clock | December 12, 2006There have been some explanations before about the ability of Santa Claus to deliver all the presents during a single night, but this explanation is new to me:
Santa Science:
"Based on his advanced knowledge of the theory of relativity, Santa recognizes that time can be stretched like a rubber band, that space can be squeezed like an orange and that light can be bent," Silverberg says. "Relativity clouds are controllable domains - rips in time - that allow him months to deliver presents while only a few minutes pass on Earth. The presents are truly delivered in a wink of an eye."
Hat-tip:…
clock | December 12, 2006When the Rockridge Insitute was first founded, there were forums on the site for a few months, which were then shut down. Today, the Institute starts a new blog/forum Rockridge Nation, "a community of progressives working to frame the issues and restore our values to the heart of public life. This blog will draw attention to some of the interesting questions, stories, and analysis that members of Rockridge Nation contribute."
clock | December 12, 2006...to tune in to Hardball (MSNBC) in one hour from now (5EST), though it will get repeated late at night again.
clock | December 12, 2006Thanks to a bout of warm weather, the new triplet lion cubs at the NC Zoo in Asheboro have been placed in the exhibit yesterday.
Until recently, the visitors could watch them on TV. You can see some pictures here and here and watch some videos here.
clock | December 12, 2006Scientists building a better mosquito:
Without mosquitoes, epidemics of dengue fever and malaria could not plague this planet.
The skin-piercing insects infect one person after another while dining on a favorite meal: human blood.
Eliminating the pests appears impossible. But scientists are attempting to re-engineer them so they cannot carry disease. If they manage that, they must create enough mutants to mate with wild insects and one day to outnumber them.
Researchers chasing this dream, including an N.C. State University entomologist, know they may court controversy. Genetically modified…
clock | December 12, 2006Look through your blog's archives since November 16th. Have you written something about microorganisms? Viruses, Bacteria, Archaea, Protista? Basic biology, medical aspects or ecology of microorganisms? If not, can you write one today or tomorrow? Or perhaps you vividly remember a post written by someone else? Perhaps you know of a new blog that covers microbial topics?
In any case, send the permalinks to those posts to the next host of the Animalcules carnival - Tara of Aetiology.
clock | December 12, 2006There are not enough science blogs in this new directory. Perhaps we can all do something to change that. Feel free to use my "blogrolling" posts for ideas.
clock | December 12, 2006A paper in CMAJ on the medical ethics of muggles just came out:
Duty of care to the undiagnosed patient: Ethical imperative, or just a load of Hogwarts?
Here is the abstract - the entire paper is freely available:
With the restoration of You-Know-Who to full corporeal form, the practice of the dark arts may lead to multitudes being charmed, befuddled and confounded. At present, muggle ethics dictate that aid may be rendered in a life-or limb-threatening situation, but the margins are blurred when neither is at stake. Muggle and wizard healers, fearful of being labelled ambulance chasers, may…
clock | December 12, 2006Of Religion and Morality (December 02, 2005)
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From I Am An Atheist, via Pratie Place, come these "commandments":
As an atheist you have a number of rights and responsibilities. These include (but are not limited to):
1. Have no gods.
2. Don't worship stuff.
3. Be polite.
4. Take a day off once in a while.
5. Be nice to folks.
6. Don't kill people.
7. Don't fool around on your significant other.
8. Don't steal stuff.
9. Don't lie about stuff.
10. Don't be greedy.
Remember, theists will condemn you for living by this code because you are doing…
clock | December 12, 2006Grand Rounds, Vol. 3 No. 12 are now up on Anxiety, Addiction and Depression Treatments blog.
Carnival of the Green # 57 is up on Organic Authority.
clock | December 12, 2006New Insights Into The Origin Of Life On Earth:
In an advance toward understanding the origin of life on Earth, scientists have shown that parts of the Krebs cycle can run in reverse, producing biomolecules that could jump-start life with only sunlight and a mineral present in the primordial oceans.
The Krebs cycle is a series of chemical reactions of central importance in cells -- part of a metabolic pathway that changes carbohydrates, fats and proteins into carbon dioxide and water to generate energy.
Scot T. Martin and Xiang V. Zhang explain that a reverse version of the cycle, which makes…
clock | December 12, 2006Ms. SuperScience loves to include anecdotes in her science classes. Now she wonders, how much personal information may be over the line. An interesting ethical (and pedagogical) question. And some creepy comments - go add some more of those!
clock | December 12, 2006S is the most popular initial letter for blog names, it appears! Can you even wade through all of these and remember those I missed?
Sadly, No!
The Saga of Runolfr
Saheli: The Gathering
Salamander Candy
Salto sobrius
Samarkeolog: human rights, cultural heritage and community
Sand Creek Almanac
Sandwalk
Sarah Dessen
Sarkar Lab
Savage Minds
Scared to Health
Schneier on Security
SciAm Observations
Science!
Science and Politics (archives)
Science and Reason
Science and Sarcasm
Science and sensibility
Science at DailyKos
Science Blog - Think. It's not illegal yet.
Science Buzz - Dig deeper into…
clock | December 12, 2006You can post your nominations in the comments here. There is no Nursing category, though, which makes me quite mad.
clock | December 12, 2006
Scott Singleton is coming to the 2007 North Carolina Science Blogging Conference. Are you?
Technorati Tag: sciencebloggingconference
clock | December 11, 2006They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.
Edgar Allan Poe
clock | December 11, 2006If Buzz Skyline was my physics teacher back in high school, and taught lessons like this one (reading aloud NSFW, silent reading is OK), I'd be a physicist today, not biologist.
clock | December 11, 2006David Warlick and Sicheii Yazhi comment on the next week's TIME cover story,
How to Bring Our Schools Out of the 20th Century:
This week the conversation will burst onto the front page, when the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce, a high-powered, bipartisan assembly of Education Secretaries and business, government and other education leaders releases a blueprint for rethinking American education from pre-K to 12 and beyond to better prepare students to thrive in the global economy. While that report includes some controversial proposals, there is nonetheless a remarkable…