jtoney
Posts by this author
March 9, 2011
You're probably familiar with the "Bible Belt," that swath of our nation characterized, for example, by the preponderance of Christian groups, such as Baptists:
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has just released a high resolution map {see above}, "Percentage of Adults…
March 9, 2011
Juvenile Cowfish
Photograph by Chris Newbert, Minden Pictures
A photographer's strobe gives a violet sheen to this translucent juvenile roundbelly cowfish off the coast of Kona, Hawaii. Also known as the transparent boxfish, the roundbelly cowfish has two short horns in front of its eyes.…
March 8, 2011
I don't know about you, but I am ready for this...
From Mashable: the Sheen "eraser"....
From Brenna Ehrlic:
Ah, how fickle fame can be when you're rendered an Internet meme that draws its strength from insanity. Yup, the web is starting to grow weary of Mr. Charlie Sheen's antics, as evidenced…
March 8, 2011
Once again, Big Pharma is under attack. Let me provide a different perspective.
Reporter Duff Wilson had some choice words in his characterization of this beleaguered industry:
They are all struggling with research failures as they scramble to replace their cash cows,...
Consumers should see a…
March 8, 2011
The Pacific Decadal Oscillation, or PDO, affects sea surface temperatures and wind flow in the North Pacific. This graphic from NASA shows sea surface temperature departures from average, as well as wind anomalies (arrows), for different phases of the PDO. Credit: NASA JPL.
The Bering Sea, west of…
March 6, 2011
Diets are at the nexus of a multi-billion dollar industry, often the stuff of empty promises and switch and bait advertising. I've had a longstanding interest in nutrition as a science, and was pleased to read an article {The New York Times Magazine, March 6, 2011} about a "Die-Later Diet."
I…
March 6, 2011
Yesterday, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson posted a comment in response to my article, "Charlie Sheen "More Scientifically Literate Than Most"?
Based upon Dr. Tyson's firsthand account of his discussion with Charlie Sheen about the cosmos, I would like to extend an apology regarding my…
March 5, 2011
Today/NBC Source. Charlie Sheen with his live-in girlfriends Rachel Oberlin, center, and model Natalie Kenly, left.
The Charlie Sheen media storm this week has invoked a wide range of responses, from the inane to the profane to the profound. One commentator referred to this coverage as a…
March 5, 2011
SUPPLEMENTARY FIGURE 22. Three-color multi-harmonic SI mode rendering of nuclear histones (blue), the nuclear membrane (red), and the actin cytoskeleton (green) in a fixed LLC-PK1 cell. Histones are labeled with mNeptune / H2B; the nuclear envelope is labeled with mEmerald / lamin B1; and the…
March 4, 2011
SAF Troop Deployments on the volatile North/South Border.
Of all of the research that scientists do, this is an example of how we can make a difference. In this case, actor and activist George Clooney facilitates data collection on an important human rights issue in Darfur.
From Nicholas D.…
March 4, 2011
Astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson has made quite an extraordinary observation about the controversial actor Charlie Sheen - did you know that Mr. Sheen is "is scientifically more literate than most"?
Given that one of my primary goals is to enhance public literacy about science and technology,…
March 4, 2011
Source.
"Undergrads have their pick of jobs, and companies are desperate to hire."
NPR, "Want A Job? You Ought To Be A Tech Geek" (Mar. 4, 2011)
The MIT motto, "Mens et Manus" {"Mind and Hand"}, embellished with the pronouncement "Nerd Pride" was all over campus when I was a postdoctoral there…
March 3, 2011
Source.
In general, I don't write about politics because by nature it is not scientific, and is not driven by data, by facts. But the example this week of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee is a bit much, prompting me to share this example of "false witness."
His remarks reflect an anti-…
March 3, 2011
Lady Gaga's new perfume - could it be an intersection of art, fashion, marketing, desire, pheromones, molecular biology? Perhaps.
From The New York Times interview posted today, "Lady Gaga at Paris Fashion Week":
Lady Gaga:
It's a smell of many different things, I don't want to give too much…
March 3, 2011
BP's just released 2010 Annual Report to shareholders is proforma, with the exception of a detailed section titled "Gulf of Mexico Spill." (p.34; you can read the full report here.)
