Science & Society

Sufi Mystics And Science Understanding

Today's tale looks at whether ancient Sufi mystics predicted the current climate for science in the Western World.  Some see science as an ivory tower pursuit, others as a way of achieving technological advancement, still others as a path to personal ...

Article - Alex "Sandy" Antunes - Jul 17 2009 - 9:07pm

Apollo 11 Hoax- Sometimes Roswell That Ends Well

In case you've been living under a rock, you probably know that Monday is the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.   I don't remember seeing it on TV when I was a lad, though I am told I did (I do remember watching the live liftoff of ...

Article - Hank Campbell - Jul 18 2019 - 10:38am

Scientific Misconduct And The Nature Of Science

I just finished reading an interesting book review by physicist Martin Blume in a recent issue of Nature. Blume was reviewing Eugenie Samuel Reich’s provocative book “Plastic Fantastic: How the Biggest Fraud in Physics Shook the Scientific World,” and the ...

Article - Massimo Pigliucci - Jul 18 2009 - 1:15pm

Murder in the Courtroom

I was reading about recent excavations at Amheida, a buried city in Egypt’s Dakhleh Oasis, where it is beginning to appear that agricultural development was taking place before the settlement of the Nile valley and rise of the Pharaohs. I thereupon turned ...

Blog Post - Robert H Olley - Jul 18 2009 - 2:15pm

Driving, Traffic, And The Two Second Rule

This is an oft mentioned safety rule that one should employ when driving to ensure an adequate distance is maintained with the vehicle in front of you. When conditions are wet or icy, the rule has been extended to recommend four seconds and up to 10 second ...

Article - Gerhard Adam - Jul 21 2009 - 11:34pm

H. heidelbergensis like you've never seen it before

This is way better than the Geico Cavemen ads- Elisabeth Daynes' reconstructions of ancient hominins. Science Magazine featured her work in their July 10th issue. Her website has some great images. If you want an idea of what the human lineage might ...

Blog Post - Michael White - Jul 22 2009 - 5:13pm

Did Jared Diamond Lie?

Two New Guinea men, Henep Isum Mandingo and Hup Daniel Wemp, have filed a $10 million defamation  suit against the New Yorker and Jared Diamond for a story the New Yorker printed called “ Annals of Anthropology: Vengeance Is Ours: What can tribal societie ...

Article - Nicholas Horton - Jul 24 2009 - 6:33pm

The Daytime Astronomer on Work/Life Balance

A colleague raised the issue of work-life balance.  He wrote: "I want to spend more time with my kids. My kids need to eat, so I work. Something needs to change so these things aren't mutually exclusive." Thinking on work/life balance is als ...

Blog Post - Alex "Sandy" Antunes - Jul 25 2009 - 8:06am

Exploratorium: Origins (and Awesomeness)

As a science nerd, and as a science nerd with friends who are science teachers, I am always on the lookout for new and interesting ways to expose others to the beauty and wonder that is science and broaden their horizons in a concise, meaningful way. I was ...

Article - Becky Jungbauer - Jul 24 2009 - 7:17pm

A Nuke under the Mattress: Why Verification is Essential

If we are ever going to be sure that we won’t face Armageddon we need to get rid of all Weapons of Mass Destruction. That is a simple fact with one hugely difficult, time consuming and potentially impossible solution. However, in this article I wish to ta ...

Blog Post - Connor Davidson - Jul 25 2009 - 9:23am