Are you up to date with your vaccines? What about your family, are they? Vaccination time can be confusing, not just for the patient. Here is a view from nurse, educator, mom Sharon Buchbinder on vaccinations and safety in the new IOM (Institute of Medicine) expert report. The IOM Report on The Childhood Immunization Schedule … Continue reading »
When it comes to spaceships, who does the rebuilding? And how much does it cost? Looking at stars costs billions and billions…have a look at an engineer’s view on space news, in Mike Macartney’s new post. Sick Satellites and Occam’s Razor by Mike Macartney The huge ENVISAT spacecraft is failing according to the BBC. But, did … Continue reading »
When it comes to evidence in court, there’s nothing is better than DNA. Or is there? False testimony can be based on faulty science, and can lead to wrongful convictions. Are all crime labs the same? What standards do we hold them to? How are the people who work in the crime lab trained? Forensic Biologist Sue Carney … Continue reading »
For some of us, skepticism has almost become a religion. After I read each new science report, I often find myself wondering what I believe. Engineer Mike Macartney’s new article plays with the two ideas that I sometimes think of as fighting siblings, belief and science. Carl Sagan said, “Science is a way of thinking much … Continue reading »
Can you ever really plan for mass fatalities? A world congress on disaster and emergency medicine met recently in Beijing China, to share experiences. The views from U.S., Japan and Haiti were as different as their recent disasters. But ethics was at the center of each discussion. An Institute of Medicine (IOM) summary of the meeting focuses on barriers to disaster … Continue reading »
Is there a limit to how fast we can go, how much space we can cover over a unit of time? Take a look at the speed of thought, speed of light, and sound with engineer Mike Macartney in his new guest post. Speed Limits by Mike Macartney If you accept that time is an … Continue reading »
When the government makes a list of the top places to put our limited funds, how do projects get prioritized? One measure always taken is the financial cost of the problem. Is it costing us enough to justify having the government step in? I wonder about the cost of peace. A recent workshop on the … Continue reading »
Who needs Earth Science? We do. Now more than ever, we need awareness of Earth Science – climate, land, energy, water –for our health and our safety. It is also a key to unlocking economic growth. The US Geological Survey (also called USGS) is changing course, to use its resources in new ways. This is the … Continue reading »
Science and engineering together are a big, fast-growing part of the US workforce – more than 5 million people. Yet, many people in the US are still left out of science and engineering jobs. A new report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) looks at the gaps, and what to do about them. The report, … Continue reading »
