The active ingredient in cigarettes in nicotine, and its extremely addictive nature is reflected by the fact that it is used by approximately 35% of the US population.1 Nicotine works by binding to one type of acetylcholine receptor in the body. (more…)

Currently on view at the New York Academy of Sciences Art Gallery is an exhibit of the molecular illustrations of Kenneth Eward. I followed the links to Kenneth’s website and found one of the most captivating animated illustrations of the molecular development of human life. His “A Window Into Human Life” won an honorable mention at the 2008 Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge, sponsored by the National Science Foundation. 

The term “clean coal” is an oxymoron; even if the clean coal technologies do manage to “wash the coal” or bury carbon emissions deep in the ground, coal-fired power plants are the single largest source of mercury pollution in the U.S. And the mercury released pollutes the nation’s water resources, posing a serious public health threat to the population. (more…)

On May 25, 2007 a bill was proposed, and eventually passed, in the New York State Assembly to turn the sale of a violent and/or sexually explicit video game to a minor into a class E felony. The possible punishments in New York for a class E felony are $1000-$5000 fine and/or 1-3 years in jail. Other class E felonies include (but are not limited to):

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Act One

From the moment we see a huge, ghostly projection of the periodic table, to the conclusion of Doctor Atomic with the haunting voice of a Japanese woman repeatedly asking for water, this opera demands that viewers search their souls. We do so along with the scientists and soldiers of The Manhattan Project, their spouses, and those who worked for them. The opera takes place after the German surrender and delves into events one month before, and the day of, the test blast in Los Alamos in July, 1945.

I saw a Saturday matinee of Doctor Atomic via HD simulcast in New York’s Regal Union Square theatre, which was almost full. Audiences worldwide also saw the broadcast. (more…)

By Sheril Kirshenbaum and Chris Mooney

The box jellyfish. A fascinating critter with powerful venom, this one’s not for the faint of heart.

Alternatively known as sea wasps and marine stingers, these animals serve up a frightening cocktail of toxins that attack the nervous system, heart, and skin. Generally they prey on fish and shrimp, but humans have also been killed as the result of encounters, which can lead to heart failure, shock, and drowning. Those who survive suffer through weeks of severe pain and scarring.

Box jellies are unique because they can move at up to four knots through the water, whereas most other jellyfish species simply drift. Their 24 eyes (six on each side of the bell) are made up of a lens, retina, iris and cornea, but with no central nervous system, scientists still aren’t sure how they process visual information. They have as many as 15 tentacles, which reach up to 10 feet in length and harbor an estimated 5,000 stinging cells each. Needless to say, box jellyfish are beautiful to watch…from a distance.

But these inverts came too close for comfort over the past weekend in Hawaii, when thousands arrived at Waikiki and Ala Moana beaches. Over 20 stings have been reported, and shores are temporarily closed in some areas. A reason for alarm? Probably not…yet. Such Hawaiian box jellyfish invasions are common events in the region, regularly occurring 7 to 11 days after a full-moon.

Still, it’s a reminder that jellyfish numbers around the world are on the rise. Earlier this year, The New York Times and The Economist reported exploding populations linked to global warming, overfishing and ocean pollution.

Wondering why you should care? Well, we’re all connected: oceans, land, and atmosphere. Humans are a single component of the vast array of biodiversity on the planet. What alters one species impacts the rest of system. So in other words, there’s a lot more to this story than a few extra jellyfish…

Canadian-born Dara Bratt won the Imagine Science Film Festival’s People’s Choice award for In Vivid Detail (runtime 18 minutes). The short explores the impact on a budding romance of a man’s childhood brain injury, a disorder called prosopagnosia. The phenomenon prevents him from recognizing faces; features appear to be mere lines. At first his girlfriend is skeptical that he really has this neurological disorder, but then struggles to understand and accept it. After watching a street artist draw a portrait of a girl, the man, who is an architect, tries to get a sense of his girlfriend’s likeness. He asks her to come to his office and stand behind a glass wall with an embedded a grid. He traces her face, linking her features so that he can piece together the whole.

Among other things, we talked about how Dara came up with the idea for the film and the challenges of weaving science into a romantic comedy. (more…)

By Sheril Kirshenbaum and Chris Mooney

Today marks the launch of the National Academy of Sciences’ Science and Entertainment Exchange, an initiative that will work to connect producers, directors, writers and others in need of scientific information for their productions with science, medical and engineering experts. We’re here in Los Angeles headed to the first symposium. So will this initiative–to be directed by Physics of the Buffyverse author Jennifer Ouellette–correct everything that’s problematic in the entertainment media’s portrayal of science? Of course not. But it’s a very important start.

We love Star Wars, HBO’s True Blood, The Lord of The Rings, and many, many other entertainment industry products. And it seems to us that television and film do amazing things with story lines that stretch beyond possible to embrace fantasy and science fiction.

Yet at the same time, we’ve noticed how often the on-screen depiction of scientists casts them as socially inept nerds, “mad” villains, or emotionless misfits. Scooby Doo excepted, entertainment plots also tend to celebrate credulous believers who think they saw the ghost or monster, while criticizing science minded skeptics who scoff.

Are these trends problematic? While we recognize the need for people to be entertained, there are reasons to think such recurrent images foster an unrealistic (possibly dangerous) idea of the relationship between science and the rest of society. That’s not a very good idea to be cultivating in these uncertain times, when we depend on science for solutions to 21st century energy, water, health, and climate challenges.

But how might we begin to improve the often rocky relationship between science and the entertainment industry? That’s what we’re going to find out, and we’ll be reporting back shortly….

By Sheril Kirshenbaum and Chris Mooney

Amid a flurry of last minute rule changes introduced by President George W. Bush on his way out of office came last week’s announcement of a plan to sell the rights to oil and gas off Virginia’s coast.

This attempted policy change doesn’t represent a big surprise, given the strong influence of fossil fuel interests during Bush’s two terms. These last minute regulations are plainly motivated by the desire to reward the President’s campaign contributors and corporate interests. The Virginia plan provides no benefits, royalties, or choice to residents. Furthermore, the state does not have much energy available off its coast to begin with; rather, Bush’s decision was largely intended to serve as an example. Offshore platforms in the Old Dominion would be a kind of gateway regulation, opening the door to similar measures across the U.S. east and west coasts.

The principal problem with all of this is that the ‘Drill Baby Drill’ mentality addresses supply rather than demand. Many continue to portray offshore development as a means to make America energy independent, but the truth is that it will not result in much difference. Our current supply of drilling ships means extracted offshore oil won’t make it to the market for seven years. Furthermore, what is available won’t meet our consumption needs for more than a handful of years.

But don’t lose heart: Barack Obama is expected to to reverse this action before it takes effect. Still, Bush’s latest move is a reminder that we must stay vigilant about protecting our environment as the outgoing administration seeks to enact an onslaught of last minute rule changes.

With mountains, skiing, and good weather it’s no surprise that people are moving to the Rocky Mountain States in droves. However, with a rising population comes an increasing demand for more water. And, right now, water is a dwindling resource. (more…)