Science Cheerleader

Just published this article in Science Progress. Hope you enjoy it. The purpose of the piece is to let you know that all 720 formal (easy-to-read) reports put out by the defunct Congressional Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) are now available online, courtesy of the Federation of American Scientists. They are there for you, free, whether you are a researcher, policy maker, educator or anyone with an interest in any one of the topics covered. But this article is framed by the story of the rise and fall of the shad. One of the OTA reports focuses on this mighty fish. Back in 1995 the Office was looking at ways to help Congress set policies to help the troubled fish make a comeback.

Can you believe Congress shut this office down 15 years ago? It was their only source of nonpartisan, science policy advice and they axed it. Between global warming, stem cell research, water shortages, health care issues and other big science challenges facing Congress today, I’d say they need the OTA now more than ever. More here and here

Found a gem among the reports dealing with my favorite fish, the Shad. The OTA had some good recommendations on how science policies could help the shad. The report is 13 years old but New Zealand cites it on their Auckland Country regional development site, even today.

(Here’s a fun audio shad_radio_piece I coproduced about Philadelphia’s Fish a couple of years ago.) Yes! The Shad and the OTA in one tidy article…and they said it couldn’t be done. Or, did they say it shouldn’t be done? You be the judge. Let me know what you think!

Hate to be a buzz kill but you might want to keep these facts in mind while you are partying in the sun.

Thanks to some ScienceCheerleader subscribers, we are now armed with important, scientifically based tips on how we can more safely damage our skin and kill off brain cells. 

From Cindy:  4 out of 5 sunscreens contain chemicals that may pose health hazards or don’t adequately protect skin from the sun’s damaging rays. Which work the best? Check here.

From Jacquie: The Science of Drinking? The New York Times reports that diet soda used as a mixer hastens the absorption (time and amount) of alcohol. Watch those summer Rum and (diet) Cokes!

Plus a recent shows an increase in alcohol poisoning deaths among college kids. Some deaths may be linked to marijuana use—which retards nausea so one can attain higher, potentially fatal blood alcohol levels. 

While we’re on the topic, if you know a college-kid turning 21 this year, share this news: ”Of the college-age deaths that made news, 11 people, including eight college students, died while celebrating their 21st birthdays”….a growing trend of drinking 21 shots on a 21st birthday is proving lethal.

Thanks for the comments, ladies. Keep them coming.

This month marks the 26th anniversary of  American chess prodigy Bobby Fischer’s defeat over Russian Boris Spassky. A decade after Fischer was crowned America’s first (and so far only) World Chess Champion another American chess prodigy emerged. At the age of nine,  Josh Waitzkin won his first National Championship. The movie, Searching for Bobby Fischer, was based on Waitzkin’s early journey to stay true to himself despite attempts to reincarnate in Waitzkin,  Fischer’s crazed approach.

At the age of 13 he become a National Master and at age 16 became an International Master.  Then, after winning 8 National Chess Championships, in his early twenties Waitzkin surprised everybody by leaving  chess and becoming a world champion in the martial arts.

In the book, The Art of Learning, Waitzkin recounts the story of his years as a chess and martial arts competitor from his own perspective. He describes how his ability to recognize, embrace and nurture his uniqueness led to achievement time and again. The book has been well-received by educators, business leader, and even sports stars, including Mark Messier:

 ”I strongly recommend it for anyone who lives in a world of competition, whether it’s sports or business or anywhere else. It’s also a great training tool for kids aspiring to reach the pinnacle of their chosen fields.”
Mark Messier - 6-time Stanley Cup Champion

Waitzkin has decided to give the book away. Anyone in a position to help others succeed by incorporating Waitzkin’s philosophy of learning can get the book for free.

How do I know this? A reader, who happens to work for Waitzkin, wrote this in response to the Science Cheerleader post on Science Education:

“‘Science Cheerleader’…what an innovative idea and oh, so needed.”

But enough about me…where was I? Oh, yes! Here’s what else Joanne Singer wrote:

“We would like to get the ‘Art of Learning’ into the hands of as many people as possible.  We have a short application process and then ask that participants keep us posted on how they are working with the material.  Any ideas, study guides, worksheets or comments they come up with are greatly appreciated as we work towards our goal of generating free online resources for everyone interested, all over the country and beyond.”

