Sometimes the Chinese are sooooo competitive. On the heels of the announcement of Russian scientists that they have grown a plant from 30,000 old seeds, Chinese scientists have announced that they have found an entire 300-million-year-old peat-forming forest at a site near Wuda, China. Of course, Americans have had the last laugh but pointing out that the Earth is only 5000-6000 years old, according to Creation Science and many of our leaders.
Archive for the 'Science' Category
Russians Find 30,000 Year Old Plant . . . So Chinese Find 300 Million Year Old Forest
Published 1, February 22, 2012 Academics , International , Religion , Science 8 CommentsFour-Year-Old Boy Diagnosed With Gender Identity Disorder And Raised A Girl
Published 1, February 21, 2012 Academics , Bizarre , Science , Society 13 Comments
We have previously discussed the growing number of stories of young children raised in the opposite gender (here) or without a gender (here and here). The children raised in the opposite gender are often found to have Gender Identity Disorder (GID). Now, a four-year old boy named Zach has been diagnosed with GID and he is being raised as a girl. He began to evidence GID, according to his doctors and parents, when he was three.
Continue reading ‘Four-Year-Old Boy Diagnosed With Gender Identity Disorder And Raised A Girl’
Atheist Squirrel Science: Russians Grow Fruit From 30,000 Year Old Seeds
Published 1, February 21, 2012 Academics , International , Religion , Science 15 Comments
Scientists in Russia have announced that they have grown plants from seeds stored away by squirrels over 30,000 years ago in the banks of the Kolmya River in Siberia. The Institute of Cell Biophysics team claims to have raised plants of Silene stenophylla from the squirrel leavings. Of course, what they really found was a den of atheist squirrels since various presidential candidates and religious figures have agreed that the Earth is only 5000 to 6000 years old.
Continue reading ‘Atheist Squirrel Science: Russians Grow Fruit From 30,000 Year Old Seeds’
Cyberbullying Scientists: Using Threats in an Effort to Silence the Discussion on Climate Change
Published 1, February 18, 2012 Academics , Environment , International , Media , Politics , Science 307 Comments
Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger
Recently, the Wall Street Journal refused to publish a letter on the subject of climate change that was signed by 255 scientists—all of whom are members of the United States National Academy of Sciences. The WSJ chose instead to publish an opinion piece titled No Need to Panic about Global Warming that was written by 16 “other scientists.” It has been reported that the 16 “other scientists” include engineers, a physician, a retired airplane designer, a retired electrical engineer, and astrophysicists. Also included among the “No Need to Panic” authors are two men—one who questions whether smoking causes cancer (Richard Lindzen) and another who does not believe that asbestos is a health hazard (Claude Allegre).
According to Media Matters, most of the scientists who signed the WSJ op-ed do not publish peer-reviewed papers on climate research. In addition, more than a third of them have links to fossil fuel interests.
Peter Gleick, a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a MacArthur Fellow, wrote an article for Forbes descrying the WSJ’s actions.
Gleick wrote:
The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board has long been understood to be not only antagonistic to the facts of climate science, but hostile. But in a remarkable example of their unabashed bias, on Friday they published an opinion piece that not only repeats many of the flawed and misleading arguments about climate science, but purports to be of special significance because it was signed by 16 “scientists.”
Lying For Jesus: The Abortion/Breast Cancer Link
Published 1, February 12, 2012 Religion , Science 250 Comments-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
For those who oppose abortion no tactic is too sleazy. The scare tactic of stopping abortion by linking it with breast cancer was manna from heaven. The visceral fear of breast cancer would present the faithful with a weapon to be wielded with no regard for the facts. The fact that the scientific evidence shows no link between abortion and breast cancer fazed them not.
The recent Komen/Planned Parenthood publicity and Komen’s ties to this woo, has reanimated this long-dead controversy.
Continue reading ‘Lying For Jesus: The Abortion/Breast Cancer Link’
Massachusetts Lawyer Suspended After Falsely Claiming To Be Medical Doctor
Published 1, February 6, 2012 Criminal law , Lawyering , Science 25 Comments
“Dr.” Susan Friery was once heralded as a leading plaintiff’s attorney — a combination of a juris doctor and medical doctor. Touting a medical degree from Columbia University, Friery was given a partnership at Kreindler & Kreindler LLP, which appears not to have actually checked her degree. Her Massachusetts law license has now been suspended for two years. Her medical license has not been suspended because she never had one. She never graduated from medical school.
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Defining Grief
Published 1, February 4, 2012 Academics , Columns , Courts , Economics , Media , Science , Society , Torts 66 CommentsSubmitted by: Mike Spindell, Guest Blogger
The bible of psychiatric/psychological diagnosis is the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)” published by the American Psychiatric Association. What it does is provide a standardization of diagnostic criteria, which allows Mental Health professionals to communicate with one another in a clearly defined set of common understandings.
“It is used in the United States of America and in varying degrees around the world, by clinicians, researchers, psychiatric drug regulation agencies, health insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, and policy makers. The DSM is a legitimating document and provides legal, medical, and ethical justification for physicians to diagnose and treat, judges to incarcerate and excuse, insurance companies to pay.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diagnostic_and_Statistical_Manual_of_Mental_Disorders
First published in 1952 the DSM has undergone five revisions since then. The latest revision will be the DSM V, scheduled for a May 2013 publication. The last major revision in 1994 was called naturally the DSM IV. There are many problems with the DSM. Since this Manual is so important to the treatment for those suffering and recompense for those who profit from psychiatric/psychological needs, this is an issue that needs greater public awareness. I think is most pertinent to look at the underlying issues entailed in the DSM’s new iteration and how it affects us, or those we know. To do so, however, we must look at the problems with the DSM, from a psychological, systemic and economic perspective.
The first critical issue is that no health insurance company, Medicare and/or Medicaid will pay for psychological and/or psychiatric treatment and medication, without a professionally certified diagnostician categorizing the patient with a valid DSM diagnostic code. Thus the DSM’s definitions have critical importance to practitioners, provider agencies, drug companies and health insurance providers. I retired from the Mental Health profession seven years ago and other things have held my interest. However, l I caught a NY Times article, posted at the MSNBC website last week and it brought to mind issues that had bothered me during my career, specifically with the DSM. Continue reading ‘Defining Grief’
Study: Toxicity and Abuse Of Sugar Warrant Regulations Akin To Alcohol and Tobacco
Published 1, February 3, 2012 Academics , Science , Society 17 CommentsResearchers at the University of California (San Francisco) are calling for 
government regulation of sugar that compares to alcohol and tobacco regulations. While that may seem odd from the home of Ghirardelli Chocolate and the original Ho-Hos, the researchers cite elevated risks for heart disease, liver failure and obesity in showing that the risks compare to harm from controlled substances. By the way, can you tell the difference between these pictures of sugar and crystal meth? The answer is below, but it appears there is less of a difference on some levels in terms of societal danger.
Fun With Nanos . . . Or First Generation Hunter-Killer Robots?
Published 1, February 2, 2012 Academics , Science 22 CommentsThe mad scientists at the GRASP Lab, University of Pennsylvania have developed this swarm of nano quadrotors that can perform remarkable flight operations.
Continue reading ‘Fun With Nanos . . . Or First Generation Hunter-Killer Robots?’
India Takes First Place . . . In The Worst Air Pollution In The World
Published 1, February 1, 2012 Environment , International , Science , Society 9 Comments
India’s booming economy has long had a dark side in the form of rampant pollution. Like China, the country has gone full throttle on a production-oriented society while ignoring rising pollution and illnesses associated with pollutants. Now, in a study of 132 countries, India has reached the bottom of the list of dirty air countries or, to put a more positive spin, the top spot on the most dirty countries. Nevertheless, the government is not concerned and assured the public that this is really not that bad.
Continue reading ‘India Takes First Place . . . In The Worst Air Pollution In The World’
For your morning Zen, here is a video in slow motion of a ballon being popped by a pellet.
