Easter Blogpost

http://blogs.plos.org/onscienceblogs/2016/03/25/dna-from-neandertals-and-denisovans-in-modern-humans-how-many-matings/
This is a blog entry on PLOS by Tabitha Powell about research on the amount of Neandertal-Denisovan DNA we carry in our genomes.

http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/45668/title/Canada-s-Science-Friendly-Federal-Budget/
From The Scientist, an article about Canada's science budget.

http://www.sciencealert.com/the-gross-truth-about-your-bed-sheets From Science Alert, how often should you wash your bedsheets? (Once a week, I'll save you the trouble of reading the article.)

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160328133514.htm From Science Daily, a world map of Neanderthal and Denisovan ancestry in modern humans

http://www.wired.com/2016/03/science-education-woefully-uncreative-change/
This is an articled from the Wired website about how science classes, which espouse creativity are themselves very uncreative.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/head-quarters/2016/mar/31/intelligent-design-popular-evolution-creationism An article in The Guardian about why people reject evolution.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/nataliesportelli/2016/03/29/13-best-value-stem-colleges-for-women/#6268b0c75245  An article in Forbes about the most important STEM colleges for women.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/31/science/global-warming-antarctica-ice-sheet-sea-level-rise.html
In a new climate change model reported in the NYT the arctic ice level is supposed to rise 3 feet by the end of the century. (Woody Allen's last movie, "Goodbye, Manhattan.)








http://www.nytimes.com/column/matter
In a column by Carl Zimmer, a report of tapeworms serving a positive function. Marlene Zuk, evolutionary biologist, is quoted in the article.

Spring Hath Sprung

http://bioengineer.org/new-gene-identified-as-cause-early-indicator-of-breast-cancer/
Published in Bioengineer.org the discovery of the discovery of a new gene that, when mutated, may be an early indicator of breast cancer. This work will be published in the American Journal of Pathology.

http://bioengineer.org/how-cancer-cells-fuel-their-growth/ Another from Bioengineer.org, about how cancer cells fuel their growth. Targeting cancer metabolism is important. This will appear in Developmental Cell.


http://www.wsj.com/articles/non-tenured-faculty-at-duke-university-vote-to-unionize-1458345199 Article in WSJ about the vote to unionize at Duke and what paying adjuncts decent wages may cost the university.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/2ad2caa02e1d4e28873ee0cd99cdc85a/amid-push-transparency-few-colleges-reveal-investments  From The World, article about how information about colleges' investments through their endowments and profits therefrom are being withheld.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/03/21/what-were-doing-to-the-earth-has-no-parallel-in-66-million-years-scientists-say/
An article by Chris Mooney of the Washington Post about damage done to the earth  It is a study published in Nature-Geoscience comparing the Paleo-Eocene Thermal Maximum with what we are doing to the earth.

http://neatoday.org/2016/03/15/future-teachers-at-all-time-low/
The Network for Public Education posts a 2016 national survey polling college freshman about how many want to become teachers, 4.2% compared with 11% in 2000.

http://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-have-removed-hiv-dna-from-human-immune-cells-using-new-gene-editing-technique  From Science Alert a report of a study done at Temple University (yay!) which showed that HIV could be removed from human cells using a gene editing technique.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03nh6k2  From the BBC News Service a report of a teenage scientist who improved the technique of spirometry and won an international innovation prize.

http://www.pbs.org/parents/expert-tips-advice/2016/03/managing-emotions-key-positive-effective-parenting/ Why managing your own emotions may be important for effective parenting of your children from the PBS Parenting Blog.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/editorials/2016/03/24/adjunct-professors-unionize-revealing-deeper-malaise-higher/NjqqU5YIToqhm8ZBjsK4yI/story.html Article from the Boston Globe about the unionization of its adjunct professors.

http://aplus.com/a/women-in-science-greatest-female-scientists?platform=hootsuite
From American Women In Science: 11 of History's Greatest Women Scientists

March Tenth Eighty Degrees- A Record!

http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabanj/images.html
Butterflies in NJ

http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/45532/title/How-to-Use-P-Values-Correctly/
From The Scientist, the ASA has published a guide on how to use P-values correctly

http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/students-explore-brain-nih-scientists
At the National Museum of Health and Medicine students will be able to look at brains with scientists involved in neurological research.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/taste-raw-meat-may-have-helped-shape-human-evolution-180958371/
from the Smithsonian, eating raw meat may have shaped our teeth and jaws. This study was done by Harvard evolutionary biology Daniel Lieberman.

