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Survey: Americans struggle with science; respect scientists

By Guest PostFebruary 23, 2014General, Scienceamericans, earth, john besley, michigan state university, respect scientists, Science, struggle, survey, technology museum, united states

While most Americans could be a bit more knowledgeable in the ways of science, a majority are interested in hearing about the latest scientific breakthroughs and think highly of scientists.

This is according to a survey of more than 2,200 people conducted by the National Science Foundation, one that is conducted every two years and is part of a report – Science and Engineering Indicators – that the National Science Board provides to the president and Congress. (more…)

Big data and how to use it

By Guest PostDecember 28, 2013Economy, Technologybank of america, big data, bintong chen, bruce weber, charles riordan, chitra dorai, consumer analytics, courtney smith goodrich, data analytics, david schweidel, emory university, era, hannah montana, ifsa, industry applications, information systems, jason van hulse, jpmorgan chase, magic, nate silver, pratap manyam, raj venkatesan, Science, sequencing, skyrocketed, Technology, university of delaware

UD Consumer Analytics and Industry Applications conference discusses big data

In the era of big data come big questions about how to use it. These questions and more were the backdrop of the recent Consumer Analytics and Industry Applications conference, put on by the University of Delaware’s Institute for Financial Services Analytics (IFSA).

“We are living in a big data world,” said IFSA director and professor of business administration, Bintong Chen. The institute is a collaboration between UD’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics, the College of Engineering and JPMorgan Chase. (more…)

No peak in sight for evolving bacteria

By Guest PostDecember 6, 2013Sciencebacteria, Environment, frozen fossil record, generation, mathematical function, michael wiser, michigan state university, noah ribeck, population, power law, quantitatively, richard lenski, Science, set of mutations, simple environment

There’s no peak in sight – fitness peak, that is – for the bacteria in Richard Lenski’s Michigan State University lab.

Lenski, MSU Hannah Distinguished Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, has been running his evolutionary bacteria experiment for 25 years, generating more than 58,000 generations. In a paper published in the current issue of Science, Michael Wiser, lead author and MSU zoology graduate student in Lenski’s lab, compares it to hiking. (more…)

Curiosity Resumes Science after Analysis of Voltage Issue

By Guest PostNovember 26, 2013Scienceanalysis, cumberland, curiosity, data, electrical shorts, electrical system, engineering data, mars rover curiosity, mechanical frame, microbial life, multi mission radioisotope, NASA, rob zimmerman, robotic arm, Science, thermoelectric generator, voltage issue

NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity resumed full science operations on Saturday, Nov. 23.

Activities over the weekend included use of Curiosity’s robotic arm to deliver portions of powdered rock to a laboratory inside the rover. The powder has been stored in the arm since the rover collected it by drilling into the target rock “Cumberland” six months ago. Several portions of the powder have already been analyzed. The laboratory has flexibility for examining duplicate samples in different ways. (more…)

Mutual benefits: Stressed-out trees boost sugary rewards to ant defenders

By Guest PostNovember 14, 2013Natureant, ant protection, azteca ants, azteca pittieri, carnegie institution, central america, climate change, cordia alliodora, deborah gordon, dry tropical forest, ecologist, ecologists, ecuador laurel trees, elizabeth pringle, erol akcay, evolution, evolutionary model, honeydew, insurance model, key environmental factor, life sustaining foliage, mutual benefits, pacific coast, plant animal interaction, rodolfo dirzo, santa fe institute, scale insects, Science, southern mexico, stanford university, stressed out trees, sugary reward, ted raab, theory, university of michigan, university of pennsylvania

ANN ARBOR — When water is scarce, Ecuador laurel trees ramp up their investment in a syrupy treat that sends resident ant defenders into overdrive, protecting the trees from defoliation by leaf-munching pests.

The water-stressed tropical forest trees support the production of more honeydew, a sugary excretion imbibed by the Azteca ants that nest in the laurels’ stem cavities. In return, ant colonies boost their numbers and more vigorously defend the life-sustaining foliage. (more…)

We are sorry to see this

By ShamsOctober 3, 2013Economy, Environment, Politics, Scienceamerica, Barack Obama, blame, changing world, core, federal government shutdown, house speaker, john boehner, Science, scientific developments, U.S. Geological Survey, unavailable, us president, usgs, usgs website

While U.S President Barack Obama blames House Speaker John Boehner for the Federal Government Shutdown, it already started to hit at the cores of scientific developments in America. Today we noticed that the website of USGS (U.S Geological Survey) whose logo says ‘Science for a changing World’ is unavailable.

It reads ‘Due to the Federal government shutdown, usgs.gov and most associated web sites are unavailable.’ (more…)

Do academic rankings create inequality?

By Guest PostAugust 20, 2013Scienceacademic rankings, americans, China, college degree, education, Germany, Global rankings, inequality, Jiao Tong University Brendan Cantwell, michigan state university, Netherlands, President Obama, research journal Minerva, scholar questions, Science, shanghai, Shanghai rankings, stem, Technology, united states, wisdom of investments, world class status

A study led by a Michigan State University scholar questions whether higher education ranking systems are creating competition simply for the sake of competition at a time when universities are struggling financially.

Global rankings that emphasize science and technology research – such as the Academic Rankings of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University – have become increasingly popular and influential during the past decade, said Brendan Cantwell, lead author and assistant professor of educational administration. (more…)

80% of Malaysian Borneo Degraded by Logging

By Guest PostAugust 18, 2013Environmentcarnegie institution, claslite, claslite system, degradation, diverse ecosystem, forest loss, global hotspot, greg asner, jane bryan, logging, malaysian borneo, malaysian states, papua new guinea, phil shearman, rainforests, sabah, sarawak, Science, tropical forest ecosystems, tropical forests, university, university of tasmania

Washington, DC — A study published in the July 17, issue of the journal PLOS ONE found that more than 80% of tropical forests in Malaysian Borneo have been heavily impacted by logging. (more…)

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