Science Cheerleader

Surely you recall the infamous “hanging chads” of the Bush/Gore election….that’s what Congress was trying to avoid when it voted to switch over to electronic voting machines six years ago. If asked, you could have warned Congress that when it comes to electronics, one should never underestimate the malicious power of troubled teens, evil terrorists, representatives of the esteemed Nigerian Chamber of Commerce, and most dangerous of all perhaps, stealth 85-year-old poll watchers. 

Congress surely could have used some unbiased technical advice from the now defunct Office of Technology Assessment (once their most reliable source of science and technology advice on policy matters). Instead, they are facing this mess (from Scientific American):  ”with another presidential election less than three months away, many e-voting systems are fraught with security glitches, and the technology has yet to prove itself as the solution voters were looking for. Such systems could allow voters and poll workers to place multiple votes, crash the systems by loading viruses, and fake vote tallies”

If you were given the opportunity to hear the pros and cons of mandating electronic voting machines and presented a mechanism to share your thoughts with Congress, you probably would have told Congress to think more carefully about their decision to do so. And, at the very least, Congress should have been able to turn to their most trusted source of science and technology policy advice.  

I suspect, between the OTA and us, we would have simply suggested a ban on silly people from entering  voting booths rather than a complete overhaul of a system that appeared to work well for 99% of the country. But alas, the OTA was closed 14 years ago. Hence, the mess. The list of “reasons we need the OTA” continues to grow. As does the justification for including public input in major sci/tech policy discussions.

We weren’t asked about our opinions six years ago when Congress opted for the electronic machines but boy do folks need our help now. Help wanted: Election Day techies to monitor e-voting mess.

Transparency, democracy, basic civic rights and common sense….all reasons Congress should reopen the Office of Technology Assessment and mandate mechanisms for public participation.  Check out this  petition to reopen the OTA with citizen participation. 

Here’s hoping the electronic voting machines are both fool-proof and immune to those senior citizen hacker/poll watchers.  (I’m on to you, Agnes!)

Cheers!

Time Magazine and L.A. Times columnist, Joel Stein, tweaks McCain and Obama for not yet signing on to participate in the Science Debate 2008.  He provides some talking points for the candidates:

Health Care: “Give poor kids bionic healthcare. You don’t need to sell drugs when you can help the military with your jumping and running abilities.” Read the rest of this entry »

The winner of the $25,000 Homeland Security Award, presented by the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation, will be honored during the evening of September 11th in Washington, D.C. (I do some work for the Foundation–recommending worthy candidates–so I’ll be at the ceremony.)  Check out the Columbus site to get ahold of some of the fascinating work folks are doing to keep us safe. It’ll make you feel warm and cozy.) I’ll be in D.C. Sept 11 and Sept 12. Got a couple of other meetings lined up but if you think there’s something I should cover while I’m there, let me know!

Same goes for my visit to NYC where I’m scheduled to meet with a pal from Business Week and another from Discover. That’ll be the day before…on September 10th.

Until Labor Day, I’ll be hanging at the beach, here on Long Beach Island.

Cheers!

I was a cheerleader for the Philadelphia 76ers NBA team during the 90-91, 91-92 and 92-93 seasons. First year was awesome. Easy to bust some moves in modest uniforms and hightops?! (left) when the entire stadium was cheering on the Atlantic Division champs (Barkley/Jordan era).  I was a senior in college at the time. Just a couple of years prior, I was a cheerleader for the incredible Temple Owls basketball team (ranked #1 in the nation for some weeks). Traveled everywhere. Sold out games, die-hard college fans and an entire city–craving any type of championship–behind us. Dated a football jock. Held a Beer Bong record. Very cliche. Life was good. But I digress.
Read the rest of this entry »

When you have a few minutes, check this out. I hope you enjoy it! (If this doesn’t play on your computer, try this link.)

(Many thanks to the talented folks at Gyro Worldwide, Inc. and Backseat Conceptions.)

Here’s how you can take action–it’s SO simple and important. Spread the word if the spirit moves you!

And, how would YOU reply to these questions? Leave a response, below, for thousands to read and react to. Let’s get these parties started!

Seven Questions for the Congressional Candidates: (plug in your zip code to pester your local candidates to answer the questions…and see how some have already answered)

Find your candidates,
ask where they stand.

Zip Code:

CNN’s The Situation Room wants to hear about the political topics most important to you. Send in your concise questions and commentary on video and it might be used on air. Click here to get started.

Here’s one I sent in on Sunday while vacationing on Long Beach Island, NJ. (First time I used a webcam…super easy!) I asked the candidates to RSVP to the ScienceDebate2008 organizers’ invitation to debate science policy in October. It’s been eight months since the invites were sent and the candidates still haven’t replied with a Yes or No.  So rude

No doubt about it: cancer is scary and it “sucks,” as the kids say.  As we age and start to peer ahead at our approaching demographics, the statistical odds aren’t quite as rosy as they were, say, 15 years ago.   And, the American Cancer Society projects that 1,437,180 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed here in the United States this year alone. 