http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/45545/title/MYC-Helps-Cancer-Hide/ This study is about how the gene myc prevents immune cells from effectively targeting cancer cells. The study is published in Science.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/worcester-art-museums-new-exhibit-all-cats-all-time-180958388/
Exhibit at the Worcester Art Museum on the history of cats. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/worcester-art-museums-new-exhibit-all-cats-all-time-180958388/

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/35138-noam-chomsky-2016-election-puts-us-at-risk-of-utter-disaster From Truthout, an interview with Noam Chomsky.


http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/eye-cells-may-use-math-detect-motion Interesting article from the NIH press office about the eyes using math to detect motion. It is a report of research by the NINDS (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.)

http://www.salon.com/2016/03/13/bill_clintons_odious_presidency_thomas_frank_on_the_real_history_of_the_90s/ From Salon, Clinton's Odious Presidency by Thomas Frank

http://ncse.com/news/2016/03/antiscience-bills-die-florida-0016963 From the National Center for Science Education, the report of two anti-science bills dying in committee.

http://ncse.com/news/2016/03/antiscience-bills-die-florida-0016963 The Washington Post ran 16 anti-Sanders ads in 16 hours as reported by Democracy Now.

http://www.bbc.com/news/education-35798117 Article from BBC news about a Palestinian woman who won a global best teacher award. She works with refugee children who have been traumatized by violence and is herself a refugee.

http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/decoding-molecular-ties-between-vascular-disease-alzheimers This is an NIH publicity release about a big data study combining molecular technologies and big data analysis to study the connections between vascular disease and Alzheimers.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-show-that-naps-really-are-the-best-80831/ From Smithsonian on the power of napping.

https://www.hhmi.org/bulletin/winter-2015/memory-swap  HHMI sampler of its brain research scientists and their research.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160314140739.htm Some research on epigenetics showing that the offspring of IVF mice inherited diabetes and obesity from their parents.

https://richarddawkins.net/2016/03/some-viruses-have-their-own-immune-systems/ Richard Dawkins' site is posting about "mimiviruses" that have their own immune systems

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/17/science/solving-the-tully-monsterscold-case.html
From The NYT, Illinois state fossil is reclassified as a primitive chordate

http://www.futurity.org/food-calories-children-1121982/ From Futurity, a study done at Penn State shows that if you give kids too much food they will overeat. This was published in the Journal of Physiology and Behavior

https://soundcloud.com/lelink/neanderthal-love-master
Harry Shearer composed and recorded a Neanderthal Love Song based on Carl Zimmer's reporting.

http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/45614/title/Mother-s-Microbiome-Shapes-Offspring-s-Immunity/ This is an article from Science about a study done on mice describing how the microbiota of the mother shapes the immunity of the offspring.

trompe l'oeil

http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/benefits-peanut-allergy-prevention-strategy-persist-after-one-year-peanut-avoidance
This is an NIH-funded study showing that early exposure to peanuts from infancy until five years of age reduced peanut allergy 81% in children at high risk for peanut allergies.

http://theineptowl.com/2016/03/04/fox-news-airs-presidential-dickmeasuring-competition/
A satyric article from the Inept Owl about the Republican party debates, itself a satire. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/04/nyregion/college-lecturer-accuses-police-of-racial-bias-after-encounter-on-his-roof.html This is an article about an adjunct lecturer who got locked out of his apartment and was searched by police NYT

https://student.societyforscience.org/article/when-smartphones-go-school  Article in Science News about how Smartphones distract students in their classrooms. A study done at the Miami University of Ohio shows that students using cf in class even on class-related projects were distracted. 

http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/45506/title/Zika-Infects-Neural-Progenitors/
New work published in Cell Stem Cell on the mechanism of action of Zika shows the virus affects neural progenitor cells.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/06/opinion/sunday/she-wanted-to-do-her-research-he-wanted-to-talk-feelings.html  Another article (Opinion in NYT) about why girls leave science. 

http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/45431/title/Under-the-Cover-of-Darkness/
A series of studies on sleep loss. One is published in PLOS and was done at the Medical College of Wisconsin on rats. 

http://www.sciencealert.com/9-science-words-that-even-smart-people-get-wrong From science alert, theory vs. hypothesis and other confused words. 

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/0316/010316-first-grey-hair-gene-discovered
The first gene for grey hair found in a University College London report of a Nature Communications publication.

