joshua braun

My introduction to bioethics came with the issue of in vitro fertilization. I was a student at UC Santa Barbara, designing my own major in science journalism, talking with scientists, reading every science-related news item I could find, and just beginning to gain a conceptual grasp of where the…

For those of you who missed it, the Pentagon resumed above ground nuclear testing--sort of. The test, called "Divine Strake," involved a 700-ton chemical explosive--the largest conventional explosive ever detonated at the Nevada nuclear test site. Initially, the Pentagon told the press the test…

There's been a lot of talk recently about the Seymour Hersh article in the New Yorker discussing the White House' plans for stopping Iran's nuclear program, which claims: One of the military's initial option plans, as presented to the White House by the Pentagon this winter, calls for the use of…

There's an interesting article in the New York Times today about the rise of solar power. Apparently the market for solar is growing rapidly--expected to expand by as much as 150 percent between now and the end of 2008. And the new generation of solar panels is 50 percent more efficient at…

The Detroit Free Press has an article today detailing the claim by members of Congress that the US is entering a new space race--with China. When the plans for the new moon missions were unveiled, many journalists and space enthusiasts were disappointed. The plans looked nearly identical to the…

I saw this article today in the New York Times, "Long-Awaited Medical Study Questions the Power of Prayer." It recounts the findings of a study in the American Heart Journal, which attempted to measure the effect of prayer by strangers on the outcome of coronary bypass surgery in over 1,800…