http://allafrica.com/stories/201207311101.html

New Award for Women Scientists in Low Output Countries

The only thing that has advanced the species or society for the last 500 years is evidence based science. Evidence based science stands on its own by comparing to it *evidence*.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/aug/13/science-research-fu...

Scientists go to war with their funding council

A war has erupted between senior research scientists and their main funding body over who decides which projects to support – and how

http://bcove.me/tini2bar

http://gulfnews.com/opinions/columnists/scientists-master-the-art-o...

Scientists master the art of piquing public interest

Be it Higgs Boson or Mars, smart communication makes complex theories fascinating

In each case, the science teams did a great job at capturing the public’s mind by providing excellent metaphors and descriptions of why the project was important.

As Jim Bell, one of Curiosity’s team members, stated, “It’s human nature to explore… By going to difficult or dangerous places, we carry the rest of our species along with us. These stories become part of our culture, part of our heritage... It’s a human endeavour that is part science, part inspiration.”

“Maybe we’re on Mars because we have to be, because there’s a deep nomadic impulse built into us… And the next place to wander to is Mars. But whatever the reason you’re on Mars… I’m glad you’re there. And I wish I was with you.”

The art of science caption:

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/compound-eye/2012/08/31/the-art...

A true scientist does not throw away data just because it does not fit one’s theory

Geology art exhibition:
http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/article/20120903/LIFESTYLE/2090...

Myth busters of organic food:

http://gawker.com/5940461/science-suggests-that-organic-food-is-lar...

The science of Northern lights:

http://www.space.com/15213-northern-lights-aurora-guide-infographic...

http://www.space.com/15139-northern-lights-auroras-earth-facts-sdcm...

Want to walk on water? Here is how you can do it with the help of science:

Genes, DNA and chromosomes:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2012/sep/09/carl-djerassi-insuffici...

Science and theater: Chemistry and play

Carl Djerassi:
1998's An Immaculate Misconception, Djerassi came up with the concept of "science-in-theatre". In his precise, faintly accented English, he neatly explains the term now. "What I'm trying to do is not talk directly about science," he says. "That's too difficult to do, especially with chemistry. Rather than words, we chemists use the cryptography of structural formulas, which people [outside that world] don't understand. What I want to do with the theatre is to talk about the culture and behaviour of science – to show that scientists are not just Frankensteins or Strangeloves or idiot savants or nerds."

Above all, he's interested in describing what he calls the "tribal behaviour" of scientists – and he's critical of the scientific community for being reluctant to explain that behaviour to the outside world. "I'm a member of that tribe," he says, "and it's a tribe that does not advertise its behaviour – not because they want to keep it secret, but because they're not interested in discussing it. We're not, as a whole, introspective, because we're so focused on what we're doing. But it means that people outside science have a very limited idea about who we really are, and how we think."

He's reluctant to draw many parallels between the disciplines of science and theatre. "I think you would like me to say that I see many similarities between them," he says, "but in truth, I do not. They are totally different. With science – or, I must say, with chemistry, because that is the science I know – you must show your research to be absolutely accurate and correct. That is not the case with literature. But, when it comes to intellectual rigour, they need not be so far apart. I approach every play with the same emphasis on meticulous research that I have always used in my work as a chemist."

One of the reasons Djerassi was drawn to the theatre, he says, was to escape the punishing process of peer review that is part of any academic scientist's working life. "We scientists don't spend enough time thinking about an audience other than our peers," he says. "They can make or break our reputation, and often anonymously."

Can theatre critics not be just as savage? Djerassi smiles. "They can be. But at least they are in a separate profession: most of them are not also playwrights themselves." And perhaps, if a critic does turn an acid tongue on Insufficiency, we will soon see this chemist, writer and polymath take up theatre criticism – purely, of course, as an act of revenge.

By

Laura Barnett
The Observer

Have we lost our way with science?!

Here is one professor who says we did( by giving more importance to art and culture!)! (Although I don't agree with her, I am adding this link for the readers to ponder on this assumption of hers )

http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/7645972/Don-t-study-arts-...

Indian PM justifies space-science programme:

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/277573/pm-justifies-investments...

