I got a lot of great comments on my last post about the growing anti-science sentiment. Instead of writing another post, I decided to record my reactions in the First Ever, Science and Grant Podcast!
It’s going to take a few days to get this set up as an actual podcast you can find on iTunes (look for that later in the week), but you can listen to it right here by clicking on the player above.
Some of the questions I ...(read more)
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“The anti-science sentiment is entirely the fault of well-funded Koch brothers and people like them.”
I was helping out with the petition to get Obama’s attention on the issue of biomedical research funding. Amongst the flurry of emails, I got one that said essentially this:
“I’m trying to get people to sign this petition, but some people are pushing back because they’re not really sure of the value of science.” The email then went on to point to this article that discussed ...(read more)
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Recently, I posted a link to a story by the Atlantic over on my Facebook page called “How Your Cat is Making You Crazy.” The article discusses Jaroslav Flegr, a Czech evolutionary biologist who has been studying Toxoplasma gondii, or the brain parasite which can be passed from cats to humans.
But this article isn’t really about that: this article discusses how Flegr and his research haven’t always been taken seriously–in fact, just the opposite. His idea (that T. Gondii actually ...(read more)
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The message below was forwarded to me by a colleague about the dire funding situation, and in particular, about the lack of understanding that the present Whitehouse/administration/congress has of its effects. These colleagues have started an official petition via the “We the people” site (sponsored by the Whitehouse), and if this petition gets enough digital signatories, there will be an automatic trigger for the executive branch to consider and respond to this issue “officially.”
So, if you’re at all concerned about ...(read more)
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After a recent web seminar I hosted to help people write grants that are more likely to get funded, I got a note from a writer overseas that raised an interesting point about “fundability” and the progress of science (we’ll call him A to preserve anonymity).
He wrote:
THe major point I am raising though refers to the type of science. IN the western society model, incorporating science as one among other activities, the spiral has been closing down and down on ...(read more){ 11 comments }
