Science

Better eye droppers could save a lot of money on prescription drugs.

What if she's telling the truth as she remembers it, but her memory is faulty?

One hundred years ago, she united symmetry and conservation in physics.

They may not be true, but they feel true.

Daniel Sarewitz on the impossibility—and the necessity—of distinguishing science from nonscience.

Demand a purpose-driven space program.

The intuition and integrity of the influential physicist.

Last week, law enforcement officers in California arrested former cop Joseph James DeAngelo and charged him with committing a series of rapes and murders in California in the 1970s and 1980s known as the work of the “Golden State Killer.” The case has generated enormous attention beyond the…

The vehement sneering of Ezra Klein, and how it echoes Freudianism.

You’ve got to admit it’s getting better.

If you had hopes of launching a nuclear weapon into orbit, we have bad news.

The there-and-back-again tale of a brain researcher turned cancer patient.

PETA is no friend of STEM.

Until the 19th century, the relationship between the function and the physiology of the nervous system was largely a mystery. Physicians believed in the vital importance of the brain but knew little about its structure and purpose. For hundreds of years, conventional wisdom in medicine followed the…

Much as the name Tiger Woods is familiar to people who do not follow golf, so the name Stephen Hawking will be familiar even to people who care little about physics. His death on March 14 provoked an outpouring of eulogies of the kind usually reserved for rock stars and former presidents. His…

Before sunrise on Saturday, December 14, 1799, George Washington woke up so sick he could barely breathe. His wife Martha summoned George Rawlins, a Mount Vernon overseer, who knew just what to do. He opened a vein in the former president’s arm and drained about 12 ounces of blood. Three physicians…

On February 6, 2018, the SpaceX Falcon Heavy took flight, demonstrating a capacity to lift 60 tons to low Earth orbit while playfully sending a Tesla Roadster on a trajectory that will take it beyond the orbit of Mars. To add to the coup, two of the Falcon’s three booster stages flew back to land…

The successful launch on Tuesday of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket—“the most powerful operational rocket in the world by a factor of two,” as the company is proud of saying—marked an important milestone for the entrepreneurial space company and for the overall U.S. launch industry.

Person A isn’t completely persuaded that human activity is the greatest contributor to climate change. Person B believes men can give birth. In 2018, guess which person is more likely to be decried as “anti-science.”

Since he became famous hosting his children’s TV show, Bill Nye, aka “the Science Guy,” has spent the last couple of decades being an insufferable scold on climate change and other charged political topics. Aside from appearing on TV, Nye often has no particular expertise on the topics he’s…

In a paper published online yesterday, scientists in China reported that they had successfully cloned macaques—a species of monkey commonly used in biomedical research. This announcement of the birth of the first cloned primates is another in a long line of “firsts” in the history of cloning,…

In a speech at JPMorgan’s 36th annual health care conference earlier this month, Bill Gates argued that investments in high-tech biomedical treatments for diseases like cancer could also help develop better ways to control the kinds of infectious diseases that afflict underdeveloped countries.

It certainly stands to reason that the news most likely to unite a nation divided against itself would win so little notice in a year like 2017. Maybe we just don’t want to overcome our differences in fearsome awe of the intergalactic Other, OK? The popular appetite for otherworldly updates is…

Well, it's not every day that Guitar World has an eye-opening political report, but here we are. In a normal year, it would be shocking enough to learn the Pentagon had a secret multimillion dollar program to investigate UFOs. But since it's still 2017, the least “normal year” in recent memory…

Midway through the remarkable new documentary Jane comes a scene that could stand for its whole improbable story. Twenty-something Jane Goodall, not yet a credentialed scientist but doing the work of several, sits with a telescope on the floor of an African forest watching chimpanzees in a tree,…

When the series Enterprise went off the air in 2005, the consensus was that the whole Star Trek enterprise (so to speak) was exhausted: The show’s ratings were too low to keep it on the air and the franchise’s two most recent movies were critical stinkers that fared poorly at the box office.