But, far be it from the Science Cheerleader to put a downer on your day. I come to you with some promising news! Read the rest of this entry »

Just published this article in Science Progress. Hope you enjoy it. The purpose of the piece is to let you know that all 720 formal (easy-to-read) reports put out by the defunct Congressional Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) are now available online, courtesy of the Federation of American Scientists. They are there for you, free, whether you are a researcher, policy maker, educator or anyone with an interest in any one of the topics covered. But this article is framed by the story of the rise and fall of the shad. One of the OTA reports focuses on this mighty fish. Back in 1995 the Office was looking at ways to help Congress set policies to help the troubled fish make a comeback.

Can you believe Congress shut this office down 15 years ago? It was their only source of nonpartisan, science policy advice and they axed it. Between global warming, stem cell research, water shortages, health care issues and other big science challenges facing Congress today, I’d say they need the OTA now more than ever. More here and here

Found a gem among the reports dealing with my favorite fish, the Shad. The OTA had some good recommendations on how science policies could help the shad. The report is 13 years old but New Zealand cites it on their Auckland Country regional development site, even today.

(Here’s a fun audio shad_radio_piece I coproduced about Philadelphia’s Fish a couple of years ago.) Yes! The Shad and the OTA in one tidy article…and they said it couldn’t be done. Or, did they say it shouldn’t be done? You be the judge. Let me know what you think!

Hate to be a buzz kill but you might want to keep these facts in mind while you are partying in the sun.

Thanks to some ScienceCheerleader subscribers, we are now armed with important, scientifically based tips on how we can more safely damage our skin and kill off brain cells. 

From Cindy:  4 out of 5 sunscreens contain chemicals that may pose health hazards or don’t adequately protect skin from the sun’s damaging rays. Which work the best? Check here.

From Jacquie: The Science of Drinking? The New York Times reports that diet soda used as a mixer hastens the absorption (time and amount) of alcohol. Watch those summer Rum and (diet) Cokes!

Plus a recent shows an increase in alcohol poisoning deaths among college kids. Some deaths may be linked to marijuana use—which retards nausea so one can attain higher, potentially fatal blood alcohol levels. 

While we’re on the topic, if you know a college-kid turning 21 this year, share this news: ”Of the college-age deaths that made news, 11 people, including eight college students, died while celebrating their 21st birthdays”….a growing trend of drinking 21 shots on a 21st birthday is proving lethal.

Thanks for the comments, ladies. Keep them coming.

This month marks the 26th anniversary of  American chess prodigy Bobby Fischer’s defeat over Russian Boris Spassky. A decade after Fischer was crowned America’s first (and so far only) World Chess Champion another American chess prodigy emerged. At the age of nine,  Josh Waitzkin won his first National Championship. The movie, Searching for Bobby Fischer, was based on Waitzkin’s early journey to stay true to himself despite attempts to reincarnate in Waitzkin,  Fischer’s crazed approach.

At the age of 13 he become a National Master and at age 16 became an International Master.  Then, after winning 8 National Chess Championships, in his early twenties Waitzkin surprised everybody by leaving  chess and becoming a world champion in the martial arts.

In the book, The Art of Learning, Waitzkin recounts the story of his years as a chess and martial arts competitor from his own perspective. He describes how his ability to recognize, embrace and nurture his uniqueness led to achievement time and again. The book has been well-received by educators, business leader, and even sports stars, including Mark Messier:

 ”I strongly recommend it for anyone who lives in a world of competition, whether it’s sports or business or anywhere else. It’s also a great training tool for kids aspiring to reach the pinnacle of their chosen fields.”
Mark Messier - 6-time Stanley Cup Champion

Waitzkin has decided to give the book away. Anyone in a position to help others succeed by incorporating Waitzkin’s philosophy of learning can get the book for free.

How do I know this? A reader, who happens to work for Waitzkin, wrote this in response to the Science Cheerleader post on Science Education:

“‘Science Cheerleader’…what an innovative idea and oh, so needed.”

But enough about me…where was I? Oh, yes! Here’s what else Joanne Singer wrote:

“We would like to get the ‘Art of Learning’ into the hands of as many people as possible.  We have a short application process and then ask that participants keep us posted on how they are working with the material.  Any ideas, study guides, worksheets or comments they come up with are greatly appreciated as we work towards our goal of generating free online resources for everyone interested, all over the country and beyond.”

If you are interested, go to www.jwfoundation.com to learn more about the book and how to get it. And, spread the word!
(Thank you, Joanne and Josh!)