A recent survey of 926 high school biology teachers reported that 60% of them avoided teaching the topic of biological evolution in the classroom.  Even more worrying, 13% of those surveyed indicated that they “explicitly advocate creationism or intelligent design by spending at least one hour of class time presenting it in a positive light.”  The teachers participating in the survey weren’t employed at private religious institutions – they all worked at public schools!   

President Obama may have spoken to the importance of education but, in the last two months alone republicans from several state governments have proposed new legislation in hopes of maiming their state’s current education standards.  New Mexico’s House Bill 302, Oklahoma’s House Bill 1551 (document), Missouri’s House Bill 195, and Kentucky’s House Bill 169 all aim to grant teachers the ‘right’ to instruct students on ‘alternatives’ to evolution, and to teach the ‘scientific controversy’ behind climate change science. 

Still not convinced of the seriousness of the science literacy situation?  Consider the below video evidence:

Georgia Representative Jack Kingston proudly boasted on a recent episode of Bill Maher’s Real Time that he did not believe in evolution.  In presenting his uninformed thesis, Kingston supported his position by claiming that there are “missing links” in the fossil record and that “[he] came from God, not from a monkey. 

Hear Kingston’s flawed reasoning:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKF5ZgBzick

In fairness, republicans aren’t the only politicians waging war on science.  Kentucky’s democratic Governor Steven L. Beshear has publicly stated that he supports the idea of providing government subsidies to a company planning to build a religious theme park in his state.  According to a recent article in the New York Times, the goal of the park is to “present accurate, factual biblical information to people about a subject that they’re really interested in.” Accurate and factual, really?  The park is the brain child of Answers in Genesis Ministries – folks that teach children that the earth is only 6,000 years old and that humans use to ride saddled dinosaurs.  How is government sponsorship of such nonsense not in complete opposition to the goals of education? 

Have a look at Anderson Cooper’s interviews of the parties involved:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-SHRxpXnpQ

Of course, science literacy isn’t necessarily a prerequisite for a fruitful life and successful career.  For example, political commentator Bill O’Reilly is fairly well off – and he couldn’t pass a high school science class if his life depended on it!  He has no understanding of biology, geology, or astronomy.  

Check-out his defense of a previous statment about humans not knowing why ocean tides flow:

 httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyHzhtARf8M

Photo Credit: John H

The post Science Literacy: An Uphill Battle (video evidence) appeared first on The Faster Times.

Dr. Shevach Friedler, of Israel’s Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, tracked the success rates of two groups of women seeking treatment for infertility. One group of women had undergone a standard in vitro fertilization procedure (IVF); the second group received the same IVF treatment, but in addition to the implanting of an embryo, they also spent fifteen minutes with a clown immediately following the IVF procedure.

The results of Dr. Friedler’s study, which were published this month in the medical journal Fertility and Sterility, reported that the group of women subjected to fifteen minutes of a “medical clown” telling jokes, performing magic tricks, and well, just clowning around, experienced about a 16% greater pregnancy success rate than did the clown-free group.

Although the experiment will need to be replicated in order to verify the statistical significance of the results, members of Dr. Friedler’s research group remain optimistic.  They believe that the clown’s knack for reducing patient stress following a stressful IVF procedure may prove instrumental in improving a woman’s chances for pregnancy.

Journal Reference:

Shevach Friedler, M.D et al. The effect of medical clowning on pregnancy rates after in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET). Fertility and Sterility, published online 06 January 2011, doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2010.12.016

Photo Credit:  Thomas Hawk

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Weighing as much as fifteen pounds and often sporting wingspans greater than nine-feet, bearded vultures (Gypaetus barbatus) are truly massive birds.  First described by the father of modern taxonomy (Carl Linnaeus) in his Systema Naturae, bearded vultures can be found competing for habitat throughout the mountainous regions of Europe, Asia and Africa.  Even though a pining for expansive views has lead these bulky buzzards to prefer out-of-the-way nesting sites in hight rocky crags, pressure from human encroachment has caused their numbers to decline in recent years.  The huge birds are experiencing population growth in a few isolated locales in the Pyrenees Mountains, but, unfortunately, the increase in the Pyrenees groups has contributed to overcrowding and a lack of housing options for many of the birds.

Under normal circumstances, in un-congested habitats, a bachelor bearded vulture will stake claim to a territory and take-up with a female member of the species; however, with the current surge in population in the Pyrenees, there simply isn’t enough available precipitous homesteads for all of the free-roaming males to settle down and raise families of their own.  Lacking options, the roving males have developed a new strategy: they have begun to invade the established territories of their rivals – their already attached rivals.  The itinerant bachelor invades the home of another male and claims residence with him and his already courted female companion.  As might be predicted, the addition of an interloping male into the love nest of an established male-female pair has proven to adversely affect the reproductive success of the mate-pair.