There have been very few Renaissance men since the Renaissance—and they weren’t exactly thick on the ground even in their glory days. No modern figure is more worthy of that appellation than Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), who was not only the greatest German poet, playwright,…

For the vast edifice of baloney that is social psychology, there’s been good news and bad news lately. The good news is that Richard Thaler won the Nobel Prize. Thaler is the foremost evangelist for behavioral economics—the parasitic discipline that uses the findings of social psychology to…

We call it the Nobel prize in economics, but the Nobel that Richard Thaler won last week is technically a prize in “economic sciences,” and that bit of self-puffery (Oh, we’re scientists now, are we?) is fitting. Thaler is a pioneer of behavioral economics, the latest craze to sweep a trade not…

We call it the Nobel prize in economics, but the Nobel that Richard Thaler won last week is technically a prize in “economic sciences,” and that bit of self-puffery (Oh, we’re scientists now, are we?) is fitting. Thaler is a pioneer of behavioral economics, the latest craze to sweep a trade not…

Can there be such a thing as a great movie that is also unsatisfying? It would seem like a contradiction in terms. After all, how can something work when it doesn’t work? And yet it does happen. The early Marx Brothers and Woody Allen pictures are disastrous pieces of storytelling, but who cares…

Can there be such a thing as a great movie that is also unsatisfying? It would seem like a contradiction in terms. After all, how can something work when it doesn’t work? And yet it does happen. The early Marx Brothers and Woody Allen pictures are disastrous pieces of storytelling, but who cares…

Thousands of people work on National Football League coaching staffs and in front offices. Millions of Americans pretend to do these roles in fantasy leagues, or simply fantasize about running an NFL team. Everyone wonders: What is the secret to NFL success?

Remembering Jerry Pournelle (1933-2017).

Once again officials within the FDA are proposing to put other interests over the needs of dying patients, predominantly children.

Lasers to the rescue. One of the beautiful parts about my commute into Washington, D.C., from suburban Virginia is crossing the Potomac. Before we moved offices in 2015, I'd drive by the Lincoln Memorial every day. It was like living in a movie. Now, even though our new office is merely two streets…

Once again officials within the FDA are proposing to put other interests over the needs of dying patients, predominantly children.

When we think of trendy endeavors, it’s the fashion and entertainment industries that come to mind, not anything so serious as science. But the new issue of Scientific American is out, and it’s proving yet again that the Bunsen-burner crowd is every bit as modish as the Kardashians.

So ingrained are religious prejudices in societies the world over that people tend to think that atheists are more likely to be serial killers—at least, that’s the way the New York Times reported a new social-psychology study in Nature Human Behaviour.

These are not the journals you’re looking for.

These are not the journals you’re looking for.

Once upon a time, it didn’t matter if a clock tower in Spoleto kept time slightly differently than a tower in Assisi and far differently than one in Rome. In Why Time Flies we read about the experts in Greenwich who run data from 80 labs around the world into an algorithm that favors the more…

French Guiana

1) As many liberal commentators have eagerly pointed out, coal is a dying industry, and it makes no sense to prop up a dying industry. The issue, however, isn't whether Trump's pulling out of the Paris Agreement is propping it up so much as refusing to kill the industry prematurely. About a third…

For nearly 40 years, the federal government has enforced the "Common Rule." The rule required researchers in the social and medical sciences to get the approval of an independent review board, or IRB, for their federally funded experiments. The purpose of the boards, which are usually set up by the…

For nearly 40 years, the federal government has enforced the "Common Rule." The rule required researchers in the social and medical sciences to get the approval of an independent review board, or IRB, for their federally funded experiments. The purpose of the boards, which are usually set up by the…

It is the inarguable scientific consensus that early humans began developing stone tools between two and three million years ago, when the climate was undergoing a period of rapid change. African forests in the area we now know as Kenya were transforming into grasslands: The only way our ancestors…

