http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/realitybase A blog about science, politics, and how to let each help the other without compromising them both. Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:00:10 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en It doesn't come as much of a surprise, but now there's data to prove it: Rises in unemployment similar to those in the current economic crisis increase homicide and suicide rates, according to researchers at the University of Oxford and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. In the ... http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/realitybase/2009/07/08/economic-crises-like-this-one-lead-to-higher-murder-suicide-rates/ We'd expect this sort of thing from the New York Times Magazine perhaps, but the New Yorker? Last week's issue features an opinion piece by staffer David Owen titled "Economy vs. Environment," in which he bemoans the apparent contradiction between our economy and the environment, and warns of the economic ... http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/realitybase/2009/04/01/say-it-aint-so-new-yorker-publishes-misleading-climate-piece/ Over at Silicon Alley Insider's Clusterstock blog, Joe Weisenthal has taken on the science establishment, slapping down the much-bandied conventional wisdom that the solution to society's ills is to throw money at science education. In his trademark cavalier style, Joe slashes and burns his way through science-related sectors, arguing that ... http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/realitybase/2009/03/27/is-train-more-scientists-the-answer-to-our-economic-woes/ • Do humans have reproductive limits? And if not physical, how about ethical? • Scientists give a big thumbs up to Obama's environmental plan. • A handy list of all the biggest "global cooling" hacks, now in bar graph form. • Poor Tesla. The bad news just keeps on comin'. • A universal flu ... http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/realitybase/2009/01/30/weekly-news-roundup-the-ethics-of-eight-babies/ Are You a Vatican, Or a Vatican't? If you're Pope Benedict XVI, the answer is clear. The 81-year-old Pope has shown no fear or hesitation when it comes to voicing his view on modern issues and embracing technology, culminating in the rather stunning announcement that His Holiness has now created ... http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/realitybase/2009/01/23/popetube-launches-brings-new-holiness-to-internet/ • And we're a go, people: Get ready for the world's first study on human embryonic stem cell therapy. • But first, bye bye absurd abortion laws! • The Inauguration killed the Internets! No mere series of tubes can withstand the pressure of this seminal moment in history. • "BarackBerry," "ObamaBerry"—call it what ... http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/realitybase/2009/01/23/weekly-news-roundup-let-there-be-stem-cell-trials/ The scientific community has spent plenty of time rejoicing the new pro-science era, and our spanking new president has continued to give every assurance (including a shout-out in his inauguration speech!) that he will make good on his promises to prioritize science and base policy decisions on actual scientific evidence. But ... http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/realitybase/2009/01/22/will-an-obama-administration-be-good-for-women-in-science/ So it happened: Barack Obama has officially taken his place as the country's 44th President  (complete with a shout-out to science during the inaugural address!). And, with the country facing enough massive problems to sink a fleet of aircraft carriers, the word is he'll waste no time  getting to work. ... http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/realitybase/2009/01/20/welcome-president-obama-now-about-those-stem-cell-laws/ In a little under a half hour, Barack Obama will officially take his place as the country's next POTUS. And while the event will be brimming with historic firsts for the country, the coverage contains plenty of firsts for the integration of technology, politics, and major events. Sure, there'll be some ... http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/realitybase/2009/01/20/the-inauguration-will-be-televisedand-facebooked-and-twittered-and-texted/ • The science of birds taking down a commercial plane—and how the danger could apply to NASA as well. • "Scientific and legal integrity" to return to the EPA. And not a moment too soon. • A ruckus brews over cookies at the White House—and we don't mean the kind with sugar ... http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/realitybase/2009/01/16/weekly-news-roundup-birds-and-a-plane/ From the wires: The FDA has just completed a fresh set of guidelines that will permit pharmaceutical companies to tell doctors about unapproved uses of their medicines—in effect, giving big pharma carte blanche to hawk unapproved drugs. Specifically, the new regulations allow drug companies to "distribute copies of medical journal articles ... http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/realitybase/2009/01/14/drug-industry-1-country-0-big-pharma-can-now-hawk-unapproved-drugs/ As if people-sniffing robots weren't enough: A satellite system called the “Sea Horse," which was built to monitor migrant vessels from the coast of North Africa, will be used to track the movements of illegal immigrants making their way from Africa to Europe, particularly the shores of Spain and Portugal. Funded ... http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/realitybase/2009/01/13/illegal-immigrants-beware-satellites-may-be-tracking-you/ With the economy tanking, it's been easy to forget about that other little disaster lurking in America's wings: the obesity epidemic. But it's still raging on, popping up in places like Army recruitment offices and pediatric clinics at breakneck speed. Rather than let the problem run free and pray that ... http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/realitybase/2009/01/13/will-obesity-regulation-turn-the-us-into-a-police-state/ Major sectors of Christianity and Islam have made it clear that they're not going to be best friends with science anytime soon. But at least one of the major religions is extending an olive branch.  New Scientist reports that: More than 30 Tibetan monks, plus a handful of nuns, will be ... http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/realitybase/2009/01/12/one-religion-thats-actually-embracing-science-buddhism/ We've covered (and covered, and covered) the teeming mass of nature-killing vileness that has been Bush's environmental policy. But we're more than happy to join the props-giving bandwagon when the outgoing president does something right. And this week, he really nailed it, announcing the establishment of three national monuments in ... http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/realitybase/2009/01/09/ok-we-admit-it-bush-hits-ocean-conservation-out-of-the-park/