Tearin’ It Up (And Burnin’ It Down): Garth Brooks Wins Lawsuit To Force Return of $500,000 Gift
Published 1, January 25, 2012 Academics , Science , Society 16 Comments
Country singer Garth Brooks has prevailed in his lawsuit to force the IntegrisCanadian Valley Regional Hospital in Yukon, Oklahoma to return half a million dollars from a prior gift. The case will likely be examined closely by universities and hospitals as a cautionary tale on the handling of donor money. What is clear is that, after taking one of its largest donors to court, the IntegrisCanadian Valley Regional Hospital can expect a rather chilly response from future donors. Here is the get part: the jury decided that he was a Victim of the Game and made the damages a cool $1 million dollars with punitive damages. Now that was a smart legal strategy for the hospital.
From the Bottom of My New Heart
Published 1, January 22, 2012 Academics , Columns , Media , Science , Society , Uncategorized , USA Today 36 CommentsSubmitted by: Mike Spindell, guest blogger
For the first time I am writing a guest blog with a blatant message supporting a cause that you might say is near and dear to my heart. I hope Professor Turley excuses this personal usage of my guest blogging
privileges, as hopefully will my fellow guest bloggers. Here is my pitch. Some regulars here at the Turley blog know that I am a heart transplant recipient. I received my new heart in October 17, 2010, two days after the birth of my third grandchild. I am, needless to say, an extremely lucky man. My nuclear family all had heart issues. My parents both died at the age of 54 from heart attacks (Myocardial Infarctions {MI’s} as they’re known in the trade). It was my mother’s fourth or fifth and came as a result of her third stroke. When my father died, the requisite autopsy found that this was actually his second MI. My older brother has also had a severe stroke and an MI, but thankfully he is doing quite well today at age 75.
The main reason I am alive today, beyond the fact of my heart transplant, is because my wife during the worst stages of my illness, literally saved my life four times. Her love, care-giving, watchfulness and fierceness in ensuring my medical care, pulled me through very difficult times. We married thirty years ago when I was thirty-seven and six months later I suffered a massive MI, literally destroying one of my three main arteries. Unlike me, she had never experienced the severe illness of someone close, so this transition was obviously shattering but she saw me through. I guess you could say that there is a certain resiliency about me because I was to have two more MI’s at five year periods and yet was able to recover from them and work productively. However, seven years ago at age sixty, in the prime of my profession; I developed Congestive Heart Failure (Cardio Myopathy) and was forced to retire. Continue reading ‘From the Bottom of My New Heart’
“The Authoritarians”, A Book Review and Book”
Published 1, January 21, 2012 Academics , Columns , Free Speech , Justice , Media , Military , Politics , Religion , Science , Society 30 CommentsSubmitted by: Mike Spindell, guest blogger
This week I’m presenting something a little different as a blog. I’ve just read an incredibly interesting book that I was turned onto by either or both, Dredd and Anon Nurse. This book has added scientific clarity to a phenomenon that I’ve noticed for many years, with dismay. Why is it that some people, in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, doggedly hold onto beliefs that they can’t logically defend? We can all agree that there are some issues that simply do not lend themselves to being categorized into absolutes of right and wrong. However, I will let the reader catalog those issues mentally, since there will be some who would no doubt take umbrage from any examples I would personally present. Yet I assert that there are some issues where despite probable protests, are not open to rational dispute. One of these is the age of the Earth and the Universe. The Earth is far older than Creationists/Intelligent Design advocates would set at six or seven thousand years. This is proven fact. I note that there are many religious people who accept this scientific fact and yet still believe in a creator and while not by any means a fundamentalist, I do believe that there is a creative force that informs the Universe. Whatever that force may be, it did its thing multiple billions of years ago.
I presented the above to illustrate the difference between a proven fact and an as yet, if ever, provable belief. The book “The Authoritarians” was written by Bob Altemeyer, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. Professor Altemeyer has spent more than forty years doing research as a Social Psychologist into the parameters and root causes of authoritarian behavior in human beings. John Dean, of Watergate renown, made Bob semi-famous by using Bob’s work as a framework for his book “Conservatives Without Conscience”. I call Professor Altemeyer “Bob”, not out of personal familiarity, but because one of the joys of this book is that though it is a serious socio-psychological work, it is written by a man who doesn’t take himself too seriously, while presenting a very serious subject. My original intent in writing this piece was to present my conclusions, using the book as backup. However, the book, though well-documented, is only 262 pages and at the end of this piece will be a link that allows you to download it for free and read it. Bob presents this important topic far better than I could ever condense it. I’ll just give you a taste, hopefully whetting your appetite and then let you read it for yourself and draw your own conclusions. Continue reading ‘“The Authoritarians”, A Book Review and Book”’
Framing Discrimination As Religious Freedom
Published 1, January 21, 2012 Constitutional Law , Religion , Science , Supreme Court 92 Comments-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
In a recent full-page paid advertisement in the Washington Post, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and dozens of leaders of Catholic organizations voiced their opposition to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) rule which they describe as forcing private health providers to provide “preventive services.” The HHS plan mandates, without charging a co-pay, co-insurance or a deductible, the provision of FDA-approved contraception methods. The advertisement claims these drugs may cause abortions which, by their definition, includes any single-celled fertilized egg that doesn’t implant.
The ad claims that following the HHS rule would violate their religious liberty and freedom of conscience.
Continue reading ‘Framing Discrimination As Religious Freedom’
Freeze Warning: South African Law Makes Unauthorized Weather Forecasts Illegal
Published 1, January 21, 2012 Criminal law , International , Science 38 CommentsSubmitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
American novelist Ilka Chase once wrote that, “Among famous traitors of history one might mention the weather.” Now it seems unauthorized predictions about the weather are getting the traitor treatment, too. A proposed South African law would make any weather forecast about severe weather or air pollution not authorized by the government-funded South African Weather Service (SAWS) subject to five years in prison and a $630,000.00 fine. The law would affect TV weather forecasters, online services like Weather.com, and community based weather services. Talk about a government sponsored monopoly.
Continue reading ‘Freeze Warning: South African Law Makes Unauthorized Weather Forecasts Illegal’
Israeli Scientists Developing Cyborg Rats
Published 1, January 19, 2012 Academics , Animals , Science 17 Comments
It is said that the world will rush to the door of the man with a better mouse trap, but what about a better mouse? A rat lies motionless on a sterile, spotless table. Israel’s Tel Aviv University psychology department is close to developing a cyborg rat — a leap ahead of those mad Swiss scientists. Where the Swiss are developing a more muscular mouse, the Israelis are going for the cyborg rat. I’ll put my money on the Israelis in the upcoming enhanced rodent wars.
Continue reading ‘Israeli Scientists Developing Cyborg Rats’
Want to Lose Weight? Think Red
Published 1, January 17, 2012 Academics , Bizarre , Science , Society 14 Comments
There is an interesting article published in Appetite Magazine showing the results of a study by German and Swiss academics into the effect of color on food consumption. The Scientists found that eating from red plates and drinking from red cups reduced the amount that people ate by forty percent.
Continue reading ‘Want to Lose Weight? Think Red’
Titan Has Heat . . . And Two Atmospheres
Published 1, January 17, 2012 Academics , Science 6 Comments
Scientists at the French National Centre for Scientific Research in Paris have published findings in Nature Geoscience that has challenged assumptions about the moon Titan, one of Saturn’s sixty moons and a focus of scientists because of the presence of an atmosphere and potential for life. Benjamin Charnay and Sébastien Lebonnois created a computer model that simulates the atmosphere on Titan and the model yielded some interesting results showing that the moon has two different boundary layers and the lower produces methane clouds, dune movement on the surface and wind patterns.
Continue reading ‘Titan Has Heat . . . And Two Atmospheres’
Robot Love?