If you are interested, go to www.jwfoundation.com to learn more about the book and how to get it. And, spread the word!
(Thank you, Joanne and Josh!)

Happy Friday! 

Check this out. It’s an article Science Progress published earlier this week. In it, I propose that Congress open an Office of Technology Assessment to provide balanced science policy advice. Not an original idea. Lots of folks are trying to make this happen and, by and large, scientists give the idea two big thumbs up.

However, there’s a twist in my pitch and it’s crinkling some pocket protectors.  I’m calling on Congress to open the Office with a mechanism for public participation.  Why?  So you and I can weigh in on some critical policy issues such as stem cell research, voting technology, engineered foods, alternative fuels, etc.   

Who would be against that? Plenty of people. Know why? Because many scientists think we are big dummies. And, when it comes to science, we keep proving them right. See here.

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Ame, a reader from Philly, posted this question in response to the FireFly article:

I don’t see as many Fireflies these days so my daughter and I will participate in the FireFly Watch to help solve the mystery. I also don’t see as many bees and I’ve never seen a baby pigeon. Why?

Now is the time to spot baby pigeons in Philly, Ame. According to Hannah Holmes, spring and summer months provide the best viewing opportunities but you’ll have to look carefully. You don’t see them often because, like tennis great Rafael Nadal, pigeons like living at home with their parents. (OK, Nadal is only 20–and cute–so we’ll cut him a break.)  

By the time a pigeon leaves its nest, it’s about the size of a mature adult. There are some visual clues: their heads may be narrower than other pigeons and they may have down feathers poking out. They may also be dating gorgeous supermodels. Ooops. Getting baby pigeons confused with Nadal again. If you’re interested, you can read more about baby pigeons here.

The buzz on the bees. Yup, we are seeing fewer of them. More than one-third of bees in managed colonies in the U.S. disappeared  last winter in what’s been called a “colony collapse disorder.” It was thought a virus was responsible but that’s looking less likely to be the cause. The case of the disappearing bees needs to be solved soon because they play a critical role in our ecology and economy.

According to this bit in Discover Magazine, Congress was faced with some surprising facts last week during an official hearing on this topic: nationwide, bees pollinate $14.6 billion worth of fruits and veggies every year;  Haagen-Dazs gets more than 40% of its product’s flavors from fruits and nuts, dependent on honeybees. And, here are 20 more things I didn’t know about bees.

 Jonathan Farley, math whiz, winner of too many awards to count, and movie consultant, recently wrote about missing bees in The New York Times. In the article, he talks about the unexplained collapse of bee colonies since 2006, and how a mathematical model could be used to predict the number that will die in the future. I chatted with Farley about this and other topics. He’d like to speak with citizen scientists working with bees to see if they have some insight into this ongoing mystery. If I just described you, let me know if you’d like to be put in touch with Farley. Super neat guy.  Here’s just part of what he does for fun.

Hope this answers your questions, Ame.

Who doesn’t love fireflies?

Except Mean Matthew who, when we were kids, would squish the glow-in-the-dark goo out of them and wipe it on his neck to show off.

(Don’t try that at home, kids. This was before real glow-in-the-dark jewelry was sold, and, frankly, Matthew’s probably serving time now.)

Hey Matthew, here’s a better way to impress your mates this holiday weekend.

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Winner: Bart Leahy. Congratulations! Your Science Cheerleader T-Shirt is on its way. Bart was the first to respond to this post in which readers were challenged to read science fiction books and report back on what “real science” was learned. See here for Bart’s reply. 

Loser: ME. I’m off to a theme park today–hooray!–where I will sneak away for one hour to participate in a conference call with scientists. Ok, the real reason I’m a loser is because I’m SO excited to be part of this call. Leaders in the world of science will talk about the findings of their poll showing voters (us) support candidates who are committed to advancing science and technology on a range of top-tier election issues. But I ask you: is that true? Does a candidate’s commitment to advancing science and technology factor in to your voting decisions? Let me know. Give me something to work with.  (more…)