Science & Society

Naomi Oreskes And Denialism About The Scientific Consensus On GMOs And Nuclear Energy

"We can think of scientific knowledge as a consensus of experts."--Naomi Oreskes "There is a tendency among public intellectuals who are entirely reasonable in some areas to descend into the promotion of pseudoscience in others.--Debunking ...

Article - Jon Entine - Feb 2 2016 - 9:55am

A Conservative Argument For Genetic Modification Of Embryos

I have often argued that the pro-life movement has a disconnect about actual life when it comes to science. I don't mean about the health issues of abortion or birth control, I mean about saving babies using science. They seem to think science should ...

Article - Hank Campbell - Feb 3 2016 - 12:33pm

Social Media Is Looking Old, Tired And Grumpy

It is 5 years since the potential of social media was considered limitless. Not only was social media revolutionary, but it was literally capable of bringing about revolutions such as the uprisings of the “ Arab Spring ”. There was no part of our social l ...

Article - The Conversation - Feb 9 2016 - 8:30am

China Is Going To Grow, And A Small Cap And Trade Market Won't Stop That

A new paper finds that China's new efforts to price carbon could lower the country's carbon dioxide emissions significantly without impeding economic development over the next three decades. ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 9 2016 - 5:43pm

New Government Guidelines Won't Impact Alcohol Drinking

New government guidelines claiming a link between alcohol and cancer won't have a direct impact on drinking, but they do raise awareness of harm and so may alter social attitudes towards alcohol, according to an editorial in The BMJ. Professor Theres ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 11 2016 - 8:54am

Netflix Stumbles in its Dramatization of Steven Avery Conviction

Keeping the Gate is a "science and society" blog, which is to mean that it explores the relationship between science and society.  Journalists and producers play critical roles in regulating that relationship.  But the definition of journalism is ...

Blog Post - John M. Collins - Feb 15 2016 - 2:41pm

With 60% Of Academic Clinical Trial Results Not Shared, The Public Has A Blind Spot

Less than 40% of the results of clinical trials conducted at leading academic medical centers were shared within two years of completion, finds a study in the British Medical Journal. ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 20 2016 - 8:30am

Simulating scientific sabotage, with a board game?

Radioactive isotope in your tea, blatant patent theft and manuscript theft by a peer reviewer? Yep, these are all real actions by scientists who have screwed over other scientists just to get ahead. Why? Because in science "There is no prize for seco ...

Blog Post - Caezar Al-Jassar - Mar 2 2016 - 7:47am

Gender Quotas In Mexico Didn't Reduce Quality Of Female Political Candidates

In the 21st century, it seems to be settled that quotas are a bad idea. By picking people based on a characteristic outside their ability to best do a job, it seems to be another term for discrimination.  Some countries have done it anyway. Mexico, for ex ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 22 2016 - 2:48pm

Advocacy Research: How Serious Is The Problem?

A decade ago, the media perception was that the only "advocacy" research (science-y sounding stuff out to achieve a cultural goal) was small groups getting a little bit of money to deny things like global warming. In reality, the public knew bet ...

Article - Hank Campbell - Feb 27 2016 - 12:43pm