Published 1, January 14, 2012 Academics , Bizarre , Columns , Courts , Economics , Justice , Lawyering , Media , Politics , Religion , Science , Society , Torts 50 CommentsSubmitted by: Mike Spindell, guest blogger
Almost four weeks ago I read an article in Huffington Post entitled: “Can Loving A Robot Lead to Divorce?” by Vicki Larson, a journalist. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/vicki-larson/robots_1_b_1150679.html Ms. Larson introduces her piece by quoting the claims of a current manufacturer of anatomically correct “sex robots”, who presumably speak and move in sexual ways. I followed the article’s link to the website of the robots inventor, Douglas Hines, who enthusiastically discusses his creation and has a few videos (non-explicit) that demonstrate the robot’s “capabilities”. While the HuffPost article links the Company’s website, I’m not doing it here, since publicizing this device is not my aim. Should you want further information it is available at the articles link. The “sex robot” being produced now is but an update on inflatable sex toys, though with a “skeleton”, rudimentary movement and speech added. It therefore is only an opening reference to a real issue that will shortly become scientifically possible.
The next part of this short article is an overview with of the opinion of Artificial Intelligence Expert David Levy http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=humans-marrying-robots “It also may be the future of love and marriage, if you believe artificial intelligent (AI) expert David Levy, author of Love and Sex With Robots. According to Levy, human-robot sex, love and marriage is inevitable — perhaps as soon as 2025. He predicts that robots may not only be more lovable and faithful than many humans, but they may even be more emotionally available than the “typical American human male.” Not only will they make us become better, more creative lovers, but they also will offer those singles who feel a void in their emotional and sexual lives and married couples with differing sexual needs new, nonjudgmental ways to be happy and healthy. Although Levy believes that the “availability of regular sex with a robot will dramatically reduce the incidence of infidelity as we know it today,” he also acknowledges there may be some potential sticky points. “Some human spouses and lovers might consider robot sex to be just as unfaithful as sex with another person.”
Levy’s view naturally flows into the conclusion of the article which is an E Mail interview with Sonya Ziaja, a San Francisco Bay Area attorney who blogs at numerous law and policy media outlets as well as her own, Shark. Laser. Blawg.
“And what could be more fraught with legal dilemmas than a love triangle among a married couple and a sexbot? How that might impact a divorce? That’s what Ziaja explores in her paper, “Homewrecker 2.0: An Exploration of Liability for Heart Balm Torts Involving AI Humanoid Consorts,” which she presented at the 2011 International Conference on Social Robotics that took place in Amsterdam at the end of November.
“If the doll’s owner becomes enamored with the doll, and leaves his spouse, can the spouse sue as she or he would be able to if the interloper had been human? And who would be sued? The manufacturer? Inventor? The AI itself?” she questions. “So long as we’re intent on adding socially interactive AI into situations that would ordinarily be only human. … socially interactive robots need to be ‘safe to play with’ in a way that manufacturers of toaster ovens never had to imagine.”
Thus we are presented here with a legal quandary instigated by the advent of revolutionary technology affecting serious legal, moral and ethical issues. How should we view this inevitability and how shall we deal with it as a society? Continue reading ‘Robot Love?’
The Remains of an Illegal and Immoral War
Published 1, January 7, 2012 Bizarre , Environment , International , Military , Science , Things That Tick Me Off 55 Comments
Respectfully submitted by Lawrence Rafferty (rafflaw)-Guest Blogger
The United States recently ended its formal military occupation of Iraq and removed most of its combat troops after more than 8 years and thousands of troops and civilian deaths and injuries. Our troops did their job under difficult situations, but the havoc that our invasion and occupation of Iraq created will remain for generations. When we look at the impact of Shock and Awe and the constant barrage of bullets and bombs, it is a wonder that even more civilians were not killed. Most estimates put the Iraqi civilian deaths over 100,000 and more than a million people displaced from their homes. However, the repeated use of depleted uranium and white phosphorus weapons in particular, may be the cause of Iraqi infants and children being born with horrific abnormalities in alarming numbers. Continue reading ‘The Remains of an Illegal and Immoral War’
TURLEY BLOG PICKED AS TOP OPINION LEGAL BLOG IN 2011
Published 1, January 5, 2012 Academics , Animals , Bizarre , Congress , Constitutional Law , Courts , Criminal law , Economics , Environment , Free Speech , International , Justice , Lawyering , Media , Military , Politics , Religion , Science , Society , Supreme Court , Torts 27 Comments
Last night the editors of the ABA Journal informed us that we have voted the top opinion blog of 2011 in the ABA Journal competition. It is our second such top award in the annual competition and it is an honor shared equally by all of our contributors and readers.
Continue reading ‘TURLEY BLOG PICKED AS TOP OPINION LEGAL BLOG IN 2011′
It Came From Outer Space: Scientists Believe They Have Found New Quasicrystal in 4.5 Billion Year Old Meteorite Fragment
Published 1, January 4, 2012 Academics , Science 18 Comments
This rather attractive rock fragment has a lot of scientists talking this week. According to their tests, it is a previously unidentified natural quasicrystal that came to Earth riding on a meteorite some 4.5 billion years ago. They believe it is composed of the original material from the formation of our planetary system. For creationists who believe the Earth is only 5000 years old, it is a shiny rock in the office of a professor who can’t do math.
Continue reading ‘It Came From Outer Space: Scientists Believe They Have Found New Quasicrystal in 4.5 Billion Year Old Meteorite Fragment’
Science and Education Win . . . in Georgia
Published 1, January 1, 2012 Academics , Constitutional Law , Free Speech , Religion , Science , Society 73 Comments
Submitted by Gene Howington, Guest Blogger
Augusta State University (ASU) of Georgia was taken to court by a clinical psychology student, Jennifer Keeton, who refused to do coursework necessary for completing her degree. The coursework in question dealt with LGBTQ population. ”In her brief, Keeton describes herself as a Christian who is committed to the truth of the Bible, including what she believes are its teachings on human nature, the purpose and meaning of life, and the ethical standards that govern human conduct. She holds several beliefs about homosexuality that she views as arising from her Christian faith. She believes that ‘sexual behavior is the result of personal choice for which individuals are accountable, not inevitable deterministic forces; that gender is fixed and binary (i.e., male or female), not a social construct or personal choice subject to individual change; and that homosexuality is a ‘lifestyle,’ not a ‘state of being.’” ASU’s officials became aware that Keeton held these beliefs when she expressed to professors in class and fellow classmates in and out of class that she believed that the GLBTQ population suffers from identity confusion, and that she intended to attempt to convert students from being homosexual to heterosexual. Keeton also said that it would be difficult for her to work with GLBTQ clients and to separate her views about homosexuality from her clients’ views. Further, in answering a hypothetical posed by a faculty member, Keeton responded that as a high school counselor confronted by a sophomore student in crisis, questioning his sexual orientation, she would tell the student that it was not okay to be gay. Similarly, Keeton told a fellow classmate that, if a client discloses that he is gay, it was her intention to tell the client that his behavior is morally wrong and then try to change the client’s behavior, and if she were unable to help the client change his behavior, she would refer him to someone practicing conversion therapy.” Keeton v. Anderson-Wiley, 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 10-13925, D.C. Docket No. 1:10-cv-00099-JRH-WLB (Dec. 16, 2011)
This raises some interesting questions concerning free speech, free exercise and educational and professional accreditation.
Continue reading ‘Science and Education Win . . . in Georgia’
Men Who Pray At Goats? Government Spends $1.4 Billion On Such Questions As Whether Remote Prayer Can Heal AIDS
Published 1, December 28, 2011 Academics , Bizarre , Congress , Politics , Religion , Science , Society 45 Comments
The Chicago Tribune is reporting that the federal government has spent almost a billion and a half dollars to explore politically popular but scientifically dubious claims such as $666,000 to determine if distant prayer could heal AIDS. It didn’t. I would be interested in how this was tested. I cannot get the image of Lyn Cassady praying at a goat in a secret military lab.
Just Two Days Left In The ABA Competition: We Need Your Vote!
