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Congress Considers Killing Open-Access Journals

March 6, 2009

coglanglab's picture

In recent years, the government has made moves to support making the results of taxpayer-funded research available to taxpayers for free. A new bill in Congress attempts to pull the plug.

Review in honor of tomorrow's scheduled Kepler launch

March 5, 2009

Fred Bortz's picture

Tomorrow morning, if all goes according to schedule, NASA will launch the Kepler mission, which according to noted astronomer Alan Boss in his new book, The Crowded Universe, is likely to discover many Earthlike worlds orbiting in their stars' habitable zones.

Can Peer Review Solve Conflicts of Interest?

March 4, 2009

coglanglab's picture

As I wrote recently, Stephen Quake has been writing about conflicts of interest in research over at The Wild Side blog. He proposes solving these problems with peer review. I like the article, and he has many thoughtful things to say on the topic, but I don't really understand this proposal.

All Scientists Have Conflicts of Interest (Duh)

February 27, 2009

coglanglab's picture

The problem of conflicts of interest in science is not going to go away.

Book Recommendation: Almost Astronauts by Tanya Lee Stone

February 25, 2009

Fred Bortz's picture

My friend and fellow children's author Tanya Lee Stone has put all of her passion and research skills into a book that is guaranteed to change the lives of young women who dream of great achievements in science and technology. Not only do I recommend the book, but I also recommend that readers in the DC area mark their calendars for Tanya's speaking events next month.

What the Stimulus Package Means for Science

February 25, 2009

coglanglab's picture

What's in the Stimulus Package for science?

NASA's Swift Spies Comet Lulin

February 20, 2009

While waiting for high-energy outbursts and cosmic explosions, NASA's Swift Gamma-ray Explorer satellite is monitoring Comet Lulin as it closes on Earth. For the first time, astronomers are seeing simultaneous ultraviolet and X-ray images of a comet.

New recipe for dwarf galaxies: Start with leftover gas

February 19, 2009

There is more than one way to make a dwarf galaxy, and NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer has found a new recipe.

Cleaner panels give Mars rover an energy boost

February 18, 2009

A small but important uptick in electrical output from the solar panels on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit this month indicates a beneficial Martian wind has blown away some of the dust that has accumulated on the panels.

Cosmologists aim to observe first moments of universe

February 16, 2009

During the next decade, a delicate measurement of primordial light could reveal convincing evidence for the popular cosmic inflation theory, which proposes that a random, microscopic density fluctuation in the fabric of space and time gave birth to the universe in a hot big bang approximately 13.7 billion years ago.

Evidence of ancient hot springs on Mars

February 13, 2009

Data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) suggest the discovery of ancient springs in the Vernal Crater, sites where life forms may have evolved on Mars, according to a report in Astrobiology.

NASA's Swift, Fermi Probe Fireworks From a Flaring Gamma-Ray Star

February 12, 2009

Astronomers using NASA's Swift satellite and Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope are seeing frequent blasts from a stellar remnant 30,000 light-years away.

NASA Carbon Mission to Improve Future Climate Change Predictions

February 9, 2009

A new NASA mission set to launch later this month will help scientists better understand the most important human-produced greenhouse gas contributing to climate change: carbon dioxide.

First N. American antenna lets ALMA Observatory do its thing

February 6, 2009

Astronomers today celebrated the formal acceptance of the first North American antenna by the Joint ALMA Observatory. ALMA, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, is a gathering armada of short-wavelength radio telescopes whose combined power will enable astronomers to probe with unprecedented sharpness phenomena and regions that are beyond the reach of visible-light telescopes.

Latest Additions to the Science Shelf book review archive

February 6, 2009

Fred Bortz's picture

THE SCIENCE SHELF NEWSLETTER
News about the Science Shelf archive of book reviews, columns, and comments by Fred Bortz

Issue #29, Back from Hiatus edition, February 2009



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