CNN and Fox News declare Obamacare unconstitutional. But the US Supreme Court says the Affordable Care Act is constitutional after all, flabbergasting many. Prognostication's sorry record. The taxing politics of Obamacare; will people pay the penalty rather than buy medical insurance? Now it's up to the states, and some of them will decline to expand Medicaid. The law's impact on medical research is likely to generate ideas for science and medical writers. And in other news, more Higgs boson
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The Jonah Lehrer Story: a whale of a tale of adaptive reuse gone wrong. How to make recycling your writing kosher. Did Lehrer plagiarize Malcom Gladwell, or did they both make use of William Goldman? Also: Black bears can count too, sort of. Also: Whooeee, the Higgs boson is back! And the buzz is that this time the Higgs is really real.
Gut feeling about the first papers from the Human Microbiome Project. Bacteria, fungi, etc.: Discovering the 90% of Us that is Them. Genetic manipulation of the mitochondrion: On the slippery slope to human genetic engineering? The Bonobo Genome Project is published. Next stop, World Peace?
Divisions occur when scientific findings have a direct relevance to things that affect us every day, or findings that could make significant changes in our everyday lives. As far as I know, The Heartland Institute has not posted any billboards comparing people who believe in black holes or the law of gravity with Unabomber Ted Kaczynski. We accept these things because we can do so without making any changes in our daily routines.
Climate change deniers' problem is not ignorance. As an increasing body of peer-reviewed studies shows, people form their views based not only on the information they have, but also on their vested interests, their desire to fit in with their families and communities, the degree to which they trust the source of information, and how this information fits in with their values and established world views.
Where may I find information on what a good science communications plan ( or program) for a University involves? For a University-relations unit of a science-and-tech-heavy Center.
Debunking the Zombie Apocalypse. No, parasites are not turning people into zombie cannibals. Dazzling Transit of Venus photos. In the RNA World, iron may have made RNA on steroids. Devising an elevator speech on scientific ignorance. Sexual division of labor — aka sexism — in neuroscience.
Transit of Venus next week, last chance until 2117! Astronomy is a dangerous profession. Measuring the solar system and exoplanet atmospheres. Chronobiology: Circadian rhythm roundup. Bioethics of amputation. Consensus on hormone therapy for menopause. How to write a book: Advice from 5 people who have done it.
First do no harm, except if you're screening for prostate cancer: the prostate-specific antigen test does more harm than good, but patients and docs say "La la la, can't hear you." Teleportation sets a new distance record; next stop, an orbiting satellite. The Heartland Institute cancels future climate-change denialist conferences and makes common cause with the birthers who deny Obama's US citizenship. The solar eclipse, in full photographic glory.