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday justified the huge investments made into the country’s space exploration, research and development programmes, citing ‘technology prowess’ as a sine qua non for economic growth and inclusive development.

Referring to questions being raised about whether “a poor country like India can afford a space programme and whether funds spent on space exploration, albeit modest could better be utilised elsewhere,’’ Singh, addressing the nation after the successful 100th Space Mission of Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), from the New Mission Control Centre at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here, asserted such queries “misses the point.”

Defending the financial outlays for Isro, which comes under the Department of Space, and the new vistas in space it sought to explore, the prime minister stressed that people should not forget that a “nation’s state of development is finally a product of its technological prowess.’’ “The founding fathers of our space programme—Dr Vikram Sarabhai and Prof Satish Dhawan—faced a similar dilemma, but they persevered in pursuing their vision. When we look at the enormous societal and national benefits that have been generated in diverse fields, there can be no doubt we are right,’’ asserted Singh.

India lags behind in science literacy and communication- Experts:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/india-lags-behind-in-science-lite...

Development of science communication and science literacy in India has taken a backseat in the last two decades with gradual withdrawal of state support and increasing dependence on private sector, said experts representing the country at the International Conference on Science Communication at Nancy in France.

Outlining the history of science literacy — from the early days of independent India to 1976 when the 42nd amendment to Constitution introduced scientific temperament as part of Fundamental Duties to 1981 when the first statement on scientific temperament was released — scientists said that India today faces a crisis of sorts.

Dr Gauhar Raza, head of Science Communication through Multimedia (SCM) division at the National Institute of Science Communication And Information Resources, said, “In the global movement to promote science literacy in citizens we were once ahead of most of the developed world, and in our own neighbourhood much ahead of China, which has now soared ahead. We have fallen woefully behind. Today, we have more religious channels than most countries, when we have resources to set up at far lower costs many infotainment channels like Discovery and National Geographic.”

http://www.scidev.net/en/science-communication/promoting-science/ed...

A culture of science needs scientists to be proactive

http://www.oxbowherald.sk.ca/Opinion/2012-09-15/article-3075929/Top...

Some science facts:

1. Blood sucking hookworms inhabit 700 million people worldwide.

2. There are 62,000 miles of blood vessels in the human body – laid end to end they would circle the earth 2.5 times.

3. The oceans contain enough salt to cover all the continents to a depth of nearly 500 feet.

4. At over 2000 kilometers long, The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on Earth. (And, it’s dying.)

5. The highest speed ever achieved on a bicycle is 166.94 mph, by Fred Rompelberg.

6. The interstellar gas cloud Sagittarius B contains a billion, billion, billion liters of alcohol (I might have to move there in the near future!)

7. 60-65 million years ago dolphins and humans shared a common ancestor.

8. Polar Bears can run at 25 miles an hour and jump over 6 feet in the air. (Remind me never to confront a polar bear).

9. The temperature on the surface of Mercury exceeds 430 degrees C during the day, and, at night, plummets to minus 180 degrees centigrade

10. The average person accidentally eats 430 bugs each year of their life.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2012/sep/1...
Science more beautiful than art?

And here is a reply most probably from an artist who says scinece can't replace art:

http://www.elezea.com/2012/09/science-cant-replace-art/

How to Increase Intelligence

Scientists have long held that fluid intelligence—reflected not by what you know but rather how well you solve novel problems—is largely inherited and relatively impervious to improvement.
A raft of recent investigations, though, shows that some types of brain training—specifically those that exercise working memory and other so-called executive functions—can raise an individual's fluid intelligence.
Working memory training appears to boost fluid intelligence in children and adults alike. As training progresses, the brain regions taxed by working memory become less active when called on and more active at rest. This pattern suggests that certain training programs leave the brain better primed to perform a wide array of tasks.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=scientists-design-...

Parasite Linked to Personality Changes :

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=common-parasite-li...

http://www.scidev.net/en/science-and-innovation-policy/linking-huma...
Science and human rights

http://www.scidev.net/en/science-and-innovation-policy/linking-huma...

http://www.scidev.net/en/science-and-innovation-policy/linking-huma...

http://www.examiner.com/article/fraud-medical-journals-increasing
Fraud in scientific research is increasing!