Published 1, December 28, 2011 Academics , Animals , Bizarre , Congress , Constitutional Law , Courts , Criminal law , Economics , Environment , Free Speech , International , Justice , Lawyering , Media , Military , Politics , Religion , Science , Society 18 CommentsJust as Henry V rallied the thin, tired troops on the eve of the Battle of Agincourt, it is time to make that final call for votes in this year’s competition for the top opinion blog by the American Bar Association. There are now just two days left and, while we have pulled ahead in the last week, the contest remains very close with one of the top five largest legal blogs. If you like our blog, it is time to pony up and vote.
Continue reading ‘Just Two Days Left In The ABA Competition: We Need Your Vote!’
Merry Christmas To All
Published 1, December 25, 2011 Academics , Animals , Bizarre , Columns , Congress , Constitutional Law , Courts , Criminal law , Economics , Environment , Politics , Religion , Science , Society , Supreme Court , Torts 32 Comments
Best wishes to everyone celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah. Continue reading ‘Merry Christmas To All’
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
When I was telling a female worker from another company that my company gave away poinsettia plants every year as Christmas gifts to a few, randomly selected employees, she told me that poinsettias were poisonous. I had not heard that before and asked some other employees and they said they had heard the same thing.
The Most Relaxing Tune Ever Or Really Bad Elevator Music?
Published 1, December 23, 2011 Academics , Bizarre , Science , Society 22 Comments
Scientists in England have declared the tune below to be the most relaxing tune in the history of human civilization. Aside from the expected lawsuit from Kenny G, the claim is based on a study of 40 women (no men) that selected the tune over pieces by Enya, Mozart and Coldplay. The claim is that “Weightless” can produce a trance-like calm. Much like Gingrich at a Tea Party Convention.
Continue reading ‘The Most Relaxing Tune Ever Or Really Bad Elevator Music?’
The Turley Blog Needs Your Vote! The ABA Competition Is Down To The Wire For Top Opinion Blog
Published 1, December 21, 2011 Academics , Courts , Criminal law , Economics , Environment , Free Speech , International , Justice , Lawyering , Media , Military , Politics , Religion , Science , Society , Supreme Court , Torts 54 Comments
This year’s competition for the top opinion blog by the American Bar Association has become an intense race between our blog and one of the largest conservative legal blogs, Volokh Conspiracy. Even though VC is one of the largest blogs in the country, we are only a couple of dozen votes away with voting closing on December 31st. We need every vote so please spread the word to civil libertarians and others that we need their support to pull off the ultimate David and Goliath victory.
Continue reading ‘The Turley Blog Needs Your Vote! The ABA Competition Is Down To The Wire For Top Opinion Blog’
Another Darwinistic Plot? Scientists Find 450 Million Year Old Fossils in Quarry
Published 1, December 19, 2011 Academics , Religion , Science 57 Comments
It appears that scientists will not stop at anything to fabricate fossils older than 5,000 years old — the rough age established by the Bible according to some creationists. The scientists found the fossils in a quarry that date back to the Ordovician period. The range of the fossils is considerable from sponges and worms to nautiloids.
Continue reading ‘Another Darwinistic Plot? Scientists Find 450 Million Year Old Fossils in Quarry’
From The Mouths of Babes: Study Finds That Babies Copy The Most “Reliable” Adults
Published 1, December 13, 2011 Academics , Science , Society 8 Comments
Ever marvel at how your baby mimicked your spouse? Now you know that the baby was not just copying your spouse but rejecting you as “unreliable.” A new study of behavior in babies found that they sized up parents and adults before choosing who to copy — rejecting some as not credible or reliable.
Continue reading ‘From The Mouths of Babes: Study Finds That Babies Copy The Most “Reliable” Adults’
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
Solution below the fold.
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
A scent lineup starts with the collection of scent from a crime scene. Scent samples are also collected from potential suspects. A dog is presented with the crime scene scent and then presented with the scents from the suspects. The dog then communicates the matching scent to its handler. The dog handler then testifies at trial and his testimony has been presented as “scientific identification” in Texas courts.
MythBusted or Ultrahazardous Activity? Popular Show Sends Cannonball Through California Home
Published 1, December 8, 2011 Bizarre , Science , Society , Torts 20 Comments
The Discovery Channel’s popular show “Mythbusters” has educated many on the realities and science of common myths. I personally enjoy watching the show with my kids. Now, however, I can show it as part of my torts class. This week, the show was doing an episode and sent a wayward cannonball through a house in Dublin, California (near Oakland) and into the window of a van parked outside.
Continue reading ‘MythBusted or Ultrahazardous Activity? Popular Show Sends Cannonball Through California Home’
To Boldly Go Where No Machine Has Gone Before: Voyager Set To Become First Man-Made Object To Leave Our Solar System
Published 1, December 8, 2011 Academics , Science 21 Comments
This is very cool. Voyager 1 is about to become the first manmade object to leave our Solar System and enter the Milky Way after more than three decades in space. I remember when it was launched in 1977. It has been moving at 11 miles per second through space. We also learned some interesting stuff about Vesta in the asteroid belt this week.
Continue reading ‘To Boldly Go Where No Machine Has Gone Before: Voyager Set To Become First Man-Made Object To Leave Our Solar System’
Please Smoke and Drive? Study Suggests Marijuana Use Reduces Traffic Deaths and Beer Sales
Published 1, November 30, 2011 Academics , Criminal law , Politics , Science , Society 32 Comments
We recently saw how the leading California physicians group has called for the decriminalization of marijuana as no more harmful as alcohol. Now a new study suggests that legalizing medical marijuana has resulted in a nearly nine percent drop in traffic deaths and a five percent reduction in beer sales.
British Medical Schools Facing Backlash Over Evolution From Muslim Students
Published 1, November 28, 2011 Academics , Bizarre , Religion , Science , Society 26 Comments
It appears that British medical schools are facing a growing problem of Muslim medical students and doctors walking out of courses in protest when evolution is taught as part of biology. The students and teachers believe that Darwin’s theories conflict with the Koran, as do many Christians (and apparently most — but not all — GOP presidential contenders) believe in the United States. The view is a bit more unsettling when future doctors refuse to even hear about evolution as a blasphemous subject.
Continue reading ‘British Medical Schools Facing Backlash Over Evolution From Muslim Students’
Submitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
A new study, published in the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science suggests there may be a real universal animal language. Seems humans have a natural ability to understand “dog speak” and it peaks at about age 10. Dogs and humans have enjoyed a symbiotic relationship for eons, with selective breeding from wolves occurring over the centuries. Scientists know that species eavesdrop on each other in the wild with squirrels understanding the language of some birds and vice versa. However, this is one of the first inquiries into just what humans have picked up over the years
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory mission, with its rover Curiosity, successfully blasted off from Cape Canaveral yesterday. Arrival at Mars is scheduled for August 2012. Curiosity is like previous rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, on steroids. Curiosity will help determine whether Mars has, or had, an environment capable of supporting microbial life.
Scientists Develop “Smart Bomb” Mouthwash That Could Eliminate Tooth Decay
Published 1, November 23, 2011 Academics , Science 15 Comments
UCLA researcher have announced a discovery that should have garnered more attention in the media: a mouthwash that could effectively eliminate dental cavities. The study details how the researchers have been able to eliminate S. mutans bacteria – the main cause of tooth decay — while not killing good bacteria that helps fight tooth decay. Current mouthwash products act like nuclear bombs — killing good and bad bacteria indiscriminately. The scientists used new antimicrobial technology known as specifically targeted anti-microbial peptides, or STAMP.
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Abandon Memory All Ye Who Enter Here: Study Finds Doorways Cause Forgetfulness
Published 1, November 23, 2011 Academics , Bizarre , Science 13 Comments
There is an interesting study out by University of Notre Dame Psychology Professor Gabriel Radvansky, which appears to show that one of the causes of forgetfulness may be doorways. Radvansky’s study shows that “entering or exiting through a doorway serves as an ‘event boundary’ in the mind, which separates episodes of activity and files them away.” Does this mean that we need a type of psychological feng shui movement with homes built with fewer doorways?
