said that gaming causes rickets.  Just do a Google search for "games + rickets" to see some examples.  As soon as I see the headline: "X causes Y,say scientists", I reach for my bovex* filter. During my childhood in the 1950s I never met anyone with rickets.  It was a scourge of Victorian england.  Its rise was due to a change of lifestyles in the industrial revolution: most children worked in factories or mines, rather than in the fields.  I have…