Science & Society

As smoking continues to decline among the US population, the rate of obesity is growing and has now become an equal, if not greater, contributor to the burden of disease and shortening of healthy life compared to smoking, according to Researchers from Columbia and The City College of New York. They say that the Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) lost due to obesity is now equal to, if not greater than, those lost due to smoking, both modifiable risk factors. The results appear in February 2010 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.  QALYs use preference-based…

Apparently, a committee in Japan is lobbying for a return to the traditional sake bottle. The squid skins dry in the sun, stuffed with rice or grains to create the bottle shape. Once fully dried, warm sake is poured into the squid bottle to create a distinct squid-infused Sake flavour. Bottles can be used 4 or 5 times before being eaten. Technically, these probably aren't "skins." The skin of a squid is a thin, delicate covering that wouldn't hold up well to this sort of treatment. My guess is that they're using the whole mantle--the muscular body of the squid, which is usually turned in…

A few recently published studies offered some insight into the issue of closing schools to reduce the effects of a flu epidemic. The first problem, which hasn't been resolved, is determining the criteria for closing a school in the first place.  However, another study suggests that such closures could reduce swine flu transmission by 21%.  In this case the presumption is that reducing exposure would, of course, stall the spread of the disease. The most telling research though came from a third paper which indicates that none of these measures may be effective unless we're prepared…

One criticism of science that we often hear is... Wait. You know, criticism of science is still a phrase that seems odd to me. When I was growing up, we never thought to criticize science, in general. Of course, there’d be things that scientists got wrong, and we were critical of those as individual items. But that, we knew, is how science is — we’re always learning new things about what we thought we knew. It’s a strength of science. Science was what had been moving us forward, and would continue to do. In the “space age”, we could thank science for advances like safer, more efficient…

FISH Incarnation of Lord Vishnu we invoke for ever flowing Grace. Shri Vaadiraaja Samshodhana Pratishtana, Puttige, Karnataka, India and Foundation for Indian Scientific Heritage, Surarkal, Karnataka, India Jointly announce the International Conference on Decoding Veda Vidya and Traditional Resources for Rediscovering Indian Scientific Heritage.During January 21-23, 2011.AtConference Hall, Puttige Mutt. Heritage awareness makes one an enlightened, responsible and proud citizen. This is our inspiration.CALL FOR PAPERSFaculty members, PG students, M.Phil and Ph.D candidates of Samskrutam…

Sure, Christmas is a religious holiday and science and religion share common people but not often common ground.   That doesn't mean we can't all join together and share some Christmas science ... and an awesome electric car (5 MPH!) I assembled for my youngest kids last night (picture to come later).    Like Rock'em Sock'em Robots, even adults think miniature cars are cool.   If you're the environmental type, I am basically teaching my kids to like a Prius - and it goes about as fast.  So thank me by reading some of the terrific science below: Christmas is about a…

This blog wishes you a very Merry Christmas, if... You would not really expect me to wish Merry Christmas à tout le monde, right ? I hate nobody, but the fact you visit my site on December 24th does not make you eligible to have my sympathy, by itself. There are a few -very few- things that I attach as a condition for my best wishes. So, Merry Christmas to you, and your loved ones, if you live in the knowledge that you are a guest on this planet, and make an effort to keep it good for those who will one day take your place in it; if you hate nobody, and reject violence and war as means of…

On December 8, the state of Ohio broke with tradition and killed a condemned prisoner with a single-drug lethal injection – a barbiturate overdose – instead of the 3-drug combo pioneered by Oklahoma and Texas in the 1970s. The “traditional” 3-drug combo uses a barbiturate to sedate the person, with a curare-type drug to stop respiration along with potassium chloride to stop the heart. “3-drug” is controversial, in part, because if either of the other drugs takes effect before the barbiturate, the condemned prisoner will suffer severe pain and distress. The US Supreme Court deliberated,…

A recent study described in the article "Music Linked to Marijuana Use" illustrates just how badly science can run off the tracks. One of the more telling aspects of the study indicated that the surveyed students heard about 40 marijuana references in music per day.  However, instead of concluding that marijuana may be a persistent social phenomenon with a relatively high degree of acceptance, the researchers concluded that it was the music that was the causal factor. I am certainly curious what their criteria for the 40 references is, since the implication is that a significant part of…

In order to benefit from their natural resources, states need fewer regulations, lower taxes, and stronger private property rights, according to a new study by a Florida State University economist. The study offers an empirical analysis weighing the economic growth rates of resource-dependent states against the Economic Freedom of North America index (which operates on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the freest) to determine the level of economic freedom required for states to benefit from natural resource development. Research suggests that in regions lacking policies consistent with free…