Monthly Archives: March 2012

RCUK’s proposed policy on open access

One particular point of interest for readers of this blog: RCUK propose to allow a maximum 6 month embargo for publishers before making final peer-reviewed articles of record open access. However, a 12 month embargo will be allowed for arts, … Continue reading

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The Tolerance of Obedience

This is an extraordinarily well-argued blog entry by Kenan Malik. It comes with a warning: caveat lector — you may not like what you read here. But it is well worth reading, despite that. THE TOLERANCE OF OBEDIENCE « Pandaemonium.

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After Kony, could a viral video change the world?

According to YouTube, 60 hours of video material are uploaded to it every minute – an hour a second. In the midst of such abundance, how can anything get noticed? Attention is now the scarcest commodity in cyberspace – which … Continue reading

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Syria: Climate Change, Drought and Social Unrest

Syria’s current social unrest is, in the most direct sense, a reaction to a brutal and out-of-touch regime and a response to the political wave of change that began in Tunisia early last year. However, that’s not the whole story. … Continue reading

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KONY 2012 – YouTube

KONY 2012 – YouTube. If you haven’t seen it, see it.

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Franzen vs The Internet: Round Two – The Dish | By Andrew Sullivan – The Daily Beast

Franzen vs The Internet: Round Two – The Dish | By Andrew Sullivan – The Daily Beast. More evidence of the mashed up silliness and evil of twitter. Or not.

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Religion for Atheists

An old friend from my high school days, John F., sent along this overview of Alain de Botton’s newest book. Religion for Atheists: Alain de Botton on What Education and the Arts Can Learn from Faith | Brain Pickings. I … Continue reading

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NSF: Oceans Acidifying Faster Today Than in Past 300 Million Years

The oceans may be acidifying faster today than they did in the last 300 million years, according to scientists publishing a paper this week in the journal Science. “What we’re doing today really stands out in the geologic record,” says lead … Continue reading

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SLOW-SCIENCE.org — Bear with us, while we think.

SLOW-SCIENCE.org — Bear with us, while we think.. Is it really slowness that you’re seeking, or autonomy? If the former, you are swimming against the tide. If the latter, then asking to be left alone strikes me as counter-productive.

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Low-carbon technologies ‘no quick-fix’, say researchers

A drastic switch to low carbon-emitting technologies, such as wind and hydroelectric power, may not yield a reduction in global warming until the latter part of this century, research published today suggests. Furthermore, it states that technologies that offer only … Continue reading

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A Metric for Broader Impacts?

The academy and its offshoots (eg, NSF) are struggling to come to terms with the ‘accountability moment’ that steadily grows in importance. Accountability is typically about taking count of something. This explains in part the overwhelming urge to turn things … Continue reading

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Legislator Berates NSF for Rising Gas Prices – ScienceInsider

Thanks to @Ananyo on Twitter for pointing out Jeffrey Mervis’s report on last week’s hearing on NSF’s 2013 budget request: Legislator Berates NSF for Rising Gas Prices – ScienceInsider. Mervis draws our attention to a question from Representative Andy Harris … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Broader Impacts, Economics & STEM Research, Metrics, NSF, Peer Review, STEM Policy, US Science Agencies | Leave a comment

The Fragility of Academic Norms: The Case of Springer v. the Darwinoids

The relevant news item is here: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/03/01/book-intelligent-design-proponents-upsets-scientists Why, oh why, have the self-appointed epistemic vigilantes at the National Centre for Science Education (NCSE) decided to subvert the already fragile academic norm of peer review by declaring that one of the … Continue reading

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Scholarship in the Age of the Internetatron – YouTube

Scholarship in the Age of the Internetatron – YouTube.

Posted in Accountability, Broader Impacts, Metrics, Open Access, Peer Review, Science and technology ramifications, STEM Policy | 1 Comment

Blogosphere erupts over science’s “Faustian bargain” « Purse String Theory

Is this part of the eruption, or just its aftermath? I vote for the former. Blogosphere erupts over science’s “Faustian bargain” « Purse String Theory.

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Reciprocal Space | Occam’s Typewriter

Anyone who reads the CSID blog will find something of interest at Stephen Curry’s blog. Reciprocal Space | Occam’s Typewriter. You can also follow him on Twitter: @stephen_curry.

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