So, I need consistent labels for my posts, and since I'm primarily interested in politics, religion, science and education, I'm starting with these:
Educational Jackassery
Educational Wisdom
Religious Wackery
Religious Decency
Scientific Wisdom
Scientific Perversion
Political Nonsense
and maybe political nonsense again, since I'm not sure there is a good antonym
In fact, I think I'll treat it as a taxonomic system, like a genus-species kind of thing where I can give any post a consistent genus, like "educational jackassery", and then specify it with a species, like "creationist appointee".
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Oh, the irony.
After numerous recent reports of the Bush administration putting the squeeze on scientists at the FDA, EPA and the Surgeon General's office, it looks like its the time of year when the prez bestows medals on scientists that accord with his political motives, or at least dont interfere.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-bush-medals,1,1107615.story
Some of what these people have done is really impressive, particularly the work on the Big Bang theory. I wonder if Tony Snow put out a caveat before hand, something like "we realize that the Big Bang theory is a false opinion, fundies of the world, but Congress is making us give them a medal anyway". By the way, thanks to my friend Ryan for trying to explain bootstrapping to me. Guess I need more Corrucini face time.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-bush-medals,1,1107615.story
Some of what these people have done is really impressive, particularly the work on the Big Bang theory. I wonder if Tony Snow put out a caveat before hand, something like "we realize that the Big Bang theory is a false opinion, fundies of the world, but Congress is making us give them a medal anyway". By the way, thanks to my friend Ryan for trying to explain bootstrapping to me. Guess I need more Corrucini face time.
Tejas gets worse and worse.
This story has been widely reported on most up to date science blogs, but I figured I'd add my two cents. Texas has decided to appoint an outspoken religious conservative to head the state board of education. Looks like evolution is just an "opinion" now:
But Dr. McLeroy said his vote on the biology books had nothing to do with censorship or religion and was based on "good science."
"It is wrong to teach opinion as fact," he said.
Per the Dallas News @ http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/education/stories/DN-sboe_18tex.ART.State.Edition1.3bba4d6.html
Apparently this guy has his own website too, and the gentleman at http://www.badastronomy.com/bablog/2007/07/25/texas-doomed/ has done a fair amount of homework on him. Check it out for yourself. My personal favorite is when the bablogger points out that a quote on McLeroy's page actually paints him as an anti-intellectual. Enjoy.
But Dr. McLeroy said his vote on the biology books had nothing to do with censorship or religion and was based on "good science."
"It is wrong to teach opinion as fact," he said.
Per the Dallas News @ http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/education/stories/DN-sboe_18tex.ART.State.Edition1.3bba4d6.html
Apparently this guy has his own website too, and the gentleman at http://www.badastronomy.com/bablog/2007/07/25/texas-doomed/ has done a fair amount of homework on him. Check it out for yourself. My personal favorite is when the bablogger points out that a quote on McLeroy's page actually paints him as an anti-intellectual. Enjoy.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Hey, I learned something. About the Host.
So, I was doing some research on Serratia marcescens the other day for a presentation I was giving in my bacteriology lab, and I happened upon this little gem: A naturalistic explanation for "blood on the eucharist" and transubstantiation.
http://jb.asm.org/cgi/reprint/31/2/205.pdf
As a little background, Serratia marcescens is a microbe that causes numerous infections, including in the urinary and respiratory tract, is often found in places that are supposedly sanitary (catheters, saline solution bags, etc.), and was once thought to be harmless. Harmless enough in 1950 for the Navy to spray on San Francisco for two days to study the effects of biological warfare, and harmless enough to put on your hands to illustrate the transmission of bacteria.
What made it so useful? Serratia marcescens produces a bright red pigment called prodigiosin, making it easy to see. Because this bateria grows on bread, it has been suggested that it can be a naturalistic explanation for the miraculous "blood on the host" phenomena of the 12th and 13th centuries. It's all right there in the article. Neat.
As a sidenote, we now know that this bacteria is indeed pathogenic. San Francisco experienced a rash of pneumonia, numerous cases of rare and serious UTI, and one death. Who knows what happened to those biology teachers and students who were high fiving each other after dipping their hands in the stuff.
http://jb.asm.org/cgi/reprint/31/2/205.pdf
As a little background, Serratia marcescens is a microbe that causes numerous infections, including in the urinary and respiratory tract, is often found in places that are supposedly sanitary (catheters, saline solution bags, etc.), and was once thought to be harmless. Harmless enough in 1950 for the Navy to spray on San Francisco for two days to study the effects of biological warfare, and harmless enough to put on your hands to illustrate the transmission of bacteria.
What made it so useful? Serratia marcescens produces a bright red pigment called prodigiosin, making it easy to see. Because this bateria grows on bread, it has been suggested that it can be a naturalistic explanation for the miraculous "blood on the host" phenomena of the 12th and 13th centuries. It's all right there in the article. Neat.
As a sidenote, we now know that this bacteria is indeed pathogenic. San Francisco experienced a rash of pneumonia, numerous cases of rare and serious UTI, and one death. Who knows what happened to those biology teachers and students who were high fiving each other after dipping their hands in the stuff.
P.A.N.T. #1
That's right, the inaugural post is here. By most criteria, I'm so far behind the blogging revolution that its almost laughable. However, I've been recently inspired to stand on my soapbox, but more so to communicate issues that I think are relevant to the world that I'm becoming a part of.
I've always been a fan of the sciences, and I recently started graduate school in biology education after working in the contract archaeology field for about four years on and off. I chose to move into science education in part because of the high demand for teachers and my love of the content, but there was a part of me that wanted to get my hands in the controversy. Its pretty clear that there is a strong anti-intellectual, anti-science movement in this country, and as a skeptic, unabashed atheist and cheerleader for a rational worldview, I felt like I could make a difference as an educator in the sciences. Debating creationists, pseudoscientists and those on the lunatic fringe can only do so much to enlighten the public; maybe as a biology teacher I can help to steer the worldview of young folks away from the dogma, before they decide to shut their minds to new ideas. I realize that such "noble" aspirations don't always come to fruition, but I guess I consider it my small contribution to society at large.
So, the plan is to post information about current events in the intersection of politics, religion and education. Scienceblogs, as a rule, are wonderful, and this is my feeble attempt to follow in the footsteps the likes of Pharyngula, Aardvarchaeology, Bad Astronomy, and all the other masters of science blogging around the net. We'll see what I can do.
By the way, the name of my blog is taken from the title of a Bad Religion song. Greg Graffin is great.
I've always been a fan of the sciences, and I recently started graduate school in biology education after working in the contract archaeology field for about four years on and off. I chose to move into science education in part because of the high demand for teachers and my love of the content, but there was a part of me that wanted to get my hands in the controversy. Its pretty clear that there is a strong anti-intellectual, anti-science movement in this country, and as a skeptic, unabashed atheist and cheerleader for a rational worldview, I felt like I could make a difference as an educator in the sciences. Debating creationists, pseudoscientists and those on the lunatic fringe can only do so much to enlighten the public; maybe as a biology teacher I can help to steer the worldview of young folks away from the dogma, before they decide to shut their minds to new ideas. I realize that such "noble" aspirations don't always come to fruition, but I guess I consider it my small contribution to society at large.
So, the plan is to post information about current events in the intersection of politics, religion and education. Scienceblogs, as a rule, are wonderful, and this is my feeble attempt to follow in the footsteps the likes of Pharyngula, Aardvarchaeology, Bad Astronomy, and all the other masters of science blogging around the net. We'll see what I can do.
By the way, the name of my blog is taken from the title of a Bad Religion song. Greg Graffin is great.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)