My scientific specialty is chronobiology (circadian rhythms and photoperiodism), with additional interests in comparative physiology, animal behavior and evolution. I am not an MD so I cannot diagnose and treat your sleep problems. As well as writing this blog, I am also the Online Discussion Expert for PLoS. This is a personal blog and opinions within it in no way reflect the policies of PLoS. You can contact me at: Coturnix@gmail.com
I got tagged with a meme by Greg who is trying to track the branching tree of this meme, so go check his post out (especially let him know if you do one of your own). He is also instructing us that the post is supposed to be full of links....
I love blog memes, and I have done many of them, most…
...someone (guess who?) will feel persecuted:
.... One student objected that I was singling out Christianity. Another objected to what I was implying about the religion. I'm not sure I even used the word "Christian" in my description of the above examples, but I certainly wouldn't argue it. But I…
McCain, the Media, and Baghdad Security and A sadly necessary introduction
Unfortunately, that second one of them appeared as 'Most Popular' on Google News so the comments are filled with stupid Bushies (but hey, traffic must be great!). Perhaps an avalanche of readers not encumbered by irrational…
Sleep Quantity Affects Morning Testosterone Levels In Older Men
The testosterone levels of healthy men decline as they get older. As sleep quality and quantity typically decrease with age, objectively measured differences in the amount of sleep a healthy older man gets can affect his level of…
Or, to tell the traditional Passover joke:
A Jewish physicist in the UK was about to get knighted by the Queen. There was a long line of recepients waiting for the ceremony and they were all instructed what to say/chant once they come to face the Queen. The physicist kept silently practicing the…
The April issue of The Scientist contains a good article on science blogging, titled Scooped by a Blog by David Secko (Vol. 21, Issue 4, page 21) focusing on publishing data on blogs, running an Open Notebook lab online, and the way blogs are affecting the evolution of science publishing.
The…
See, how retouching history works. Retouching, as in 'photoshopping' a photo of a soldiers in Union uniforms into Confederate uniforms, then using the photo as a propaganda material.
Hat-tip: Sally Greene
The Eyes Have It! How Box Jellyfish Avoid Banging Into Things:
Box jellyfish are much more active swimmers than other jellyfish -- they exhibit strong directional swimming, are able to perform rapid 180 degree turns, and can deftly move in between objects. So how do they manage to manoeuvre the…
Spring is here once again, the time when flowers begin to bud, birds sing sweetly and primal urges send men and women searching for that elusive joy in life - tax deductions.
- Matt Wixon
OK, admit, how many of you really got suckered? (in reference to yesterday)
Quite a lesson in credulity and perception for many...(yup, I was in on the joke from the very beginning/planning/execution stages)
The Tar Heel Tavern #110 (Fun And Games edition) is up on Scrutiny Hooligans. We need hosts so e-mail me if you want to do it next weekend, or the one after, or the one after that....
One of my most favouritest blogs has moved from here to the pretty new digs here. And the name has changed to Shakesville to better reflect the fact that it is now a hustling, bustling group blog, not just Melissa's. So, fix your blogrolls and feeds today.
Carnival of the Godless: You're Going to Hell Edition is up on Abstract Nonsense. This, if nothing changes (and these things often do) is supposed to be the very last post by Alon on his blog. Why do the best quit first?
One of the big questions in circadian research is how does the transcription/translation feedback loop manage to get stretched to such a long time-frame: 24 hours. If one took into account the normal dynamics of transcription and translation, the cycle would last a couple of hours at best. The…
What? All the media report that Hillary Clinton raised a record amount and is clearly in the lead? Oh, who ever said that journalists know how to calculate? You know, math is hard. But let me explain. Point by point.
This, the first quarter, is absolutely the most important because it is the…