No bonuses for the top Executives this year, but rewards for "good business results." Something to think about the…
March 1, 2011
Teaser for "Black Beach" from Fourth World Media, LLC on Vimeo.
Video.
I recently wrote about "oil-eating microbes" and the lack of evidence that they will offer a solution to cleaning up the environmental nightmare that began last April after the BP oil spill.
What will BP's "black beach" burden…
February 28, 2011
Source: Flickr user ppjumpping
I've been a fan of Natalie Portman since she was 12 years old, performing in an extraordinary, compelling film, "The Professional (1994)." In addition to being an Academy Award winning best actress, she's also a co-author on a Journal of Chemical Education article…
February 28, 2011
Hexaplex trunculus Linnaeus, 1758
Please allow me to clear something up right away: I loathe to mention science and religion in the same breath. But this story is sufficiently compelling to evoke such blaspheme. How can a humble snail bridge the gap?
An analytical chemist Zvi C. Koren…
February 28, 2011
Source: "Girls As Inventors," The Huffington Post on the MIT Media Lifelong Kindergarten Group.
While science and technology may be complex and daunting, one thing is quite clear: we need more women to drive innovation and to provide different insights and perspectives compared to men. Tomorrow…
February 27, 2011
Source: Chris McKay/ Getty Images
My goodness. So much to do over a young pop star's new haircut, when the focus should be on 1) his music and connection to a broad audience {see my concert review here, a shared experience with my young daughter,} and 2) his public advocacy for the dangers of…
February 27, 2011
Source.
Lily Goldsmith from Valencia CC.
My posting, "Texting As Killer, As Savior" generated strong interest and I wanted to share some more compelling graphic designs from Dr. Robin Landa's Wiley Student Advertising Design Challenge, "Texting and Driving Don't Mix." Which one do you think…
February 25, 2011
Source. Second place winning design, from Kayla Rivera at Valencia CC, Wiley Student Advertising Design Challenge: Texting & Driving Don't Mix
Any driver knows the dangers of texting. Yet this practice has become commonplace. Dr. Robin Landa recently challenged students to design an ad…
February 24, 2011
Source.
There is a great need for innovation that can maximize how we use resources. Imagine this challenge - design and build a home using recycled or re-purposed materials - with a budget cap of $200. Derek Diedricksen from Massachusetts accomplished this not only under budget, but with some…
February 23, 2011
Anyone with a young daughter knows about "bedazzled." When I first saw these images of intact, single neurons capable of generating electrical signals, "bedazzled" came to mind.
The figure above was kindly provided by Dr. Bruno Pichler at The National Institute for Medical Research in London.…
February 22, 2011
Source.
Media mogul Arianna Huffington was posed a provocative question:
What if you ruled the world?
Her answer will likely surprise you. Read on if you dare.
From Prospect magazine:
I would order the creation of a high-tech tool that forces us to disengage from our 24/7 connectivity.
Why? "…
February 22, 2011
Source.
Anyone working to benefit human rights knows the challenge of public outreach and community engagement. I have been working with the AAAS Science and Human Rights Coalition for more than two years and we have made excellent progress in engaging scientists and scientific societies to learn…
February 20, 2011
Co-authored with Dr. Norma Bowe and originally published on Truthout.org.
Science and the news media sometimes occupy different worlds. Journalists rely on scientists for the latest findings, but can be drawn to controversy and provocation because it increases readership, sometimes looking for…
February 18, 2011
If you've ever wondered how a single neuron fits into the incredibly complex structure of a living brain, I highly recommend this three minute video. Be prepared to be awestruck.
This video won Honorable Mention in Science's 2010 Visualization Challenge featured in the February 18 issue.…
February 16, 2011
© Reza Deghati courtesy of Sony World Photography Awards
Source.
This evening, I had the pleasure and honor to meet photographer Reza Deghati at one of his exhibits {The Human Rights Institute at Kean University}, "One World, One Tribe." His images convey a compelling story of the unity of the…
February 13, 2011
Source.
Remember the "Goody-Gaga" effect per Prof. Boguski at Harvard? Well, here's an example of compelling art as a statement. What is art? What is the message? Maybe that's the point.
Lady Gaga arrives at the Emmy Awards tonight in a giant egg, ready for "rebirth." A reference to "Born…