Never again will a non-holiday pass without some sort of public #Resistance exertion. While anti-Trump emotions run high, festivals of malcontent give the aggrieved opportunities to vent in vague opposition to the administration. International Women's Day, that Soviet feast day sanitized and…

In early 1860, on the eve of the Civil War, Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species—published in Britain in November 1859—became a topic of conversation among a number of New England intellectuals. Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau read the Origin. So did Bronson Alcott, the father of…

In early 1860, on the eve of the Civil War, Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species—published in Britain in November 1859—became a topic of conversation among a number of New England intellectuals. Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau read the Origin. So did Bronson Alcott, the father of…

The least suggestion of genetic engineering throws rational people into a blind panic, as it should: Man-made innovations threatening to out-mode humanity have freaked out every right-thinking person for most of modern history. This entirely natural anxiety has driven a whole subgenre of…

Tucked away somewhere in my dusty science writer’s memorabilia is a postcard I received in the early 1980s. On the front side is a picture of "Lucy"—hundreds of fossilized bones arrayed as the skeleton of a small primitive human ancestor. Lucy's remains were unearthed in Ethiopia's Afar region in…

Why do orchids have such a fascinating grip on the popular imagination? There are poems, songs, and perfumes dedicated to roses, and famous paintings showcase sunflowers and water lilies. But no other flower has inspired the range of myth and symbolism as the orchid. According to Jim Endersby, the…

In President Obama's first inaugural address in January 2009, he declared, rather grandly, "We'll restore science to its rightful place..." The president has often prided himself on his devotion to science, and earlier this year the White House posted "100 Examples of Putting Science in Its…

After more than 20 years of planning, development, near cancellation, blood, sweat and tears, the construction of the James Webb Space Telescope is complete; it was was just completed. It took seven years longer than it was supposed to and went seven billion, two hundred million dollars over…

In the latest issue of Commentary, WEEKLY STANDARD senior editor Andrew Ferguson reviews the latest nonfiction offering from Tom Wolfe, The Kingdom of Speech. Here's an excerpt from the review:

“If you think you can stop me," Edison said softly, "go ahead and try. But you'll have to do it in the dark."

John McPhee's five-book Annals of the Former World tracks the author's geologic journey across the United States, at the fortieth parallel, on Interstate 80, using the highway's exposed rock "roadcuts" to peek into North America's geologic past. McPhee's trip was broken into five books,…

From Simon Oxenham's excellent weekly column in New Scientist comes word of another social psychology study that will undermine our faith in social psychology studies. We can never get enough of those.

As you've heard, it's healthy to exercise, socialize, volunteer and get enough sleep, to the point of extending your life. Now a new study indicates that reading books can keep you alive longer as well. So if that's your inclination in the heat of August and you have time at a beach or beside a…

The international conference on climate change attracted thousands of delegates from almost 200 nations. The Conference of the Parties21, so named for the parties that signed the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992 and had come to Paris for what was their 21st conference, came to an…

The Associated Press is running with a rather tendentious headline at the moment, "AP FACT CHECK: On climate science, most GOP candidates fail." For their fact check, the AP asked a group of Ph.D. scientists to grade presidential candidates based on their statements about global warming. To keep…

One morning in August, the social science reporter for National Public Radio, a man named Shankar Vedantam, sounded a little shellshocked. You couldn’t blame him. 

Although Planned Parenthood's most recent controversy revolves around "fetal tissue" trafficking, the organization is no stranger to eyebrow-raising activities. A recent solicitation for participants for Planned Parenthood's Sexual Health Evaluation (SHE) study promised at least $70 with a chance…

Hillary Clinton was heckled today at a town hall in New Hampshire.

