Science & Society

Was The Recent Credit Crunch Caused By Modern Day Pirates?

As the world’s money markets do their best to combat the 'credit crunch', a University of Sunderland politics lecturer says that the root of modern democracy’s money woes may lay with the first corporations – pirates. Dr Peter Hayes is Senior Lec ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 17 2008 - 12:36am

Social Bias- 40 Percent Of Parents Incorrectly Think Their Children Are Average Weight

More than four in 10 parents with underweight and overweight children mistakenly believe their children are in the average weight range, according to University of Melbourne research. The study also finds that different methods of assessing children' ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 19 2008 - 11:09am

Politics And US Innovation: It Has To Be About The Future, Not Just The Present

The US Presidential candidates on fostering science and technology innovation: For decades, the United States dominated the technological revolution sweeping the globe. The nation’s science and engineering skills produced vast gains in productivity and wea ...

Article - Michael White - Oct 21 2008 - 3:56pm

Check out Scientific Blogging's Makeover

If you've been reading this blog via feed, it's time to come pay the home page a visit. Scientific Blogging has received its long-awaited makeover, and the place looks great. And if you're been thinking of starting a science blog, now is a g ...

Blog Post - Michael White - Oct 20 2008 - 8:56am

Sex, Lies And TV: Talk Shows Get Some Respect In Contemporary Democracy?

New research on the manner in which people reveal their most intimate secrets on national TV talk shows will be presented at the University of Leicester on Wednesday October 22. Professor Ian Hutchby, Professor of Sociology at the University of Leicester, ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 21 2008 - 6:40pm

The Great Crash Of 2008 At A Glance

This autumn's banking panic will take a severe toll on world growth especially in developed economies. GDP growth in the OECD group of mainly rich countries will slow to 0.4 per cent in 2009, the weakest since 1982. Among the G7, the American and Bri ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 22 2008 - 12:52am

Gates Foundation Invests In 104 Ideas For Global Health

The Bill Melinda Gates Foundation today announced 104 grants to explore bold and largely unproven ways to improve global health. The grants of US$100,000 each will be made to scientists from 22 countries and five continents. They mark the first round of f ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 22 2008 - 5:00pm

Who's More Fit, Ballet Dancers Or Swimmers?

Aesthetics or your personal preferences aside, who do you think is in better physical condition,  international ballet dancers or international swimmers?   A study led by Professor Tim Watson and Dr Andrew Garrett of University of Hertfordshire involved co ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 22 2008 - 12:39pm

Blogging as an Extreme Sport

Andrew Sullivan on the extreme sport of blogging: A columnist can ignore or duck a subject less noticeably than a blogger committing thoughts to pixels several times a day. A reporter can wait—must wait—until every source has confirmed. A novelist can spe ...

Blog Post - Michael White - Oct 22 2008 - 1:58pm

Sound advice on applying to grad school

From Cosmic Variance: It’s usually not a good idea to have one of your parents call the department on your behalf. I'm surprised this even needs to be said. ...

Blog Post - Michael White - Oct 24 2008 - 8:38am