Science Education & Policy

Nature Methods Gets Drosophila Wrong

Drosophila can't catch a break.  Even Nature, which never runs a press release about one of its studies without putting 'prestigious' in front of its name, fell prey to a glaring error regarding the little critter, as seen on the cover of Na ...

Blog Post - Hank Campbell - Oct 12 2010 - 8:04pm

Failing To Cure Cancer By Playing It Safe?

The biomedical community has become too risk-averse, according to a recent NY Times piece. I agree, although I don't agree with the dramatic presentation (it's not some dirty scientific secret- it's not hard to find scientists, and the leade ...

Article - Michael White - Jun 30 2009 - 5:38pm

Cancer Institute Director Attempts To Defend Cancer Funding

The NY Times recently criticized cancer funding policies as being too risk-averse. The Director of the National Cancer Institute has responded, but his response helps prove the point that funding is too risk averse: ...

Article - Michael White - Jul 8 2009 - 8:54pm

Lectures vs. JFGI

OK, I agree lectures aren't the best format, but Google and Wikipedia aren't a substitute: ...

Blog Post - Michael White - Jul 13 2009 - 11:42am

Shark Week On Discovery Channel And The Mystery Of My Untimely Demise

I've never been a shark guy, I will confess that to you.   Actually, I have never been an animal guy of any kind.   When I was a wee scientist / media guru / journalist / game show host, Disney had a program on Sunday evenings.  If there was one of th ...

Article - Hank Campbell - Jul 14 2009 - 11:03am

Grade School 2020- Robot Teachers And The Science Of Learning

What separates us from the animals?   Some of us contend it's technology while others say it's Pynchon novels but really how we learn has to be in the top five. Researchers in neuroscience, psychology, education, and machine learning are trying t ...

Article - News Staff - Sep 8 2010 - 6:55pm

How To Make A Scientist's Head Explode- 4 Things That Drive Scientists Mad

I'm sure that you don't seriously think I would tell you how to destroy all of the science community- do you? Anyway, what I wanted to explain in simple terms to you is the four things that everybody seems to get wrong and drive scientists mad in ...

Article - Connor Davidson - Jul 18 2009 - 1:23pm

Kindling Space Awareness In Pakistan

In January this year, I finally found some like me out there! I was contacted. By a fellow space enthusiast. Throughout my childhood, I rarely met anyone who shared my curiosity for space and astronomy- and was agitated about it. Then, I finally found one. ...

Article - Usman Anwer - Jul 25 2009 - 5:00am

Define Comprehensive? The Stimulus Package, Early Learning Challenge Fund, And Longitudinal Data Systems

One component of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (AKA: Stimulus Package) still making its way through the pipeline is 250 million for the development of statewide longitudinal data systems managed by the Department of Education's Institute ...

Article - Christopher Lysy - Jul 24 2009 - 1:46pm

Carrot Or Stick? In Education, Reward Works Better For Most- But How?

Most people learn more quickly if they are rewarded for making correct decisions but little is understood about how rewards facilitate the learning process. Studies have shown that if a decision leads to a successful outcome, it is registered in the brain& ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 28 2009 - 1:39pm