A project called SETIlive, which is funded in part by SETI astronomer, Jill Tarter’s 2009 TED Prize, crowd-sources some of the detective work to citizen-scientists, armed with uniquely powerful pattern-recognition tools: the human eyes and brain. The radio telescopes that make up the Allen Telescope Array in Hat Creek, California pick up a range of radio frequencies when aimed at a star, but... »
Well men, apparently if you’re sick a lot, you’re also ugly. How’s that for an Afternoon Inquisition opening line? Well, this story suggests the immune system drives male attractiveness, or at least gives service to research suggesting a correlation, and I thought it might make for a good discussion. You see, due to an apparent association between testosterone levels, facial attr... »
Welcome to the world of tomorrow!!! Okay, so Future Timeline presents a speculative timeline of what is likely to happen in both the near-future and beyond. It takes current technologies and trends and uses them as a foundation for the speculation. It is quite a substantial bit of material, but take a look when you get a chance. What do do you think? Standard futurism? Any promising possibilities?... »
Just a few weeks ago, our good friends at the National Center for Science Education announced they are stepping into the climate change arena. And that is welcome news. It’s never a bad thing having sound scientific, rational minds addressing the problems that concern us. But climate change continues to be a very different type of inquiry point than say teaching creationism in science class.... »
Drug addicts and their non-addicted siblings share certain features in the brain, suggesting a susceptibility to addiction is inherited but is also a flaw that can be overcome, scientists said on Thursday. “If we could get a handle on what makes unaffected relatives of addicts so resilient we might be able to prevent a lot of addiction from taking hold,” said Paul Keedwell a consultant... »
I can’t recall if we’ve had had this discussion here before — I apologize for the repeat if we have — but as lead organizer for the Houston Skeptic Society, I am teaching a quarterly course on the basics of critical thinking and the processes of skepticism. The class is geared for those just discovering skepticism, or for those who might want to brush up on their critical t... »
Every few years, the seldom seen, all-powerful merchants of time realize a surplus in their inventory, and give us an extra day, just as a gift. And we are free to spend that extra day as we see fit. Many get caught up on work. Some take the day to help their fellow time consumers. And some just sit and stare at the wall, waiting for the regular days to return. This February, we will receive the e... »
It’s been in the works for some time, but the National Center for Science Education officially announced today that it is now stepping into the climate change arena. Always a strong voice and activist organization for keeping creationism out of science classrooms in the U.S., the NCSE is expanding its mission and its web site to include climate change issues. Read the official press release ... »
