August 7, 2008
Category: Housekeeping • Introductions • Passing thoughts • Personal
First, from the Seed Overlords:
You may have noticed some pretty yellow banner ads around the site this week. They're advertising a huge reader survey that we're conducting right now. Anyone (excepting Seed employees) who fills it out can enter to win an iPod and MacBook Air.
The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete. Here's the survey page:
http://www.erdossurvey.com/sb/survey/
Then, following the lead of Ed, Bora, DrugMonkey, and Alice, I'd like to invite the readers of this blog, from regular commenters to committed lurkers, to check in.
Tell us who you are, what brings you here, and what brings you back. What do you like reading about here? What topics would you like to see more of?
I'm looking forward to hearing from you!
Posted by Janet D. Stemwedel at 3:27 PM • 2 Comments
August 5, 2008
Category: Communication • Current events • Ethics 101 • Research with animals
Once again, researchers who use animals in their research have been the targets of violence at the hands of animal rights activists.
As reported by the Santa Cruz Sentinel:
Read on »
Posted by Janet D. Stemwedel at 12:10 PM • 26 Comments
August 4, 2008
Category: Passing thoughts • Personal
A quick update on the details for the meet-up in Manhattan this coming Saturday:
Owing to the number of people who say they'll be coming (large) and the weather forecast (chance of thundershowers), we will not be meeting at the Arthur Ross Terrace at the American Museum of Natural History.
We'll be meeting somewhere else. Once that somewhere else is known to me, I will post details (including information on how to get there by subway).
UPDATE: The location is now known!
We'll be at: Social, 795 8th Ave (close to 48th St.), New York, NY 10019.
Google maps it thusly. It appears to be close to subway stations serviced by C, E, 1, 2, and 3 trains.
Seed will be buying the first round of pitchers (of real beer and of non-alcoholic beer alternatives).
I'm really looking forward to meeting a bunch of you on Saturday, August 9, 2-4 PM.
Posted by Janet D. Stemwedel at 2:30 PM • 1 Comments
August 1, 2008
Category: Kids and science
Because it's been one of those weeks.
*The elder Free-Ride offspring conveys heartfelt thanks to those who provided quantum mechanical book recommendations in the comments on this post -- and to Super Sally who sent three of those books as birthday presents. The elder offspring is about two chapters into Alice in Quantumland right now and pronounces it good. "There's an electron bank, but the more energy you borrow, the faster you have to pay back the loan."
We have not yet located the science content in the other print-based present that went over well (Emily the Strange comic books). I'm confident we'll find some, though. Everything has science content if you look hard enough.
Read on »
Posted by Janet D. Stemwedel at 12:09 PM • 6 Comments
July 31, 2008
Category: Current events • Ethical research • Globalizing science • Research with human subjects
In the July 18, 2008 issue of Science, I noticed a news item, "Old Samples Trip Up Tokyo Team":
A University of Tokyo team has retracted a published research paper because it apparently failed to obtain informed consent from tissue donors or approval from an institutional review board (IRB). Other papers by the same group are under investigation by the university. Observers believe problems stem in part from guidelines that don't sufficiently explain how to handle samples collected before Japan established informed consent procedures.
The samples in question were "legacy samples", samples that had been previously collected for other research projects. The fact that these samples were collected before the institution of the rules for research with human subjects to which Japanese researchers are now bound complicates the ethical considerations for the researchers.
Read on »
Posted by Janet D. Stemwedel at 6:42 PM • 4 Comments
Category: Passing thoughts • Personal
For those of you who expressed an interest (even telepathically) in the meet-up of ScienceBlogs bloggers and readers in the three-dimensional world (specifically, Manhattan) next Saturday, I now have much more precise details:
Read on »
Posted by Janet D. Stemwedel at 3:32 PM • 1 Comments
Category: Chemistry • Science in everyday life
As I was looking for a good sangria recipe some weeks ago, I came upon this article in Gourmet about how our understanding of the scientific basis for "flavor" as changed, not to mention what sorts of implications this might have for those who prepare -- and sell -- food.
One of the interesting bits is how different the science on taste is from what you probably think it is:
Read on »
Posted by Janet D. Stemwedel at 2:00 PM • 10 Comments
July 30, 2008
Category: Current events • Kids and science • Mathematics • Teaching and learning • Women and science
You've probably already heard the news last week that a study published in Science indicates that the gender gap between girls and boys in mathematical performance may be melting faster than the polar ice caps. The study, "Gender Similarities Characterize Math Performance" by Janet S. Hyde et al., appears in the July 25, 2008 issue of Science (behind a paywall). [1]
Read on »
Posted by Janet D. Stemwedel at 12:55 PM • 7 Comments
July 28, 2008
Category: Passing thoughts • Personal
For those of you following the chronicle of my raised garden beds, here's the first update.
Read on »
Posted by Janet D. Stemwedel at 11:03 PM • 4 Comments
July 27, 2008
Category: Academia • Disciplinary boundaries • Scientist/layperson relations • Teaching and learning
Reading the comments on my post and Chad's post about the different societal attitudes towards humanities and arts and math and science (especially in terms of what "basic" knowledge a well-educated person ought to have), I get the feeling that some interesting assumptions are at play. Since I don't want to put words in anyone's mouth, I'm just going to lay out some of the hypotheses that have occurred to me as I've read through these discussions:
Read on »
Posted by Janet D. Stemwedel at 4:46 PM • 24 Comments
July 26, 2008
Category: Passing thoughts • Personal
I have a little bit more (tentative) information on the upcoming meet-up in Manhattan on Saturday, August 9 (which is only two weeks away):
- The time looks like it will fall in the 2:00-4:00 PM time slot.
