Science & Society

Academia could take some lessons from Silicon Valley about diversity. Credit: Wikimedia Last week, MIT released a report that closely examines the state of diversity within the university. The report considers MIT’s diversity not just in terms of students and faculty, but also looks at the Institute’s non-faculty research staff who represent approximately 28% of the institution as a whole. Releasing the report was a brave move for the university. It provides a frank and realistic evaluation of where MIT stands in the heated debate concerning diversity and inclusion in STEM (science,…

It’s quite revealing that Karen Kafadar and Anne-Marie Mazza (LiveScience Op-Ed on February 24, 2015, titled "Using Faulty Forensic Science, Courts Fail the Innocent") demand more research in forensic science while ignoring one of the most significant studies on forensic science and erroneous convictions ever conducted. In 2012, Dr. Jon Gould at American University published what is perhaps the most comprehensive study on the causes of erroneous convictions. By reviewing case records and data associated with scores of overturned convictions, Gould and his team identified ten critical factors…

The Intrexon synthetic biology company announced today that it is acquiring Okanagan Specialty Fruits, the science start-up behind the non-browning Arctic apple, for $31 million in Intrexon common stock and $10 million in cash. One of the fastest-growing categories of the fruit and vegetable industry is the fresh-cut segment, bolstered by the convenience factor and upward trend in consumption of healthier foods. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced approval of the first two nonbrowning apple varieties, Arctic Golden and…

The National Academy of Sciences is presenting its 2015 Public Welfare Medal to astrophysicist Dr.Neil deGrasse Tyson, Director of the Hayden Planetarium of the American Museum of Natural History, in recognition of his "extraordinary role in exciting the public about the wonders of science, from atoms to the Universe.”   The medal is the Academy's most prestigious award, established in 1914 and presented annually to honor extraordinary use of science for the public good. Tyson is widely regarded as among the best science communicators of this generation, who hosted "NOVA Origins" on…

If you live in a city, some of your movement around town is social in nature. But how much, exactly? Around 20 percent, according to a new paper that used anonymized phone data to reconstruct both people's locations and their social networks. By linking this information together, the researchers were able to build a picture indicating which networks were primarily social, as opposed to work-oriented, and then deduce how much city movement was due to social activity. "Adding two data sources -- one on the social side and one on the mobility side -- and layering them one on top of each other…

By Emilie Lorditch, Inside Science(Inside Science) – When I was in elementary school, I couldn't wait to get home to watch my favorite TV show, "3-2-1 Contact." Watching that show, I learned that science was fun and part of my everyday life. Seeing young women on the show – who were like older sisters that I wished I had – I believed that I could be a scientist too. This is the same kind of motivation behind a new National Academy of Engineering competition, developed in partnership with the University of Southern California's Viterbi School of Engineering, and the MacGyver Foundation (named…

Medical tourism is an awful term. It conveys an image of people from a cold climate flying off to some warm beach resort for a bit of nip and tuck, some dental repair or a few weeks of health spa rejuvenation. Although this does occur, many people crossing borders for health care are doing so for serious medical conditions. The term has stuck largely due to its aggressive marketing by groups in the US (such as the Medical Tourism Association) which see medical travel and its related tourism spin-offs as a “win-win” for developing countries trying to grow the industry, and for individuals (…

NBC newscaster John Cameron Swayze was television's first "anchor man" – though not for presenting the news. The term instead referred to his status as permanent panelist of the quiz show "Who Said That?" Credit: Wikimedia Commons Amidst the media tumult over NBC anchor Brian Williams' apparent journalistic crimes, a little history on the role of the news anchor can help with some big questions. How did we get here: a place where news organizations put so much power in one person, a place where that person is allowed – even encouraged – to frequent entertainment and “fake news” shows?…

Though women are 20 percent of full-time faculty in medical schools, they are not rising to senior leadership positions in similar numbers, a situation strikingly different from the corporate world, where women have choices about how high they want to rise. This scenario is similar to other fields in academia. Even in areas, like the social sciences, where women have overwhelming representation, men are still on par or leading at the highest levels. The big reason is obvious: tenure. The corporate world does not give anyone a job for life and in schools there are a limited number of…

In American Sniper, Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) is the 'sheepdog' – someone who operates in a state of constant, anxious alertness against inevitable attack. Entertainment Weekly Liberal writers have been lining up for the last month and a half to decry American Sniper along comfortable and predictable ideological lines. “Macho Sludge” was the title of an Alternet piece by David Masciotra. Chris Hedges called it “a grotesque hypermasculinity that banishes compassion and pity.” Meanwhile, comedian Bill Maher characterized it as a film “about a psychopath patriot.” For certain, the…