Typically, a bearded vulture male-female pair will breed between the months of December and February and produce one or two eggs annually; but, the addition of the second male in the territory decreases the frequency and duration of the pair’s copulations.  This occurs for a couple of reasons; firstly, the two males constantly fight each other for access to the female.  The time and energy the males expend in combating and deterring one another leaves both far too exhausted to apply any romantic effort towards the female.  Exasperating this situation even further, when one male does find the rare opportunity to copulate with the female, the rival male will often physically interrupt the act – he’ll stop them mid-coitus!

In addition to the mood-ruining intrusion of a combative third party during attempted sexual congress, the female can even be put-off by the mere presence of a second male — she’ll terminate copulation if she even spots a voyeur.

Fortunately, there is hope for the Pyrenees populations. As with the cliché, “time heals all wounds,” it turns-out that over long periods of time, the polyandrous model can work for the bearded vulture.  Apparently the key to success in the multi-male regime is a willingness of the beta bird to demonstrate submission to the alpha – male on male copulations appear to curtail the aggression of the frustrated vultures.

Journal Reference:

Bertran, J., Margalida, A., & Arroyo, B. (2009). Agonistic Behaviour and Sexual Conflict in Atypical Reproductive Groups: The Case of Bearded Vulture Polyandrous Trios Ethology, 115 (5), 429-438 DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2009.01628.x

Photo Credit: Bearded Vulture By fveronesi1

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Transgenic organisms are critters that have been genetically engineered to express characteristics unique to their species.  By snipping, swapping and splicing DNA between different species, organisms can be designed to provide specific benefits to people.  For example, bacteria can be engineered to synthesis human insulin for treating diabetes, tomatoes can be manipulated to have an improved shelf-life, and pigs can be designed to more efficiently digest phosphorus, thus easing both their own cost of feeding and the amount of phosphorus pollution discharged into the surrounding environment.  But, despite the potential benefits to people, what trouble could ensue if a transgenic organism were to evade human controls and escape its confinement?  Would the transgenic organism out-compete the wild type and push it to extinction?

Cucurbita pepo is a species of squash cultivated around the world as a popular food; common varieties of the species include the zucchini, yellow squash and gourd.  In addition to being commonplace at dinner tables, Cucurbita also maintains fame as a widely utilized transgenic plant – a transgenic plant that has managed to pass its transplanted genes to wild populations.

Prior to their escape, the genes of the Cucurbita plant had been engineered to have resistance to a leaf-wilting virus transmitted by aphids.  The reasoning behind the genetic transplant was simple, by reducing susceptibility to the aphid borne disease, the agricultural yield of squash could be increased and more humans could be fed; but, having escaped, would the disease-resistant plants replace their naturally more disease-susceptible counterparts?

Not necessarily.

According to a case study just published in the November issue of the International Journal of Plant Sciences, when mixed populations of transgenic and wild type squash were naturally exposed to the aphid borne disease, the transgenic members did indeed exhibit better health – at least at first.  After initially showing better health, the condition and reproductive success of the transgenic squash later equalized and balanced to that of the non-transgenic type.  The reason for the equalization was that the robust appearance of the transgenic plants attracted the attention of leaf-munching, and bacteria-transporting, beetles.  The beetles’ preference for the healthy looking plants affectively buffered any benefit the plants received from their introduced viral resistance.

Photo Credit: ChrisBrookesPhotography

Reference: Miruna A. Sasu, Matthew J. Ferrari, Andrew G. Stephenson. Interrelationships among a Virus-Resistance Transgene, Herbivory, and a Bacterial Disease in a Wild Cucurbita. International Journal of Plant Sciences, 2010; 171 (9): 1048 DOI: 10.1086/656531

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World renowned physicist Stephen Hawking has just published a new book titled The Grand Design.  According to Hawking, the aim of the book is to answer questions like, why are the laws of nature what they are, why do we exist and did the universe need a designer and creator? The Grand Design, which is scheduled to be released on September 7th, is drawing harsh criticism from the religious community because its conclusions specifically state that there is no need to invoke God as an explanation for existence.

Charles Darwin writes a letter to Stephen Hawking

Dr. Stephen Hawking,

I am sending this correspondence out of admiration of your recently published book, The Grand Design.  Although I am not a physicist by trade, in my assessment I found the text of your explanations to have been written with a clarity, thoroughness  rarely encountered in popular works of the sciences; undeniably the book was both informative and inspiring.  However, dear sir, at the risk of confusing my professional appraisal of your theories with my own personal motivations, I must be completely honest as to the true reason for holding your publication in such regards, and indeed the real purpose behind this current letter.

