New species of invertebrates discovered in the Antarctic
Having spent most of the day on research for our new book, I happened upon this article. I just know this will make a great sidebar for the Scholastic Book.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
iVizLab - Simon Fraser University
iVizLab - Simon Fraser University
Nice to see some Canadian research making the news. If you love art and you love science, this is the study for you.
Nice to see some Canadian research making the news. If you love art and you love science, this is the study for you.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Macho men a liability on roads, study finds
Macho men a liability on roads, study finds
And here is another DUH study. If you read the comics in newspapers, check out the recent Non-sequitur and read Wiley's take on dumb science. It pretty much sums it up!
And here is another DUH study. If you read the comics in newspapers, check out the recent Non-sequitur and read Wiley's take on dumb science. It pretty much sums it up!
ipad
YES!! I have an ipad and double YES! I didn't wait in line or order ahead of time.
I turned on the local news this morning to find out which store had the shortest line. The Apple Stores all had silly lines and people had been there all night. But the local London Drugs, opened at 9 and I was the first person there. The second person there just after me was my son, who didn't know I was going to get an ipad. So our families bought the first 2 machines at the store. We were in and out in 15 minutes, with no lines, free parking and loads of service. Hurray for London Drugs.
And all my friends who ordered on line are still waiting for their machines and they might arrive until tomorrow.
Go figure.
I turned on the local news this morning to find out which store had the shortest line. The Apple Stores all had silly lines and people had been there all night. But the local London Drugs, opened at 9 and I was the first person there. The second person there just after me was my son, who didn't know I was going to get an ipad. So our families bought the first 2 machines at the store. We were in and out in 15 minutes, with no lines, free parking and loads of service. Hurray for London Drugs.
And all my friends who ordered on line are still waiting for their machines and they might arrive until tomorrow.
Go figure.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Minnow with fangs, golden orb spider and carnivorous sponge make top 10 list of new species
Minnow with fangs, golden orb spider and carnivorous sponge make top 10 list of new species
These are always my favorite stories. A minnow with fangs and a carnivorous sponge....... that just makes my day!
These are always my favorite stories. A minnow with fangs and a carnivorous sponge....... that just makes my day!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Fellowship in Boulder
Well, I finally had my dream come true! I am going to NCAR to study everything that has to do with weather, the atmosphere, computer modelling of weather forecasting and the air we breathe. No, I spelled it correctly. It is not NASCAR.
NCAR Journalism Fellowship Agenda
14-18 June 2010
2010 NCAR Journalism Fellows
Leonard David (space.com, Space News), Victoria Jaggard (National Geographic), Eli Kintisch (Science), David Levin (NOVA), Shar Levine (children’s book author), Margot Roosevelt (LA Times), Kyoko Takita (The Yomiuri Shimbun), Jeremy Van Loon (Bloomberg News), Alexandra Witze (Science News), Jeffrey Young (Chronicle of Higher Education)
13 June (Sunday)
NCAR Journalism Fellows arrive in Boulder
14 June (Monday) – NCAR Mesa Lab (ML), Tower B, Penthouse Conference Room
8:30-9:15 a.m. (Breakfast) – Meet in ISP meeting room to discuss program expectations
9:15-9:35 a.m. – Introduction to/Overview of NCAR (Peter Backlund)
9:35-9:55 a.m. – Introduction to/Overview of University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR – NCAR’s managing body) (Rick Anthes, UCAR President)
10:00-10:45 a.m. – CCSM Overview (Jim Hurrell)
10:45 – 11:30 a.m. – (Kevin Trenberth)
11:30-1:00 p.m. – Lunch in ML cafeteria
1:00-1:45 p.m. – NESL Overview and cool research highlights (Greg Holland)
1:45-2:30 pm. – Hurricane forecasting (James Done)
2:30-3:15 p.m. – Policy talk (Peter Backlund)
3:15 – 3:30 p.m. – Break
3:30-4:15 pm. – Climate – Four Dimensional Data Assimilation (Francois Vanderberghe)
4:15-5:00 p.m. – A look at the effects of climate on health in Africa (Mary Hayden)
5:00-7:00 p.m. Reception for NJFs – Damon Room – All Speakers Invited
15 June (Tuesday) – National Renewable Energy Laboratory Visit (Golden, Colorado)
8:30 a.m. to noon
12:30 – 1:30 – Lunch
Afternoon at Foothills Laboratory (FL1) Room 2037
1:30-2:15 p.m. – Providing advanced weather technologies to support aviation operations (Bruce Carmichael)
2:15-3:00 p.m. – Colorado Headwaters Project (Roy Rasmussen)
3:00-3:15 – Coffee Break
3:15-4:00 – Impacts of California’s wildfires on air quality (Gabriele Pfister)
4:00 – 5:00 – Hurricane forecast improvement program (Joint Numerical Testbed) (Barb Brown)
16 June (Wednesday) – ML – Visualization Lab and Computer Machine Room (Computational & Information Systems Laboratory Overview)
8:30 – 9:00 a.m. – Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment (VORTEX2) experience (Roger Wakimoto, NCAR Director and a principal investigator on VORTEX)
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. – Digitizing the Planet: The Role of Cyberinfrastructure in Understanding how our World Works (Rich Loft)
10:00-10:45 – Tour of NCAR/NSF Supercomputers (Rich Loft)
10:45 – 11:00 – Break
11:00 – 11:45 – Sea ice talk (Marika Holland)
Noon to 1 pm – lunch in Mesa Lab cafeteria
1ish – 5ish pm – Round Table discussion
17 June (Thursday) – FL1, Room 2037
8:00-9:00 a.m. – VORTEX (Bill Brown, Kate Young)
9:00-10:00 a.m. – Pre-Depression Investigation of Cloud-systems in the Tropics (PREDICT) – overview of the upcoming field campaign to study hurricane formation (Meitin?)
10:00-10:20 – Break
10:20-11:20 a.m. – Global Hawk Development (Bradley?)
11:20-12:20 – TBD (a space-based talk, with luck)
12:20-1:20 – lunch in FL cafeteria
1:30 – 2:30 Design & Fabrication Shop tour (TBD)
2:30 – 3:00 – drive to Research Aviation Facility
3:00-4:00 pm – tour of Research Aviation Facility and C-130 (Al Schanot, Jeff Stith)
18 June (Friday) – FL1, Room 2037
8:15 – 9:00 a.m. – NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center Project (Krista Laursen)
9:00 – 9:45 a.m. – Wind Energy (Bill Mahoney, David Johnson)
9:45 – 10:30 – A new perspective on solar coronal heating (Scott McIntosh)
10:30 – 11:15 – Geoengineering: Marine cloud whitening (John Latham)
11:15 – noon – Flood forecasting in India (Tom Hopson)
- End Program -
NCAR Journalism Fellowship Agenda
14-18 June 2010
2010 NCAR Journalism Fellows
Leonard David (space.com, Space News), Victoria Jaggard (National Geographic), Eli Kintisch (Science), David Levin (NOVA), Shar Levine (children’s book author), Margot Roosevelt (LA Times), Kyoko Takita (The Yomiuri Shimbun), Jeremy Van Loon (Bloomberg News), Alexandra Witze (Science News), Jeffrey Young (Chronicle of Higher Education)
13 June (Sunday)
NCAR Journalism Fellows arrive in Boulder
14 June (Monday) – NCAR Mesa Lab (ML), Tower B, Penthouse Conference Room
8:30-9:15 a.m. (Breakfast) – Meet in ISP meeting room to discuss program expectations
9:15-9:35 a.m. – Introduction to/Overview of NCAR (Peter Backlund)
9:35-9:55 a.m. – Introduction to/Overview of University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR – NCAR’s managing body) (Rick Anthes, UCAR President)
10:00-10:45 a.m. – CCSM Overview (Jim Hurrell)
10:45 – 11:30 a.m. – (Kevin Trenberth)
11:30-1:00 p.m. – Lunch in ML cafeteria
1:00-1:45 p.m. – NESL Overview and cool research highlights (Greg Holland)
1:45-2:30 pm. – Hurricane forecasting (James Done)
2:30-3:15 p.m. – Policy talk (Peter Backlund)
3:15 – 3:30 p.m. – Break
3:30-4:15 pm. – Climate – Four Dimensional Data Assimilation (Francois Vanderberghe)
4:15-5:00 p.m. – A look at the effects of climate on health in Africa (Mary Hayden)
5:00-7:00 p.m. Reception for NJFs – Damon Room – All Speakers Invited
15 June (Tuesday) – National Renewable Energy Laboratory Visit (Golden, Colorado)
8:30 a.m. to noon
12:30 – 1:30 – Lunch
Afternoon at Foothills Laboratory (FL1) Room 2037
1:30-2:15 p.m. – Providing advanced weather technologies to support aviation operations (Bruce Carmichael)
2:15-3:00 p.m. – Colorado Headwaters Project (Roy Rasmussen)
3:00-3:15 – Coffee Break
3:15-4:00 – Impacts of California’s wildfires on air quality (Gabriele Pfister)
4:00 – 5:00 – Hurricane forecast improvement program (Joint Numerical Testbed) (Barb Brown)
16 June (Wednesday) – ML – Visualization Lab and Computer Machine Room (Computational & Information Systems Laboratory Overview)
8:30 – 9:00 a.m. – Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment (VORTEX2) experience (Roger Wakimoto, NCAR Director and a principal investigator on VORTEX)
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. – Digitizing the Planet: The Role of Cyberinfrastructure in Understanding how our World Works (Rich Loft)
10:00-10:45 – Tour of NCAR/NSF Supercomputers (Rich Loft)
10:45 – 11:00 – Break
11:00 – 11:45 – Sea ice talk (Marika Holland)
Noon to 1 pm – lunch in Mesa Lab cafeteria
1ish – 5ish pm – Round Table discussion
17 June (Thursday) – FL1, Room 2037
8:00-9:00 a.m. – VORTEX (Bill Brown, Kate Young)
9:00-10:00 a.m. – Pre-Depression Investigation of Cloud-systems in the Tropics (PREDICT) – overview of the upcoming field campaign to study hurricane formation (Meitin?)
10:00-10:20 – Break
10:20-11:20 a.m. – Global Hawk Development (Bradley?)
11:20-12:20 – TBD (a space-based talk, with luck)
12:20-1:20 – lunch in FL cafeteria
1:30 – 2:30 Design & Fabrication Shop tour (TBD)
2:30 – 3:00 – drive to Research Aviation Facility
3:00-4:00 pm – tour of Research Aviation Facility and C-130 (Al Schanot, Jeff Stith)
18 June (Friday) – FL1, Room 2037
8:15 – 9:00 a.m. – NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center Project (Krista Laursen)
9:00 – 9:45 a.m. – Wind Energy (Bill Mahoney, David Johnson)
9:45 – 10:30 – A new perspective on solar coronal heating (Scott McIntosh)
10:30 – 11:15 – Geoengineering: Marine cloud whitening (John Latham)
11:15 – noon – Flood forecasting in India (Tom Hopson)
- End Program -
BBC News - 'Artificial life' breakthrough announced by scientists
BBC News - 'Artificial life' breakthrough announced by scientists
Guess this might answer the questions," what would God do if he had the money". When you are very rich you can do anything.
Guess this might answer the questions," what would God do if he had the money". When you are very rich you can do anything.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Lufthansa to Europe: Virtual Pilot!
Lufthansa to Europe: Virtual Pilot!
It's a good thing I"m not a pilot. This is a terrific game for kids and adults. It's like where in the world is, well, you know who. Let me know your highest score.
It's a good thing I"m not a pilot. This is a terrific game for kids and adults. It's like where in the world is, well, you know who. Let me know your highest score.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Newly discovered: the 'Pinocchio' of frogs, a gargoyle-faced gecko, and the world's smallest wallaby
Newly discovered: the 'Pinocchio' of frogs, a gargoyle-faced gecko, and the world's smallest wallaby
How do you discover new creatures? Each year we learn about fascinating new life forms on this planet. Oh, to have the job of naming new things!
How do you discover new creatures? Each year we learn about fascinating new life forms on this planet. Oh, to have the job of naming new things!
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Unlocking the mystery of the duck-billed platypus' venom
Unlocking the mystery of the duck-billed platypus' venom
You learn something new everyday. A duck-billed platypus has venom and is one of the few venomous mammals. Well, that was interesting.
You learn something new everyday. A duck-billed platypus has venom and is one of the few venomous mammals. Well, that was interesting.
Spitting cobras track first, predict later
Spitting cobras track first, predict later
The remarkable part of this story is that someone was brave or silly enough to don goggles and go into a place where a cobra would attack him.
The remarkable part of this story is that someone was brave or silly enough to don goggles and go into a place where a cobra would attack him.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
YouTube - Symphony of Science - The Poetry of Reality (An Anthem for Science)
YouTube - Symphony of Science - The Poetry of Reality (An Anthem for Science)
My editor at Scholastic, the wonderful Nicole, sent this to me this morning. And yet another perfect start to a day.
S
My editor at Scholastic, the wonderful Nicole, sent this to me this morning. And yet another perfect start to a day.
