Keeping up with the Precambrians

Here's an update on the planned presidential science debate. Organizers have still yet to hear from any of the presidential candidates, but they still hope to hold a science and techonology-themed debate involving McCain, Obama and Clinton this spring.

And on the topic of science and politics: since 1939, one person in the White House has had the formidable task of informing the president and his staff on science and technology policy. This person, the Presidential Science Advisor, has a big job and a big responsibility. Learn more about the PSA and his office from Wikipedia.

In one of the quirkier stories from the world of science, fifth-grader Kenton Stufflebeam pointed out something that escaped scrutiny for 27 years at -- of all places -- the Smithsonian Institution. An exhibit on the history of the Earth erroneously referred to the Precambrian "Era." The Precambrian, as the geology folks know, is a vast stretch of time composing some 7/8 of Earth's history, not an era by the geological definition. More details from USA Today.

Breaking the Ice

Climate change is in the news once more this week, as a gigantic ice shelf in Antarctica broke up. The Christian Science Monitor has more.

Space shuttle Discovery returned to Earth this week after a 16-day mission to the International Space Station. It was the longest such shuttle/ISS mission to date. The seven-member Discovery crew didn't just float around; they completed many tasks necessary to the maintenance and upgrade of the station. More from MSNBC.com.

An ancient jawbone discovered in Europe is now believed to be that of a 1.2 million-year-old human. The finding means that jawbone is the oldest known human remain. National Geographic has the story.

Lar Lar Lar DIE!

Greetings and salutations, science fans! Your ole' pal Brandon comin' atcha again with some juicy jabberwockies and tongue-twisted tidbits from the world of...SCIENCE!

A NASA probe in orbit around Mars captured some amazing pictures this week. The images from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter show landslides in action, flowing down a mountainside near the Martian north pole. Check out the the images, plus a fascinating explanation, at the Science@NASA website.

The long-held stereotype is that girls excel in the arts, and boys are better in math and science -- and as far as we knew, it was because girls were more interested in artistic pursuits and boys liked numbers. Well, that myth is being put to the test in a new survey that shows girls do like math and science, even more so than language arts and history. Get more from MSNBC's LiveScience.

One last note about space: the Cassini orbiter around Saturn discovered what appears to be rings around Rhea, the planet's second-largest moon. If the evidence holds up, Rhea would be the first known moon to host a ring system.

Big Week!!!!!!!!111!!11one LOLZ

It was a big week for science. Yep, real big. Huge stuff happening.

But you won't read about it here.

On the Subject of Science

Many of us cast votes based on religion, economics, war, peace, international relations and many other factors. But I bet very few pay attention to candidates' knowledge and application of science. Some presidential administrations have been friendly to scientists and researchers, other not so much.

To find out more about this year's slate, the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia is inviting the top four presidential candidates (Clinton, Obama, McCain and Huckabee) to a science debate slated to take place in April. So far, none of the contenders have accepted.

I hope they all do; science is a big deal. From stem cells to forensics to space tourism and more, the present and the future will be shaped by the state of our scientific knowledge. Knowing how the candidates stand on the issue of government science (entities such as CDC, NOAA, NSF and others) is vitally important.

There's more from MSNBC science blogger Alan Boyle here.

Columbus Sails a New Ocean

After two months of delays, the space shuttle Atlantis lifted off Thursday on a mission to the International Space Station. Atlantis is carrying a $2 billion science lab called Columbus. The module will be joined to the ISS to increase working space and broaden the scope of science experiments carried out by the ISS crews.

From MSNBC: Test your shuttle knowledge.

Valentine's Day is next Thursday. Of course, there is no science to relationships. But by gum, there can be science in relationships: here's a list of Valentine's Day chemistry experiments for those science wonks in love.

Mercury, Milestones and the Music in Your Head

Yesterday, January 31, marked the 50th anniversary of America's first satellite, Explorer 1. The four-foot long tube-shaped satellite was built at Huntsville's Redstone Arsenal. Find out more about Explorer 1 from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

NPR science correspondent Robert Krulwich filed one of his delightfully inventive pieces for Morning Edition on Tuesday, this one about a woman whose brain hallucinated sounds. Listen to her tale and see what it tells us about the amazing human brain at NPR.org.

NASA's MESSENGER space probe flew past Mercury on January 14, beaming back some impressive images of the closest planet to the Sun. What those first images show us is already helping to rewrite the history (and present understanding) of the planet and its space environment. Get more at Science@NASA.

(Not) Life on Mars

Not too long ago, the Spirit Mars rover beamed back to Earth an interesting image. From the robot's perspective, it looked an awful lot like a humanoid statue, which of course got the crackpots (the same ones who ramble on about the "face on Mars") claiming that it was proof of intelligent life on Mars.