Since publication of my abominable theory of natural selection in the Origin of Species, I have been bombarded with continuous assault, and insult, from the pious in our shared world community.  My publications have been banned, burned, intentionally misconstrued and even cited as the works of the devil.  Despite having paid little time or mind to harebrained allegations of being a pointy-tailed marauder, I must confess that I have found religion’s interference with science, and the pursuit of knowledge in general, to be the most disheartening of experiences.  In short, dear sir, thank you for deflecting the gaze of the religious eye from me and my field of interest – the biological sciences.

Not since publication of the Origin of Species in 1859 have I been so at ease; and remember dear sir, I have been dead since April of 1882!  Now finally, after all of this time, religious zealots of every ilk, sect and creed can take a break from their incessant efforts to ban the teaching of evolution.  Now, thanks to you sir, these fools can focus on other issues they deem to be of importance – unfortunately the issues they deem important will likely include banning instruction in chemistry, physics and astronomy…

With the most sincere of gratitude,

Charles Darwin

PS: If I may be so bold as to offer a parting word of advice, you may wish to inquire into the availability of fire retardant book covers for your publication.

Image Credit: Wikipedia

Video posted in reply to a comment (Sean Carroll on Hawking): 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCVqJw7T1WU

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Actually, I’m not completely certain that Hubbard is an expert in evolution; but, I am impressed with the fact that she used the word “evolution” (and derivatives like evolving, evolved, etc…) more than sixty-five times in her recent post on HuffPo’s Religion and Science section. In addition to the word ‘evolution’ her piece, titled Conscious Evolution and the Integration of Science and Spirituality, also makes mention of atomic bombs, extinction, biotechnology, nanotechnology, robotics, space travel, zero-point energy devices, cosmogenesis, punctuated equilibrium, chaos and even a “scientifically-based evolutionary universe story” – wow, with technical sounding words like those she must know what she’s talking about!

The term ‘pseudoscience’ refers to statements, beliefs or practices that are presented as being based in science when in reality they are not. Plainly stated, the word pseudoscience means ‘fake science.’ Magic healing crystals, spirit channeling, and homeopathy are all types of pseudoscience – they are all fake science. Just like Hubbard’s ramblings, they have no grounding in the scientific method and all lack a plausible mechanism of functionality.

So, why does Dr. Barbara urge us to follow the path of “great avatars, saints, and mystics”? Why does she want us to join the “Consciousness Force” and align ourselves to “the Field”? I would venture to guess that it’s for the same reason Deepak Chopra falsely claims to know how to harness the power of quantum physics: it helps sell books and DVDs.

Or, maybe she’s just a wackaloon… But what’s The Huffington Post’s excuse for Hubbard’s nonsensical pseudoscience babble?

The post Why is The Huffington Post Publishing Nonsensical Pseudoscience Babble? appeared first on The Faster Times.

The poll (PDF available here) asked respondents in Britain, Canada and the United States to choose which of the following statements came closest to their own point of view regarding the origin and development of human beings on planet earth?

A. Human beings evolved from less advanced life forms over millions of years

B. God created human beings in their present form within the last 10,000 years

C. Not sure

Of participating Brits, 68% selected evolution as the best explanation for human existence, as did 61% of the Canadian respondents. In the United States however, only 35% of those polled accepted that humans came to be via a process of graduated change.

From the regional perspective, residents of Southern United States showed the greatest alignment with a creationist view of human origins; 51% indicated that they believed humans to have only been around for 10,000 years or less. Respondents from the Northeastern U.S. demonstrated more inkling towards accepting evolution with 41% endorsing change over millions of years and 38% opting for more divine explanations.

Yankees and their highfalutin ideas…

Photo: Australopithecus afarensis from Wikipedia

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Dear Dr. Craig Venter,

Your announcement on May 20th that your lab had created the first synthetic cell has left me absolutely terrified. Because of your work, I fear that the human race is now teetering on the edge of self-destruction. Although I assume that you had good intentions when you embarked on such a foolhardy line of experimentation, you have obviously failed to fully consider the possible consequences of your actions. Like many scientists and inventors in times past you seem to take pride in your ability to arrogantly tinker with nature – Dr. Venter, consider the consequences!

Like you, the inventor of the wheel probably intended only to help humanity by providing a new technology for improved transportation, but that nearsightedness ultimately resulted in despair and anguish for the rest of us. By failing to think about the consequences of the vile wheel, its inventor didn’t plan for the possibility of wheeled-trailers being used to move mobile nuclear missiles, or wheeled-vehicles pumping noxious fumes into the atmosphere, or innocent kittens being killed on roads. No, the inventor of the wheel selfishly left those concerns for future generations to resolve. Dr. Venter, I implore you to think about future generations!