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In Praise of Slime Mold . . . and The Academic Life
Published 1, November 21, 2011 Academics , Science , Society 10 Comments
Princeton George M. Moffett Professor Emeritus of Biology John Bonner, 89, has dedicated his life to Dictyostelium discoideum, known to the rest of us as slim mold. He is described in Science Magazine this month as “the current patriarch of the slime mold community.” I loved the article and I think it is about time for you to take a little time out and consider the beauty and genius of our often-forgotten friend, the slime mold.
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One in Four U.S. Women Take Medication for Mental Health Programs
Published 1, November 18, 2011 Academics , Science 35 Comments
In class, we discuss the evolution of mental health defenses in torts as society has come to recognize widespread emotional and behavioral problems. Like earlier studies, the latest report from Medco Health Solutions gives a glimpse into how common such problems are in our society with more than one in four American women taking at least one drug for conditions like anxiety and depression last year. This rate rose by 22 percent since 2001.
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Scientists Invent Mighty Mouse: Medical Breakthrough or Swiss Conspiracy?
Published 1, November 14, 2011 Academics , Animals , International , Science , Society 6 Comments
Scientists have announced that they have invented a super strong mouse. One could debate whether we really need a super-strong mouse. However, those concerns would appear magnified for the Swiss with their copious amounts of cheese to protect. Yet, Swiss scientists believe that they have created a faster and stronger mouse.
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Study: Cavemen Did Indeed See Spots
Published 1, November 8, 2011 Academics , Animals , International , Science 23 Comments
Scientists have made an amazing discovery that has answered a long-standing question: where cavemen who drew the spotted horses in Pech Merle, France taking artistic license? The answer appears to be no. The horses were indeed spotted, according to new DNA analysis of horse teeth from 25,000 years ago.
Mummy Told You To Check Your Prostate: Scientists Find Oldest Cancer
Published 1, November 4, 2011 Academics , Science 6 Comments
It appears that regular prostate checks were not common 2,250 years ago. Scientists have announced that they have found the oldest case of prostate cancer in a Ptolemaic mummy through high-powered digital imaging.
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Have Scientists Finally Found The Fountain of Youth?
Published 1, November 4, 2011 Academics , Science 33 Comments
In an amazing breakthrough, French researchers were able to restore the youth of cells taken from people aged over 100 years to reprogram them to the stem cells stage. The work published in Genes and Development Journal would suggest that aging is reversible.
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Biceps in a Can? Scientists Invent New Artificial Muscle
Published 1, November 1, 2011 Science 8 Comments
Finally, my years of avoiding workouts and exercise have paid off. Scientists have invented new artificial muscles that can twist 1,000 times more than any suitable material made in the past. Ok, it is not for those of us looking to be transformed into Charles Atlas while we sleep. It may, however, open new possibilities for robots and prosthetic limbs.
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-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
B.E.S.T., Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature, is the organization, formed by Richard Muller, Professor of Physics at the University of California at Berkeley and self-proclaimed climate skeptic, to analyze temperature data. B.E.S.T. has received a total of $623,087 in financial support, with the largest contribution, $150,000, coming from the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation. B.E.S.T. directly addressed concerns including urban heat island effect, poor station quality, and data selection bias.
McBan: McDonald’s Bans Arizona Professor From All Restaurants After She Claims To Find Pathogens in Play Areas
Published 1, October 28, 2011 Bizarre , Science , Society , Torts 19 Comments
With repeated brawls in McDonald’s, it is would seem that it is pretty hard to be excluded from the restaurant chain. However, Erin Carr Jordan found a way. The mother of four and college professor with a doctorate in developmental psychology, has been leading an effort to get McDonald’s to clean its play area by testing equipment and reportedly finding dangerous levels of pathogens. It is not the first time McDonald’s has been accused of such dangerous levels — made more dangerous by being in proximity to food where the children digest the pathogens.
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Dude, We Just Mapped The Purple Kush
Published 1, October 21, 2011 Academics , Criminal law , Politics , Science , Society 16 Comments
I am pretty certain I know the favorite graduate lab in Canada. Canadian researchers have just released the genome sequence of the Cannabis sativa, better none as The Purple Kush, one of the most potent forms of marijuana.
What do you get a new gas protoplanet just forming 450 Light Years ago. A Buzz Light Year nightlight? That is no doubt one of the pressing questions for a University of Hawaii astronomer who used the twin 10-metre Keck telescopes on Mauna Kea to capture the first direct image of a planet forming around a star. Much like human babies, it proved a bit gassy.
MIT Scientists Discover X-Ray Vision . . . Sort Of
Published 1, October 19, 2011 Academics , Science 10 Comments
We just moved a little closer to making Superman obsolete. MIT scientists at the Lincoln Laboratory have announced that they have developed a new radar system that looks through walls using “ultrawideband multiple-input, multiple-output phased-array sensor.” For the rest of us, they developed x-ray vision!!!
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California Medical Association Calls For Legalization Of Marijuana
Published 1, October 17, 2011 Criminal law , Politics , Science 19 CommentsCalifornia’s largest doctor group has called for legalization of marijuana. Despite its remaining uncertainty over marijuana’s medical benefits, the Trustees of the California Medical Association (representing more than 35,000 physicians statewide) adopted the policy last week and called for marijuana to be regulated in the same fashion as alcohol.
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Rock of Ages: Scientists Determine Mars Once Had Mild Surface Temperature
Published 1, October 17, 2011 Academics , Science 12 Comments
This is a very cool story. Scientists have discovered that Mars once had a mild temperature of 64 degrees Fahrenheit. They deduced the temperature from a rock found in Antarctica that had a wild ride starting four billion years ago. (Of course, the scientists again ignore the “creation science” account and misjudge the age of the rock by just short of four billion years).
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Florida Governor Campaigns Against . . . Anthropologists
Published 1, October 12, 2011 Academics , Politics , Science , Society 35 Comments
Florida Governor Rick Scott is messing with the wrong people. Recently, Scott used anthropologists as an example of the type of degree that the state could do without. Anthropologists have reacted across the country, suggesting that Scott should be re-classified as a Homo Moronus. I would be careful before you tick off people (in the case of forensic anthropologists) who dig up bodies for a living. In the academy, we have long viewed our anthropologist colleagues with a certain fear and intimidation. When you confront one of these guys at a faculty senate meeting, they make it clear that there are “a lot of still active tar pits around the country where mammals can disappear for thousands of years.” When a critic for another department disappears, they just shrug and say, “Louie, is sleeping with the aquatic vertebrate.”
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The Mercatus Center: A Tentacle of the Deregulation-Loving Kochtopus Helping in the Effort to Deny Climate Change and Eviscerate the EPA
Published 1, October 10, 2011 Academics , Environment , Politics , Science , Uncategorized 292 Comments
Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger
From Climate Science Watch (March 18, 2010): To the libertarians, the widely-shared scientific assessment that human-caused climate change will likely produce major harmful consequences — and the communication of this evidence to the public by the leading climate scientists — poses a particularly serious threat. An informed public concerned about the likelihood of harmful impacts of unchecked global climatic disruption is more likely to call for significant government action to curb greenhouse gas emissions. In order to block proactive government policymaking and keep corporate interests unregulated, libertarian groups have focused a significant part of their efforts on climate change on distorting the science to confuse public opinion, denying the seriousness of the problem, and, most recently, impugning the integrity of the climate science community. The Koch brothers have stepped forward with deep pockets to bankroll such efforts.
Continue reading ‘The Mercatus Center: A Tentacle of the Deregulation-Loving Kochtopus Helping in the Effort to Deny Climate Change and Eviscerate the EPA’
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
The Smoot can be found on Google Earth and Google Calculator. It’s a unit of distance named after Oliver R. Smoot, the five-foot-seven-inch Chairman of the American National Standards Institute and President of the International Organization for Standardization.