Well, good ol' science has solved the mystery. Much like the heralded Cydonia face, the "statue" was nothing more than a rock eroded by the wind into something that looks vaguely human. It's an interesting example of equating "intelligent" life with human life. One of the simplest tests you can do is ask yourself, "If this were really a statue on Mars, why the hell would it look like one of us?" Lesson learned: don't look for us in space, because you won't find anything past this blue marble.

MSNBC space science blogger Alan Boyle has the story.

I Heart Geology

A geologist, a geochemist and a geophysicist are sitting in their office when someone comes in and asks, "What's 2 + 2?"

The geologist responds, "Oh, around four."

The geochemist says, "Four plus or minus two."

The geophysicist says, "What number do you want?"

Get it? WHAT NUMBER DO YA WANT?! Hahahahahahahahahahaha! I love geology.

Done and Done

Something about stem cells was in the news this week. I kind of tuned in and out. What do you want from me? It was a holiday weekend.

Also, did you know that Thanksgiving in Canada is celebrated in October? It's true.

The (Mesozoic) Cow Jumped Over the (Steroid-Soaked) Moon

Hey there, science fans! It was a week with some interesting news about and involving science.

First, to the world of sports: Barry Bonds was indicted on perjury charges this week. The perjury in question was about his use of steroids, so how about a basic refresher: What are steroids? And just what are the effects of steroids on the human body?

The late fall and winter months are the best for stargazers and lunar observers. I'm a Moon man myself, and so I hope you'll join me in getting out the ol' telescope and lunar charts and take advantage of tonight's half-moon. Here's a guide to get you started.

Scientists this week revealed the discovery of a dinosaur whose appetite resembles that of a modern cow--plants, grasses and the like. Its mouth had several rows of teeth, better to chew that stringy cellulose. Learn more from the Los Angeles Times.

Um...Some Science-Type Stuff

The debate over Intelligent Design in this country has been going on for years (though exactly why escapes me--it ain't science). The always-enlightening PBS series NOVA profiles the struggle between science and ID in one Pennsylvania town in "Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial," airing Tuesday, November 13 at 8:00 p.m. CST.

Anyone else tried searching for Comet Holmes? I got out my telescope and set up in the back of my truck Monday night, searching for what was billed as this spectacular comet. When I finally found the darn thing, it was just a fuzzy gray blob. Booooooooo. Hisssssssss. Maybe you'll have better luck--Holmes will be visible for another few weeks.

Gratuitous mention of a nifty Wikipedia article: the rings of Jupiter.

Finally, and on a lighter note, the Times of London presents a list of the ten wackiest science experiments of all time.

Shake, Rattle and Die

So on Tuesday, there was this earthquake, right? It was near San Jose. It was moderate one--only a 5.6--but it could portend larger temblors for the San Francisco Bay Area in the near future. But not many residents are preparing for such an event. Read more in the San Jose Mercury News.

Other than that, there was surely science conducted somewhere in the world this week. But you'll have to go elsewhere to read about it. And his wife...a horse.

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Fire Science

Obviously, the California wildfires have been leading newscasts and newspaper front pages this week. Perhaps not-so-obviously, there is a scientific side to the story.

Time magazine gives us an idea of the basic science behind wildfires.

There's a geographic take on the fires over USA Today.com. It's an interactive map you can manipulate to show different landmarks and weather data in relation to the fires.

The National Weather Service forecast offices in Los Angeles and San Diego are keeping close tabs on the Santa Ana winds that fan the flames.

And just what are the Santa Ana winds, anyway? How do they form, and what makes them so dangerous? NPR's Morning Edition offers up some answers. If you want a more in-depth explanation, you can get it from UCLA.

Weather or Not

One of the great figures in biology is in trouble for remarks he made in a newspaper--and not for the first time. James Watson, co-discoverer of the structure of DNA, told the London Sunday Times that he's worried about the future of Africa, because "all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours, whereas all the testing says not really." The 1962 Nobel laureate has since apologized, saying he didn't mean to imply Africans are less intelligent than other people. Nevertheless, he was suspended from his post at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York, and an upcoming British book tour has also been quashed.

Seismologists have known for a while that, famous though San Andreas may be, it's not the most dangerous fault in California. Another fault, the Hayward, poses a bigger risk to the San Francisco/Oakland area, largely because the public doesn't understand the threat. Geologist Andrew Alden takes us on a tour of the Hayward Fault, and tells us why we need to pay more attention to it.

Turning to local issues in science, Alabama is moving quickly toward the fall tornado season. Folks in west Alabama got a preview Thursday as two tornadoes touched down in Winston County. The National Weather Service's Birmingham office has more. NWS' Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, has great background information on the science behind tornadoes and severe storms.

Next week in the Chanticleer, look for my feature story about the present and future of Jacksonville's water system. The recent drought is making the headlines, but it's population growth that will shape the course of water supplies in Jacksonville. It depends on geology, climate, hydraulics, gravity, politics and many other factors that may give you pause next time you turn on the tap.