Scalia dead, Christie and Bush Out

http://www.democracynow.org/2015/2/19/malcolm_x_on_democracy_now_see
From Democracy Now, a post commemorating the life and death of Malcolm X

http://www.nyas.org/AboutUs/AcademyNews.aspx?cid=375bf796-ff3b-4d97-be8d-37801db49ffc
From the NY Academy of Sciences, a biography of the first African-American to receive a Ph.D. in Chemistry.

http://www.psmag.com/business-economics/are-adjunct-professors-the-new-fast-food-workers
From The Pacific Standard, an article about adjuncts comparing them to fast food workers.

http://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/01/whooping-cough-makes-a-comeback/?_r=0
This is from the NYT blogs Tuesday about the return of pertussis.

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/02/perils-of-sticker-charts/470160/
Here is an article from the Atlantic about the negatives associated with giving rewards for good behavior.

http://www.democracynow.org/2016/2/24/headlines/rhode_island_protesters_shut_down_anti_refugee_event_at_state_house
Refugees are welcome here. From Democracy Now

http://www.nbcnews.com/health/cancer/court-orders-johnson-johnson-payoff-ovarian-cancer-case-n524456  Interesting court case and settlement by J and J to an ovarian cancer victim

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/feb/25/scientists-discover-pancreas-cancer-is-four-separate-diseases  From the Guardian Science a report about pancreatic cancer being composed of four different cancers. This was a study done at the U of Glasgow.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2078285-why-i-think-genitals-reveal-the-universes-biological-diversity/  An article by evolutionary biologist Brian Langerhans about the evolution of genitalia.

http://www.sciencealert.com/astronomers-just-released-a-new-187-million-pixel-map-of-the-milky-way  This is an article by Science Alert about the release of a new 187 pixel map of the Milky Way, it's called the (ATLASGAL).

http://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/02/male-biology-students-underestimate-their-female-peers/462924/ Interesting article in The Atlantic about how male biology students see their female peers.

http://www.whatsmynext.org/ Interesting weblink about careers in laboratory science.

http://www.sciencealert.com/va-scientist-is-turning-every-element-in-the-periodic-table-into-music
Article from Science Alert about a report in the Journal of Applied Physics about a scientist finding the musical "signatures" of every chemical element.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/elephant-genes-hold-big-hopes-for-cancer-researchers/ Elephants have more cells than people do, why don't they get cancer more often than we do? They have 2 copies of p53.

http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/02/nsf-launches-long-awaited-diversity-initiative  From Science magazine, a new diversity initiative at the NSF

Sunday Windy Sunday

http://thephilosophicalsalon.com/why-trump-is-still-here/
From The Philosophical Salon, Why Trump Is Still Here.

http://www.truth-out.org/progressivepicks/item/34369-why-i-choose-optimism-over-despair-an-interview-with-noam-chomsky From Truthout, an Interview with Noam Chomsky

http://chronicle.com/article/How-Right-Wing-Billionaires-/235286
From the Chronicle for Higher Education: How Right Wing Billionaires Infiltrated Higher Education

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/15/technology/creating-a-computer-voice-that-people-like.html
A NYT article by John Markoff about selecting a computer voice.

http://www.phillyvoice.com/70-years-ago-six-philly-women-eniac-digital-computer-programmers/
From the PhillyVoice an article about women who changed technology.

http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/diabetes-drug-may-prevent-recurring-strokes
The results of the IRIS trial, funded by the NIH suggest that a diabetes drug may work to prevent strokes in people without diabetes but with insulin resistance.

http://jezebel.com/fathers-and-childless-women-in-academia-are-3x-more-lik-1758704068
Posted in the blog Jezebel: a report that fathers and childless women are more likely to get tenure in academia.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-species-prehistoric-flower-discovered-preserved-amber-180958156/ Reported in the Smithsonian a new species of prehistoric flower has been discovered preserved in amber. It may be a poisonous predecessor of the potato.

http://humanorigins.si.edu/exhibit/human-origins-traveling-exhibit
The Smithsonian Institution is publicizing its new exhibit.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/02/16/the-remarkably-different-answers-men-and-women-give-when-asked-whos-the-smartest-in-the-class/ A Washington Post article about gender bias in the classroom.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/02/18/scientists-are-floored-by-whats-happening-in-the-arctic-right-now/  From the Washington Post an article about how scientists are trying to explain the high temperatures in January, the hottest on record.

http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/45385/title/Breast-Milk-Sugars-Support-Infant-Gut-Health/ In a study from Cell, gut carbohydrates from growth-stunted infants were supplemented by breast-milk derived sugars and added to the diets of animal models of malnutrition as reported in The Scientist.







































https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/feb/12/gravitational-waves-explained
A scientist explains gravitational waves from The Guardian

