Monthly Archives: August 2013

Links 8/21/13

Posted on August 21, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

Links for you. Science: Gorgeous Glimpses of Calamity We’ve covered the world in pesticides. Is that a problem? James Garfield Was the Only U.S. President to Prove a Math Theorem Switzerland Creates Secure Test Site for GM Crops Illumina Launches … Continue reading →

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Prelude to the Fisherman’s Feast

Posted on August 21, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

Observed shortly before the start of the procession for the Fisherman’s Feast in the North End, Boston:

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Why Newspapers Are Failing: Bill Keller and the NAEP Scores Edition

Posted on August 21, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

Sunday, Bill Keller wrote an op-ed in the NY Times excoriating most conservatives for believing that the Common Core is part of the Liberal Agenda (which we all know will convert your kids to Mexicanism and force them to say … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | 2 Comments

Links 8/20/13

Posted on August 20, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

Links for you. Science: Surgeon accuses St. Albans hospital of deliberately infecting his patients The Double Life of Dr. Lawrence A. Hansen 100,000 people apply for a one-way trip to Mars The Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database RAC: Repository of Antibiotic … Continue reading →

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The Problem With the Core Curriculum: It’s Not Rigorous Enough

Posted on August 20, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

No, it’s not the insane BOOGA! BOOGA! being promulgated by the right (one absurd myth is that students will be forced to wear biomonitors and cameras to prevent corporate exploitation*). Krugman is also correct in that the right, in general, … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | 2 Comments

Tightening Security Without Any Discussion

Posted on August 20, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

Security camera at the corner of Exeter St. and Commonwealth Ave., Back Bay, Boston Walking around the neighborhood, I noticed that in the last couple of weeks, the city (I’m guessing here; maybe it’s the state?) installed a surveillance camera … Continue reading →

Posted in Boston, Civil Liberties, Massachusetts | 2 Comments

Links 8/19/13 (v2)

Posted on August 19, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

Links for you. Science: Finally, Evidence of Just How Much Scientists Love Using Adverbs National Academy Of Sciences ‘Misled The World’ When Adopting Radiation Exposure Guidelines When Our Microbes Chat, Dangerous Germs Are Eavesdropping Experts Urge Mass Dog Vaccination to … Continue reading →

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Two Thoughts on the NYT Common Core Article

Posted on August 19, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

In a NY Times article about the adoption of the Common Core educational standards, Motoko Rich writes the unmentionable: “It’s going to take time, and it’s going to take a lot of work,” said David Driscoll, former commissioner of education … Continue reading →

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So the CDC Wants to Get Into the Genomics Bidness

Posted on August 19, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

Last week, CDC director Thomas Frieden gave an interview where he asked for $40 million to set up a genomics center at the CDC, since the CDC currently has no sequencing capability (though, as you’ll see, Frieden seems confused about … Continue reading →

Posted in CDC, Funding, NIH | 2 Comments

Links 8/18/13

Posted on August 18, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

Links for you. Science: Introducing the Olinguito, the Newest Mammal Discovery The futility of “just the facts” climate science Mouth bacteria may trigger bowel cancer Experimental Evolution And The False Solace of “They’re Still Bacteria” Gym workouts and sunbathing do … Continue reading →

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