I’m not a geneticist, but I know enough about science to understand that by meddling around with DNA you run the risk of creating super-viruses, flesh eating bacteria and possibly even a tyrannosaurs that will eat us all as we scream for mercy. The perfection seen in nature is the result of thousands of years of evolution, and that evolution has brought everything into harmony. By creating synthetic cells you run the risk of altering the course of evolution; you could inadvertently upset the natural harmonies that exists between things like parasitoid wasps and their host caterpillars, you could unintentionally change petroleum’s natural adhesion to the Gulf of Mexico; you could even disrupt the natural balance that exists between humans and the HIV virus – Dr. Venter don’t upset the natural balance!

Life isn’t just chemistry. Life is an invisible force driven by a magical spirit-energy that flows through all of us. You must understand that only God can create life, and only He can understand how life works. Your ego has obviously overridden your ability to reason; you have no idea how DNA, cells or biology really function. Dr. Venter, stop playing God!

Sincerely, Concerned Citizen

Gibson et al. (2010) Creation of a Bacterial Cell Controlled by a Chemically Synthesized Genome. Science Express. PDF File .

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What do Republicans have against thinking things through?

In recent posts I have written about Marco Rubio (the current front runner in Florida’s U.S. Senate race) being a closeted creationist, Rick Santorum’s fight against the teaching of evolution, Utah State Representative Mike Noel‘s idiotic work opposing climate change policy, and a host of other proud science deniers – all Republicans!

Can you imagine living in a place where people lacking knowledge opted to learn about the world in lieu of running for political office? If you are able to imagine such a utopia, it’s probably safe to wager that it doesn’t look anything like the State’s of Tennessee or Illinois – the leading candidates for governor in both states are creationists. More specifically, they’re Republican creationists (I know – shocking!).

In Tennessee, gubernatorial poll-leader Ron Ramsey – the State’s current Lieutenant Governor – wants to include Intelligent Design as part of the science curriculum along with evolution. “To choose one or the other would ignore the beliefs of large numbers of Tennesseans,” Ramsey said. “Our young people are smart enough to come to their own conclusions if both sides are presented fairly.” That’s right; his position on education is that the personal beliefs held by the majority override and supersede science.

The leading Republican candidate for governor in Illinois, State Senator Bill Brady, is towing a similar party-line; but, in addition to teaching creationism, he also supports inclusion of prayer in public schools…

There’s nothing special about the republicans in Florida, Utah, Illinois, Pennsylvania, or Tennessee; a philosophy of anti-science is ubiquitous to the Republican Party. Now, it may be that not all Republicans deny science; but, the emerging pattern seems to overwhelmingly demonstrate that all science deniers are Republicans.

If not yet convinced of this phenomenon just consider the leading Republican presidential candidates for 2012; Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, and, of course, Sarah Palin – all creationists and all climate change deniers.

I fully realize that when selecting a politician to lead us there are many things to consider – more than just their views on science and science policy – but for goodness sake, how has science denial become a desired attribute for an entire political party?

Sources (Linked News Artcles):

Bill Brady Info

Ron Ramsey Info

The post Not All Republicans Deny Science, But All Science Deniers Seem to Be Republicans appeared first on The Faster Times.

Although it is often considered politically incorrect to ‘out’ someone without his or her permission, in Rubio’s case, I doubt that revealing his irrational beliefs will be much of a shock to anyone. In fact – now that I think about it – referring to Rubio as a creationist probably only serves to reinforce the devotion of his flock. After all, religious fundamentalism has been his political calling card throughout his career.

Prior to 2008, the word ‘evolution’ wasn’t even included in Florida’s science education standards. In 2007, when a much needed revision of the State’s education standards began to lift the veil from the eyes of Florida’s students, Rubio, then Speaker of the House, pleaded for intelligent design to be included in the science curriculum.

Cuban-American Rubio also compared the teaching of evolution to the tactics Fidel Castro’s Communist Party used to undermine families and the church – a means of controlling the masses.

In one interview, Rubio questioned “whether what a parent teaches their children at home should be mocked and derided and undone at the public school level.

“It goes to the fundamental core of who is ultimately, primarily responsible for the upbringing of children,”  Rubio continued. ”Is it your public education system or is it your parents? And for me, personally, I don’t want a school system that teaches kids that what they’re learning at home is wrong.”

Indeed, Mr. Rubio, the purpose of education should be to reinforce previously held beliefs!

If we need any more evidence that the Republican Party is now controlled by anti-science radicals, Marco Rubio is it.

Sources Article:Rubio: Florida House open to legislative fix on evolution Rubio’s Site

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