- The location is looking like it will be in or near Central Park.
I know that a meet-up in Central Park undercuts the initial promise of air conditioning. Nonetheless, I am convinced it will still be a fun time, and that no one will melt into a puddle of dissatisfaction. I say this as a former denizen of the East Coast who lost her ability to hold up under humidity within 8 months of moving to the San Francisco Bay Area -- I will gladly brave the heat and humidity to meet y'all, and I'm guessing the selection of bloggers to meet (and the swag) will make it worthwhile for those of you better acclimated to the muggy than I am.
Now, it has come to my attention that Ed Brayton is spreading rumors about me. Here's how he describes the bloggers who have publicly announced their intentions to be at the bloggers/readers meet-up:
Read on »
Posted by Janet D. Stemwedel at 10:11 PM • 3 Comments
Category: Academia • Mathematics • Numeracy and innumeracy • Scientist/layperson relations • Teaching and learning
Today Chad has an interesting post about attitudes among academics toward math and science versus the humanities and arts. The general attitude Chad sees on display in his academic milieu is that a gappy knowledge of art history or music or literature is something to be embarrassed about, but when it comes to innumeracy or scientific ignorance, intellectuals have no shame.
Chad writes:
Read on »
Posted by Janet D. Stemwedel at 12:12 PM • 21 Comments
July 25, 2008
Category: Communication • Ethics 101 • Misconduct
The other day, Chad asked about the appropriate use of someone else's published data:
There's a classic paper on the Quantum Zeno Effect that I discuss in Chapter 5 of the book. The paper does two tests of the effect, and presents the results in two bar graphs. They also provide the data in tabular form. ...
If I copy the data from the table, and make my own version of the graph, am I obliged to contact them and ask permission to duplicate their results in my book?
Chad's commenters were of the view (substantiated with credible linked sources) that data itself cannot be copyrighted under U.S. law. Therefore, Chad could use the data (citing its source, of course) to make his own graph without having to get permission from the authors. While not required, letting the original authors know he was using their data would be polite, and making a graph with some value-added (rather than one that looked exactly like the graph the original authors made from their data) would also be a plus.
It was a really interesting discussion that somehow reminded me of a related kind of question raised by a friend of mine earlier this week:
What are the boundaries between appropriate use of a press release and plagiarism of that press release?
Read on »
Posted by Janet D. Stemwedel at 8:30 PM • 2 Comments
Category: Astronomy/astrophysics • Physics • Tribe of Science
Go to Cosmic Variance at once to read Julianne Dalcanton's musings on why spherical jerks (not the word she uses) are preferable to the asymmetric ones:
No one is surprised when a known, calibrated asshole acts up. We all just adjust the gain on our emotional response and carry on. I've been quite fond of many assholes through the years, and when I look back, the one trait they shared was that while they may have been ornery, they were at least predictable.
Go read the whole thing to explore the topology of the muppethuggers she's been having to deal with lately.
Posted by Janet D. Stemwedel at 3:28 PM • 1 Comments
Category: Kids and science • Philanthropy • Teaching and learning
Sure, we still have about a week of July left, but those days are getting shorter and soon the classrooms will be filling up again.
Which means that it's a pretty good time for public school teachers (in the U.S.*) to start thinking about what they'd like to accomplish in those classrooms, and whether submitting a classroom project proposal to DonorsChoose could help them secure the funds to make exciting ideas into real educational experiences.
Before the students are lining up outside the classroom, check out the DonorsChoose blog, which includes:
Read on »
Posted by Janet D. Stemwedel at 2:30 PM • 0 Comments
Category: Kids and science
The Free-Ride offspring end up listening to a lot of public radio in the car; they can't control the radio tuner from the back seat. Since this listening includes Car Talk, both sprogs already think of cars as systems to trouble-shoot, even though the eldest is still seven years away (at least) from being a licensed driver.
And the Free-Ride offspring enjoy "the puzzler". However, they express the occasional quibble ...
Elder offspring: Was that Tom Magliozzi who was just talking, or Ray?
Younger offspring: Tom.
Elder offspring: Well, Tom said something that doesn't really make sense.
Dr. Free-Ride: Oh?
Elder offspring: When he said that the Summertime puzzler is also for kids on school vacation, so their brains aren't shriveled up when school starts again?
Dr. Free-Ride: Yeah?
Elder offspring: Healthy brains are supposed to have those wrinkles.
Dr. Free-Ride: They're called "convolutions" if my memory serves me right.*
Elder offspring: They make more room for neurons, so the brain can do more thinking.
Dr. Free-Ride: OK.
Elder offspring: Which means that really, the Summertime puzzler is helping keep kids' brains from smoothing out, not shriveling up.
Read on »
Posted by Janet D. Stemwedel at 12:06 PM • 6 Comments
Janet D. Stemwedel (whose nom de blog is Dr. Free-Ride) is an assistant professor of philosophy at San Jose State University. Before becoming a philosopher, she earned a Ph.D. in physical chemistry. Email her at dr.freeride@gmail.com.
