Science Etcetera Venusday, 20080104

January 4th, 2008

With the Caucuses kicking off, I’m a little peeved at the science sites for not disseminating this info sooner (go figure, they’re eggheads and don’t get political pazzaz), but since a healthy environment is crucial to our quality of life, national security, and economic well-being, it’s important to put the Candidates’ Green Creds to Test; however, Hot Science Topics are Avoided by Presidential Candidates, and the questions they are being askedare laughable, but not in a cheery, make you feel good way, it’s more of a scary and depressing realization, like when you first figured out that George Bush Jr didn’t just look like Alfred E. Neuman, but actually was Alfred E. Neuman.

Alfred E. Neuman and George Bush

What Me Worry?

Butterflies trick ants into raising offspring, the energy and time-saving evolutionary trick isn’t just for Cukoos anymore.

A LiveScience survey of 1,000 respondents found 61 Percent Agree with Evolution. Thank the Cosmos for small victories… Waitaminute. That’s not a victory. That totally sucks! COME ON PEOPLE!!!

How the Earth responded to massive Global Warming 55 Million Years Ago can tell us a lot about what to expect in the next few centuries, and with changing climates, Australians are starting to feel homesick in their homeland because of the vanishing plants and bird species. Australia is the Earth’s canary in the coal mine, a preview of things to come.

However, we can’t blame recent North Atlantic warming and the Arctic Ice Melt on Global Warming, as they have both been tied to natural factors. Shucks. I wish I could be more like the Parrotheads and just pretend I didn’t see these reports.

Wired Magazine blows great big gapping holes in the Auto Industry’s Arguments Against California’s CO2 Rules. Additionally, the First-ever study to link increased mortality specifically to carbon dioxide emissions has been published, giving California, the most smog-ridden state in the country, all the more justification for regulating.

The UK’s STFC funding cuts crisis has spawned websites like Save Astronomy, which highlight what will be lost if funding isn’t restored (HT Kav).

Pharmaceuticals claim their high prices fund the development of new drugs; however, the Drug industry spends nearly twice as much on marketing than on research and development! Ohhhhh!!! Buuuuuurrrrrrn!!!

Quick! Somebody alert the Religious Right! Daily alcohol use makes fruit flies gay!!! Okaaaaay, that’s an exaggeration, it really just seems to make them bi-curious.

Wisdom every child knows: Dirt is Good.

No comments yet to “Science Etcetera Venusday, 20080104”

Thanks for the hat tips. We are not going down without a fight.

I also really like what you have been doing over here; lots of interesting links to get lost in when I should be doing the job I am trying to save ;-). It almost makes up for that ‘fantasy is bad, SF is good’ crap you were spouting a while back.

I particularly enjoyed your responses to the swarm of global denying flies that hover around the piles of sh*t that they think justify their religious views on the topic.
by Kav January 4th, 2008 at 7:04 am
By the way you might find this interesting:
sunearthplan.net

It is all about solar system science in the UK and offers insights into the science we do in a manner accessible to the lay person.
by Kav January 4th, 2008 at 11:03 am
Regarding the issue of climate change, the latest post at Realclimate is interesting in highlighting the sometimes throwaway remarks scientists make in papers, in particular the paper in Nature referenced in your links.
by Kav January 6th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Regarding the issue of climate change, the latest post at Realclimate is interesting in highlighting the sometimes throwaway remarks scientists make in papers, in particular the paper in Nature referenced in your links
by Kav January 6th, 2008 at 5:01 pm