What I’ve Noticed

Mining companies like to claim that they’re bringing economic benefits, but cleanup and health costs far outweigh positive contributions to the economy.

After thousands of years, we’ve finally discovered what the argonaut octopus uses its shell for – it’s essentially a ballast tank.

HUGE step: we’ve synthesized life.

Autism doesn’t have anything to do with vaccines, but children of migrant parents in Europe are at higher risk.

Susan B. Anthony wasn’t anti-choice, no matter what this obnoxious group claims.

The economy is fossil fuels.

Public pressure actually changed the rainforest destroying policies of Nestlé.

Because of decades of unsustainable fishing practices, we are now faced with a very unpleasant choice: the loss of 20 million jobs now or the permanent loss of the fish.

Cypripedium fasciculatum

Cypripedium fasciculatum

The BP oil spill is an American Chernobyl.

Try this fun logic puzzle with the not so fun title non-normalizable probability measures.

Ultrasound could be a good method for male contraception.

We still don’t fully understand why the bees are dying, but at least they aren’t dying everywhere, as was previously believed.

The end of Usenet.

Acupuncture might not be completely useless.

Ugandan women have high rates of maternal mortality that their health minister blames on poor training for health professionals.  Considering how much of that mortality is due to obstetric fistula, focusing on preventing child rape might go further than additional training for nurses.

Oh look, MORE sexism in academia.

The water crisis in Yemen continues to cause conflict and cost lives. We should expect much more of this kind of thing as the climate continues to change.

Many of the people I went to college with probably shouldn’t have gone to college.  And that may have been a better strategy.

Texas is rewriting history for its public schools:

Several changes include sidelining Thomas Jefferson, who favoured separation of church and state, while introducing a new focus on the “significant contributions” of pro-slavery Confederate leaders during the civil war.

The new curriculum asserts that “the right to keep and bear arms” is an important element of a democratic society. Study of Sir Isaac Newton is dropped in favour of examining scientific advances through military technology.

Sculpture by Mia Liu

Sculpture by Mia Liu