New Images of the Asteroid Vesta Reveal Massive Mountain
Published 1, October 5, 2011 Science 5 Comments
I have long declined to climb Mt. Everest and now my decision has been vindicated. It turns out that Mt. Everest is a mere ant hill in comparison to the peak on the asteroid Vesta. NASA’s Dawn probe captured the image of the mountain which not only dwarfs Mt. Everest but almost ties the shield volcano Olympus Mons on Mars — which still holds the record. It turns out that Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay ascended to the top of what Vestans call a foothill.
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MIT Researchers Invent Artificial Leaf
Published 1, October 4, 2011 Academics , Science , Society 56 Comments
Researchers led by MIT professor Daniel Nocera have announced the creation of “artificial leaves” that can convert the energy of sunlight directly into a chemical fuel that can be stored and used later as an energy source. The leaf uses abundant material and could prove a breakthrough in the search for new fuel systems.
CERN Reports First Practical Application of Particle Moving Faster Than Speed of Light
Published 1, September 26, 2011 Academics , Science 14 Comments
Physicists did not take long to find the first practical application of the reported success of scientists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in making a subatomic particle go faster than the speed of light for the first time. The scientists used neutrinos, which were observed smashing past the cosmic speed barrier of 186,282 miles per second (299,792 kilometers per second). Below is the first joke being circulated around by our colleagues in the Physics Departments (and sent to me by one of my colleagues at the law school).
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Irish Coroner Finds Death Was Case Of “Spontaneous Combustion”
Published 1, September 26, 2011 Bizarre , Criminal law , Science , Torts 16 Comments
In my torts class, we often discuss accounts of “spontaneous combustion” particularly after discussing the case of spontaneous combustion of a hay rick in Vaughn v. Menlove. Such cases have occasionally been reported with people, albeit to skeptical police. The latest comes from Ireland where Michael Faherty, 76, seemed to spontaneously combust.
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-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
The honeyguide is a bird famous for leading humans to bee hives. The humans raid the hive of its honey and leave some of the spoils in a convenient location for the honeyguide. It’s an incredible example symbiotic behavior. It has also been claimed that honeyguides lead honey badgers to hives. This turns out to be false. The origin of the misconception may have occurred since honeyguides would follow honey badgers and partake of the badger’s leftovers. It’s also a good excuse to embed this cool video:
Fast Little Neutrino: Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity Challenged By Test Showing Particle Traveling Faster Than Speed of Light
Published 1, September 23, 2011 Academics , International , Science 44 CommentsIt turns out that Einstein was a bit slow after all. Scientists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) has made a subatomic particle go faster than the speed of light for the first time — something that shattered one assumption of Einstein’s theories. The scientists used neutrinos, which were observed smashing past the cosmic speed barrier of 186,282 miles per second (299,792 kilometers per second).
Continue reading ‘Fast Little Neutrino: Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity Challenged By Test Showing Particle Traveling Faster Than Speed of Light’
Space Torts: NASA Puts Risk of Being Hit By Falling Satellite At 1 in 3200
Published 1, September 21, 2011 Academics , Bizarre , Science , Torts 15 Comments
NASA still is unsure where a giant six-ton six-ton satellite will hit this week, but they are trying to calm nerves by saying that the risk of someone being hit is only 1 in 3200. I was struck by that figure because in tort law that would be considered an unacceptable risk in cases of product liability or malpractice.
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Erskine College Professor Fired For Supporting Science
Published 1, September 10, 2011 Academics , Free Speech , Religion , Science 33 Comments-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
Erskine College is a small, private, four year Christian liberal arts college located in South Carolina. William Crenshaw, who taught at the college for 35 years, earning tenure, an endowed chair, and teaching awards was fired for his dissent of Erskine’s teaching of science.
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Scientists Find 2 Million Old A. Sediba; Creationists Find a 6000 Year Old Dead Ape
Published 1, September 9, 2011 Academics , Bizarre , Politics , Religion , Science , Society 42 Comments
Scientists have again embarrassed themselves . . . this time in that fanciful Science Magazine. While creationists (including many of the GOP presidential contenders) have shown that the Earth is only 6000 years old, scientists insist that they have found Australopithecus sediba fossils with the skull, pelvis, hands and feet of the ancient hominin. The fossils with both ape and human characteristics were unearthed three years ago in South Africa.
Galileo and the GOP: Huntsman Takes Stand For Science
Published 1, September 8, 2011 Academics , Politics , Science , Society 144 Comments
Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman took a startling position in the GOP debates last night — he suggested that the party not “run from science.” After candidates have lined up to reject everything from global warming to evolution, Huntsman is a standout in his Galileo moment in the GOP.
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Study Estimates Roughly 40 Percent of Europeans Suffer From Mental Illness
Published 1, September 7, 2011 Academics , International , Science , Society 27 Comments
We have previously discussed studies showing high levels of mental illness in the United States. Now a Europeans shows a similarly high rate with “almost 165 million people or 38 percent of the population suffering each year from a brain disorder such as depression, anxiety, insomnia or dementia.” What is interesting is that the rate is higher in Europe as compared to the U.S. study cited earlier. The European study however appears to be broader in considering neurological conditions associated with illnesses like stroke.
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Did Bayer (and the EPA) Kill The Honeybees?
Published 1, September 7, 2011 Animals , Environment , Politics , Science 43 Comments
A leaked EPA memo is being cited by scientists as smoking gun evidence of likely cause of the massive die-off of honeybees. The culprits, these researchers claim, are Bayer CropScience and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
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Moon Shot: New Photo Shows Preserved Footprints and Evidence of Apollo Landings
Published 1, September 7, 2011 Academics , Science 16 Comments
This extraordinary picture was just released by NASA showing the footprints, moon buggy ruts, and garbage left by the Apollo astronauts from 1969 to 1972. Not exactly low impact camping, but pretty cool. Of course, there will be some who will insist that this is just a photoshopped image to continue the lie that we ever went to the moon.
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Guiltless Meat? Scientists Developing Stem Cell Sausage As First Artificial Meat
Published 1, September 5, 2011 Academics , Bizarre , Science 16 Comments
In the Netherlands, scientists are close to producing the first artificial meat — stem cell sausage grown in the lab without the need to slaughter animals. The question is whether this means that vegetarians who now refuse to eat meat for philosophical reasons would be able to eat a ribeye without moral qualms.
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Booked on Orbitz? Russians Announce Plans for Space Hotel
Published 1, August 29, 2011 Bizarre , Science 15 Comments
If you are really trying to get away from it all, Russia appears to have the answer. The Russians are planning a space hotel to orbit 200 miles above Earth by 2016. The four-room Hotel in the Heavens can handle up to seven guests. Of course, Russian hotels are already known for a rather stripped down sense of accommodation. Yet, tourists might be a bit uneasy after the recent explosion of the Russian supply ship to the space station.
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-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
My Embarrassing Secret Belief
Published 1, August 27, 2011 Bizarre , Columns , Media , Military , Politics , Science , Society , Uncategorized 147 CommentsSubmitted by: Mike Spindell, guest blogger
In the years, I’ve spent commenting here at Professor Turley’s blog, I have presented myself as an honest person, sensible and with humane beliefs. Many regulars think of me as sort of a blog “elder statesman” and one who has a rational view of the world. There are of course others, fewer in number I assert, who think me a fool and a knave, which shows you can’t please everyone. Professor Turley himself has expressed fondness related to my tendency to be honest and open about myself personally.
Yet through all of these years here, I have harbored a secret belief that I’ve avoided mentioning for fear that the esteem in which I’m held, will disappear in an avalanche of ridicule and disappointment. I have to admit that to a retired old guy on the wrong side of sixty years, my place here has provided comfort to my self-esteem and certainly the feeling that I can still find things in life to accomplish. To those who haven’t realized the obvious yet from my writings, I have my vanities and indeed my insecurities, so being a guest blogger has stroked those needy aspects of my ego. Since I’ve received much gratification from this, I have been loath to be completely honest about one of my more deeply held beliefs. I came across an article that impels me to break my silence and reveal this belief here and now. While in the eyes of some reading this blog, it might lower their opinion of me and expose me to ridicule, I must finally admit to you my dirty little secret.
