Category Archives: Science in culture & policy

Because science is all up in everybody’s business, whether they know it or not.

Pretty bones; hollow phrase

Posted on February 6, 2012 by cicada

LIFE magazine may be no more, but the LIFE website still has lovely archival eye candy including these b/w photos, circa 1950, of skeletons and bones. Says the website, Seen in a certain light, and photographed for LIFE by the … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Medical Illustration and History, Photography, Science in culture & policy | Comments Off

“Jesus is God’s Atomic Bomb,” and other lyrical classics

Posted on February 3, 2012 by cicada

Conelrad’s fascinating cold war culture jukebox, Atomic Platters, offers lyrics and historical context spanning several decades of popular atomic-themed music. Many of the songs unsurprisingly convey a sense of unprecedented, un-romanticized astonishment and awe. Consider the following gem:

Posted in Education, Ephemera, Film, Video & Music, History of Science, Science in culture & policy, Yikes! | Comments Off

Chipotle saves spherical pigs from Science

Posted on January 1, 2012 by cicada

If one of your New Years’ resolutions is to eat healthier, more sustainable food, contemplating the evils of industrial food production and re-reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma might help you reach that goal — and you might want to post this … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Conspicuous consumption, Ephemera, Film, Video & Music, Science in culture & policy | Comments Off

Dr. House vs. Car Talk: Diagnostic Showdown

Posted on December 27, 2011 by cicada

A clever little article in JAMA, written by Gurpreet Dhaliwal, suggests that diagnosticians should admire not House, MD, but rather NPR’s Car Talk mechanics, Click and Clack: Car Talk, like most forms of technology and media, offers advantages and conveniences … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Film, Video & Music, Science in culture & policy, Science Journalism | Comments Off

SF/F as a lens for looking at the law

Posted on November 1, 2011 by cicada

As Arthur C. Clarke once put it, technology is — at some sufficiently advanced tipping point — “indistinguishable from magic”.  An interesting question that follows from that realization is this: how big a difference is there, really, between the law … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Film, Video & Music, Gender Issues, Littademia, Neuroscience, Science in culture & policy | Comments Off

AAAS Update: Drunks with Lamp-Posts

Posted on February 18, 2008 by cicada

Well, the 2008 AAAS Annual Meeting here in Boston was fun! I didn’t expect that. I’m not a huge fan of scientific conferences because I have an extremely short attention span. And I haven’t been blogging a lot – I’d … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogs and Blogging, Science, Science in culture & policy | 1 Comment

The Mona Lisa, Genes, and Money

Posted on February 13, 2008 by cicada

One of the questions an artist hates most is what is your artwork worth? Price is a subjective, unsatisfactory proxy for emotional angst, frustration, eyestrain, and time. Sometimes I find that NO (reasonable) value can compensate for the emotional investment … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Ephemera, Film, Video & Music, Littademia, Photography, Science in culture & policy | Comments Off

Seriously, now. . .

Posted on January 19, 2008 by cicada

OK – enough frivolous posts for the moment. There’s an election in the offing, and I want to address those of you who care whether the next President is science-and-technology-literate. Which should be ALL of you, right? Sciencedebate 2008 (of … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogs and Blogging, Science, Science in culture & policy | Comments Off

Think outside Schrodinger’s box

Posted on December 11, 2007 by cicada

Can a president who is not comfortable thinking about science hope to lead instead of follow? Earlier Republican debates underscored this problem. In May, when candidates were asked if they believed in the theory of evolution, three candidates said no. … Continue reading →

Posted in Science, Science in culture & policy | 1 Comment

Living paycheck to paycheck, on Wonderbread and ramen

Posted on December 8, 2007 by cicada

I found this post on the NYT Health blog “Well”, by Tara Parker-Pope (when did the NYT switch to a blogging model? am I just oblivious?) Anyway, the post was mildly intriguing. But then I started reading the comments, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogs and Blogging, Department of the Drama, Science, Science in culture & policy | 8 Comments