Lightning strike near Pueblo, Colorado. Credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
While reading through updates to the NOAA’s page yesterday, I came across this new release. It serves as an unfortunate reminder that senseless, preventable deaths occur when people don’t take the weather seriously. Last month in particular, fatalities attributable to lighting have significantly topped the […]

Image Credit: NASA (GSFC)
Behold the most recent, truly sad cultural commentary…
Results have been published from the latest Roper/National Geographic survey, which tests geographic knowledge amongst young adults aged 18-24. You may (or may not) recall the findings of the 2002 survey which, among other similarly egregious tidbits, revealed that 30% of young Americans couldn’t locate […]

Virtute et armis is Mississippi’s official state slogan, meaning “By valor and arms.”
There’s nothing valorous about the recent anti-evolution bills submitted in the state’s legislature. As reported by the National Center for Science Education, both of these attacks on science have died in committee:
Senate Bill 2427 is listed on the Mississippi legislature’s website as having […]

A UV-induced fluorescence image of the recently-discovered Thermopolis specimen of Archaeopteryx. Image credit: Dr. Gerald Mayr & The Senckenberg Museum.
It’s always pleasant to see good news.
As I’d mentioned in a previous article, we’d recently seen the introduction of anti-evolution legislation in seven states (eight, now, including the latest shenanigans in Maryland) here in the US […]

As reported here by the National Center for Science Education:
In his new article “Turn out the lights, the ‘teach the controversy’ party’s over,” posted on the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal’s Creationism and Intelligent Design Watch website, [Robert] Camp reports on his survey, in which he asked the heads of […]

Finally, some positive news. In an environment where science has been increasingly under attack by religious fundamentalists, it’s quite refreshing to see even a few simple steps in the right direction.
In the wake of Judge Jones’ blistering ruling in Kitzmiller et al v. Dover Area School District (see my previous article in the archives), proponents […]

Here in the Lone Star State, Governor Rick Perry claims a staunch committment to education and related reforms. Our esteemed gubernatorial leader, up for re-election in 2006, has made it a point to underscore his vested interest in guaranteeing the highest quality of instruction possible for young Texans.
“Education reform has been a top priority for […]