While searching Scientific Blogging to make sure no one had written anything on a topic I'm about to undertake, I saw the following headline under the Science Codex bar on the bottom right of the screen:

"New research examines how career dreams die"

I half expected a picture of a crying teddy bear to pop up, maybe one of those ads for a lifetime movie starring Sally Field as the stalwart store clerk trying to encourage the down-and-out teen from the wrong side of the tracks to toss aside the crack pipe and take up brain surgery. What a downer.

Given that this is a social media site, it might be good to know what social media is, and what it can do. Here is an interesting, humorous, but intelligent slide show with a few answers.

Behold, I bring thee tidings of the secret to weight loss: it's all in the mind.

Simple, eh? And you spent all that money on gym memberships, diet supplements, and Jenny Craig dinners.

But before you chuck it all and send me your life savings in thanks for divulging my knowledge (which you are still welcome to do), note that the mind-body connection as promoted on Australian television was in breach of commercial television code, and you still have to buy the CDs.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority found that Channel Nine was guilty of breaching two television codes of practice after it tried to hypnotise its viewers late last year, according to several Australian news outfits.

I assume so, given that you're on Scientific Blogging. But if you have any lingering doubts, take the Pew Research Center's Science Knowledge quiz. It's a quick 12-question quiz about basic scientific ideas, kicking off with the great colorful "mad scientist" art below.


"Americans are knowledgeable about basic scientific facts that affect their health and their daily lives. But the public is less able to answer questions about more complex science topics," the report notes.

Seriously, if you have to ask, then you should probably just keep your mouth shut. Because nothing good is going to come of asking.

The question? Whether or not 18-year-old South African runner Caster Semenya, who won the 800-meter race at the World Athletics Championship in Berlin, is a chick or a dude.



Imagine crossing the finish line to thunderous applause, accolades, etc. Job well done after pouring so much effort into this race. And then, some insensitive prick says, wait, are you actually a girl?