Category Archives: Science news

Even airlines get it: slowing down saves fuel!

Posted on May 5, 2008 by skullsinthestars

I just saw this article on CNN the other day: Planes slow down to save fuel. Apparently airlines are finally starting to feel the pinch of higher gas prices, and are learning that going at a slightly slower speed can … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Science news | 12 Comments

Some real stories of ‘religious persecution’

Posted on April 18, 2008 by skullsinthestars

Blake over at Science After Sunclipse has written an excellent essay about the real threats and intimidation that people have experienced when speaking out in favor of evolution.  The makers of the idiocy that is the film Expelled would like … Continue reading →

Posted in Religion, Science news | Leave a comment

Earthquake rocks Illinois!

Posted on April 18, 2008 by skullsinthestars

This headline caught my eye, as I grew up in the Chicago area. I’ll eagerly await reports from my family as to the horrific shocks they no doubt felt in the suburbs… According to CNN, The earthquake occurred in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Science news | Leave a comment

Expelled Exposed goes live!

Posted on April 15, 2008 by skullsinthestars

Via Pharyngula, I see that the Expelled Exposed website, which points out the flaws and lies in the new Ben Stein creationist claptrap Expelled, has ‘gone live’ and added lots of new content, including a depressing film about the ouster … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Science news | Leave a comment

Creationists and cranks: Ignore, Engage, or Insult?

Posted on April 9, 2008 by skullsinthestars

Via Pharyngula, I see that Scientific American has posted a number of reviews of the creationist propaganda film Expelled, and as one would suspect, none of them are good. One statement by John Rennie on the matter caught my eye, … Continue reading →

Posted in ... the Hell?, Science news | 2 Comments

PZ Myers and Richard Dawkins: a lesson in ‘framing’

Posted on March 25, 2008 by skullsinthestars

The blogs are all abuzz with a recent kerfuffle amongst PZ Myers of Pharyngula and Matt Nisbet of Framing Science. For those who haven’t been following it, a brief summary follows: PZ was ‘expelled’ from the soon-to-be-released creationist claptrap Expelled. … Continue reading →

Posted in Science news | Leave a comment

Arthur C. Clarke dies at 90

Posted on March 19, 2008 by skullsinthestars

Science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke, writer of numerous books including the iconic 2001, passed away today in Sri Lanka at the age of 90. Reading various comments around the internet today, I almost get the feeling that Clarke will … Continue reading →

Posted in Science news | Leave a comment

Talking parrots, vocabulary canines, and tool-using crows… Oh my!

Posted on March 15, 2008 by skullsinthestars

Just a quick note: a friend of mine pointed me to a very nice National Geographic article on animal intelligence, which can be read here. The article discusses the well-known case of Alex the parrot, but also discusses other surprising … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Science news | Leave a comment

Mars has avalanches!

Posted on March 3, 2008 by skullsinthestars

For those who don’t read the Bad Astronomy blog, I feel duty bound to share an image taken by the HiRISE camera currently orbiting Mars.  They caught a picture of several avalanches on steep cliffs on Mars: It’s also worth … Continue reading →

Posted in Science news | 6 Comments

The role of cognitive bias in the existence of crackpottery and quackery

Posted on March 3, 2008 by skullsinthestars

A few recent articles got me thinking about the prevalence of crackpot science and medical quackery in modern society, and I thought I’d just write a post with some general thoughts and observations on the subject. The articles that got … Continue reading →

Posted in ... the Hell?, General science, Science news | 2 Comments