Science & Society

A new poll by Nature and Scientific American, out in SA's October 2010 issue, notes that scientists have had a tough year - the "leaked 'Climategate' e-mails painted researchers as censorious," the…

I have to be honest, if a casual question arose like 'who would you believe on science topics, Michael Shermer or Lady Gaga?' I would side with Shermer. I know, I know, that is a vicious stereotype…

It's election season and the biggest schism in American culture come November voting won't be abortion or global warming, it will be the size and role of the U.S. government in the last two years.…

When you think 'geek', is your first thought 'marry one'?  If so, you may enjoy this 'how to' from blogger Leslie Sobol over at AMD (yeah, the processor manufacturers).  If, on the other…

Our ideal image of the perfect partner differs greatly from the one we have, according to new research from the University of Sheffield and the University of Montpellier in France. Why would we…

Can crowdsourcing lead to better medicine?    Crowdsourcing is used in astronomy and protein folding in biology, along with engineering and computer software. But can the 'wisdom of crowds…

A group of scientists say they have conducted a comprehensive study of how different body measurements correspond with ratings of female attractiveness. Even across cultural divides, women who are…

If you are a scientist in any field you have had to deal with a member of the public who did not understand the word theory.  This blog post intends to be a simple explanation for the willing…

A postdoc's view of the changing world of academic research 'What's on your mind?' These are the four words taunting me on my Facebook page as I wind down from a long day at work. Today…

Airlines, hotel companies, anything with a date attached, know they have you on the hook the closer to that date because no one buys airline tickets for tomorrow unless they are desperate, and there…