Schmooperbowl Sunday

http://wvtf.org/post/contingent-faculty-living-academic-edge-series#stream/0
Video from WVTF about contingent faculty/

http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/45153/title/The-Mycobiome/
The Scientist has a review about the role of fungi, the mycobiome, in human health.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/02/07/opinion/what-74-years-of-times-crosswords-say-about-the-words-we-use.html?_r=0 A "big data" analysis  of word usage in crossword puzzles as a reflection of our history.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmtNRHiFkIQ  Animated explanation of CRISPR

http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-20160206-column.html
Article from the LA Times about the patent fight for CRISPR technology

https://lareviewofbooks.org/essay/edward-snowden-in-conversation-with-barton-gellman/
LA Review of Books interview with Edward Snowden

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/09/science/scientists-sequence-first-ancient-human-genome-from-africa.html?_r=0
From Friday's Elk by Carl Zimmer a report of the recovering of the genome of a 4,500 year old skeleton in Ethiopia which showed that ancient DNA could survive the harsh, wet conditions in the tropics. This was reported in Science magazine.

http://www.pbs.org/parents/expert-tips-advice/2016/02/teach-frustration-tolerance-kids/
From PBS Parents: How to teach frustration tolerance to children. This is a blog by social worker Katie Hurley.


https://lareviewofbooks.org/essay/edward-snowden-in-conversation-with-barton-gellman/
http://www.northeastern.edu/news/2015/06/researchers-discovery-may-explain-difficulty-in-treating-lyme-disease/Reported in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, discovery of a new Lyme disease causing bacterium in humans. Maybe why LD is so hard to treat.

http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/tick-genome-reveals-secrets-successful-bloodsucker
A report from the NIH about the sequencing of the Ixodes scapularis  (tick) genome. Ticks have a huge genome with about 70% DNA repeats, 20% protein coding genes unique to ticks. To be published in Nature Communications.


http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/advising-moms-not-bed-share-infants-does-not-discourage-breastfeeding  An NIH press release about a study done by the American Pediatrics Association which showed that women were just as likely to breastfeed whether or not they shared a bed with their infant. The idea is to reduce deaths due to SIDS.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/e-reader-book-students/ A report in the Journal of College Science Teaching that students prefer textbooks to E-readers. This was a study done at American University.

http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/16/02/08/tests-on-fish-raise-new-concerns-on-estrogen-contamination-of-drinking-water/ From NJ Spotlight, an article about dangerous levels of estrogens in NJ water.  This was a study done on fish by the USGS.

http://thescienceexplorer.com/brain-and-body/ketamine-leads-most-significant-advance-mental-health-more-half-century
A report from Science Explorer of a clinical trial of ketamine use for severe depression at the NIMH.

http://www.un.org/en/events/women-and-girls-in-science-day/index.shtml This is the UN International Women In Science Day. It is a historic occasion. Here is a graphic from the UNESCO Bureau of Statistics from a Northwestern University study.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/02/11/the-solution-to-climate-change-that-has-nothing-to-do-with-cars-or-coal/ Chris Mooney has written in the Washington Post about the solution to climate change, suggesting that deforestation is a major problem.'

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/02/01/pursuing-the-dream-of-healthy-aging/?_r=0 This is an article from Personal Health a column by Jane Brody, that reports a study on aging done by the Mayo Clinic about the risk factors for developing chronic diseases, aging being the primary one. The team suggests targeting with drugs the processes fundamental to aging that underlie all age-related chronic diseases.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/12/science/science-teachers-grasp-of-climate-change-is-found-lacking.html?_r=0 The article came from the NYT about how science teachers' knowledge of climate change is lacking.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/12/science/ligo-gravitational-waves-black-holes-einstein.html From the NYT, the LIGO group (a scientific collaboration) report the discovery of gravitational waves, a phenomenon predicted by Albert Einstein.

http://www.dailycal.org/2016/02/12/number-lecturers-campus-rise-debate-persists-role/
Article in The Daily Californian about the role of lecturers (NTT) in the university.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/02/12/the-crippling-thing-about-growing-up-poor-that-stays-with-you-forever/ Article about poverty and diet in the Washington Post.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fossils-shed-new-light-on-human-gorilla-split/ The Life Science Blog in Scientific American posts a report of the discovery of the fossils of primitive relatives of gorillas. From examination of fossils, researchers suggest that humans and gorillas shared an ancestor about ten million years ago. This is to be published in Nature.