Science & Society

Only 2 percent of Internet pages with information on firearm storage correctly identified all four practices that encompass safe gun storage. In frontier days, gun safety was a given but in the modern era most kids don't grow up around guns - and movies contain a lot of gun violence without any real exposure to the consequences so children unfamiliar with firearms may regard them as toys or not realize that are loaded. The four safety measures recommended at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference&Exhibition in Washington, DC, are keeping guns locked and unloaded, and…

Women are more likely than men to have a bachelor's degree and a white-collar job. They are also more likely to earn less than male counterparts, finds a new study spanning two generations in the United States. The scholars analyzed U.S. Census socioeconomic data of more than 180,000 people at two points in time. The study looked at Latino and Asian immigrants in 1980 and then at their children's generation 25 years later (in 2005), as well as non-Hispanic whites whose parents were not immigrants. In 1980, men led women by a significant margin in bachelor's-degree attainment, white-collar…

Could Hillary Clinton and Carly Fiorina find agreement on one of the most contentious issues dividing America's two political parties today -- climate change? Is it possible they could move past the debate about who or what causes climate change and focus on how modern technology can protect the environment and improve the lives of millions around the globe? Probably wishful thinking. But for millions of women who are not running for president, perhaps there's a chance we can bridge the wide gulf between the two sides. That's the promise of a nascent environmental movement called "…

A storm has been brewing, over why in Britain women are more opposed to fracking than men.  Whether it is simply a storm in a teacup, or a mighty tornado, time will tell.  Here are three articles in succession, two from the Telegraph: Women ‘don’t understand’ fracking, leading scientist claims Averil Macdonald, chairwoman of UK Onshore Oil and Gas, says women lack scientific understanding so follow their ‘gut instinct’. Women can’t understand scientific facts. Are you fracking kidding me? Leading female British scientist Averil Macdonald has suggested women ‘don’t understand’ the…

A representative survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults finds that 30 percent of Americans say their personal religious beliefs conflict with science, while 68 percent say there is no conflict. A majority(59 percent) say science and religion often conflict, while 38 percent say science and religion are mostly compatible.  Belief of a conflict between science and religion does break along lines of religious belief - but not how most people think. The most religious people do not see a conflict with science, it is instead people on the other side who think the most religious people must be…

If you are in Manhattan or one of the five boroughs or New Jersey or Long Island and want a free beer and to talk about science communication, you are invited to join me as guest of honor at the Science On Tap event, October 28th from 6:30-9:30 PM.  The location is Connolly's Pub&Restaurant at 121 West 45th Street. You need to get tickets but the White House Writer's Group, who are kindly coordinating all of this, have two ways you can register: EventBrite and Facebook. I hope to see you there!

The sci-fi comedy "Back To The Future" is a seminal piece of modern cinema. Like "Blade Runner" (and unlike most movies of any kind, much less science fiction, where special effects are important) from the same period, it holds up really well. Its sequels, "Back To The Future II" and "III" were the first instance of sequels being filmed at the same time. To fans of the original, that smacked of disaster, because it meant the natural creative process wasn't taking place and we would likely have the tone and charm of the first be replaced with time travel plot gimmickry (1), which is exactly…

Young Latinos living in rural areas say they face discrimination when they obtain health care services, a factor that could contribute to disparities in their rates for obtaining medical care and in their health outcomes. Perceived discrimination is considered a barrier to obtaining health care services for underrepresented populations, including Latinos, according to lead researcher The findings, published recently in the Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, were based on interviews with 349 young adult Latinos, ages 18 to 25, living in rural Oregon. Nearly 40 percent of those…

A paper in California Journal of Health Promotion by Washington State University Extension educator Jennifer Crawford claims that yoga, a religious movement which became a fitness fad in the United States, may help incarcerated fathers improve their parenting skills. The work in Chelan County Regional Jail in Wenatchee took place over three years with 14 different groups of male inmates. The program was advertised among the jail population; volunteers, who had to be parents of young children and pass a security screening, were recruited. Crawford found that inmates demonstrated being…

An analysis of emergency department surveys looked for risk and protective factors among teenagers who report dating violence and alcohol use. Patients ages 14 to 20 that came to the  University of Michigan Injury Center emergency department seeking care were asked to complete a survey on alcohol use, peers, mental health and dating violence.  From those survey results, 842 male and female patients reported alcohol misuse, of which nearly 1 in 4 reported past-year dating violence, defined as being either a victim or perpetrator of physical acts such as throwing something, slapping,…