The Centers for Disease Control recently announced the availability of $76 million in grants for the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) program. This program is designed to "monitor the HIV epidemic" and detect changes in HIV-risk behaviors among high-risk population groups with an eye…

The Obama administration on June 2 convened the White House Forum on Antibiotic Stewardship, “to bring together key human and animal health constituencies involved in antibiotic stewardship.” The White House billed this meeting—to which more than 150 companies were invited—as furthering previous…

The Obama administration has not been shy about partnering with religious leaders on issues such as poverty, HIV/AIDS prevention, Obamacare, and even climate change. Now the White House is soliciting nominations for an upcoming Champions of Change ceremony to "honor faith leaders who are making a…

Everyone is talking about the New York Times piece exposing how utterly wrong, willfully blind, and insanely dangerous Paul Ehrlich is, and has been, for the last forty-seven years. There’s video, too.

At an event today at Howard University in Washington, D.C., President Obama warned of the public health risks assocaited with global warming. 

Seems the answer, according to Gallup, is Not so much.

Secretary of State John Kerry spoke at the Atlantic Council Thursday morning as part of the Road to Paris Climate Series and he compared the certainty of human-caused climate change to the law of gravity and to the temperature at which water freezes. He also questioned the right of anyone to…

 Lisa Zyga writes at phys.org that

Hillary Clinton has responded to questions about vaccines raised by Senator Rand Paul and Governor Chris Christie with a tweet saying unequivocally that vaccines works. "The science is clear: The earth is round, the sky is blue, and #vaccineswork. Let's protect all our kids. #GrandmothersKnowBest,"…

Keeping us safe from ourselves has become a multi-billion dollar industry. Consumer groups, environmental organizations, the trial bar, the medical establishment, university researchers, and the government are all working together, doing all they can to prevent us from making what they consider to…

The latest episode of Conversations With Bill Kristol features guest Jim Manzi:

The warmongers are at it again. In case you haven’t heard, the Pentagon has declared a global war on global warming. It’s our armed forces vs. the forces of nature, and we are the enemy. Those entrusted with protecting us from suicide bombers are now trying to protect the environment from us.

The Obama administration is suddenly a champion of states' rights when it comes to the Ebola quarantine controversy.

While the rise of the barbarous Islamic State and the spread of the modern day plague of Ebola has many concerned about the state of civilization here on earth, some at the White House are turning their attention beyond our planet. A Tuesday entry on the White House blog solicits ideas for…

A new video by the Environmental Policy Alliance mocks Hollywood celebrity Leonardo DiCaprio for being "just another celebrity hypocrite" when it comes to the topic of climate change:

"Mother Nature ... is screaming at us about" climate change, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told the crowd at the opening event of Climate Week NYC 2014. While Kerry used a more measured tone than that which he attributed to Mother Nature, the apocalyptic nature of his warnings were in keeping…

At the United Nations General Assembly, Secretary of State John Kerry will make "climate change ... a foreign policy priority," the State Department announced in press release. "Secretary Kerry Elevates Climate Change at UN General Assembly," the press release is titled.

Secretary of State John Kerry spoke at U.S. Aid's 2014 Frontiers in Development Forum Friday and gave a stark warning about "500-year" drought conditions around the world that he says are a result of climate change. He went so far as to say that "[t]here are people killing each other over water in…

In her last video of the season, the Factual Feminist exposes the flimsy thinking behind a Verizon ad. Watch the video below:

"Everything reminds Milton of the money supply," Robert Solow once said of his fellow Nobel-winning economist Milton Friedman at a symposium. "Well, everything reminds me of sex, but I keep it out of the paper."

Secretary of State John Kerry did not shy away from pejorative language when addressing "climate change" in his commencement speech at Boston College on Monday.  Kerry referred to those skeptical of the Obama administration's climate claims as "members of the Flat Earth Society" who are "risking…

Secretary of State John Kerry welcomed French foreign minister Laurent Fabius to the State Department in Washington on  Tuesday to discuss a range of issues, from Iran to Syria to climate change. Or, in the words of the foreign minister, "climate chaos." Kerry and Fabius made a joint appearance…

This week the Factual Feminist takes on the new program in feminist biology at the University of Wisconsin, striking another blow for sanity and against agenda-driven, politicized science!