Meet PSR J1719-1438 b — The Diamond Planet
Published 1, August 26, 2011 Bizarre , Science 19 Comments
You might want to dump those De Beers shares. Scientists have discovered a plant that may be basically a giant diamond. The planet circles around pulsar J1719-1438. Sure, it is 4,000 light years away, but isn’t she worth it?
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USGS Revenge? Earthquake Hits Cantor’s District After He Led Fight To Slash Funding
Published 1, August 24, 2011 Congress , Environment , Politics , Science 37 Comments
The epicenter was Mineral Virginia in the district of Republican Congressman Eric Cantor. You may recall Cantor’s effort to slash the budget of the United States Geological Service (USGS).
Industry Launches Campaign Against Closing Outdated Power Plants
Published 1, August 22, 2011 Environment , Politics , Science , Society 24 Comments
Industry lobbyists and political allies are launching a full court press against the closure of highly polluting coal-fired plants across the United States this month. The effort dovetails with the focus of Republican candidates like Bachmann, Gingrich, and Perry to demonize the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and even call for its elimination. However, this move has been delayed too long and is expected to save thousands of lives. The story is the latest example of how industry is able to treat such health risks as abstractions while fighting to keep such plants operating.
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Was Queen Hatsheput Poisoned? Scientists Find Evidence of What Could Be One Of The World’s Oldest Product Liability Cases
Published 1, August 22, 2011 Academics , Science , Torts 5 Comments
There was an interesting story out of Germany where researchers have found a highly carcinogenic substance in a flask of lotion believed to have belonged to Queen Hatshepsut. Hatshepsut ruled Egypt 3,500 years ago and was known to have powerful enemies, including her stepson Thutmose III. However, she may have died from poisoning at her own hand.
Continue reading ‘Was Queen Hatsheput Poisoned? Scientists Find Evidence of What Could Be One Of The World’s Oldest Product Liability Cases’
Have Todd Rider And MIT Banned The Common Cold?
Published 1, August 21, 2011 Academics , Science , Society 20 CommentsSubmitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
Before the early part of the twentieth century most methods of treating infection were based on medical folklore. It’s true that in the nineteenth century Pasteur and Koch had observed and isolated various bacteria and postulated their connection to disease and some vaccines had been developed, but, by and large, medical researchers had failed to take up the challenge of curing bacterial infections. It wasn’t until the 1930′s with Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin that antibiotics were developed which attacked bacterial infections directly. This mass alleviation of disease and suffering has been hailed as one of the greatest developments in medicine.
Continue reading ‘Have Todd Rider And MIT Banned The Common Cold?’
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
I used to do the “wrap-it-around-the-tree” knot but I’ve started doing the Ian knot. Over a lifetime, it’s estimated to save you 4 days of time. Although, with my late start, I don’t expect to realize that much time savings.
Rick Perry: Earth “Pretty Old” and Evolution “Got Some Gaps”
Published 1, August 19, 2011 Academics , Bizarre , Politics , Religion , Science 110 Comments
Gov. Rick Perry was asked directly about his view on creationism and the religious dogma regarding the age of the Earth. His response was truly Bushesque, saying that the Earth is “pretty old” and evolution “got some gaps.” He wants both evolution and creationism taught side by side as equal “theories” in public schools.
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Will a Bad Movie Make For Good Science? Europeans Plan Mission To Destroy Asteroid
Published 1, August 17, 2011 Academics , Science 78 Comments
It made for one of the worst movies of all time, but the plot of Armageddon is now the operational plans for the European Space Agency. The ESA plans to fire a satellite at an asteroid in 2015 to see if it can destroy (or change the course) of an asteroid. Since Armageddon almost destroyed the career of Bruce Willis, there is hope for ESA.
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-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
The Xinjiang 13: China Blacklists Leading American Academics While Universities Remain Silent
Published 1, August 12, 2011 Academics , Free Speech , International , Media , Politics , Science , Society 16 Comments
We have seen the gradual dependence of the United States on China, which holds a huge amount of our debt. The result has been foreign policies designed to appease the Chinese government, including near silence on human rights abuses by that country. Now, academia has its own scandal of kowtowing to the Chinese, which have become equally dominant in research and education. Schools like Georgetown and Massachusetts Institute of Technology have said virtually nothing after their faculty were barred from entering China or flying on Chinese airlines due to objections to their writings. They are called the “Xinjiang 13” and their virtual abandonment by leading universities shows how academic freedom values have been sacrificed to maintain our dependence on Chinese funding.
Now Putin The Archeologist: Russian Strongman “Discovers” Ancient Jars At Ancient Site
Published 1, August 12, 2011 Bizarre , International , Politics , Science , Society 14 Comments
Call me a skeptic. For years, the world has been fed a constant stream of images of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin engaged in what may be the longest running mid-life crisis in history. Putin has been shown as a race car driver, great white hunter, jet pilot, oceanologist, martial artist and other action hero outfits. Each appearance has been accompanied by some fawning account of his aides on how he is superhuman. Now, Putin’s macho action series has turned to scuba diving. While only having dived three times, Putin was shown at an ancient Greek Black sea site and . . . you guessed it . . . he “discovered” two sixth century urns under the water. What is really amazing is that the urn were less than seven feet from the surface, together, and just lying exposed for thousands of years waiting for Putin. It was almost like someone put them there and directed Putin who was only in the water for a brief time when he added world-class archeologist to this action hero box.
Continue reading ‘Now Putin The Archeologist: Russian Strongman “Discovers” Ancient Jars At Ancient Site’
DARPA To Launch Falcon To Reach Speed Of 13,000 MPH
Published 1, August 10, 2011 Science 31 Comments
Ready for a 12 minute flight from New York to Los Angeles? Well, those daring guys at Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) are about to launch Falcon HTV-2 — an arrow-shaped aircraft that will travel 20 times the speed of sound today.
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Don’t Mess With Antarctica: Scientists Prove Gov. Rick Perry Correct On Texas Secession
Published 1, August 10, 2011 Academics , International , Politics , Science , Society 22 Comments
It appears that if they just stayed put Texans would be living seal steak and penguin chili. Just 1.1 billion years ago, rocks show that Texas was part of a remote part of the Antarctic continent south of the Atlantic Ocean basin.
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
An article in the June 2011 issue of Health & Wellness magazine, entitled The Different Genetic Code of Men and Women, and written by the magazine’s editor, Angela S. Hoover, is embarrassingly wrong.
I will focus on one of her statements, you can read the rest of her cluelessness in the links below.
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
Xiaotingia zhengi is the name of a 155 million-year-old fossil found in China and described in the latest issue of Nature. It’s a chicken-sized, feathered beast similar to Archaeopteryx. This new fossil provides us with a more detailed picture of bird evolution.
Intolerance and Loathing in Anoka
Published 1, August 2, 2011 Academics , Free Speech , Politics , Religion , Science , Society 117 Comments
Submitted by Gene Howington, Guest Blogger
UPDATED: It is the position of the American Psychological Association that homosexuality is not a choice or a mental illness, but rather a normal variant of sexual orientation for a certain percentage of society. They came to this stand based upon scientific research that showed no connection between homosexuality and psychopathology. In addition to considering homosexuality a normally occurring human behavior, the APA does not support therapies to change sexual orientation and points out that there is no reliable science to suggest such therapies are effective. The APA also issued a resolution opposing discriminatory legislation and initiatives aimed at LGBT people.
In addition, geneticists have also found a link between genes and sexual orientation. While the ongoing studies have not been definitive is establishing genetics as the sole determining factor in human sexual orientation, they do indicate that both genes and environmental factors do play a role in determining sexual orientation. This comports with the research upon which the APA used to set their policies.