A study reviewed 2,047 papers retracted from the biomedical literature through May 2012. The journals considered to be the most prestigious retracted tainted papers faster than did more-obscure journals, pointing to the close read these journals get by other researchers. Science is self-correcting, and there's certainly some truth to that- if results can't be replicated by other researchers, if a conclusion is wrong, it will be identified.

"But there's other stuff out there that doesn't come to wrong conclusions. It's just based on fraudulent data. It's in an area that isn't being intensively investigated by others, or people don't confirm those findings but they're not really sure why these are the results that tend to hang around to potentially influence future experiments. The vast majority of the papers retracted for misconduct dealt with biomedical or life-science research. Some, though, involved fields not directly related to life science – fields such as semiconductor research and psychology.

Sadly and perhaps not surprisingly, this is also a case where a few bad apples give the whole field a bad name. Scientific controversies over the last few years are littered with the corpses of multiple papers published by the same author or the same lab.

 
It was found that about 21 percent of the retractions were attributable to error, while 67 percent were due to misconduct, including fraud or suspected fraud (43 percent), duplicate publication (14 percent), and plagiarism (10 percent). Miscellaneous or unknown reasons accounted for the remaining 12 percent.

The percentage of scientific articles retracted due to fraud has increased approximately 10-fold since 1975, with a smaller increase in retractions due to error.

The United States, Germany, Japan, and China accounted for three-quarters of retractions due to fraud or suspected fraud, whereas China and India accounted for the majority of retractions due to plagiarism and duplicate publications.

Whether the increase is due to better reporting or to an actual increase in violations, or both, it tarnishes a community's image.

Reasons: Lower rates of funding, higher competition, and the potential for money patents, and perks that publishing in major journals can provide a researcher and of course lure for media stardom(!) are the major reasons for scientific fraud.

Suggestions to check it: Increasing funds for scientific research, especially in developing countries like India with private sponsorships from Industry etc. Scientists should do research for the love of science and finding out something - curiosity driven scientific research- should be encouraged not money driven research. Use plagiarism checkers (http://www.plagtracker.com/ or http://turnitin.com/), but editors of sciences research articles should use plagiarism detection software - Maybe it is the way to prevent these 10% of plagiarism.

Encouraging solutions like the Office of Research Integrity and regular courses on ethics and data presentation. Researchers, journal editors and referees need to be taught both the value and the methodology of honest research from day one of their careers.

Other articles related to this topic : http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=misconduct-is-the-...

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/the-curious-wavefunction/2012/1...

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/15/opinion/retracted-science-papers....

http://littleofficeofintegrity.org/

Related to t he topic below

BEN Goldacre, doctor, columnist and author of the acclaimed bestseller Bad Science - in which he exposed and rubbished the "evidence" behind misleading and dubious claims from journalists, alternative therapists and government reports - is back with a controversial new book, Bad Pharma: How Drug Companies Mislead Doctors and Harm Patients (Fourth Estate).

http://www.timeslive.co.za/opinion/columnists/2012/10/09/suspect-sc...

Once more, he claims, science has been distorted by the corporations; drug manufacturers run bad trials on their products, which extort and deliberately exaggerate their benefits. When the test results are unflattering, the data is simply buried. Government regulators, too, are at fault, as are doctors and patient groups who are bribed by the $600-billion global pharmaceutical industry.

Early reports on the book suggest that Goldacre has uncovered "a fascinating, terrifying mess".

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/scientists-to-get-extra-p...

Scientists and academics are to be given extra protection from bullying corporations that use Britain's libel laws to suppress legitimate criticism and debate, the Government has indicated.

Ministers are to look at amending the Defamation Bill, which is currently being debated in the House of Lords, after strident criticism that their plans do not go far enough.

Scientists have warned that under current proposals there nothing to stop companies and the rich and powerful “silencing criticism” even if it is in the public interest.

They point to a string of recent cases where experts have been threatened with hugely expensive legal actions for raising legitimate concerns about medical products and allegedly unscrupulous practices by companies.

