Fred Bortz's blog
ScienceDebate2008 is looking more and more likely as the campaigns of two major candidates (Obama and Clinton) sent surrogates on short notice to a hastily pulled-together preliminary session at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Boston. Senator McCain's campaign sent regrets due to the short notice, while the Huckabee and Paul campaigns did not respond at all.
I've been blogging occasionally to call attention to Peak Oil. Things would be different if I lived on Titan, though global warming would still be on the agenda.
The latest newsletter of the Science Shelf book review archive is now available online.
It's official. Hillary Clinton, Mike Huckabee, John McCain, and Barack Obama have been invited to ScienceDebate2008.
The location? Philadelphia's Franklin Institute, named after one of our nation's greatest scientists (and greatest patriots). The date? April 18, just before the Pennsylvania Primary.
If you thought ScienceDebate2008 was just a scientist's pipe dream, it's time to think again!
Organizations of scientists, industrialists, and business leaders have joined an impressive list of individuals and associations declaring that science and technology are too important not to know where the presidential candidates stand.
I just published my review of What Bugged the Dinosaurs? Insects, Disease, and Death in the Cretaceous by George Poinar Jr. and Roberta Poinar.
This is a hidden treasure of a book with fascinating science and enticing prose.
"Global warming could reduce how many hurricanes hit the United States, according to a new federal study that clashes with other research." So writes AP science writer Seth Borenstein in an article with connections to two recent books reviewed at the Science Shelf.
I've been blogging from time to time about Peak Oil. Oil has been at the center of many a political fight for 100 years. In fact, a 1927 novel called Oil! was the inspiration for one of 2007's most honored motion pictures, including eight Oscar nominations announced today.
I just updated the Science Shelf to include three new book reviews: one on engineering design, another a biography of famous physicist, and the third about the politics of global warming.
An article in the New York Times discusses an extraordinary breakthough in the physics of solids a bit more than 50 years ago.
On January 14, NASA's Messenger spacecraft will make the first flyby of Mercury since Mariner 10 made its third and final flyby of the innermost planet in 1975.
And the best is yet to come. After a series of flybys, Messenger will enter into orbit around Mercury on March 18, 2011.
From Space Weather News for Jan. 4, 2008
Solar physicists have been waiting for the appearance of a reversed-polarity sunspot to signal the start of the next solar cycle. The wait is over.
One of the most alarming recent developments in climate change science has been the accelerating rate of melting of the North polar ice cap.
A group of scientists from the University of Stockholm has come up with a new explanation that may or may not change the level of urgency, but will certainly produce some useful discussion about what is happening in detail.
Science Debate 2008 is a nonpartisan effort to promote a public discussion of science and technology policy in the coming U.S. Presidential election.
Supported by numerous university presidents, Nobel Laureates, and other scientific leaders, the effort appears to have reached viability with the announcement of its co-chairs, two congressmen from different political parties.
Scientists estimate that a newly-discovered asteroid has a 1-in-75 chance of colliding with Mars on January 30, 2008.
