Another Worthless Study

Another Worthless Study

Today we find a study published which indicates that children that consume caffeine may sleep less.  Besides the fact that this is an obvious and expected finding, it is interesting to note that…
Hey, Barbie—Show Me The Science!

Hey, Barbie—Show Me The Science!

While Christmas shopping today with my sister and little 3 year old niece, I noticed something that rather disturbed me. And as difficult as it is for me to say this—it was Barbie. OMG. So many…
How Many, How Much?

How Many, How Much?

A key question in ecology is: who eats whom? This can be fairly straightforward to answer, by observing predatory or grazing activities, by opening up stomachs or sifting through feces, or even by…
Nanoclay Strengthens Thermoplastic Starch

Nanoclay Strengthens Thermoplastic Starch

Because of environmental problems with huge piles of plastic garbage, biodegradable plastics are still widely studied. Personally,  I thought this was a relatively easy problem to solve…
Security of auto ignition systems

Security of auto ignition systems

New Scientist tells us that the encryption between electronic key fobs and car ignition systems has been cracked in many cases. The reason is that most car manufacturers are using weak and/or home-…
Inherent Intelligence:  How widespread is it?

Inherent Intelligence: How widespread is it?

Suppose you want to measure how inherent intelligence is distributed amongst the population.  That is to say, you want to get a sense for how many are born with the potential to be very smart,…
Closing the California Market Squid Fishery

Closing the California Market Squid Fishery

Big squid news, in California at least: the state Department of Fish and Game announced that the fishery for California market squid is hitting its harvest limit and is scheduled to be closed on…
A Dangerous Knowledge Gap: The Autism Wars

A Dangerous Knowledge Gap: The Autism Wars

Lisa Rudy posted "Misinterpretation of Autism News Can Cause Serious Confusion" over at About.com's autism site, and the comments have gotten interesting and clearly demonstrate the growing gap…