S
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Vampire bat saliva shows clot-dissolving potential
Vampire bat saliva shows clot-dissolving potential
Any day that begins with a news story about vampire bats is going to turn out to be a good day. Terrific piece on bat saliva and medicine.
Have a good one, everybody.
Any day that begins with a news story about vampire bats is going to turn out to be a good day. Terrific piece on bat saliva and medicine.
Have a good one, everybody.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
NCAR Fellowship
Go figure. I have been invited to participate in the very prestigious National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)Journalism Fellowship in Boulder, Co. To say that I'm excited would be an understatement. Yelling and screaming and jumping up and down, seems so immature, but I did it anyways. This is a wonderful opportunity to do the research on our new books, so it's like a dream come true. While not an exotic locale like last year's fellowship, this one means much more to me as the competition is fierce and the requirements were quite insane. Too bad LJ can't come but she has exams to oversee. Paul doesn't want to come because he has no interest in Boulder, storms, or extreme weather. But I DO!
Monday, May 10, 2010
National Association of Science Writers: Archived announcements
National Association of Science Writers: Archived announcements
This is one of the best articles I've ever read about promotion of books. Worth the read for people who want to publicize their works,
This is one of the best articles I've ever read about promotion of books. Worth the read for people who want to publicize their works,
Mike deGruy: Hooked by an octopus | Video on TED.com
Mike deGruy: Hooked by an octopus | Video on TED.com
I was asked recently if I had any regrets in my professional life and nothing immediately came to mind. Upon reflection, I wish I had studied Octopi in university. This is a great TED talk. Octopus playing.
I was asked recently if I had any regrets in my professional life and nothing immediately came to mind. Upon reflection, I wish I had studied Octopi in university. This is a great TED talk. Octopus playing.
Jonathan Drori: Every pollen grain has a story | Video on TED.com
Jonathan Drori: Every pollen grain has a story | Video on TED.com
I agree with him. Every home ought to have a scanning electron microscope. This TED talk on pollen will make you sneeze.
I agree with him. Every home ought to have a scanning electron microscope. This TED talk on pollen will make you sneeze.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Scientists alter developing fish brain to resemble that of another species
Scientists alter developing fish brain to resemble that of another species
I have no idea why I think this is interesting but I do. Perhaps they can change my brain to be better or to think like a shark. Imagine changing a monkey's brain to be like that of a human.
I have no idea why I think this is interesting but I do. Perhaps they can change my brain to be better or to think like a shark. Imagine changing a monkey's brain to be like that of a human.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Kiss of death: Research targets lethal Chagas' disease spread by insect that bites lips
Kiss of death: Research targets lethal Chagas' disease spread by insect that bites lips
It always happens. As soon as you put the finishing touches to a book and it goes to press, a science tidbit arrives in your in box that would have fit perfectly in your book. Ah, to have known this last week. Scary Science will not have a terrific sidebar/ Sigh.
It always happens. As soon as you put the finishing touches to a book and it goes to press, a science tidbit arrives in your in box that would have fit perfectly in your book. Ah, to have known this last week. Scary Science will not have a terrific sidebar/ Sigh.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Happy birthday, Hubble – is your best yet to come? - opinion - 20 April 2010 - New Scientist
Happy birthday, Hubble – is your best yet to come? - opinion - 20 April 2010 - New Scientist
Happy Birthday Hubble. One more year and you'll be old enough to order a beer.
Happy Birthday Hubble. One more year and you'll be old enough to order a beer.
Short Sharp Science: The worst environmental disaster in American history?
Short Sharp Science: The worst environmental disaster in American history?
Funny thing. Politicians like Sarah Pallin are always championing off-shore oil exploration, but when a terrible disaster strikes, like the one in the gulf coast, they are no where to be seen or heard. Stand up for once and say, "I'm wrong. Maybe drilling in eco sensitive areas is NOT a good idea. Maybe we should not be so dependent on oil". Honestly. As soon as this mess is cleaned up they will be back on the news demanding that the government lift bans on this kind of oil exploration or exploitation.
Funny thing. Politicians like Sarah Pallin are always championing off-shore oil exploration, but when a terrible disaster strikes, like the one in the gulf coast, they are no where to be seen or heard. Stand up for once and say, "I'm wrong. Maybe drilling in eco sensitive areas is NOT a good idea. Maybe we should not be so dependent on oil". Honestly. As soon as this mess is cleaned up they will be back on the news demanding that the government lift bans on this kind of oil exploration or exploitation.
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