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I’m off to GSA 2010 in Denver in a little bit, but I’ll bring you a brief update of the eruption overnight at Merapi. As you might have read in […]
“The elimination of poverty ought to be within our grasp, and yet for hundreds of millions of people over the globe, it remains but a dream. Why can’t the world’s wealth be shared?”
“Suborbital spaceflights that rely on rubber-based rocket fuel could shrink icecaps, alter the ozone layer and affect global temperatures, according to a new study.”
In place of ethanol production largely judged to be harmful to the environment and automobile engines, new producers are making hydrocarbon fuel from cellulose.
Give it a rest, Gawker. Don’t tell me you slut shamed Delaware Republican senate candidate Christine O’Donnell for any higher purpose: What’s missing from most of the criticism is this […]
Here is a huge UK domestic political story, with major ramifications for the future direction both for nuclear defence and foreign policy. It goes to the heart of Britain’s relations […]
It seems that every year or so, the unveiling and delivery of a new supercomputer that trumps the previous speed record sweeps the headlines. In fact, there are so many […]
“I do not support the idea of repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell before our military members and commanders complete their review.” That’s what Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said to explain […]
-The Central Park Zoo welcomes baby mongooses. (Yes, that is the correct plural.) -Great moments in occupational health and safety: London, 1852, the Head Keeper in the Serpent Room at […]
Merapi has dominated the volcano news this week, but there is some other things to mention! GSA 2010: Next Sunday through Wednesday I’ll be at the Geological Society of America […]
Merapi is showing no signs of slowing down, but some of the eruptive activity has changed in its character. The first reports of lava at the summit area came in […]
American University communication major Colin Campbell attended a forum in Washington, DC this week assessing the use of social media strategies in politics. In a guest post, he reports on […]
“If Israel refuses to implement a settlement freeze in keeping with international law.. the answer is to hold Israel accountable to what a just and lasting peace demands.”
Unable to handle the pressure to pick more and more cotton, in October 2008, Umida Donisheva, a 17-year-old girl, hung herself from a tree on the edge of a cotton field.
It is not often that a celebrity memoir makes the leap from the front page of the New York Times Arts section to its Op-Ed page, but then what less […]
Have you noticed just how ubiquitous the phrase “mad as hell” has become in news coverage and commentary? The catchphrase has been used to support a narrative that anger is […]
It initially cost $3 billion to fully sequence all of the 25,000 or so genes that describe a human being. The resulting data is essentially an “owner’s manual” for our […]
The Democrats are bracing for big losses in next week’s election. While the Democrats may, as Nate Silver argues, still have some modest chance of retaining both houses of Congress, […]
While reusable bottles and tap water filters are by far the best alternative to bottled water, they can be, to use the highly scientific term, a hassle. To address this, […]
From the We Love DC blog: Pre-Pre Show – 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Video montages and music will play on Jumbotrons to entertain the audience Pre Show – 12 […]
A few weeks ago, rumors started swirling that the United Nations was going to nominate Mazlan Othman, a celebrated Malayasian astrophysicist, to be the UN’s first Space Ambassador.
The news of the aftermath from the Merapi eruption continues to be grim. The pyroclastic flows have killed at least 33 people (including the “Keeper of Merapi”, who has caused a stir […]
Last night President Obama appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, receiving mixed reviews from commentators as the President sought to speak directly to an important Democratic base of […]
So, maybe I spoke too soon when I mentioned in passing how quiet the fall has been in the world of volcanic eruptions. In less than a week since I […]
“Pig manure can pave our streets—and a path to cleaner energy.” The Atlantic reports on a new machine that converts excrement into bio-oil and liquid fertilizer.
“The time taken to ‘fall in love’ clocks in at about one-fifth of a second, not the six months of romantic dinners and sharing secrets some might expect.”
“Having at least one female sibling makes us happier and less prone to depression, especially if our parents were divorced. This effect seems to persist into adulthood.”
The decision by Iraq’s high tribunal to pass a death sentence on Tariq Aziz, once the international face of dictator Saddam Hussein’s regime, over “the persecution of Islamic parties”, has the feel of […]
Maybe it was a good thing that I was headed out of town the day Juan Williams got whacked by the NPR head honchos. Because it probably wouldn’t have taken […]
While recent advances in software and technology have made remarkable progress in humanoid robotics, one area consistently lagging in comparison to human ability has been the sensitivity of touch. Now, […]