Nobel, Meet Ig Nobel

The week in science was dominated by a series of events that always manages to spark curiosity and debate--two very good things in humanity.

First, the Nobel Prizes were awarded this week. Of the six categories, three are specifically for science: physics, chemistry and medicine/physiology. This year, even the Peace Prize had a scientific overtone; Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change won for research into global warming.

The International Herald Tribune takes a look at facts and fiction when it comes to the Nobel Prizes.

And of course, no Nobel week is complete without the annual Ig Nobels, which honor dubious studies and useless discoveries. The prizes are awarded annually by the Annals of Improbable Research, a honest-to-goodness science journal.

This year, some of the recipients won for developing a "gay bomb," figuring out the effects of Viagra on jet lagged hamsters and figuring out why sheets wrinkle. The studies are all real, but the awards...just for fun. NPR's Science Friday airs a recap of the ceremony each year; when that happens, I'll be sure to post it here.

See? Science does have a sense of humor.

Fifty Years On

It's been a busy week in science. Here are some of the highlights:

The University of Alabama's got a brand-new microscope capable of seeing atoms in 3-D. Far out.

The results from a round of testing indicate that X-ray colonoscopies are just as good as the traditional kind at detecting polyps. The procedure is also less invasive than current endoscope methods.

Geologists are closer to understanding the mechanics of the San Andreas Fault. This week, U.S. Geological Survey scientists held a press conference to discuss the latest core samples recovered by the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD). Those samples came from a depth of 2.5 miles and may shed light on earthquakes as far back as the 1906 temblor that decimated San Francisco.

Finally, it's been fifty years since the launch of Sputnik 1, the Soviet satellite that jumpstarted the Space Race. National Public Radio has assembled a page of special reports on Sputnik at 50, all of which are worth a listen.

And we couldn't escape Sputnik Fever over at the Chanty, either. Read my editorial on the promise (and disappointment) of fifty years of space exploration.

Dawn of Understanding

This past Wednesday, a full moon shone in the night sky. But it wasn't just any full moon--it was the Harvest Moon, so called because farmers would use the light from the Harvest Moon to illuminate fields during the fall harvest. There's more from Science@NASA. Also: every full moon of the calendar year has its own name and lore. Find out more from nineplanets.org.

Scientists working with iron ores from Australia have figured out that oxygen existed on Earth some 50 to 100 million years earlier than previously thought. Get the full story from the National Science Foundation.

The Bush Administration is now pushing for countries to curb greenhouse gas emissions, but is wonderfully vague on how exactly that should be accomplished. The latest issue of Scientific American magazine has more.

This week, NASA launched the Dawn spacecraft on a 1.7-billion-mile journey to study asteroids. What Dawn learns may completely redraw our conclusions about the formation, evolution and future of the Solar System. Space.com has a breathtaking picture of Thursday morning's launch.

Caves on Mars and Ice on Earth

The Mars Odyssey probe is seding back some interesting images: it's discovered cave entrances on the slopes of a Martian volcano. The discovery is prompting a fresh round of speculation about habitats for life on the Red Planet.

Even as the Northern Hemisphere approacces winter, the sea ice around the North Pole is down to its smallest extent in history. Mark Serreze, a scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center, says that the 2007 figures "shatter" the old record, which goes all the way back...to 2005.

That old rock that used to sit on your bureau or desk; the one you claimed was an exotic fossil--what was it really? Would you even know how to tell the difference between the genuine article and a fake? Geologist Andrew Alden takes a crack at the basics in What Are Fossils?

In this week's Chanticleer, I'm working on a story about college students' sometimes-unusual sleep habits. Sleep problems are getting worse for students, and it doesn't look good for caffeine lovers like me. Check it out in the September 27 edition of the Chanticleer.

Mysteries Meteorologic and Geologic

Happy Saturday, science fans! I just like saying "science fans." Science fans.

You probably caught stories about Hurricane Humberto this week, but what you may not know is that Humberto was one of the fastest-intensifying tropical systems on record. He went from a tropical depression to category one hurricane in just fourteen hours. James Franklin, a forecaster at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, says it would be nice to know why that happened -- "someday."

More than forty earthquakes shook Indonesia this week, and seven of them were magnitude 6 or above -- a rare occurrence, indeed. Here's a map of the region, and the accompanying list of recent earthquakes. Seismologists are unsure what, if any, connection the recent activity has to a larger seismic, tectonic or volcanic framework.

Finally, I'm working on a feature story on forensic science classes in colleges and universities. More and more students are getting into forensics because of TV shows and books, but are they sticking with it to become qualified professionals, or are they becoming disillusioned by the line between real-life science and television? It's a basic question that leads us down many roads to many opinions. Find out how it works out next Thursday in the Chanticleer, and in early October on Alabama Public Radio.