When Michelle Obama celebrated the fourth anniversary of "Let's Move," her White House initiative on fitness and healthy eating, she cited a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) showing a remarkable 43 percent drop in obesity rates among children ages 2-5.  Mrs. Obama brought…

Secretary of State John Kerry said today in Indonesia that climate change is "the world’s largest weapon of mass destruction."

The Wall Street Journal reports:

Thought experiment: Imagine you are a national security reporter, covering the release of a massive, 2,000-page report on domestic intelligence gathering activities and future threat assessment from the National Security Agency. But instead of issuing the full report, the NSA issues a 30-page…

While everyone else has spent the last few days obsessing about Gravity, the government shutdown, and the real possibility that the NFC East division champ will have six wins, it’s quietly been an interesting week for sociology nerds who think about marriage.

The Scrapbook has previously commented on the “new breed of pundit/political scientist who seems to think that a pie chart is a substitute for argument.” Whether it’s the fault of an education system and corporate sector saturated with PowerPoint presentations, the increasing desperation of…

Just this week, news broke that the "world’s first entirely 3D-printed gun" was successfully built and test-fired by an engineer in Texas.  The technology involves a special printer that uses melted polymers to generate plastic components for a variety of uses, now including working firearms.…

President Obama thanked the the National Academy of Sciences and said if it weren't for them, "I would not be here." He was referring to the work they did to help the Union in the Civil War. 

In a statement marking Earth Day, Secretary of State John Kerry pledges to deal "responsibly with the clear and present danger of climate change." The former presidential candidate also notes the "fragile planet we share with the rest of humanity and which we must protect for future generations."

At a speech this morning at the White House to outline a new science initiative, President Barack Obama named himself "Scientist-in-Chief."

A meta-study that appeared in the Annals of Internal Medicine last September found no “strong evidence that organic foods are significantly more nutritious than conventional foods.” A dozen Stanford researchers combed some 237 studies that analyzed food consumption and health outcomes among…

In his State of the Union Address this evening, President Barack Obama will encourage Congress to adapt a cap and trade plan to deal with climate change. Energy, climate, and taxes are a sizable portion of Obama's speech.

In December 1972, Eugene Cernan took a long climb up a short ladder on the lunar surface and became the last human being to set foot on another world. It was forty years ago this week that Apollo 17 completed its quarter million mile journey home, marking the last time to date humans have traveled…

Jim Manzi recently delivered this talk on science, knowledge, and freedom at Harvard University, which features interesting colloquy with Harvey Mansfield:

In the 1930s, a group of psychologists and physical anthropologists at Harvard chose 268 students whose medical, amatory, and career experiences they wished to document over the remaining decades of their lives. Department-store mogul W. T. Grant, who bankrolled the study, was curious about what…

David K. Randall begins this glide through dreamland with a quote from Aldous Huxley: “That we are not much sicker and much madder than we are is due exclusively to that most blessed and blessing of all natural graces, sleep.” 

Pleonasm and pomposity, those twins of purple prose, define a certain kind of religious writing. A certain kind of holiday writing, for that matter—read a typical newspaper column about Thanksgiving, if you need another example—and any number of political orations. Historians, scientists, social…

Navy Times: "Petraeus shedding military uniform to head CIA"

Forty-two years ago yesterday, Apollo 11’s Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin ascended from the surface of the moon and rendezvoused with Michael Collins in the command module Columbia for their trip home from mankind’s maiden voyage to the moon. All three men are now in their 80s, and no human being…

Deadly Choices

A week ago, the New York Times had a piece on the effects of global warming on the coastal town of Norfolk, Virginia. “As sea levels rise, tidal flooding is increasingly disrupting life here and all along the East Coast, a development many climate scientists link to global warming,” the Times…