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gregladen | March 2, 2011Mental maps are interesting. I recently heard about reserch being done at the University of Minnesota in which it can be shown that rats develop a mental map of a maze, then later, when faced with moments of decision, pause in real space to run through alternative routes of the map in their heads. They have also been observed to dream the maps. We know that certain birds develop mental maps of their long distance migration routes, and these maps can be identified and differentiated in the neural tissue. Now, there is research showing that sharks have mental maps.
Some shark species make…
gregladen | March 1, 2011Use the following search box to find information from primarily "skeptical" blogs.
I'm currently in the process of adding sites, but you should find it useful as it is.
I've also placed the Skeptical Search box in the left sidebar for your easy access.
gregladen | March 1, 2011Ohio Senate Schedules a Fetus to Testify About Abortion Bill
In support of a bill that proposes banning abortions after the first heartbeat (something that can happen within eighteen days of conception), the anti-abortion group Faith2Action has scheduled a nine-week-old fetus to testify as a legislative witness before Ohio's House Health Committee. ...
Details
gregladen | March 1, 2011"Hey, look! I've located my first love! Cool, maybe we can go have dinner or something!" ... precisely the words a newlywed husband was hoping to hear from his wife ...
Amanda was sitting on the couch discovering Facebook, a place on the Internet she had been assiduously avoiding until only a day or two earlier. Finally, she became convinced that she could do this and keep it under control ... keep her professional life (as a teacher) separate from it (if any of her students are reading this, don't even try to friend her!). It was fun watching her learn the ins and outs, and to reconnect with…
krandall | February 28, 2011Remembering Dr. Emma Bakes
An exceptional person, Dr. Emma Bakes passed away on February 28, 2011. She accomplished a great deal and touched many people in an unfortunately short time. Her accomplishments span oceans and included the physical sciences, medicine, fashion, martial arts, and parenthood to name just a few. To honor and remember her, the SETI Institute and NASA's Kepler Mission Team invite you to read the following essay she wrote just a few months ago. It is an essay that reflects her life and her legacy...
Donald Mendoza, NASA Ames, and the SETI Institute
The Shore of the Cosmic…
gregladen | February 27, 2011The Uptake-org reports that "protesters remain inside Wisconsin's State Capitol building tonight. They may be getting what they want. In this video the crowd erupts when told of a rumor that Republican Senator Dale Schulz has decided to vote against a bill to strip public employees of most of their collective bargaining rights."
I can't show you the video because it starts with an ad, ends with an ad, is plastered over with ads, and you can't see or hear anything on it. I can't link to the uptake because their web site is currently so badly behaved it may crash your browser and I don't want…
gregladen | February 26, 2011First of all, it is not "your teenager" and if that is how you view the teenager, you've totally lost. Second, remember the ultimate truth that you knew when you were a teenager and that "your" teenager knows now: Teenagers know things that adults don't understand. Most adults think this is something you "grow out of" but really, it is something that is ruined by getting old. So just keep that in mind.
But that isn't really what I wanted to blog about.
I was just sent this post on "how to speak teenage" (which should really be called teenagerese) and as an anthropologist (who studies…
j7uy5 | February 26, 2011This is a
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gregladen | February 24, 2011This year's CONvergence is allegedly more steampunk themed than usual, so we may be required to wear goggles to the various sessions on evolution, skepticism, etc. I need help picking out which ones to wear. So far, these are the choices:
Hobart Welding Goggles:
Harry Potter Quidditch Goggles:
Flip Fronts:
Classic Round Lens Moto Goggles:
mikethemadbiologist | February 24, 2011Happy Thursday. Links for you. Science:
In a Single-Cell Predator, Clues to the Animal Kingdom's Birth
Two New Dandelion Species Discovered in Spain
Meet Diania the walking cactus, an early cousin of life's great winners
Running out of antibiotics -- and other drugs too
Other:
If any sign hits home for @govwalker, should be this one, right?
What Happens in Vagueness Stays in Vagueness
Revealed: Air Force ordered software to manage army of fake virtual people
Sometimes We Call Them Kickbacks, Other Times We Call It the Invisible Hand
Lang/Trachtenberg economic development transition pushes…
gregladen | February 24, 2011La falsedad de los universales humanos
Existen universales humanos. Ahora concederme media hora para explicar por qué esto es correcto y falso a al vez. Pero primero, algo sobre el trasfondo y la definición.
Definido del modo más simple, un universal humano es un rasgo, una conducta o una caracterÃstica cultural que encontramos en todas las sociedades humanas. Los hombres son de media más grandes que las mujeres. Todos los humanos ven exactamente el mismo rango de colores porque nuestros ojos son iguales. El rango de emociones experimentado por las personas es el mismo, y aparece en las…
pharyngula | February 24, 2011After the serious earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, a website popped up that blamed the event on gays and lesbians, prostitution, and baby seal clubbing, a website that has been rightfully denounced by the media and gay and lesbian groups.
But I'm suspicious. There are a couple of things that make me doubt; one is that the site is a little too free in flaunting photos of naked people from gay events in New Zealand, which is not typical of conservative religious sites. Another problem is the excess — it is clearly trying to be sensationalist. And yet there is no one, no church taking…
gregladen | February 23, 2011First we had this: Deputy AG suggests shooting Wisconsin Demonstrators to Death
Now, this: Indiana attorney general fires deputy over 'live ammunition' tweets aimed at Wisconsin protestors (sic)
Ahh... if only it was always this easy.
gregladen | February 23, 2011House Bill 302 was tabled by the Education Committee of the New Mexico House of Representatives on a 5-4 vote on February 18, 2011, suggesting that it is unlikely to come to a floor vote before the legislature adjourns on March 19, 2011. A version of the currently popular "academic freedom" antievolution strategy, HB 302, if enacted, would require teachers to be allowed to inform students "about relevant scientific information regarding either the scientific strengths or scientific weaknesses" pertaining to "controversial" scientific topics and would protect teachers from "reassignment,…
gregladen | February 23, 2011A deputy attorney General of Indiana, responded to a tweet indicating that Wisconsin demonstrators might be swept out of the capitol building by police with this: "Use live ammunition." Adam Weinstein, the original tweeter of the news from the Capitol building, who happens to be a journalist, writes:
From my own Twitter account, I confronted the user, JCCentCom. He tweeted back that the demonstrators were "political enemies" and "thugs" who were "physically threatening legally elected officials." In response to such behavior, he said, "You're damned right I advocate deadly force." He later…
gregladen | February 23, 2011Look up "telling a lie" in the dictionary and you'll see this video clip next to the definition as an excellent example:
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
source
kcollins | February 23, 2011Learn about the theory of Relativity from Einstein himself! Interview by Engineering.com at the 2010 USA Science and Engineering Festival.
gregladen | February 23, 2011Sarah likes herself, which is good to know. But she is violating a social media networking rule called "sock puppetry."
Check it out.
stoat | February 22, 2011
(ht What's Happening In Libya? Ctd.)
Exciting times indeed. And just for once, it looks like We could actually do something useful: establish a no-fly zone over Tripoli. But, we'll prevaricate and do nothing until too late, so a few more Libyans will die. It will still be worth it for them, though.
Refs
* Egypt's Mubarak resigns as leader!