Lessons to a scientist

"If you want to be good in Science, you have to start asking good questions. You cannot ask good questions if you don't have good training. You have to be open to other fields. You have to feel it. Team up with others and remain very motivated to work hard. You have to love and live your Science." - Prof Jules A Hoffmann ( The Nobel Prize winner for discoveries on 'activation of innate immunity'. )

http://findingada.com/

Celebrating the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering and maths

http://directory.findingada.com/stories/

Pseudo-science and myth busting:
http://riaus.org.au/articles/in-defence-of-pseudo-science/?goback=....

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=antiscience-belief...

Antiscience Beliefs Jeopardize U.S. Democracy

The United States faced down authoritarian governments on the left and right. Now it may be facing an even greater challenge from within

A large number of major party contenders for political office this year took antiscience positions against evolution, human-induced climate change, vaccines, stem cell research, and more.
Such positions are surprising because the economy is such a big factor in this election, and half the economic growth since World War II can be traced to innovations in science and technology.
Partisans at both ends of the political spectrum have been guilty of science denialism. But the Republican version is particularly dangerous because it attacks the validity of science itself.
U.S. voters must push candidates and elected officials to express their views on the major science questions facing the nation or risk losing out to those countries with reality-based policies.

http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/magazinedetails/magazine/culturaldi...

Do you think that a scientific focus on art runs the risk of reducing its emotional impact and stripping it of some of its necessary enigma? If not, why?

Only if you get into the details of the research itself. Science is cold only in the laboratory, but the ideas that come out of a laboratory are more enthralling than anything I've come across. Think of the fact of evolution, the fact that all of life evolved from single-celled organisms around three billion years ago. Scientists, after much work, discovered this, but why shouldn't poets and artists celebrate these eye-opening truths, the same way they have celebrated religious myths for countless centuries? The image of science as something mechanical needs to be done away with.

Let’s ignore science at our peril

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/lets-ignore-science-at-ou...

This is a great page to visit:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/0/

How dumb and stupid people ( sometimes law ) can get!

Despite hundreds of years of old wives' tales and, more recently, serious research, even the most devastating earthquakes are pretty much as unpredictable in 2012 as they were in prehistoric times.

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/trial-and-error-s..." target="_blank">http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/trial-and-error-s...

http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/10/22/us-science-manslaughter-it...

http://rt.com/news/italy-scientists-earthquake-jail-972/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/oct/23/laquila-quake-scienti...

http://rt.com/news/italy-jail-scientists-reaction-061/
'We won’t advise the state again': Scientists outraged at Italian seismologists' jailing

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/across-the-universe/2012/oct/24/g...

The Italian earthquake trial, in which six seismologists and a civil servant were found guilty of manslaughter, has an eerie resonance with the Galileo trial of 1633.

The question is: was this trial about science or communication? While the media are filled with stories about science being on trial, claiming that the scientists have been convicted of failing to predict the earthquake, New Scientist points out that the conviction was actually for errors in communication.

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/big-cracks-in-the-science...

Big cracks in the science of communicating risk

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20097554

L'Aquila ruling: Should scientists stop giving advice?

http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/10/24/successful-scientists-wha...

Successful scientists: What’s the winning formula?

http://www.nature.com/news/global-reach-1.11592?WT.ec_id=NATURE-201...

The increasing internationalization of science offers many benefits, but also has limitations.

It may sound like something straight out of a horror movie, but many animals can come under the zombie-like control of parasites. So what about humans? Scientific American editor Katherine Harmon fills us in on the ghoulish side of Nature. More here: http://www.scientificamerican.com/report.cfm?id=zombie-science&...

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444868204578064960544...

How to keep microbes away from your gadgets:

http://www.wgbhnews.org/post/art-telling-science-stories

The Art of Telling Science Stories

Among those who make a living communicating science to the public, there are two main groups. There are those who began as writers, journalists, film makers, what have you, and somewhere along the way discovered a particular affinity for the subject of science. Increasingly, though, there’s a second group who received formal training in science, may even have made a career as a scientist, but somewhere along the way discovered that research wasn’t quite the right fit and instead turned to telling the stories of science.

http://europe.chinadaily.com.cn/opinion/2012-11/07/content_15884818...
China Science

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/11/opinion/lotto-ted-science-play/?h...

Why science is like play