Science & Society

This Year's Economics Nobel Was Another Triumph For The Blackboard Over The Real World

Jean Tirole's theories, capturing reality as an afterthought? IMF, CC BY-NC-ND By David Spencer, University of Leeds It’s that time of year again – when academic economics, thanks to the Nobel Prize announcements, is thrust into the public gaze. ...

Article - The Conversation - Oct 27 2014 - 11:41pm

Why Swimming Pools Can't Raise Prices

If it isn't taxes, it is OPEC but oil prices are likely to go up- people are still going to drive. It's necessary. So is physical fitness but a new economics analysis finds that if prices to swim go up, people are inclined to drop it rather than ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 28 2014 - 10:16am

Emily Willingham, David Robert Grimes: Joint Winners Of Maddox Prize Defended Science Despite Threats

Standing up for science. Credit: Sense About Science By Lydia Le Page, University of Edinburgh The 3rd annual John Maddox Prize has been awarded to Emily Willingham, a science writer in the US, and David Robert Grimes, a physicist at the University of Oxf ...

Article - The Conversation - Oct 28 2014 - 4:01pm

Confucius Doesn't Live Here Anymore

Confucius stands guard at Beijing's Renmin University. George (Sam) Crane, Author provided By Sam (George T.) Crane, Williams College ...

Article - The Conversation - Oct 29 2014 - 9:55am

In The UK NHS, Interest In Being A General Practicioner Has Dwindled

The United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS) is very popular with people who have no serious issues, because it is free- if they have to wait a few weeks, it is no big deal. For doctors, it isn't so great. The cost to attend medical school ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 29 2014 - 11:34am

Who Trusts Government The Most? Black Republicans

The far left in America loves government. Advocacy groups are always calling for new laws, new regulations, new bans and more layers of bureaucracy to put a stop to whatever they dislike. The right is increasingly suspicious of it, regarding every policy ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 29 2014 - 10:09am

This Mid-Term Election Can Have Evolutionary Consequences

How can the international community know it is election time in the United States? A whole raft of claims about science and why you should vote one way or the other will be produced. Some people have even claimed politics is hard-wired, which would mean th ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 29 2014 - 11:58am

Talking While Female: 6 Things About The Perception Of Women's Voices

You may not have realized it, but women's voices are a big topic. For women, at least.  I suppose it may be true. If someone asks me to describe the characters in television comedy "The Big Bang Theory", my natural response would be 'th ...

Article - Hank Campbell - Nov 1 2014 - 10:03am

Mercury Program: Want To Own The Camera Used By Schirra And Cooper In Space? It's Up For Auction

The camera and lens that Wally Schirra and Gordo Cooper carried into space during their Mercury Program flights is going up for auction in a few weeks.  Wally Schirra, a known camera enthusiast, said the Hasselblad camera they used was held in highest rega ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 29 2014 - 2:57pm

When It Comes To Climate Science, Fox News And Liberal Media Both Distort

For MSNBC, climate change is an opportunity to stoke anger over conservative “denialists.” MSNBC 5/12/14 By Matthew Nisbet, Northeastern University Recent Pew Research Center studies offer valuable insight on the ideological makeup of those Americans most ...

Article - The Conversation - Oct 30 2014 - 10:15am