The stance of the country’s most recognized psychological professional association and the psychological, sociological and genetic research goes right to the heart of what’s going on in Anoka, Minnesota. Suicide, like sexual orientation, has environmental components influencing the behavior. Research has shown that ambient temperature and duration of sunlight are the dominant environmental influences on suicide, but that social cohesion, socioeconomic status, and social support are also important influences. The situation in Anoka involves students, teachers, school policies, religiously based politics and the suicides and attempted suicides of teenagers. It is not a pretty story.
Government Wants ISPs to Spy On You
Published 1, July 30, 2011 Congress , Constitutional Law , Criminal law , Media , Politics , Science , Society 101 Comments
Submitted by Gene Howington, Guest Blogger
While everyone was distracted with the hullabaloo surround the artificial “debt ceiling crisis”, Congress did manage to get some work done. Unfortunately that work was in furtherance of eroding your right to privacy. Thursday, July 28, the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee submitted a bill (H.R. 1981) under the politically motivated and misleading name Protecting Children From Internet Pornographers Act of 2011, which was quietly lobbied for by conservative Republicans and the Department of Justice, voted in committee to advance regulations requiring Internet service providers to retain your account information. This information preserved would include not just your IP address, but customers’ names, addresses, phone numbers, credit card numbers and bank account numbers as well. The Judiciary Committee approved this bill in a 19-0 vote, rejecting a last minute amendment that would have required the retention of IP addresses only by 7-16.
Neanderthal’s and Social Darwinism: Perverting Science?
Published 1, July 28, 2011 Academics , Columns , Environment , Science , Society 71 CommentsSubmitted by: Mike Spindell, guest blogger
Among the ongoing battles in anthropology and paleontology since the mid-Nineteenth Century to now, is the distinction between the Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon Man. Specifically this devolves down to what happened to the Neanderthals, since the fossil record appears to show their extinction about 20,000 years ago. My assumption is that most readers are familiar with a lot of this material. It is easily attainable through Google or Wiki. What I find most interesting in this ongoing debate is the impact that Social Darwinism might have played in the original depiction of Neanderthals and in the assumptions made by some scientists about this species.
“Social Darwinism is a term used for various late nineteenth century ideologies predicated on the idea of survival of the fittest.[1] It especially refers to notions of struggle for existence being used to justify social policies which make no distinction between those able to support themselves and those unable to support themselves. The most prominent form of such views stressed competition between individuals in laissez-faire capitalism but it is also connected to the ideas of eugenics, scientific racism, imperialism,[2], Fascism, Nazism and struggle between national or racial groups.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Darwinism
The first skull of the Neanderthal had been discovered in 1926, but it was the discovery in 1856, in the Neanderthal Valley, in Germany that gave the species a name. We all know that the publication of Darwin’s “Origin of the Species” in 1859 set off a firestorm of both intellectual excitement and angry social resistance. By the end of the Nineteenth Century scientists, sociologists, physicians, philosophers, and politicians had misused Darwin’s phrase “survival of the fittest” to justify a host of theories that boiled down to two intertwined propositions. The first was that White People represented the apogee of human civilization and the second that among white people the Anglo-Saxon Teutonic strain represented the elite. This justified Eugenics, Imperialism and even the attempted genocide of the Native Americans. In politics, it also represented a definite anti-democratic strain, articulated prominently by Theodore Roosevelt, who believed that those of Anglo-Saxon/Teutonic origin should rule the Nation since the “rabble” was incapable of civilized behavior without their strong leadership. Continue reading ‘Neanderthal’s and Social Darwinism: Perverting Science?’
Dead Men Do Tell Tales (Of Rigged Elections)
Published 1, July 26, 2011 Criminal law , Politics , Science , Society 123 Comments
Submitted by Gene Howington, Guest Blogger
If you’ve never heard of King Lincoln v. Blackwell, don’t be too surprised. Project Censored calls the outsourcing of the 2004 Presidential elections in Ohio “one of the most censored stories in the world.” Originally filed on August 31, 2006 in Ohio, King Lincoln Bronzeville v. Blackwell is an ongoing civil case to decide if the the Ohio Secretary of State at the time, Kenneth Blackwell, violated the Civil Rights Act (42 USC §§ 1983 and 1984) and the 1st, 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution by conspiring to “deprive and continue to deprive Ohioans of their right to vote and have, in fact, deprived and continue to deprive Ohioans of their right to vote by, in a selective and discriminatory manner, unfairly allocate election resources (such as voting machines), institute a system of provisional ballots, purge voter registrations, and broke the bi-partisan chain of custody ballots”. The vote at the heart of the issue is the 2004 Presidential election where, in defiance of exit poll data, there was a sudden and unexpected shift in votes for George W. Bush.
New filings include a revealing deposition of the late Michael Connell. Connell died shortly after giving his deposition in a small plane crash that is described as “suspicious”*. In life, Connell served as the IT guru for the Bush family and their personal minister of propaganda, Karl Rove. Connell ran a private IT firm called GovTech that created the controversial electronic voting system that Ohio used during the election. GovTech’s system transferred Ohio’s vote count late on election night to a partisan Republican server site in Chattanooga, Tennessee owned by a company called SmarTech. That is when the alleged vote shift happened that led to Bush’s unexpected victory.
Continue reading ‘Dead Men Do Tell Tales (Of Rigged Elections)’
Science Marches On . . . Even In Texas
Published 1, July 24, 2011 Academics , Politics , Religion , Science , Society 220 Comments
Charles Darwin
Submitted by Gene Howington, Guest Blogger
Last Thursday, July 21, the Texas Board of Education in an 8-0 unanimous vote opted to keep teaching evolution in high school biology classes using approved scientifically accurate textbook supplements from established mainstream publishers. They did not approve of the creationist-backed supplements from International Databases, LLC. Four times as many people showed up to testify in favor of the scientifically accurate texts as showed up to oppose them.
Coming To A Beach Near You: Polar Bear Swims 426 Miles
Published 1, July 24, 2011 Animals , Environment , Science , Things That Tick Me Off 29 CommentsSubmitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
Their shrinking ice floe habitat under constant assault by climate change, polar bears are taking to the water to preserve their species. One female swam the equivalent distance between Boston and Washington D.C. in an effort to find more suitable habitat. The migration has caused a sad side-effect, as according to study author, George Durner, a USGS research zoologist, “Bears that engaged in long-distance swimming were more likely to experience cub loss.” Five of eleven polar bears that made these swims lost their cubs in the process.
Continue reading ‘Coming To A Beach Near You: Polar Bear Swims 426 Miles’
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
Astronomers have discovered what appears to be a 600-light-year wide ribbon of supercooled material at the center of our galaxy. They used the European Space Agency’s infrared Herschel Space Observatory to get the high resolution image shown above. Ground based radio telescopes have indicated the ribbon is spinning around the galactic center as a cohesive unit.
H/T: Wired Science.
America’s Eternal Internal Battle
Published 1, July 9, 2011 Religion , Science , Society 239 CommentsSubmitted by: Mike Spindell, Guest Blogger
Last night Ann Coulter, a person I loathe, appeared on the Bill Maher Show. She was pushing her new book “Demonic: How the Liberal Mob is Endangering America.” Cringing as I watched her the thought nevertheless occurred to me that “She really believes this crap she sells.” This minor epiphany led me on to other thoughts. The battle in American politics has essentially devolved into a two sided affair between opponents convinced of the “demonic,” to use Ann’s term, nature of their ideological opposites. In this ongoing struggle one can’t merely disagree with us on a given political/societal issue, without our believing them to be hateful and worthy of being despised. Their motivation must undoubtedly be sociopathy and/or undemocratic. I must admit that I myself often feel that way about those who disagree with me and I say this with the rueful knowledge that when I do I am allowing myself to engage in stereotypical behavior.
Continue reading ‘America’s Eternal Internal Battle’
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