This seems to be a simple enough question: what exactly constitutes the definition of ‘life’? Let us begin, at the beginning – as they say. Life, according to scientists, begins at the cellular…

From time-to-time, one has the opportunity to assist in developing a research tool with the versatility of a Swiss Army Knife (or sonic screwdriver for the Dr. Who aficionados). I was lucky enough to…

I was delighted to receive a message yesterday from a teacher on the Oregon coast who had seized the opportunity to dissect a Humboldt squid with her students. First--how cool is that? Good teaching…

One of the professors at my marine station retired, and is in the process of clearing out his lab. This has resulted in a sudden windfall of free stuff, some awesome (an invertebrate textbook so old…

Not a bad way to end a paper: The past is difficult to recover because it was built on the foundation of its own history, one irrevocably different from that of the present and its many possible…

In the issue dated 10 October, Science News reports on a study that suggests that peer reviewers prefer positive results: Peer reviewers for biomedical journals preferentially rate manuscripts with…

I fly all the time and am usually engrossed in a book or asleep by the time the flight attendants go through their safety rigmarole. I will admit, however, that sometimes I sneak a peek during the…

For the Brazilians an abstract funny about the situation of their country: O Brasil é um país, no mínimo, pitoresco, essa é a razão de o número de cronistas, contistas ser tão grande, no entanto, a…

Well, it is now official, so I thought I would let my blog know about it too: I am honored to announce that I was chosen to serve in the CMS Statistics Committee. Along with eight highly…

CDC officials are anticipating a wave a vaccine horror stories, and reminding folks that by sheer coincidence bad things will happen after some people get their flu shots: As soon as swine flu…

A recent article entitled "Educators could learn a thing or two from the automotive industry, study finds" piqued my interest.  "...explains how "Lean production" techniques have transformed…

Euphorbia pulcherrima L: Common name: Poinsettia The name pulcherrima means "most beautiful" and brilliant red floral display of E. pulcherrima, held against rich green foliage has made this unlikely…

In India, more than about 80% of the rural people depend mainly on plants for their primary healthcare needs. Many member plants of family Euphorbiaceae are found in Rajasthan and used here in many…

Information on folk medicinal uses of the plants has become of improved interest in search for new therapeutic agent. Huge information on medicinal plants exists as oral among the folklore and…

The state is rich in floral diversity as 1911 wild species belonging to 780 genera and 154 families are found here (Singh and Pandey, 1980, 1983, 1998; Katewa et al., 2004). The commonly used herbal…

Thank you, Slate, for taking this opportunity to remind us of the dangers of angering the giant squid: The giant squid hates everything: It hates Kirk Douglas, it hates the crew of the Pequod, and it…

Jaipur the world famous pink city has lost its amber fort mawtha or reservoir which did not fill this rainy season. Its water source Ramgarh lake has dried up because its water channels have been…

In the Aug. 9, 2009 issue of Time magazine there was an article entitled "Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin". In reading this article, I couldn't help but conclude that this was another series of bad…

This article was pretty interesting.  Apparently the gene that is responsible for psychosis is also responsible for creativity too.  I don't know if I can fit this into a larger national…

I don't doubt for an instant that there are millions of guys (including myself) out there who would go see this if it was real: h/t to Andrew Sullivan. Read the feed: