Creating new realities: program development and dissemination.

PubMed Central

Fixsen, D L; Blase, K A

1993-01-01

Program development and dissemination in human services present challenges and opportunities for social scientists. Over the past 27 years the Teaching-Family Model of group home treatment has moved from prototype development to widespread dissemination across North America. Reviewing concepts in industry related to product development and dissemination, the application of these concepts to a human services delivery system, and program replication and dissemination data offer information about how innovative human services can be widely adapted and adopted. PMID:8307838

Science From Beyond: NASA's Pioneer Plaque and the History of Interstellar Communication, 1957- 1972

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macauley, William

2012-05-01

In the late twentieth century, science and technology facilitated exploration beyond the Solar System and extended human knowledge through messages comprised of pictures and mathematical symbols, transmitted from radio telescopes and inscribed on material artifacts attached to spacecraft. ‘Interstellar communication' refers to collective efforts by scientists and co-workers to detect and transmit intelligible messages between humans and supposed extraterrestrial intelligence in remote star systems. Interstellar messages are designed to communicate universal knowledge without recourse to text, human linguistic systems or anthropomorphic content because it is assumed that recipients have no prior knowledge of humankind or the planet we inhabit. Scientists must therefore imagine how extraterrestrials will relate to human knowledge and culture. The production and transmission of interstellar messages became interdisciplinary design problems that involved collaboration and exchange of ideas between scientists, visual artists, and others. My proposed paper will review sociocultural aspects of interstellar communication since the late 1950s and focus on key issues regarding conception, design and production of a specific interstellar message launched into space during the early 1970s - NASA's Pioneer plaque. The paper will explore how research on the history of interstellar communication relates to previous historical and sociological studies on rhetorical aspects of visual representation and mathematics in scientific practice. In particular, I will explain how the notion of ‘inscription' is an appropriate conceptual tool for analyzing how scientists have used pictures to articulate and validate knowledge claims and scientific facts. I argue that scientific knowledge carried on interstellar messages such as the Pioneer plaque is constituted in material practices and inscription technologies that translate natural objects, agency and culture into legible forms. Graphical techniques for creating pictorial interstellar messages are enmeshed with contemporaneous methods for creating displays and images in routine scientific work, in fields such as radio astronomy and planetary science.

FDA Regulation of Clinical Applications of CRISPR-CAS Gene-Editing Technology.

PubMed

Grant, Evita V

Scientists have repurposed an adaptive immune system of single cell organisms to create a new type of gene-editing tool: CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)-Cas technology. Scientists in China have reported its use in the genome modification of non-viable human embryos. This has ignited a spirited debate about the moral, ethical, scientific, and social implications of human germline genome engineering. There have also been calls for regulations; however, FDA has yet to formally announce its oversight of clinical applications of CRISPR-Cas systems. This paper reviews FDA regulation of previously controversial biotechnology breakthroughs, recombinant DNA and human cloning. It then shows that FDA is well positioned to regulate CRISPR-Cas clinical applications, due to its legislative mandates, its existing regulatory frameworks for gene therapies and assisted reproductive technologies, and other considerations.

Mapping the future: U.S. exposure to multiple landscape stressors

Treesearch

Marie Oliver; Becky Kerns; John Kim; Jeff Kline

2017-01-01

Landscape exposure to multiple stressors can pose risks to human health, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. Attempts to study, control, or mitigate these stressors can strain public and private budgets. An interdisciplinary team of Pacific Northwest Research Station and Oregon State University scientists created maps of the conterminous United States that indicate...

Pluripotent stem cells.

PubMed

Verfaillie, C

2009-05-01

The isolation of human embryonic stem cells (ESC) in 1998 has created the hope that stem cells will one day be used to regenerate tissues and organs, even though it is obvious that a number of hurdles will need to be overcome for such therapies to become reality. The cloning of "Dolly" in 1997, more than 40 years after the first frogs were cloned, combined with the very fast progress made in our understanding of the molecular processes that govern the pluripotency of ESC has lead to the ability of scientists to recreate a pluripotent state in fibroblasts and other cells from mouse, rat and man, named induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). This feat makes it theoretically possible to create patient specific pluripotent stem cells whose differentiated progeny could be used in an autologous manner obviating the need for immunosuppression that would be needed to use allogeneic ESC-derived differentiated cells. In addition, the ability to generate custom made pluripotent stem cells will no doubt lead to the development of protein or small molecule drugs that can induce differentiation not only of iPSC or ESC to mature tissue cells, but also endogenous tissue stem cells. Moreover, it allows scientists to create models of human diseases and may aid the pharmaceutical industry in testing more rigorously toxicity of drugs for human differentiated cells. Thus, there is little doubt that progress in stem cell biology will change many aspects of medicine as we know it in the next one to two decades.

Ethnic cartography and politics in Vienna, 1918-1945.

PubMed

Svatek, Petra

2018-03-01

In Vienna, the close of the First World War and the period of the peace negotiations in Paris saw an enormous boom of ethnic-geographic research approaches and ethnic map-making. This process continued with the appointment of the Viennese geographer Hugo Hassinger (1877-1952) to the chair of human geography at the University of Vienna in 1931 and intensified with the establishment of the South East German Research Association and the National Socialist takeover in March 1938. But did the initiatives to create ethnic maps originate with politicians and authorities, or did they come from the scientists themselves? This article argues that scientists embarked upon ethnic geographies on their own initiative. Although political institutions used scientists and their resources for their own, political ends (ethnographic maps served as an important source for the National Socialists in their operations for ethnic consolidation), scientists also mobilized resources from the political sphere for career and disciplinary purposes.

Application of advanced computing techniques to the analysis and display of space science measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klumpar, D. M.; Lapolla, M. V.; Horblit, B.

1995-01-01

A prototype system has been developed to aid the experimental space scientist in the display and analysis of spaceborne data acquired from direct measurement sensors in orbit. We explored the implementation of a rule-based environment for semi-automatic generation of visualizations that assist the domain scientist in exploring one's data. The goal has been to enable rapid generation of visualizations which enhance the scientist's ability to thoroughly mine his data. Transferring the task of visualization generation from the human programmer to the computer produced a rapid prototyping environment for visualizations. The visualization and analysis environment has been tested against a set of data obtained from the Hot Plasma Composition Experiment on the AMPTE/CCE satellite creating new visualizations which provided new insight into the data.

Amazing Muses of Science: An Interdisciplinary Project Creates Awareness of Female Scientists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carson, Beverly

2016-01-01

This article describes an interdisciplinary project that created awareness of female scientists in a public Montessori classroom. Every spring, the author's sixth-grade students write an educational play in which the entire class participates. Following an underwhelming response to asking students who are their favorite female scientists, the…

Bacteria turn a tiny gear

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aronson, Igor

2009-01-01

Thousands of tiny Bacillus subtillis bacteria turn a single gear, just 380 microns across. (A human hair is about 100 microns across.) The method could be used to create micro-machines. Argonne National Laboratory scientist Igor Aronson pioneered this technique. Read more at the New York Times: http://ow.ly/ODfI or at Argonne: http://ow.ly/ODfa Video courtesy Igor Aronson.

Vision Algorithms Catch Defects in Screen Displays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2014-01-01

Andrew Watson, a senior scientist at Ames Research Center, developed a tool called the Spatial Standard Observer (SSO), which models human vision for use in robotic applications. Redmond, Washington-based Radiant Zemax LLC licensed the technology from NASA and combined it with its imaging colorimeter system, creating a powerful tool that high-volume manufacturers of flat-panel displays use to catch defects in screens.

Ship Tracks in the Sky

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Because clouds represent an area of great uncertainty in studies of global climate, scientists are interested in better understanding the processes by which clouds form and change over time. In recent years, scientists have turned their attention to the ways in which human-produced aerosol pollution modifies clouds. One area that has drawn scientists' attention is 'ship tracks,' or clouds that form from the sulfate aerosols released by large ships. Although ships are not significant sources of pollution themselves, they do release enough sulfur dioxide in the exhaust from their smokestacks to modify overlying clouds. Specifically, the aerosol particles formed by the ship exhaust in the atmosphere cause the clouds to be more reflective, carry more water, and possibly inhibit them from precipitating. This is one example of how humans have been creating and modifying clouds for generations through the burning of fossil fuels. This image was acquired over the northern Pacific Ocean by the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), flying aboard NASA's Terra satellite, on April 29, 2002. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC

Information and Communication Technologies, Genes, and Peer-Production of Knowledge to Empower Citizens' Health.

PubMed

Biggeri, Annibale; Tallacchini, Mariachiara

2018-06-01

The different and seemingly unrelated practices of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) used to collect and share personal and scientific data within networked communities, and the organized storage of human genetic samples and information-namely biobanking-have merged with another recent epistemic and social phenomenon, namely scientists and citizens collaborating as "peers" in creating knowledge (or peer-production of knowledge). These different dimensions can be found in joint initiatives where scientists-and-citizens use genetic information and ICT as powerful ways to gain more control over their health and the environment. While this kind of initiative usually takes place only after rights have been infringed (or are put at risk)-as the two cases presented in the paper show-collaborative scientists-and-citizens' knowledge should be institutionally allowed to complement and corroborate official knowledge-supporting policies.

Revaluation of the concept of the human condition and the common heritage of mankind: Keys to the social benefits of space technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cocca, Aldo Armando

Men may do many things, but they must never forget the human condition in any act or relation with a fellow human being. Space Law has vindicated the supreme value of man as a legal subject par excellence. The dignity of the human being is a value that rates above any scientific or technological advance. A benefit, by definition and derivation, is anything contributing to an improvement in a condition. Social benefits pertain only to human beings, who are their sole beneficiaries. Developing countries are young nations that through their international relations may, and indeed must, realize the benefits of space technology. The principle of the "common heritage of Mankind" was created to satisfy the aspirations of all peoples and to meet the needs of both industrialized and developing countries. Only a groundless fear and lack of vision of the future can induce governments to delay its implementation. We must not forget that the concept was transformed into a principle of international positive law by the unanimous decision of the international community, which enshrined it in the Moon Agreement. The social and individual responsibility of the scientist is becoming even more clearly defined, and scientists play an important role in the conduct of nations. Through education, including education in the humanities and a graduation pledge, the scientist has embarked on the road leading to an active presence in society, facing his responsibility. Inter-generational equity contributes to strengthening the concept of the human condition and the legal principle of the common heritage of mankind.

Exploring Visual Evidence of Human Impact on the Environment with Planetary-Scale Zoomable Timelapse Video

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sargent, R.; Egge, M.; Dille, P. S.; O'Donnell, G. D.; Herwig, C.

2016-12-01

Visual evidence ignites curiosity and inspires advocacy. Zoomable imagery and video on a planetary scale provides compelling evidence of human impact on the environment. Earth Timelapse places the observable impact of 30+ years of human activity into the hands of policy makers, scientists, and advocates, with fluidity and speed that supports inquiry and exploration. Zoomability enables compelling narratives and ready apprehension of environmental changes, connecting human-scale evidence to regional and ecosystem-wide trends and changes. Leveraging the power of Google Earth Engine, join us to explore 30+ years of Landset 30m RGB imagery showing glacial retreat, agricultural deforestation, irrigation expansion, and the disappearance of lakes. These narratives are enriched with datasets showing planetary forest gain/loss, annual cycles of agricultural fires, global changes in the health of coral reefs, trends in resource extraction, and of renewable energy development. We demonstrate the intuitive and inquiry-enabling power of these planetary visualizations, and provide instruction on how scientists and advocates can create and share or contribute visualizations of their own research or topics of interest.

New Animal Model Could Boost Research on AIDS Drugs and Vaccines | Poster

Cancer.gov

By Frank Blanchard, Staff Writer, and Jeff Lifson, Guest Writer In a research milestone reported in the June 20 issue of the journal Science, scientists have developed a minimally modified version of HIV-1, the virus that causes AIDS in infected humans, that is capable of causing progressive infection and AIDS in monkeys. The advance should help create more authentic animal

Procurement of State-of-the-Art Research Equipment to Support Faculty Members Within the RNAi Therapeutics Institute

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Terence Flotte, MD; Patricia McNulty

2010-06-29

This project funded the procurement of state-of-the-art research equipment to support world class faculty members within the RNAi Therapeutics Institute, a central program of the Advanced Therapeutics Cluster (ATC) project. The equipment purchased under this grant supports the RNA Therapeutics Institute (RTI) at the University of Massachusetts Medical School which seeks to build a community of scientists passionate about RNA. By uniting researchers studying the fundamental biology and mechanisms of cellular RNAs with those working to devise human therapies using or targeting nucleic acids, the RTI represents a new model for scientific exploration. By interweaving basic and applied nucleic acidmore » scientists with clinicians dedicated to finding new cures, our goal is to create a new paradigm for organizing molecular research that enables the rapid application of new biological discoveries to solutions for unmet challenges in human health.« less

The Application of NASA Technology to Public Health

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rickman, Douglas L.; Watts, C.

2007-01-01

NASA scientists have a history of applying technologies created to handle satellite data to human health at various spatial scales. Scientists are now engaged in multiple public health application projects that integrate NASA satellite data with measures of public health. Such integration requires overcoming disparities between the environmental and the health data. Ground based sensors, satellite imagery, model outputs and other environmental sources have inconsistent spatial and temporal distributions. The MSFC team has recognized the approach used by environmental scientists to fill in the empty places can also be applied to outcomes, exposures and similar data. A revisit to the classic epidemiology study of 1854 using modern day surface modeling and GIS technology, demonstrates how spatial technology can enhance and change the future of environmental epidemiology. Thus, NASA brings to public health, not just a set of data, but an innovative way of thinking about the data.

Tough Ceramic Mimics Mother of Pearl

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ritchie, Robert

2008-12-05

Berkeley Lab scientists have mimicked the structure of mother of pearl to create what may well be the toughest ceramic ever produced. http://newscenter.lbl.gov/press-releases/2008/12/05/scientists-create-tough-ceramic-that-mimics-mother-of-pearl/

Tough Ceramic Mimics Mother of Pearl

ScienceCinema

Ritchie, Robert

2017-12-12

Berkeley Lab scientists have mimicked the structure of mother of pearl to create what may well be the toughest ceramic ever produced. http://newscenter.lbl.gov/press-releases/2008/12/05/scientists-create-tough-ceramic-that-mimics-mother-of-pearl/

Contributions of acid rain research to the forest science-policy interface: learning from the national acid precipitation assessment program.

Treesearch

Charles E. Peterson; David S. Shriner

2004-01-01

During the 1970s, there was growing concern by scientists, policy officials and the general public in the USA over the possible effects of acid rain on human health and the environment (crops, forests, water, etc.). The lack of science-based information needed for policy and regulatory decisions led Congress to create an interagency task force in 1980 called the...

Deflecting Disinformation about Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oreskes, N.

2006-12-01

A study by the Pew Center in the summer of 2006 showed that only 41 per cent of Americans have views consistent with the scientific facts about global warming. Nearly half of all Americans believe that there is "no solid" evidence of global warming, or that if warming is happening it can be attributed to natural variability. And an ABC/Time poll showed that two-thirds of Americans think that "there is a lot of disagreement among scientists" as to whether or not global warming is occurring. Scientists are apt to attribute such public misunderstandings to scientific illiteracy, and to think that the remedy is better communication. But public confusion over climate science is the result—at least in part--of organized campaigns designed to create confusion. The goal has been to create an impression of scientific disagreement, and thereby delay political action. This is a tactic that was previously employed in efforts to deny the reality of acid rain, the human role in ozone depletion, and the link between tobacco and cancer, in some cases by the same individuals who now deny the reality of global warming. In short, there is a pattern of which scientists need to be aware. Good faith efforts to explain the science are likely to fail in the face of bad-faith efforts to misrepresent it.

New genetic and morphological evidence suggests a single hoaxer created `Piltdown man'

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Groote, Isabelle; Flink, Linus Girdland; Abbas, Rizwaan; Bello, Silvia M.; Burgia, Lucia; Buck, Laura Tabitha; Dean, Christopher; Freyne, Alison; Higham, Thomas; Jones, Chris G.; Kruszynski, Robert; Lister, Adrian; Parfitt, Simon A.; Skinner, Matthew M.; Shindler, Karolyn; Stringer, Chris B.

2016-08-01

In 1912, palaeontologist Arthur Smith Woodward and amateur antiquarian and solicitor Charles Dawson announced the discovery of a fossil that supposedly provided a link between apes and humans: Eoanthropus dawsoni (Dawson's dawn man). The publication generated huge interest from scientists and the general public. However, `Piltdown man's' initial celebrity has long been overshadowed by its subsequent infamy as one of the most famous scientific frauds in history. Our re-evaluation of the Piltdown fossils using the latest scientific methods (DNA analyses, high-precision measurements, spectroscopy and virtual anthropology) shows that it is highly likely that a single orang-utan specimen and at least two human specimens were used to create the fake fossils. The modus operandi was found consistent throughout the assemblage (specimens are stained brown, loaded with gravel fragments and restored using filling materials), linking all specimens from the Piltdown I and Piltdown II sites to a single forger-Charles Dawson. Whether Dawson acted alone is uncertain, but his hunger for acclaim may have driven him to risk his reputation and misdirect the course of anthropology for decades. The Piltdown hoax stands as a cautionary tale to scientists not to be led by preconceived ideas, but to use scientific integrity and rigour in the face of novel discoveries.

New genetic and morphological evidence suggests a single hoaxer created 'Piltdown man'.

PubMed

De Groote, Isabelle; Flink, Linus Girdland; Abbas, Rizwaan; Bello, Silvia M; Burgia, Lucia; Buck, Laura Tabitha; Dean, Christopher; Freyne, Alison; Higham, Thomas; Jones, Chris G; Kruszynski, Robert; Lister, Adrian; Parfitt, Simon A; Skinner, Matthew M; Shindler, Karolyn; Stringer, Chris B

2016-08-01

In 1912, palaeontologist Arthur Smith Woodward and amateur antiquarian and solicitor Charles Dawson announced the discovery of a fossil that supposedly provided a link between apes and humans: Eoanthropus dawsoni (Dawson's dawn man). The publication generated huge interest from scientists and the general public. However, 'Piltdown man's' initial celebrity has long been overshadowed by its subsequent infamy as one of the most famous scientific frauds in history. Our re-evaluation of the Piltdown fossils using the latest scientific methods (DNA analyses, high-precision measurements, spectroscopy and virtual anthropology) shows that it is highly likely that a single orang-utan specimen and at least two human specimens were used to create the fake fossils. The modus operandi was found consistent throughout the assemblage (specimens are stained brown, loaded with gravel fragments and restored using filling materials), linking all specimens from the Piltdown I and Piltdown II sites to a single forger-Charles Dawson. Whether Dawson acted alone is uncertain, but his hunger for acclaim may have driven him to risk his reputation and misdirect the course of anthropology for decades. The Piltdown hoax stands as a cautionary tale to scientists not to be led by preconceived ideas, but to use scientific integrity and rigour in the face of novel discoveries.

OnSight: Multi-platform Visualization of the Surface of Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abercrombie, S. P.; Menzies, A.; Winter, A.; Clausen, M.; Duran, B.; Jorritsma, M.; Goddard, C.; Lidawer, A.

2017-12-01

A key challenge of planetary geology is to develop an understanding of an environment that humans cannot (yet) visit. Instead, scientists rely on visualizations created from images sent back by robotic explorers, such as the Curiosity Mars rover. OnSight is a multi-platform visualization tool that helps scientists and engineers to visualize the surface of Mars. Terrain visualization allows scientists to understand the scale and geometric relationships of the environment around the Curiosity rover, both for scientific understanding and for tactical consideration in safely operating the rover. OnSight includes a web-based 2D/3D visualization tool, as well as an immersive mixed reality visualization. In addition, OnSight offers a novel feature for communication among the science team. Using the multiuser feature of OnSight, scientists can meet virtually on Mars, to discuss geology in a shared spatial context. Combining web-based visualization with immersive visualization allows OnSight to leverage strengths of both platforms. This project demonstrates how 3D visualization can be adapted to either an immersive environment or a computer screen, and will discuss advantages and disadvantages of both platforms.

In a Time of Change: Integrating the Arts and Humanities with Climate Change Science in Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leigh, M.; Golux, S.; Franzen, K.

2011-12-01

The arts and humanities have a powerful capacity to create lines of communication between the public, policy and scientific spheres. A growing network of visual and performing artists, writers and scientists has been actively working together since 2007 to integrate scientific and artistic perspectives on climate change in interior Alaska. These efforts have involved field workshops and collaborative creative processes culminating in public performances and a visual art exhibit. The most recent multimedia event was entitled In a Time of Change: Envisioning the Future, and challenged artists and scientists to consider future scenarios of climate change. This event included a public performance featuring original theatre, modern dance, Alaska Native Dance, poetry and music that was presented concurrently with an art exhibit featuring original works by 24 Alaskan visual artists. A related effort targeted K12 students, through an early college course entitled Climate Change and Creative Expression, which was offered to high school students at a predominantly Alaska Native charter school and integrated climate change science, creative writing, theatre and dance. Our program at Bonanza Creek Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) site is just one of many successful efforts to integrate arts and humanities with science within and beyond the NSF LTER Program. The efforts of various LTER sites to engage the arts and humanities with science, the public and policymakers have successfully generated excitement, facilitated mutual understanding, and promoted meaningful dialogue on issues facing science and society. The future outlook for integration of arts and humanities with science appears promising, with increasing interest from artists, scientists and scientific funding agencies.

In vitro eugenics.

PubMed

Sparrow, Robert

2014-11-01

A series of recent scientific results suggest that, in the not-too-distant future, it will be possible to create viable human gametes from human stem cells. This paper discusses the potential of this technology to make possible what I call 'in vitro eugenics': the deliberate breeding of human beings in vitro by fusing sperm and egg derived from different stem-cell lines to create an embryo and then deriving new gametes from stem cells derived from that embryo. Repeated iterations of this process would allow scientists to proceed through multiple human generations in the laboratory. In vitro eugenics might be used to study the heredity of genetic disorders and to produce cell lines of a desired character for medical applications. More controversially, it might also function as a powerful technology of 'human enhancement' by allowing researchers to use all the techniques of selective breeding to produce individuals with a desired genotype. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Report of the International Symposium on Phytochemicals in Medicine and Food (ISPMF 2015).

PubMed

Xiao, Jianbo

2016-08-01

The International Symposium on Phytochemicals in Medicine and Food (ISPMF2015) was held June 26-29, 2015, in Shanghai, China. This is the first time that a PSE meeting has been held in Asia and a PSE-PSA joint symposium provided an opportunity for communication between scientists from European and Asian countries. More than 270 scientists from 48 countries attended this meeting. ISPMF2015 assembled an exciting and diverse programme with 16 sessions, consisting of 12 plenary lectures, 20 invited talks, 55 short oral presentations, and in excess of 130 posters, dedicated to creating a podium for exchanging the latest research results on phytochemicals for food and human health. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Climate Contrarianism: Conspiracies, Movable Goalposts, Cherry Picking, and the Galileo Complex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Somerville, R. C.

2012-12-01

How can two well-qualified climate scientists, with similar educational backgrounds and professional careers, come to diametrically opposed conclusions on important research issues that have been the subjects of extensive scientific investigation? This question is illuminated by examining the attitudes and practices that separate mainstream climate researchers and credentialed contrarian scientists. The existence of contrarians, scientists who reject the findings of mainstream researchers, is not confined to climate science. Indeed, in many fields of science, rhetorical arguments have been made by contrarians in order to create the impression that the expert scientific community is divided, and that genuine scientific controversy exists, where in fact there is none. The frequent objective underlying this practice is not to advance the science, but rather to cast doubt on scientific findings because of opposition to policies that might be implemented because of trust in these scientific results. Thus, opposition to cap-and-trade systems, or to carbon taxes, or to government interference with markets, or to ceding national sovereignty via treaties, can all be reasons for calling into question the mainstream scientific result that climate change due to human activities is real and has significant adverse effects. Contrarian scientists in many fields have alleged that they are victims of secretive conspiracies by mainstream scientists. They have also created unrealistic expectations of what research ought to provide, such as by pointing out that all climate models have uncertainties and weaknesses, and therefore no model results deserve serious consideration. They have emphasized weaknesses in papers supporting mainstream findings, and have exaggerated the importance of isolated results, and they have attacked the methods and credibility of mainstream scientists, all in the hope of undermining mainstream findings. They have often sought to portray themselves as independent thinkers and courageous victims of the dominant orthodoxy, reminiscent of Galileo. Understanding the characteristics of scientific contrarianism, and being familiar with its manifestations in many scientific fields, can help to recognize it and to distinguish it from legitimate scientific dissent.

Preservice Teachers' Images of Scientists: Do Prior Science Experiences Make a Difference?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milford, Todd M.; Tippett, Christine D.

2013-06-01

This article presents the results of a mixed methods study that used the Draw-a-Scientist Test as a visual tool for exploring preservice teachers' beliefs about scientists. A questionnaire was also administered to 165 students who were enrolled in elementary (K-8) and secondary (8-12) science methods courses. Taken as a whole, the images drawn by preservice teachers reflected the stereotype of a scientist as a man with a wild hairdo who wears a lab coat and glasses while working in a laboratory setting. However, results indicated statistically significant differences in stereotypical components of representations of scientists depending on preservice teachers' program and previous science experiences. Post degree students in secondary science methods courses created images of scientists with fewer stereotypical elements than drawings created by students in the regular elementary program.

Landsat Science: 40 Years of Innovation and Opportunity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cook, Bruce D.; Irons, James R.; Masek, Jeffrey G.; Loveland, Thomas R.

2012-01-01

Landsat satellites have provided unparalleled Earth-observing data for nearly 40 years, allowing scientists to describe, monitor and model the global environment during a period of time that has seen dramatic changes in population growth, land use, and climate. The success of the Landsat program can be attributed to well-designed instrument specifications, astute engineering, comprehensive global acquisition and calibration strategies, and innovative scientists who have developed analytical techniques and applications to address a wide range of needs at local to global scales (e.g., crop production, water resource management, human health and environmental quality, urbanization, deforestation and biodiversity). Early Landsat contributions included inventories of natural resources and land cover classification maps, which were initially prepared by a visual interpretation of Landsat imagery. Over time, advances in computer technology facilitated the development of sophisticated image processing algorithms and complex ecosystem modeling, enabling scientists to create accurate, reproducible, and more realistic simulations of biogeochemical processes (e.g., plant production and ecosystem dynamics). Today, the Landsat data archive is freely available for download through the USGS, creating new opportunities for scientists to generate global image datasets, develop new change detection algorithms, and provide products in support of operational programs such as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (REDD). In particular, the use of dense (approximately annual) time series to characterize both rapid and progressive landscape change has yielded new insights into how the land environment is responding to anthropogenic and natural pressures. The launch of the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) satellite in 2012 will continue to propel innovative Landsat science.

Participatory Design of Human-Centered Cyberinfrastructure (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pennington, D. D.; Gates, A. Q.

2010-12-01

Cyberinfrastructure, by definition, is about people sharing resources to achieve outcomes that cannot be reached independently. CI depends not just on creating discoverable resources, or tools that allow those resources to be processed, integrated, and visualized -- but on human activation of flows of information across those resources. CI must be centered on human activities. Yet for those CI projects that are directed towards observational science, there are few models for organizing collaborative research in ways that align individual research interests into a collective vision of CI-enabled science. Given that the emerging technologies are themselves expected to change the way science is conducted, it is not simply a matter of conducting requirements analysis on how scientists currently work, or building consensus among the scientists on what is needed. Developing effective CI depends on generating a new, creative vision of problem solving within a community based on computational concepts that are, in some cases, still very abstract and theoretical. The computer science theory may (or may not) be well formalized, but the potential for impact on any particular domain is typically ill-defined. In this presentation we will describe approaches being developed and tested at the CyberShARE Center of Excellence at University of Texas in El Paso for ill-structured problem solving within cross-disciplinary teams of scientists and computer scientists working on data intensive environmental and geoscience. These approaches deal with the challenges associated with sharing and integrating knowledge across disciplines; the challenges of developing effective teamwork skills in a culture that favors independent effort; and the challenges of evolving shared, focused research goals from ill-structured, vague starting points - all issues that must be confronted by every interdisciplinary CI project. We will introduce visual and semantic-based tools that can enable the collaborative research design process and illustrate their application in designing and developing useful end-to-end data solutions for scientists. Lastly, we will outline areas of future investigation within CyberShARE that we believe have the potential for high impact.

Academic Research in the 21st Century: Maintaining Scientific Integrity in a Climate of Perverse Incentives and Hypercompetition.

PubMed

Edwards, Marc A; Roy, Siddhartha

2017-01-01

Over the last 50 years, we argue that incentives for academic scientists have become increasingly perverse in terms of competition for research funding, development of quantitative metrics to measure performance, and a changing business model for higher education itself. Furthermore, decreased discretionary funding at the federal and state level is creating a hypercompetitive environment between government agencies (e.g., EPA, NIH, CDC), for scientists in these agencies, and for academics seeking funding from all sources-the combination of perverse incentives and decreased funding increases pressures that can lead to unethical behavior. If a critical mass of scientists become untrustworthy, a tipping point is possible in which the scientific enterprise itself becomes inherently corrupt and public trust is lost, risking a new dark age with devastating consequences to humanity. Academia and federal agencies should better support science as a public good, and incentivize altruistic and ethical outcomes, while de-emphasizing output.

Academic Research in the 21st Century: Maintaining Scientific Integrity in a Climate of Perverse Incentives and Hypercompetition

PubMed Central

Edwards, Marc A.; Roy, Siddhartha

2017-01-01

Abstract Over the last 50 years, we argue that incentives for academic scientists have become increasingly perverse in terms of competition for research funding, development of quantitative metrics to measure performance, and a changing business model for higher education itself. Furthermore, decreased discretionary funding at the federal and state level is creating a hypercompetitive environment between government agencies (e.g., EPA, NIH, CDC), for scientists in these agencies, and for academics seeking funding from all sources—the combination of perverse incentives and decreased funding increases pressures that can lead to unethical behavior. If a critical mass of scientists become untrustworthy, a tipping point is possible in which the scientific enterprise itself becomes inherently corrupt and public trust is lost, risking a new dark age with devastating consequences to humanity. Academia and federal agencies should better support science as a public good, and incentivize altruistic and ethical outcomes, while de-emphasizing output. PMID:28115824

Future Evolution of Virtual Worlds as Communication Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prisco, Giulio

Extensive experience creating locations and activities inside virtual worlds provides the basis for contemplating their future. Users of virtual worlds are diverse in their goals for these online environments; for example, immersionists want them to be alternative realities disconnected from real life, whereas augmentationists want them to be communication media supporting real-life activities. As the technology improves, the diversity of virtual worlds will increase along with their significance. Many will incorporate more advanced virtual reality, or serve as major media for long-distance collaboration, or become the venues for futurist social movements. Key issues are how people can create their own virtual worlds, travel across worlds, and experience a variety of multimedia immersive environments. This chapter concludes by noting the view among some computer scientists that future technologies will permit uploading human personalities to artificial intelligence avatars, thereby enhancing human beings and rendering the virtual worlds entirely real.

Wikidata as a semantic framework for the Gene Wiki initiative.

PubMed

Burgstaller-Muehlbacher, Sebastian; Waagmeester, Andra; Mitraka, Elvira; Turner, Julia; Putman, Tim; Leong, Justin; Naik, Chinmay; Pavlidis, Paul; Schriml, Lynn; Good, Benjamin M; Su, Andrew I

2016-01-01

Open biological data are distributed over many resources making them challenging to integrate, to update and to disseminate quickly. Wikidata is a growing, open community database which can serve this purpose and also provides tight integration with Wikipedia. In order to improve the state of biological data, facilitate data management and dissemination, we imported all human and mouse genes, and all human and mouse proteins into Wikidata. In total, 59,721 human genes and 73,355 mouse genes have been imported from NCBI and 27,306 human proteins and 16,728 mouse proteins have been imported from the Swissprot subset of UniProt. As Wikidata is open and can be edited by anybody, our corpus of imported data serves as the starting point for integration of further data by scientists, the Wikidata community and citizen scientists alike. The first use case for these data is to populate Wikipedia Gene Wiki infoboxes directly from Wikidata with the data integrated above. This enables immediate updates of the Gene Wiki infoboxes as soon as the data in Wikidata are modified. Although Gene Wiki pages are currently only on the English language version of Wikipedia, the multilingual nature of Wikidata allows for usage of the data we imported in all 280 different language Wikipedias. Apart from the Gene Wiki infobox use case, a SPARQL endpoint and exporting functionality to several standard formats (e.g. JSON, XML) enable use of the data by scientists. In summary, we created a fully open and extensible data resource for human and mouse molecular biology and biochemistry data. This resource enriches all the Wikipedias with structured information and serves as a new linking hub for the biological semantic web. Database URL: https://www.wikidata.org/. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

Natural IQ: Investigating questions about climate

Treesearch

Babs McDonald; Jessica Nickelsen; Julia Dobish; Elissa Riley; Michelle Andrews; Emily Melear-Daniels

2014-01-01

Scientists report their research in journals, which are special booklets that enable scientists to share information with one another. This journal, Natural IQ, was created so that scientists can share their research with you and with other middle school students. Each article tells you about scientific research conducted by scientists in the Forest Service, U.S....

Overview of the Future Forest Webinar Series [Chapter 1

Treesearch

Sarah Hines; Megan Matonis

2014-01-01

The Future Forest Webinar Series was created to facilitate dialogue between scientists and managers about the challenges and opportunities created by the mountain pine beetle1 (MPB) epidemic. A core team of scientists and managers from the USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station and the Northern and Rocky Mountain Regions worked together to develop the format and content...

Philosophy and data in astrobiology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mix, Lucas John

2018-04-01

Creating a unified model of life in the universe - history, extent and future - requires both scientific and humanities research. One way that humanities can contribute is by investigating the relationship between philosophical commitments and data. Making those commitments transparent allows scientists to use the data more fully. Insights in four areas - history, ethics, religion and probability - demonstrate the value of careful, astrobiology-specific humanities research for improving how we talk and think about astrobiology as a whole. First, astrobiology has a long and influential history. Second, astrobiology does not decentre humanity, either physically or ethically. Third, astrobiology is broadly compatible with major world religions. Finally, claims about the probability of life arising or existing elsewhere rest heavily on philosophical priors. In all four cases, identifying philosophical commitments clarifies the ways in which data can tell us about life.

Communicating Ocean Sciences to Informal Audiences: A Scientist-Educator Partnership to Prepare the Next Generation of Scientists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halversen, Catherine; Tran, Lynn Uyen

2010-01-01

Communicating Ocean Sciences to Informal Audiences (COSIA) is a college course that creates and develops partnerships between science educators in informal science education institutions, such as museums, science centers and aquariums, and ocean scientists in colleges and universities. For the course, a scientist and educator team-teach…

Physician Scientist Research Pathway Leading to Certification by the American Board of Pathology.

PubMed

Weiss, Sharon W; Johnson, Rebecca L

2016-01-01

In 2014, the American Board of Pathology, in response to the pathology community, approved a physician scientist research pathway. This brief report summarizes the history of and objectives for creating the physician scientist research pathway and the requirements of the American Board of Pathology for the certification of physician scientist research pathway trainees.

New Animal Model Could Boost Research on AIDS Drugs and Vaccines | Poster

Cancer.gov

By Frank Blanchard, Staff Writer, and Jeff Lifson, Guest Writer In a research milestone reported in the June 20 issue of the journal Science, scientists have developed a minimally modified version of HIV-1, the virus that causes AIDS in infected humans, that is capable of causing progressive infection and AIDS in monkeys. The advance should help create more authentic animal models of the disease and provide a potentially invaluable approach for faster and better preclinical evaluation of new drugs and vaccines.

Shifting the Perspective: Artists in the Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Dover, C. L.

2014-12-01

The deep ocean is to most of us a place unknown. Few of us experience the sea far from shore, fewer still dive to the seafloor at great depths. When scientists report on the outcome of deep-ocean exploration, their technical prose captures facts and insights, but fails to capture the emotional power of place and process. Through batik, watercolor illustrations, music, digital art, cartoon, and experimental video, six artists have created a portfolio of work that communicates the human experience of the deep ocean.

Elements of a next generation time-series ASCII data file format for Earth Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webster, C. J.

2015-12-01

Data in ASCII comma separated value (CSV) format are recognized as the most simple, straightforward and readable type of data present in the geosciences. Many scientific workflows developed over the years rely on data using this simple format. However, there is a need for a lightweight ASCII header format standard that is easy to create and easy to work with. Current OGC grade XML standards are complex and difficult to implement for researchers with few resources. Ideally, such a format should provide the data in CSV for easy consumption by generic applications such as spreadsheets. The format should use an existing time standard. The header should be easily human readable as well as machine parsable. The metadata format should be extendable to allow vocabularies to be adopted as they are created by external standards bodies. The creation of such a format will increase the productivity of software engineers and scientists because fewer translators and checkers would be required. Data in ASCII comma separated value (CSV) format are recognized as the most simple, straightforward and readable type of data present in the geosciences. Many scientific workflows developed over the years rely on data using this simple format. However, there is a need for a lightweight ASCII header format standard that is easy to create and easy to work with. Current OGC grade XML standards are complex and difficult to implement for researchers with few resources. Ideally, such a format would provide the data in CSV for easy consumption by generic applications such as spreadsheets. The format would use existing time standard. The header would be easily human readable as well as machine parsable. The metadata format would be extendable to allow vocabularies to be adopted as they are created by external standards bodies. The creation of such a format would increase the productivity of software engineers and scientists because fewer translators would be required.

Making Scientific Data Usable and Useful

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Satwicz, T.; Bharadwaj, A.; Evans, J.; Dirks, J.; Clark Cole, K.

2017-12-01

Transforming geological data into information that has broad scientific and societal impact is a process fraught with barriers. Data sets and tools are often reported to have poor user experiences (UX) that make scientific work more challenging than it needs be. While many other technical fields have benefited from ongoing improvements to the UX of their tools (e.g., healthcare and financial services) scientists are faced with using tools that are labor intensive and not intuitive. Our research team has been involved in a multi-year effort to understand and improve the UX of scientific tools and data sets. We use a User-Centered Design (UCD) process that involves naturalistic behavioral observation and other qualitative research methods adopted from Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and related fields. Behavioral observation involves having users complete common tasks on data sets, tools, and websites to identify usability issues and understand the severity of the issues. We measure how successfully they complete tasks and diagnosis the cause of any failures. Behavioral observation is paired with in-depth interviews where users describe their process for generating results (from initial inquiry to final results). By asking detailed questions we unpack common patterns and challenges scientists experience while working with data. We've found that tools built using the UCD process can have a large impact on scientist work flows and greatly reduce the time it takes to process data before analysis. It is often challenging to understand the organization and nuances of data across scientific fields. By better understanding how scientists work we can create tools that make routine tasks less-labor intensive, data easier to find, and solve common issues with discovering new data sets and engaging in interdisciplinary research. There is a tremendous opportunity for advancing scientific knowledge and helping the public benefit from that work by creating intuitive, interactive, and powerful tools and resources for generating knowledge. The pathway to achieving that is through building a detailed understanding of users and their needs, then using this knowledge to inform the design of the data products, tools, and services scientists and non-scientists use to do their work.

Scientists Like Me: Faces of Discovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Enevoldsen, A. A. G.; Culp, S.; Trinh, A.

2010-08-01

During the International Year of Astronomy, Pacific Science Center is hosting a photography exhibit: Scientists Like Me: Faces of Discovery. The exhibit contains photographs of real, current astronomers and scientists working in astronomy and aerospace-related fields from many races, genders, cultural affiliations and walks of life. The photographs were taken and posters designed by Alyssa Trinh and Sarah Culp, high school interns in Discovery Corps, Pacific Science Center's youth development program. The direct contact between the scientists and the interns helps the intended audience of teachers and families personally connect with scientists. The finished posters from this exhibit are available online (http://pacificsciencecenter.org/scientists) for teachers to use in their classrooms, in addition to being displayed at Pacific Science Center and becoming part of Pacific Science Center's permanent art rotation. The objective of this project was to fill a need for representative photographs of scientists in the world community. It also met two of the goals of International Year of Astronomy: to provide a modern image of science and scientists, and to improve the gender-balanced representation of scientists at all levels and promote greater involvement by all people in scientific and engineering careers. We would like to build on the success of this project and create an annual summer internship, with different interns, focusing on creating posters for different fields of science.

Who Believes in the Storybook Image of the Scientist?

PubMed

Veldkamp, Coosje L S; Hartgerink, Chris H J; van Assen, Marcel A L M; Wicherts, Jelte M

2017-01-01

Do lay people and scientists themselves recognize that scientists are human and therefore prone to human fallibilities such as error, bias, and even dishonesty? In a series of three experimental studies and one correlational study (total N = 3,278) we found that the "storybook image of the scientist" is pervasive: American lay people and scientists from over 60 countries attributed considerably more objectivity, rationality, open-mindedness, intelligence, integrity, and communality to scientists than to other highly-educated people. Moreover, scientists perceived even larger differences than lay people did. Some groups of scientists also differentiated between different categories of scientists: established scientists attributed higher levels of the scientific traits to established scientists than to early-career scientists and Ph.D. students, and higher levels to Ph.D. students than to early-career scientists. Female scientists attributed considerably higher levels of the scientific traits to female scientists than to male scientists. A strong belief in the storybook image and the (human) tendency to attribute higher levels of desirable traits to people in one's own group than to people in other groups may decrease scientists' willingness to adopt recently proposed practices to reduce error, bias and dishonesty in science.

Communicating the Value of Science--Issues, Imperatives and Insights

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gan, J.; Topousis, D.

2013-12-01

Over the last six decades, federal investments in scientific research have led to unquestionable economic and societal advances, while expanding human knowledge. Yet, in the current federal fiscal climate, funding for fundamental research is being challenged in some quarters. This situation has created the need for stakeholders in science to step forward and defend the role that basic research plays in creating the knowledge and workforce necessary to address current and future challenges. Communicating to fellow scientists in this environment is necessary but not sufficient to sustaining, or even expanding, support for fundamental research. A multi-faceted approach will be described for enhancing communication to broader audiences, including policy makers and the general public, increasingly responsible for ensuring the future of scientific progress.

eButterfly: Leveraging Massive Online Citizen Science for Butterfly Conservation

PubMed Central

Prudic, Kathleen L.; McFarland, Kent P.; Oliver, Jeffrey C.; Hutchinson, Rebecca A.; Long, Elizabeth C.; Kerr, Jeremy T.; Larrivée, Maxim

2017-01-01

Data collection, storage, analysis, visualization, and dissemination are changing rapidly due to advances in new technologies driven by computer science and universal access to the internet. These technologies and web connections place human observers front and center in citizen science-driven research and are critical in generating new discoveries and innovation in such fields as astronomy, biodiversity, and meteorology. Research projects utilizing a citizen science approach address scientific problems at regional, continental, and even global scales otherwise impossible for a single lab or even a small collection of academic researchers. Here we describe eButterfly an integrative checklist-based butterfly monitoring and database web-platform that leverages the skills and knowledge of recreational butterfly enthusiasts to create a globally accessible unified database of butterfly observations across North America. Citizen scientists, conservationists, policy makers, and scientists are using eButterfly data to better understand the biological patterns of butterfly species diversity and how environmental conditions shape these patterns in space and time. eButterfly in collaboration with thousands of butterfly enthusiasts has created a near real-time butterfly data resource producing tens of thousands of observations per year open to all to share and explore. PMID:28524117

eButterfly: Leveraging Massive Online Citizen Science for Butterfly Consevation.

PubMed

Prudic, Kathleen L; McFarland, Kent P; Oliver, Jeffrey C; Hutchinson, Rebecca A; Long, Elizabeth C; Kerr, Jeremy T; Larrivée, Maxim

2017-05-18

Data collection, storage, analysis, visualization, and dissemination are changing rapidly due to advances in new technologies driven by computer science and universal access to the internet. These technologies and web connections place human observers front and center in citizen science-driven research and are critical in generating new discoveries and innovation in such fields as astronomy, biodiversity, and meteorology. Research projects utilizing a citizen science approach address scientific problems at regional, continental, and even global scales otherwise impossible for a single lab or even a small collection of academic researchers. Here we describe eButterfly an integrative checklist-based butterfly monitoring and database web-platform that leverages the skills and knowledge of recreational butterfly enthusiasts to create a globally accessible unified database of butterfly observations across North America. Citizen scientists, conservationists, policy makers, and scientists are using eButterfly data to better understand the biological patterns of butterfly species diversity and how environmental conditions shape these patterns in space and time. eButterfly in collaboration with thousands of butterfly enthusiasts has created a near real-time butterfly data resource producing tens of thousands of observations per year open to all to share and explore.

Who Believes in the Storybook Image of the Scientist?

PubMed Central

Veldkamp, Coosje L. S.; Hartgerink, Chris H. J.; van Assen, Marcel A. L. M.; Wicherts, Jelte M.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Do lay people and scientists themselves recognize that scientists are human and therefore prone to human fallibilities such as error, bias, and even dishonesty? In a series of three experimental studies and one correlational study (total N = 3,278) we found that the “storybook image of the scientist” is pervasive: American lay people and scientists from over 60 countries attributed considerably more objectivity, rationality, open-mindedness, intelligence, integrity, and communality to scientists than to other highly-educated people. Moreover, scientists perceived even larger differences than lay people did. Some groups of scientists also differentiated between different categories of scientists: established scientists attributed higher levels of the scientific traits to established scientists than to early-career scientists and Ph.D. students, and higher levels to Ph.D. students than to early-career scientists. Female scientists attributed considerably higher levels of the scientific traits to female scientists than to male scientists. A strong belief in the storybook image and the (human) tendency to attribute higher levels of desirable traits to people in one’s own group than to people in other groups may decrease scientists’ willingness to adopt recently proposed practices to reduce error, bias and dishonesty in science. PMID:28001440

The De Novo Synthesis of Horsepox Virus: Implications for Biosecurity and Recommendations for Preventing the Reemergence of Smallpox.

PubMed

Koblentz, Gregory D

In March 2017, the American biotech company Tonix announced that a Canadian scientist had synthesized horsepox virus as part of a project to develop a safer vaccine against smallpox. The first de novo synthesis of an orthopoxvirus, a closely related group of viruses that includes horsepox and the variola virus that causes smallpox, crosses an important Rubicon in the field of biosecurity. The synthesis of horsepox virus takes the world one step closer to the reemergence of smallpox as a threat to global health security. That threat has been held at bay for the past 40 years by the extreme difficulty of obtaining variola virus and the availability of effective medical countermeasures. The techniques demonstrated by the synthesis of horsepox have the potential to erase both of these barriers. The primary risk posed by this research is that it will open the door to the routine and widespread synthesis of other orthopoxviruses, such as vaccinia, for use in research, public health, and medicine. The normalization and globalization of orthopoxvirus synthesis for these beneficial applications will create a cadre of laboratories and scientists that will also have the capability and expertise to create infectious variola virus from synthetic DNA. Unless the safeguards against the synthesis of variola virus are strengthened, the capability to reintroduce smallpox into the human population will be globally distributed and either loosely or completely unregulated, providing the foundation for a disgruntled or radicalized scientist, sophisticated terrorist group, unscrupulous company, or rogue state to recreate one of humanity's most feared microbial enemies. The reemergence of smallpox-because of a laboratory accident or an intentional release-would be a global health disaster. International organizations, national governments, the DNA synthesis industry, and the synthetic biology community all have a role to play in devising new approaches to preventing the reemergence of smallpox.

Physician scientist research pathway leading to certification by the American Board of Pathology.

PubMed

Weiss, Sharon W; Johnson, Rebecca L

2016-06-01

In 2014, the American Board of Pathology, in response to the pathology community, approved a physician scientist research pathway (PSRP). This brief report summarizes the history of and objectives for creating the physician scientist research pathway and the requirements of the American Board of Pathology for the certification of physician scientist research pathway trainees. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Infrared Astronomy in Science and Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayeur, Paul Anthony

2013-01-01

This dissertation looks at the effects of an educator-scientist partnership on the creation of an inquiry based science lesson for the middle school classroom. The lesson was initially created by a scientist following their science research, but changed as the scientist began working with teachers. The changes in the lesson show that scientists…

Basic instincts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hutson, Matthew

2018-05-01

In their adaptability, young children demonstrate common sense, a kind of intelligence that, so far, computer scientists have struggled to reproduce. Gary Marcus, a developmental cognitive scientist at New York University in New York City, believes the field of artificial intelligence (AI) would do well to learn lessons from young thinkers. Researchers in machine learning argue that computers trained on mountains of data can learn just about anything—including common sense—with few, if any, programmed rules. But Marcus says computer scientists are ignoring decades of work in the cognitive sciences and developmental psychology showing that humans have innate abilities—programmed instincts that appear at birth or in early childhood—that help us think abstractly and flexibly. He believes AI researchers ought to include such instincts in their programs. Yet many computer scientists, riding high on the successes of machine learning, are eagerly exploring the limits of what a naïve AI can do. Computer scientists appreciate simplicity and have an aversion to debugging complex code. Furthermore, big companies such as Facebook and Google are pushing AI in this direction. These companies are most interested in narrowly defined, near-term problems, such as web search and facial recognition, in which blank-slate AI systems can be trained on vast data sets and work remarkably well. But in the longer term, computer scientists expect AIs to take on much tougher tasks that require flexibility and common sense. They want to create chatbots that explain the news, autonomous taxis that can handle chaotic city traffic, and robots that nurse the elderly. Some computer scientists are already trying. Such efforts, researchers hope, will result in AIs that sit somewhere between pure machine learning and pure instinct. They will boot up following some embedded rules, but will also learn as they go.

Western Coordinating Committee-204 goals and why they are important to the future of animal production systems.

PubMed

Cherney, D J R

2004-03-01

There are scientists who believe that science is value-free and that social and ethical issues are not their concern. The birth of Dolly, the cloned lamb, greatly increased public and scientific awareness of ethical issues raised by molecular biology as they intersect with human experience. There are many other issues involving animal production systems, including animal welfare, rural community issues, and environmental concerns. Last year Germany became the first European nation to grant animals a constitutional right. Several European nations ban the use of traditional battery cages for laying hens and gestation crates for sows. In the US, 37 states have recently passed animal anticruelty laws. Times are changing, and if animal production systems are to be part of the future, animal scientists must join with society to solve these ethical issues. The Western Coordinating Committee-204 (WCC-204), Animal Bioethics, has as its goals to 1) create a forum in which animal scientists and nonanimal scientists may work together to examine and discuss contentious social issues, 2) provide a means of encouraging the development of research projects dealing with bioethics of the animal sciences, 3) develop mechanisms of outreach that would allow animal scientists to respond directly to consumers and critics, and 4) provide the means for ongoing critical analysis of the animal science professions in the context of their ability to address moral and sociopolitical issues. Animal scientists can no longer ignore social ethics, and by realizing the goals of Western Coordinating Committee-204, we can help maintain the future of animal production systems.

The character of scientists in the Nobel Prize speeches.

PubMed

Condit, Celeste M

2018-05-01

This essay describes the ethos (i.e. the character projected to specific audiences) of the 25 Nobel Lectures in Physics, Chemistry, and Physiology or Medicine given in 2013-2015 and the 15 Presentation Speeches given at the Nobel Banquets between 2011 and 2015. A thematically focused qualitative analysis grounded in theories of epideictic discourse indicates the Nobel speakers demonstrated a range of strategies for and degrees of success in negotiating the tensions created by the implicit demands of ceremonial speeches, the scientific emphasis on didactic style and research content, and the different potential audiences (scientific experts and interested publics). Relatively few speeches explicitly displayed goodwill toward humanity instead of primarily toward the scientific community. Some speakers emphasized qualities of goodness in line with social values shared by broad audiences, but some reinforced stereotypes of scientists as anti-social. Speakers were variable in their ability to bridge the substantial gaps in resources for shared good sense.

Human Subjects Protection and Technology in Prevention Science: Selected Opportunities and Challenges.

PubMed

Pisani, Anthony R; Wyman, Peter A; Mohr, David C; Perrino, Tatiana; Gallo, Carlos; Villamar, Juan; Kendziora, Kimberly; Howe, George W; Sloboda, Zili; Brown, C Hendricks

2016-08-01

Internet-connected devices are changing the way people live, work, and relate to one another. For prevention scientists, technological advances create opportunities to promote the welfare of human subjects and society. The challenge is to obtain the benefits while minimizing risks. In this article, we use the guiding principles for ethical human subjects research and proposed changes to the Common Rule regulations, as a basis for discussing selected opportunities and challenges that new technologies present for prevention science. The benefits of conducting research with new populations, and at new levels of integration into participants' daily lives, are presented along with five challenges along with technological and other solutions to strengthen the protections that we provide: (1) achieving adequate informed consent with procedures that are acceptable to participants in a digital age; (2) balancing opportunities for rapid development and broad reach, with gaining adequate understanding of population needs; (3) integrating data collection and intervention into participants' lives while minimizing intrusiveness and fatigue; (4) setting appropriate expectations for responding to safety and suicide concerns; and (5) safeguarding newly available streams of sensitive data. Our goal is to promote collaboration between prevention scientists, institutional review boards, and community members to safely and ethically harness advancing technologies to strengthen impact of prevention science.

Therapeutic siRNAs for dominant genetic skin diseases including pachyonychia congenita

PubMed Central

Leachman, Sancy A.; Hickerson, Robyn P.; Hull, Peter R.; Smith, Frances J. D.; Milstone, Leonard M.; Lane, E. Birgitte; Bale, Sherri J.; Roop, Dennis R.; McLean, W. H. Irwin; Kaspar, Roger L.

2008-01-01

The field of science and medicine has experienced a flood of data and technology associated with the human genome project. Over 10,000 human diseases have been genetically defined, but little progress has been made with respect to the clinical application of this knowledge. A notable exception to this exists for pachyonychia congenita (PC), a rare, dominant negative keratin disorder. The establishment of a non-profit organization, PC Project, has led to an unprecedented coalescence of patients, scientists, and physicians with a unified vision of developing novel therapeutics for PC. Utilizing the technological by-products of the human genome project, such as RNA interference (RNAi) and quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR), physicians and scientists have collaborated to create a candidate siRNA therapeutic that selectively inhibits a mutant allele of KRT6A, the most commonly affected PC keratin. In vitro investigation of this siRNA demonstrates potent inhibition of the mutant allele and reversal of the cellular aggregation phenotype. In parallel, an allele-specific quantitative real time RT-PCR assay has been developed and validated on patient callus samples in preparation for clinical trials. If clinical efficacy is ultimately demonstrated, this “first-in-skin” siRNA may herald a paradigm shift in the treatment of dominant negative genetic disorders. PMID:18495438

Therapeutic siRNAs for dominant genetic skin disorders including pachyonychia congenita.

PubMed

Leachman, Sancy A; Hickerson, Robyn P; Hull, Peter R; Smith, Frances J D; Milstone, Leonard M; Lane, E Birgitte; Bale, Sherri J; Roop, Dennis R; McLean, W H Irwin; Kaspar, Roger L

2008-09-01

The field of science and medicine has experienced a flood of data and technology associated with the human genome project. Over 10,000 human diseases have been genetically defined, but little progress has been made with respect to the clinical application of this knowledge. A notable exception to this exists for pachyonychia congenita (PC), a rare, dominant-negative keratin disorder. The establishment of a non-profit organization, PC Project, has led to an unprecedented coalescence of patients, scientists, and physicians with a unified vision of developing novel therapeutics for PC. Utilizing the technological by-products of the human genome project, such as RNA interference (RNAi) and quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR), physicians and scientists have collaborated to create a candidate siRNA therapeutic that selectively inhibits a mutant allele of KRT6A, the most commonly affected PC keratin. In vitro investigation of this siRNA demonstrates potent inhibition of the mutant allele and reversal of the cellular aggregation phenotype. In parallel, an allele-specific quantitative real-time RT-PCR assay has been developed and validated on patient callus samples in preparation for clinical trials. If clinical efficacy is ultimately demonstrated, this "first-in-skin" siRNA may herald a paradigm shift in the treatment of dominant-negative genetic disorders.

Graduating College Students' Orientations toward Scientific Research Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zubova, L. G.; Andreeva, O. N.; Antropova, O. A.

2009-01-01

The population of scientists in Russia is aging, and it is difficult to attract young graduates to enter the profession. Greater efforts need to be made to change the condition of work for scientists in order to make it attractive to those who will become the next generation of Russian scientists. Creating the conditions favorable to the…

A guide to understanding social science research for natural scientists.

PubMed

Moon, Katie; Blackman, Deborah

2014-10-01

Natural scientists are increasingly interested in social research because they recognize that conservation problems are commonly social problems. Interpreting social research, however, requires at least a basic understanding of the philosophical principles and theoretical assumptions of the discipline, which are embedded in the design of social research. Natural scientists who engage in social science but are unfamiliar with these principles and assumptions can misinterpret their results. We developed a guide to assist natural scientists in understanding the philosophical basis of social science to support the meaningful interpretation of social research outcomes. The 3 fundamental elements of research are ontology, what exists in the human world that researchers can acquire knowledge about; epistemology, how knowledge is created; and philosophical perspective, the philosophical orientation of the researcher that guides her or his action. Many elements of the guide also apply to the natural sciences. Natural scientists can use the guide to assist them in interpreting social science research to determine how the ontological position of the researcher can influence the nature of the research; how the epistemological position can be used to support the legitimacy of different types of knowledge; and how philosophical perspective can shape the researcher's choice of methods and affect interpretation, communication, and application of results. The use of this guide can also support and promote the effective integration of the natural and social sciences to generate more insightful and relevant conservation research outcomes. © 2014 Society for Conservation Biology.

Toward Personalized Control of Human Gut Bacterial Communities.

PubMed

David, Lawrence A

2018-01-01

A key challenge in microbiology will be developing tools for manipulating human gut bacterial communities. Our ability to predict and control the dynamics of these communities is now in its infancy. To manage human gut microbiota, I am developing methods in three research domains. First, I am refining in vitro tools to experimentally study gut microbes at high throughput and in controlled settings. Second, I am adapting "big data" techniques to overcome statistical challenges confronting microbiota modeling. Third, I am testing study designs that can streamline human testing of microbiota manipulations. Assembling these methods creates new challenges, including training scientists who can work across disciplines such as engineering, ecology, and medicine. Nevertheless, I envision that overcoming these obstacles will enable my group to construct platforms that can personalize microbiota treatments, particularly ones based on diet. More broadly, I anticipate that such platforms will have applications across fields such as agriculture, biotechnology, and environmental management.

Thriving Earth Exchange: AGU's new grand challenge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McEntee, Chris; Williams, Billy

2012-11-01

Imagine a world where scientists are acknowledged and celebrated for their good works. Imagine being able to make a powerful impact, applying your expertise and experience to create real solutions to ensure a sustainable future. Now imagine those two ideas linked: AGU scientists engaged in creating solutions that are recognized and celebrated for their positive impact on our world. The AGU Grand Challenge: Thriving Earth Exchange, a new idea from our member leaders, is about making this dream real.

Science & Technology Review September/October 2008

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bearinger, J P

2008-07-21

This issue has the following articles: (1) Answering Scientists Most Audacious Questions--Commentary by Dona Crawford; (2) Testing the Accuracy of the Supernova Yardstick--High-resolution simulations are advancing understanding of Type Ia supernovae to help uncover the mysteries of dark energy; (3) Developing New Drugs and Personalized Medical Treatment--Accelerator mass spectrometry is emerging as an essential tool for assessing the effects of drugs in humans; (4) Triage in a Patch--A painless skin patch and accompanying detector can quickly indicate human exposure to biological pathogens, chemicals, explosives, or radiation; and (5) Smoothing Out Defects for Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography--A process for smoothing mask defectsmore » helps move extreme ultraviolet lithography one step closer to creating smaller, more powerful computer chips.« less

Seven Enigmas: The Universe Within and Without

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cogswell, J.

2013-04-01

Seven Enigmas was a multi-media collaborative performance work celebrating the capacity of the human spirit to imaginatively explore the universe outside and within. It was co-created by dancer and choreographer Peter Sparling and the author, a visual artist. Inspired by the spatial movement and gestural power of seven dance miniatures choreographed by Sparling, I mapped out a multimedia sculptural installation for our stage production: objects and surfaces in motion with human bodies, along with film and video projections. The piece was realized through the joint efforts of a team of artists, scientists, dancers, and musicians, and performed at the Power Center for the Performing Arts in Ann Arbor in July and again in September 1997 by the Peter Sparling Dance Company.

Confined to a tokenistic status: Social scientists in leadership roles in a national health research funding agency.

PubMed

Albert, Mathieu; Laberge, Suzanne

2017-07-01

The idea of interdisciplinarity has been taken up by academic and governmental organisations around the world and enacted through science policies, funding programs and higher education institutions. In Canada, interdisciplinarity led to a major transformation in health research funding. In 2000, the federal government closed the Medical Research Council (MRC) and created the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). From the outset, CIHR's vision and goals were innovative, as it sought to include the social sciences within its purview alongside more traditional health research sectors. The extent to which it has been successful in this endeavour, however, remains unknown. The aim of our study was to examine how CIHR's intentions to foster inclusiveness and cooperation across disciplines were implemented in the agency's own organisational structure. We focused on social scientists' representation on committees and among decision-makers between 2000 and 2015, one of the key mandates of CIHR being to include the social sciences within its remit and support research in this area. We examined the composition of the Governing Council, the Institute Scientific Directors, the Chairs of the College of Reviewers, and two International Review Panels invited by CIHR. We targeted these committees and decision-makers since they hold the power to influence the field of Canadian health research through the decisions they make. Our findings show that, while CIHR was created with the mandate to support the entire spectrum of health-related research-including the social sciences-this call for inclusiveness has not yet been materialized in the agency's organisational structure. Social scientists, as well as researchers from neighbouring disciplines such as social epidemiology, health promotion and the humanities, are still confined to low levels of representation within CIHR's highest echelons. This imbalance limits social scientists' input into health research in Canada and undermines CIHR's interdisciplinary ambition. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Bringing Society to a Changing Polar Ocean: Polar Interdisciplinary Coordinated Education (ICE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schofield, O.

2015-12-01

Environmental changes in the Arctic and Antarctic appear to be accelerating and scientists are trying to understand both the patterns and the impacts of change. These changes will have profound impact on humanity and create a need for public education about these critical habitats. We have focused on a two-pronged strategy to increase public awareness as well as enable educators to discuss comfortably the implications of climate change. Our first focus is on entraining public support through the development of science documentaries about the science and people who conduct it. Antarctic Edge is a feature length award-winning documentary about climate change that has been released in May 2015 and has garnered interest in movie theatres and on social media stores (NetFlix, ITunes). This broad outreach is coupled with our group's interest assisting educators formally. The majority of current polar education is focused on direct educator engagement through personal research experiences that have impact on the participating educators' classrooms. Polar Interdisciplinary Coordinated Education (ICE) proposes to improve educator and student engagement in polar sciences through exposure to scientists and polar data. Through professional development and the creation of data tools, Polar ICE will reduce the logistical costs of bringing polar science to students in grades 6-16. We will provide opportunities to: 1) build capacity of polar scientists in communicating and engaging with diverse audiences; 2) create scalable, in-person and virtual opportunities for educators and students to engage with polar scientists and their research through data visualizations, data activities, educator workshops, webinars, and student research symposia; and 3) evaluate the outcomes of Polar ICE and contribute to our understanding of science education practices. We will use a blended learning approach to promote partnerships and cross-disciplinary sharing. This combined multi-pronged approach is critically important to entraining society in understanding the ramifications of changing polar systems.

A Two-Ocean Bouillabaisse: Science, Politics, and the Central American Sea-Level Canal Controversy.

PubMed

Keiner, Christine

2017-11-01

As the Panama Canal approached its fiftieth anniversary in the mid-1960s, U.S. officials concerned about the costs of modernization welcomed the technology of peaceful nuclear excavation to create a new waterway at sea level. Biologists seeking a share of the funds slated for radiological-safety studies called attention to another potential effect which they deemed of far greater ecological and evolutionary magnitude - marine species exchange, an obscure environmental issue that required the expertise of underresourced life scientists. An enterprising endeavor to support Smithsonian naturalists, especially marine biologists at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, wound up sparking heated debates - between biologists and engineers about the oceans' biological integrity and among scientists about whether the megaproject represented a research opportunity or environmental threat. A National Academy of Sciences panel chaired by Ernst Mayr failed to attract congressional funding for its 10-year baseline research program, but did create a stir in the scientific and mainstream press about the ecological threats that the sea-level canal might unleash upon the Atlantic and Pacific. This paper examines how the proposed megaproject sparked a scientific and political conversation about the risks of mixing the oceans at a time when many members of the scientific and engineering communities still viewed the seas as impervious to human-facilitated change.

The sciences of science communication.

PubMed

Fischhoff, Baruch

2013-08-20

The May 2012 Sackler Colloquium on "The Science of Science Communication" brought together scientists with research to communicate and scientists whose research could facilitate that communication. The latter include decision scientists who can identify the scientific results that an audience needs to know, from among all of the scientific results that it would be nice to know; behavioral scientists who can design ways to convey those results and then evaluate the success of those attempts; and social scientists who can create the channels needed for trustworthy communications. This overview offers an introduction to these communication sciences and their roles in science-based communication programs.

Designing the future: NBIC technologies and human performance enhancement.

PubMed

Canton, James

2004-05-01

Never before has any civilization had the unique opportunity to enhance human performance on the scale that we will face in the near future. The convergence of nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology, and cognitive science (NBIC) is creating a set of powerful tools that have the potential to significantly enhance human performance as well as transform society, science, economics, and human evolution. As the NBIC convergence becomes more understood, the possibility that we may be able to enhance human performance in the three domains of therapy, augmentation, and designed evolution will become anticipated and even expected. In addition, NBIC convergence represents entirely new challenges for scientists, policymakers, and business leaders who will have, for the first time, vast new and powerful tools to shape markets, societies, and lifestyles. The emergence of NBIC convergence will challenge us in new ways to balance risk and return, threat and opportunity, and social responsibility and competitive advantage as we step into the 21st century.

An integrated approach to rotorcraft human factors research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hart, Sandra G.; Hartzell, E. James; Voorhees, James W.; Bucher, Nancy M.; Shively, R. Jay

1988-01-01

As the potential of civil and military helicopters has increased, more complex and demanding missions in increasingly hostile environments have been required. Users, designers, and manufacturers have an urgent need for information about human behavior and function to create systems that take advantage of human capabilities, without overloading them. Because there is a large gap between what is known about human behavior and the information needed to predict pilot workload and performance in the complex missions projected for pilots of advanced helicopters, Army and NASA scientists are actively engaged in Human Factors Research at Ames. The research ranges from laboratory experiments to computational modeling, simulation evaluation, and inflight testing. Information obtained in highly controlled but simpler environments generates predictions which can be tested in more realistic situations. These results are used, in turn, to refine theoretical models, provide the focus for subsequent research, and ensure operational relevance, while maintaining predictive advantages. The advantages and disadvantages of each type of research are described along with examples of experimental results.

Creative Change: Art, Music, and Climate Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahlberg, R. A.; Hoffman, J. S.; Maurakis, E. G.

2017-12-01

As part of ongoing climate science education initiatives, the Science Museum of Virginia hosted Creative Change in March 2017. The event featured multidisciplinary programming created by scientists, artists, and students reacting to and interpreting climate change and resiliency through a variety of artistic mediums and informal science education. Creative Change was developed in consideration of studies conducted at Columbia University that indicate traditional educational approaches, which rely heavily on scientific information and data literacy, fail to engage and inspire action in a majority of people. Our informal science education programming developed for Creative Change, by contrast, is inclusive to all ages and backgrounds, integrating scientific data and an artistic human touch. Our goal was to increase public awareness of climate change and resiliency through the humanities in support of the Museum's mission to inspire Virginians to enrich their lives through science. Visitors were invited to attend Coral Reef Fever, a dance performance of coral bleaching; high school and university art exhibitions; climate data performed by a string quartet; poetry, rap, and theater performances; and a panel discussion by artists and scientists on communicating science through the arts and humanities. Based on 26 post- event survey results, we found as a result that visitors enjoyed the event (mean of 9.58 out of 10), learned new information (9.07), and strongly agreed that the arts and humanities should be used more in communicating science concepts (9.77). Funded in part by Bond Bradley Endowment and NOAA ELG Award #NA15SEC0080009.

Creating food for deep space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wendel, JoAnna

2014-07-01

Explorers and scientists have to eat, whether they're on top of a mountain, deep in the sea, or in space. NASA scientists are working to develop a viable food program by 2030 that could feed six crew members for a 3-year mission to Mars.

Infrared astronomy in science and education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayeur, Paul Anthony

This dissertation looks at the effects of an educator-scientist partnership on the creation of an inquiry based science lesson for the middle school classroom. The lesson was initially created by a scientist following their science research, but changed as the scientist began working with teachers. The changes in the lesson show that scientists and educators may not agree on what is considered appropriate for a science lesson because of time commitment and grade level. However, by working together the partnership is able to reach a compromise of the lesson that allows for the students to get the best possible outcome. This dissertation also shows that science research is a method of inquiry, which can be brought to the classroom through inquiry education. The science research the lesson followed looks at the interstellar dust cloud DC 314.8-5.1, which is unique because of the cloud's proximity to a B-type star with no known association. This thesis did a survey of the area looking for background sources that can be used for future spectroscopical studies. Further, the survey led to the discovery of two possible young stellar objects. In order to fuel educator-scientist interaction and to bring inquiry education into the middle school classroom a scientist created a web-based science lesson that incorporated real NASA data into the middle-school classroom. This lesson was based on the scientist's research in infrared astronomy within the broader context of astrobiology. The lesson includes students plotting real data; in the process the students learn about infrared radiation, star color, and the wavelength/temperature relationship. These are all topics that were studied in the scientist's research, which led the scientist to the idea of creating a lesson for the middle-school classroom. This lesson is based on the principles of inquiry-based learning. Inquiry lessons can bring together these ideas into one place and hopefully inspire new generations to explore the world and universe through science. The scientist then worked with five teachers to edit the lesson for each teacher's classroom. For four of five teachers the lesson changed from an online based lesson that used Excel to a PowerPoint presentation and paper graphing. It is shown here that partnerships between scientists and educators are beneficial for both parties as it allows scientists to understand how to communicate their scientific findings to the general public, while allowing teachers to stay updated with the most advanced science research.

[Medicine in notafilia--Part III].

PubMed

Babić, Rade R; Babić, Gordana Stanković

2013-01-01

Notafilia is the study of paper money. Only a few countries in the world have issued banknotes with portraits of well-known scientists who brought international fame to their own people and medicine. PORTRAITS OF SCIENTISTS ON THE BANKNOTES OF YUGOSLAVIA, SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO AND SERBIA. Nikola Tesla and Mihailo Pupin Idvorski were the ingenious inventors and scientists of our time who made special contributions to radiology. Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) pioneered the use of X-rays for medical purposes, thus effectively laying the foundations of radiology and radiography, and revealed the existence of harmful effects of X-rays on the human body. Mihailo Pupin Idvorski (1854-1935) was worldwide famous for applying physics in practice, as well as in the basis of telephone and telegraph transmissions. He also studied the nature of X-rays and contributed to establishing of radiology. PORTRAITS OF SCIENTISTS ON THE BANKNOTES OF THE WORLD: Maria Sklodowska Curie (1867-1934) was the first woman to gain the academic title of the Academy of Medicine, Paris. Together with her husband Pierre Curie (1859-1906) she gave an outstanding contribution to science and medicine. The discovery of the radioactive elements introduced the concept of "radioactivity" into physics and "radiotherapy" as a new discipline in medicine, thus creating the conditions for the development of nuclear medicine, oncology, and mobile diagnostic radiology. This paper presents the banknotes featuring the portraits of Nikola Tesla, Mihailo Pupin Idvorski, Maria Sklodowska Curie and Pierre Curie, the world renowned scientists, who made enormous contributions to medicine and laid the foundation for radiology.

A campaign to convey the scientific consensus about human-caused climate change: rationale, formative research, and campaign overview. (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maibach, E.; Leiserowitz, A.; Gould, R.

2013-12-01

Large numbers of Americans mistakenly believe that there is disagreement among the experts about the reality of climate change. For example, in our nationally representative survey conducted in April 2013, only 42% of respondents reported 'most scientists think global warming is happening;' conversely, 33% reported 'there is a lot of disagreement among scientists about whether or not global warming is happening,' and an additional 20% responded they 'don't know enough to say.' Our research has also shown that this common misperception is highly consequential: people who misunderstand the scientific consensus are less convinced that climate change is occurring, is human-caused, serious, and solvable; they are also less likely to support societal responses to address the problem. In this paper, we will present the results of a series of randomized controlled message experiments conducted to determine the most effective means of conveying the extent of the scientific consensus about human-caused climate change. The variables tested include quantitative vs. qualitative consensus descriptions, more vs. less precise descriptions, contextualizing metaphors, graphical representations, and explanations regarding why people may have developed a misperception. The findings from this formative research are being used to create a communication campaign that will be launched in fall 2013 by a leading American scientific society prior to the AGU Annual Meeting. A full description of the campaign will be presented.

Scientists and Human Rights

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makdisi, Yousef

2012-02-01

The American Physical Society has a long history of involvement in defense of human rights. The Committee on International Freedom of Scientists was formed in the mid seventies as a subcommittee within the Panel On Public Affairs ``to deal with matters of an international nature that endangers the abilities of scientists to function as scientists'' and by 1980 it was established as an independent committee. In this presentation I will describe some aspects of the early history and the impetus that led to such an advocacy, the methods employed then and how they evolved to the present CIFS responsibility ``for monitoring concerns regarding human rights for scientists throughout the world''. I will also describe the current approach and some sample cases the committee has pursued recently, the interaction with other human rights organizations, and touch upon some venues through which the community can engage to help in this noble cause.

Atoms to Ecosystems: A Workshop for Science Journalists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saltzman, J.; Bowman, C.; Brown, G. E.; Foster, A. L.; Nilsson, A.; Spormann, A. M.

2006-12-01

The Stanford Environmental Molecular Environmental Institute (EMSI) hosted a two-day workshop entitled "Atoms to Ecosystems: Effects of Contaminants on Humans & the Environment" for thirteen science journalists in June 2006. Reporters from local newspapers, freelance writers, and writers from university publications learned about the innovative research of four EMSI scientists and discussed the challenges of reporting on cutting-edge research. Through lectures, a lab tour, and discussions, the journalists and scientists had a very positive experience of learning from each other. The main topics were mercury, arsenic, and water, and the different approaches to understanding these important chemicals in our lives. The sessions on measuring the effect of cooking time on the concentration of mercury in ahi tuna and the challenges of creating a paradigm shift about the structure of water in the water community generated the most questions and conversations. Discussions focused on the challenges of reporting new discoveries; details, complexity, and generalities; reluctance and fears of scientists; and deadlines and the "so what?" factor in publishing. Scientists learned about that it is not always the importance of the story, but competition with other stories that can impact whether an editor chooses to publish a story. Press releases are very important, since most journalists don't have time to browse the science journals. Scientists are sometimes reluctant to talk with journalists because the reports often play out one angle, leave out the complexity of the issue, and may cause conflict with other scientists in the field. Journalists were asked to write a one-paragraph nugget at the end of the first day to assess their understanding of workshop material presented and to potentially submit to NSF. One day after the workshop, one participant published her writing sample in an online magazine. Overall, the journalists wrote that they were pleased with the workshop. They came to learn and talk to scientists, to learn more about mercury and arsenic, and to connect with other journalists. They all felt workshops like this are valuable for the content and background for future stories and interactions with scientists to establish relationships. Some journalists were impressed by the openness of the scientists to spend two days with journalists.

The sciences of science communication

PubMed Central

Fischhoff, Baruch

2013-01-01

The May 2012 Sackler Colloquium on “The Science of Science Communication” brought together scientists with research to communicate and scientists whose research could facilitate that communication. The latter include decision scientists who can identify the scientific results that an audience needs to know, from among all of the scientific results that it would be nice to know; behavioral scientists who can design ways to convey those results and then evaluate the success of those attempts; and social scientists who can create the channels needed for trustworthy communications. This overview offers an introduction to these communication sciences and their roles in science-based communication programs. PMID:23942125

Problematics of Time and Timing in the Longitudinal Study of Human Development: Theoretical and Methodological Issues

PubMed Central

Lerner, Richard M.; Schwartz, Seth J; Phelps, Erin

2009-01-01

Studying human development involves describing, explaining, and optimizing intraindividual change and interindividual differences in such change and, as such, requires longitudinal research. The selection of the appropriate type of longitudinal design requires selecting the option that best addresses the theoretical questions asked about developmental process and the use of appropriate statistical procedures to best exploit data derived from theory-predicated longitudinal research. This paper focuses on several interrelated problematics involving the treatment of time and the timing of observations that developmental scientists face in creating theory-design fit and in charting in change-sensitive ways developmental processes across life. We discuss ways in which these problematics may be addressed to advance theory-predicated understanding of the role of time in processes of individual development. PMID:19554215

Do Chimeras Have Minds?

PubMed

Capps, Benjamin

2017-10-01

Suppose that a colleague proposed a fantastic experiment: to introduce human stem cells into a neonatal mouse so that its entire brain developed into "human-like" neuronal structures. The colleague claimed it would still be a mouse, and that its chimeric brain would be nothing like a "human" one. It would not, as a result, have a moral status beyond its nonhuman animal origins. Thus, the "human neuron mouse" would allow scientists to tinker with human-like neurology in ways that would be precluded if it were a human being, and that would promise to lead to substantial understanding of the destructive and incurable brain diseases that befall humanity. The colleague does admit, however, that for reasons of comparative fidelity, experiments in human patients would be scientifically preferable, although in this case, neither ethically justified nor legally permitted. For that reason, it might be desirable to create a human brain in a nonhuman primate, where it would be more likely that significant human-like neuronal development would occur, but still could not become a person. This article explores the significance of a "human neuron chimpanzee," and suggests that contradictions in the design of the experiment make it unethical to proceed in either murine or primate models.

A critical evaluation of science outreach via social media: its role and impact on scientists.

PubMed

McClain, Craig; Neeley, Liz

2014-01-01

The role of scientists in social media and its impact on their careers are not fully explored.  While policies and best practices are still fluid, it is concerning that discourse is often based on little to no data, and some arguments directly contradict the available data.  Here, we consider the relevant but subjective questions about science outreach via social media (SOSM), specifically: (1) Does a public relations nightmare exist for science?; (2) Why (or why aren't) scientists engaging in social media?; (3) Are scientists using social media well?; and (4) Will social media benefit a scientist's career? We call for the scientific community to create tangible plans that value, measure, and help manage scientists' social media engagement.

Big Bang Day : Afternoon Play - Torchwood: Lost Souls

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

2009-10-13

Martha Jones, ex-time traveller and now working as a doctor for a UN task force, has been called to CERN where they're about to activate the Large Hadron Collider. Once activated, the Collider will fire beams of protons together recreating conditions a billionth of a second after the Big Bang - and potentially allowing the human race a greater insight into what the Universe is made of. But so much could go wrong - it could open a gateway to a parallel dimension, or create a black hole - and now voices from the past are calling out to peoplemore » and scientists have started to disappear... Where have the missing scientists gone? What is the secret of the glowing man? What is lurking in the underground tunnel? And do the dead ever really stay dead? Lost Souls is a spin-off from the award-winning BBC Wales TV production Torchwood. It stars John Barrowman, Freema Agyeman, Eve Myles, Gareth David-Lloyd, Lucy Montgomery (of Titty Bang Bang) and Stephen Critchlow.« less

Sociophysiology 25 years ago: early perspectives of an emerging discipline now part of social neuroscience.

PubMed

Barchas, Patricia R; Barchas, Jack D

2011-08-01

Sociophysiology was a term used early in the history of sociology and then again 25 years ago to describe interactions between the "social" and the "biological" worlds. Social scientists had largely viewed biology and the brain as a "black box" that was not an active aspect of their work or theories. A landmark, unpublished conference in 1986 brought together social scientists and biologists dedicated to the idea that bringing sociological conceptualizations and approaches together with those of physiology might create new ways to understand human behavior. The umbrella question for sociophysiology was dual: how do social processes impact the physiology of the organism, and how does that altered physiology affect future social behavior? This paper summarizes that conference with the goal of providing a glimpse into the early history of social neuroscience and to demonstrate the variety of individuals and interests that were present at the emergence of this new field. The late Patricia R. Barchas organized and chaired the conference. © 2011 New York Academy of Sciences.

Big Bang Day : Afternoon Play - Torchwood: Lost Souls

ScienceCinema

None

2017-12-09

Martha Jones, ex-time traveller and now working as a doctor for a UN task force, has been called to CERN where they're about to activate the Large Hadron Collider. Once activated, the Collider will fire beams of protons together recreating conditions a billionth of a second after the Big Bang - and potentially allowing the human race a greater insight into what the Universe is made of. But so much could go wrong - it could open a gateway to a parallel dimension, or create a black hole - and now voices from the past are calling out to people and scientists have started to disappear... Where have the missing scientists gone? What is the secret of the glowing man? What is lurking in the underground tunnel? And do the dead ever really stay dead? Lost Souls is a spin-off from the award-winning BBC Wales TV production Torchwood. It stars John Barrowman, Freema Agyeman, Eve Myles, Gareth David-Lloyd, Lucy Montgomery (of Titty Bang Bang) and Stephen Critchlow.

Virginia Water Resources: Utilizing NASA Earth Observations to Monitor the Extent of Harmful Algal Blooms in Virginia Rivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lubkin, S. H.; Morgan, C.

2015-12-01

Harmful algal bloom species have had an increasing ecological impact on the Chesapeake Bay Watershed where they disrupt water chemistry, kill fish and cause human illness. In Virginia, scientists from Virginia Institute of Marine Science and Old Dominion University monitor HABs and their effect on water quality; however, these groups lack a method to monitor HABs in real time. This limits the ability to document associated water quality conditions and predict future blooms. Band reflectance values from Landsat 8 Surface Reflectance data (USGS Earth Explorer) and MODIS Chlorophyll imagery (NOAA CoastWatch) were cross calibrated to create a regression model that calculated concentrations of chlorophyll. Calculations were verified with in situ measurements from the Virginia Estuarine and Coastal Observing System. Imagery produced with the Chlorophyll-A calculation model will allow VIMS and ODU scientists to assess the timing, magnitude, duration and frequency of HABs in Virginia's Chesapeake watershed and to predict the environmental and water quality conditions that favor bloom development.

Immersive Visual Analytics for Transformative Neutron Scattering Science

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Steed, Chad A; Daniel, Jamison R; Drouhard, Margaret

The ORNL Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) provides the most intense pulsed neutron beams in the world for scientific research and development across a broad range of disciplines. SNS experiments produce large volumes of complex data that are analyzed by scientists with varying degrees of experience using 3D visualization and analysis systems. However, it is notoriously difficult to achieve proficiency with 3D visualizations. Because 3D representations are key to understanding the neutron scattering data, scientists are unable to analyze their data in a timely fashion resulting in inefficient use of the limited and expensive SNS beam time. We believe a moremore » intuitive interface for exploring neutron scattering data can be created by combining immersive virtual reality technology with high performance data analytics and human interaction. In this paper, we present our initial investigations of immersive visualization concepts as well as our vision for an immersive visual analytics framework that could lower the barriers to 3D exploratory data analysis of neutron scattering data at the SNS.« less

Widening the adoption of workflows to include human and human-machine scientific processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salayandia, L.; Pinheiro da Silva, P.; Gates, A. Q.

2010-12-01

Scientific workflows capture knowledge in the form of technical recipes to access and manipulate data that help scientists manage and reuse established expertise to conduct their work. Libraries of scientific workflows are being created in particular fields, e.g., Bioinformatics, where combined with cyber-infrastructure environments that provide on-demand access to data and tools, result in powerful workbenches for scientists of those communities. The focus in these particular fields, however, has been more on automating rather than documenting scientific processes. As a result, technical barriers have impeded a wider adoption of scientific workflows by scientific communities that do not rely as heavily on cyber-infrastructure and computing environments. Semantic Abstract Workflows (SAWs) are introduced to widen the applicability of workflows as a tool to document scientific recipes or processes. SAWs intend to capture a scientists’ perspective about the process of how she or he would collect, filter, curate, and manipulate data to create the artifacts that are relevant to her/his work. In contrast, scientific workflows describe the process from the point of view of how technical methods and tools are used to conduct the work. By focusing on a higher level of abstraction that is closer to a scientist’s understanding, SAWs effectively capture the controlled vocabularies that reflect a particular scientific community, as well as the types of datasets and methods used in a particular domain. From there on, SAWs provide the flexibility to adapt to different environments to carry out the recipes or processes. These environments range from manual fieldwork to highly technical cyber-infrastructure environments, i.e., such as those already supported by scientific workflows. Two cases, one from Environmental Science and another from Geophysics, are presented as illustrative examples.

Methods & Strategies: Sculpt-a-Scientist

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Julie; Rich, Ann

2014-01-01

Elementary science experiences help develop students' views of science and scientific interests. As a result, teachers have been charged with the task of inspiring, cultivating, recruiting, and training the scientists needed to create tomorrow's innovations and solve future problems (Business Roundtable 2005). Who will these future…

A Marketing Plan for Scientists: Building Effective Products and Connecting with Stakeholders in Meaningful Ways

EPA Science Inventory

A disconnect often occurs between the creation of scientific research outputs and their use by intended stakeholders. Even with the diligent efforts of scientists to create products of value, many scientific outputs are underutilized by intended stakeholders. Marketing methods ca...

Provenance-Powered Automatic Workflow Generation and Composition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, J.; Lee, S.; Pan, L.; Lee, T. J.

2015-12-01

In recent years, scientists have learned how to codify tools into reusable software modules that can be chained into multi-step executable workflows. Existing scientific workflow tools, created by computer scientists, require domain scientists to meticulously design their multi-step experiments before analyzing data. However, this is oftentimes contradictory to a domain scientist's daily routine of conducting research and exploration. We hope to resolve this dispute. Imagine this: An Earth scientist starts her day applying NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) published climate data processing algorithms over ARGO deep ocean temperature and AMSRE sea surface temperature datasets. Throughout the day, she tunes the algorithm parameters to study various aspects of the data. Suddenly, she notices some interesting results. She then turns to a computer scientist and asks, "can you reproduce my results?" By tracking and reverse engineering her activities, the computer scientist creates a workflow. The Earth scientist can now rerun the workflow to validate her findings, modify the workflow to discover further variations, or publish the workflow to share the knowledge. In this way, we aim to revolutionize computer-supported Earth science. We have developed a prototyping system to realize the aforementioned vision, in the context of service-oriented science. We have studied how Earth scientists conduct service-oriented data analytics research in their daily work, developed a provenance model to record their activities, and developed a technology to automatically generate workflow starting from user behavior and adaptability and reuse of these workflows for replicating/improving scientific studies. A data-centric repository infrastructure is established to catch richer provenance to further facilitate collaboration in the science community. We have also established a Petri nets-based verification instrument for provenance-based automatic workflow generation and recommendation.

Is there anything unique in the ethics of synthetic biology?

PubMed

Heyd, David

2012-01-01

Synthetic biology does not create any ethical dilemmas that have not already been raised in the development of practices such as genetic screening, genetic engineering, and other interventions in the evolutionary processes. The issue is, nevertheless, ethically serious. Two different angles are examined: the philosophical legitimacy of human intervention in the shaping of human nature, and the more pragmatic (though by no means less important) question of the risks involved in such a novel line of research. As for the first, the claim made here is that in principle there is no constraint in human intervention in the world, since ultimately the source of any value lies in human interests, welfare, and values. This is an approach that is opposite to Habermas's. As for the practical problem of risk, research in synthetic biology calls for particular caution, since in at least the first stages of a new research or program, there is no social regulation, and society is wholly dependent on the scientist's ethical integrity.

The human influence on seabird nesting success: Conservation implications

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anderson, D.W.; Keith, J.O.

1980-01-01

Based on studies of brown pelicans Pelecanus occidentalis californicus and Heermann's gulls Larus heermanni, disturbances by recreationists, educational groups, local fishermen and scientists alike can be seriously disruptive and damaging to breeding seabirds in the Gulf of California and off the west coast of Baja California. Similar instances have been identified throughout the world?the problem is not difficult to document, but it is difficult to eliminate. The increasing human-seabird contacts on islands in the Gulf of California and along the west coast of Baja California raise serious questions and immediate concern about the continued preservation of nesting colonies of marine birds in those areas. Conservation measures must consider the extreme sensitivity of many seabirds to the inter- and intraspecific behavioural imbalances created by human disturbances. In some cases, total exclusion of humans may be required; in others, limited access might be possible under closely managed conditions at certain times of the year. A symbiotic relationship between seabird conservation, legitimate research and tourism should be the desired goal.

On recent advances in human engineering.

PubMed

Anton, Roman

2016-01-01

Advances in embryology, genetics, and regenerative medicine regularly attract attention from scientists, scholars, journalists, and policymakers, yet implications of these advances may be broader than commonly supposed. Laboratories culturing human embryos, editing human genes, and creating human-animal chimeras have been working along lines that are now becoming intertwined. Embryogenic methods are weaving traditional in vivo and in vitro distinctions into a new "in vivitro" (in life in glass) fabric. These and other methods known to be in use or thought to be in development promise soon to bring society to startling choices and discomfiting predicaments, all in a global effort to supply reliably rejuvenating stem cells, to grow immunologically nonprovocative replacement organs, and to prevent, treat, cure, or even someday eradicate diseases having genetic or epigenetic mechanisms. With humanity's human-engineering era now begun, procedural prohibitions, funding restrictions, institutional controls, and transparency rules are proving ineffective, and business incentives are migrating into the most basic life-sciences inquiries, wherein lie huge biomedical potentials and bioethical risks. Rights, health, and heritage are coming into play with bioethical presumptions and formal protections urgently needing reassessment.

On recent advances in human engineering Provocative trends in embryology, genetics, and regenerative medicine.

PubMed

Anton, Roman

2016-01-01

Advances in embryology, genetics, and regenerative medicine regularly attract attention from scientists, scholars, journalists, and policymakers, yet implications of these advances may be broader than commonly supposed. Laboratories culturing human embryos, editing human genes, and creating human-animal chimeras have been working along lines that are now becoming intertwined. Embryogenic methods are weaving traditional in vivo and in vitro distinctions into a new "in vivitro" (in life in glass) fabric. These and other methods known to be in use or thought to be in development promise soon to bring society to startling choices and discomfiting predicaments, all in a global effort to supply reliably rejuvenating stem cells, to grow immunologically non-provocative replacement organs, and to prevent, treat, cure, or even someday eradicate diseases having genetic or epigenetic mechanisms. With humanity's human-engineering era now begun, procedural prohibitions, funding restrictions, institutional controls, and transparency rules are proving ineffective, and business incentives are migrating into the most basic life-sciences inquiries, wherein lie huge biomedical potentials and bioethical risks. Rights, health, and heritage are coming into play with bioethical presumptions and formal protections urgently needing reassessment.

Air Force Laboratory’s 2005 Technology Milestones

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-01-01

Computational materials science methods can benefit the design and property prediction of complex real-world materials. With these models , scientists and...Warfighter Page Air High - Frequency Acoustic System...800) 203-6451 High - Frequency Acoustic System Payoff Scientists created the High - Frequency Acoustic Suppression Technology (HiFAST) airflow control

Translating the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 to Bring About Real Behavior Change

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Food scientists and nutrition scientists (dietitians and nutrition communicators) are tasked with creating strategies to more closely align the American food supply and the public's diet with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). This paper is the result of 2 expert dialogues to address this m...

New initiative links scientists and entertainers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gwynne, Peter

2009-01-01

The US National Academy of Sciences has teamed up with Hollywood to improve the quality of science portrayed in films, TV shows and video games. The new Science and Entertainment Exchange (SEE) aims to create better links between entertainment-industry professionals and scientists to improve the credibility of programming related to science.

Enhancing Science Education through Art

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merten, Susan

2011-01-01

Augmenting science with the arts is a natural combination when one considers that both scientists and artists rely on similar attitudes and values. For example, creativity is often associated with artists, but scientists also use creativity when seeking a solution to a problem or creating a new product. Curiosity is another common trait shared…

The precautionary principle in environmental science.

PubMed Central

Kriebel, D; Tickner, J; Epstein, P; Lemons, J; Levins, R; Loechler, E L; Quinn, M; Rudel, R; Schettler, T; Stoto, M

2001-01-01

Environmental scientists play a key role in society's responses to environmental problems, and many of the studies they perform are intended ultimately to affect policy. The precautionary principle, proposed as a new guideline in environmental decision making, has four central components: taking preventive action in the face of uncertainty; shifting the burden of proof to the proponents of an activity; exploring a wide range of alternatives to possibly harmful actions; and increasing public participation in decision making. In this paper we examine the implications of the precautionary principle for environmental scientists, whose work often involves studying highly complex, poorly understood systems, while at the same time facing conflicting pressures from those who seek to balance economic growth and environmental protection. In this complicated and contested terrain, it is useful to examine the methodologies of science and to consider ways that, without compromising integrity and objectivity, research can be more or less helpful to those who would act with precaution. We argue that a shift to more precautionary policies creates opportunities and challenges for scientists to think differently about the ways they conduct studies and communicate results. There is a complicated feedback relation between the discoveries of science and the setting of policy. While maintaining their objectivity and focus on understanding the world, environmental scientists should be aware of the policy uses of their work and of their social responsibility to do science that protects human health and the environment. The precautionary principle highlights this tight, challenging linkage between science and policy. PMID:11673114

Geothermal Workforce Education, Development, and Retention

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Calvin, Wendy

2014-03-31

The work funded under this award was the formation of a National Geothermal Academy to develop the human resources that will be needed to transform and grow the US energy infrastructure to achieve the utilization of America’s vast geothermal resource base. The NGA has worked to create the new intellectual capital that will be needed by centralizing and unifying our national assets. The basic idea behind the Academy was to create a centrally located, convening organization for developing and conducting instructional programs in geothermal science and technology to educate and train the next generation of US scientists, engineers, plant operators,more » technicians, and policy makers. Broad participation of staff, faculty, and students from a consortium of US universities along with scientists and other professionals from industry and national laboratories were utilized. Geothermal experts from the US and other countries were recruited to serve as instructors to develop relevant curricula. Given the long history of geothermal development in the US, there is a large group of experienced individuals who effectively hold the “corporate memory” of geothermal development in the US, many of whom are nearing the end of their professional careers, while some have recently retired. We planned to capture this extremely valuable intellectual resource by engaging a number of these individuals in developing course curricula, leading training workshops, providing classroom instruction and mentoring future instructors.« less

mzStudio: A Dynamic Digital Canvas for User-Driven Interrogation of Mass Spectrometry Data.

PubMed

Ficarro, Scott B; Alexander, William M; Marto, Jarrod A

2017-08-01

Although not yet truly 'comprehensive', modern mass spectrometry-based experiments can generate quantitative data for a meaningful fraction of the human proteome. Importantly for large-scale protein expression analysis, robust data pipelines are in place for identification of un-modified peptide sequences and aggregation of these data to protein-level quantification. However, interoperable software tools that enable scientists to computationally explore and document novel hypotheses for peptide sequence, modification status, or fragmentation behavior are not well-developed. Here, we introduce mzStudio, an open-source Python module built on our multiplierz project. This desktop application provides a highly-interactive graphical user interface (GUI) through which scientists can examine and annotate spectral features, re-search existing PSMs to test different modifications or new spectral matching algorithms, share results with colleagues, integrate other domain-specific software tools, and finally create publication-quality graphics. mzStudio leverages our common application programming interface (mzAPI) for access to native data files from multiple instrument platforms, including ion trap, quadrupole time-of-flight, Orbitrap, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization, and triple quadrupole mass spectrometers and is compatible with several popular search engines including Mascot, Proteome Discoverer, X!Tandem, and Comet. The mzStudio toolkit enables researchers to create a digital provenance of data analytics and other evidence that support specific peptide sequence assignments.

A Framework for the Design of Effective Graphics for Scientific Visualization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miceli, Kristina D.

1992-01-01

This proposal presents a visualization framework, based on a data model, that supports the production of effective graphics for scientific visualization. Visual representations are effective only if they augment comprehension of the increasing amounts of data being generated by modern computer simulations. These representations are created by taking into account the goals and capabilities of the scientist, the type of data to be displayed, and software and hardware considerations. This framework is embodied in an assistant-based visualization system to guide the scientist in the visualization process. This will improve the quality of the visualizations and decrease the time the scientist is required to spend in generating the visualizations. I intend to prove that such a framework will create a more productive environment for tile analysis and interpretation of large, complex data sets.

Facebook and Edublogs and Twitter, Oh My! Using Social Media to Connect Scientists to the Public

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cobabe-Ammann, E.; Stockman, S. A.; Wood, E. L.

2008-12-01

Social media is changing the way that the public receives and responds to news and information. By integrating technology, social interaction and the construction of words and pictures, social media creates multidirectional communication pathways that allow people to directly interact with the purveyors of information. Social media forums (e.g., Edublogs, Facebook, Second Life, and Twitter) are increasingly used by scientists and science programs to directly connect with the public, eliminating the "filter" of the news media. This creates both opportunities and challenges for scientists wanting to make sure that accurate information is reaching their audience. Here we talk about how NASA missions and programs have been using social media as an outreach tool and how social media can be used to bring authentic science to the public.

Synthetic Biology: Knowledge Accessed by Everyone (Open Sources)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sánchez Reyes, Patricia Margarita

2016-01-01

Using the principles of biology, along with engineering and with the help of computer, scientists manage to copy. DNA sequences from nature and use them to create new organisms. DNA is created through engineering and computer science managing to create life inside a laboratory. We cannot dismiss the role that synthetic biology could lead in…

Tourist-Centric Citizen Science in Denali National Park and Preserve

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fischer, Heather A.

2017-01-01

Citizen Science programs create a bi-directional flow of knowledge between scientists and citizen volunteers; this flow democratizes science in order to create an informed public (Bonney et al. 2014; Brown, Kelly, and Whitall 2014). This democratization is a fundamental part of creating a science that can address today's pressing environmental,…

Intuitive web-based experimental design for high-throughput biomedical data.

PubMed

Friedrich, Andreas; Kenar, Erhan; Kohlbacher, Oliver; Nahnsen, Sven

2015-01-01

Big data bioinformatics aims at drawing biological conclusions from huge and complex biological datasets. Added value from the analysis of big data, however, is only possible if the data is accompanied by accurate metadata annotation. Particularly in high-throughput experiments intelligent approaches are needed to keep track of the experimental design, including the conditions that are studied as well as information that might be interesting for failure analysis or further experiments in the future. In addition to the management of this information, means for an integrated design and interfaces for structured data annotation are urgently needed by researchers. Here, we propose a factor-based experimental design approach that enables scientists to easily create large-scale experiments with the help of a web-based system. We present a novel implementation of a web-based interface allowing the collection of arbitrary metadata. To exchange and edit information we provide a spreadsheet-based, humanly readable format. Subsequently, sample sheets with identifiers and metainformation for data generation facilities can be created. Data files created after measurement of the samples can be uploaded to a datastore, where they are automatically linked to the previously created experimental design model.

From ships to robots: The social relations of sensing the world ocean.

PubMed

Lehman, Jessica

2018-02-01

The dominant practices of physical oceanography have recently shifted from being based on ship-based ocean sampling and sensing to being based on remote and robotic sensing using satellites, drifting floats and remotely operated and autonomous underwater vehicles. What are the implications of this change for the social relations of oceanographic science? This paper contributes to efforts to address this question, pursuing a situated view of ocean sensing technologies so as to contextualize and analyze new representations of the sea, and interactions between individual scientists, technologies and the ocean. By taking a broad view on oceanography through a 50-year shift from ship-based to remote and robotic sensing, I show the ways in which new technologies may provide an opportunity to fight what Oreskes has called 'ideologies of scientific heroism'. In particular, new sensing relations may emphasize the contributions of women and scientists from less well-funded institutions, as well as the ways in which oceanographic knowledge is always partial and dependent on interactions between nonhuman animals, technologies, and different humans. Thus, I argue that remote and robotic sensing technologies do not simply create more abstracted relations between scientists and the sea, but also may provide opportunities for more equitable scientific practice and refigured sensing relations.

Stopping time: Henry Fox Talbot and the origins of freeze-frame photography.

PubMed

Ramalingam, Chitra

2008-09-01

As an image-making tool for scientists studying the transient, instantaneous photography has long been seen as opening up a visual realm previously inaccessible to the inferior testimony of the human eye. But when photographic pioneer Henry Fox Talbot took the first photograph of a moving object by the light of an electric spark in 1851, he was guided by existing visual practices designed to create instantaneous vision in the eye itself. Exploring the background behind the peculiar subject of his experiment - a mechanically spinning disc - reveals a hidden prehistory of spark-illuminated photography: physicists' pre-photographic techniques for stopping time.

A Sky View of Earth From Suomi NPP

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-04-22

This composite image of southern Africa and the surrounding oceans was captured by six orbits of the NASA/NOAA Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership spacecraft on April 9, 2015, by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument. Tropical Cyclone Joalane can be seen over the Indian Ocean. Winds, tides and density differences constantly stir the oceans while phytoplankton continually grow and die. Orbiting radiometers such as VIIRS allows scientists to track this variability over time and contribute to better understanding of ocean processes that are beneficial to human survival on Earth. The image was created by the Ocean Biology Processing Group at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

A computational image analysis glossary for biologists.

PubMed

Roeder, Adrienne H K; Cunha, Alexandre; Burl, Michael C; Meyerowitz, Elliot M

2012-09-01

Recent advances in biological imaging have resulted in an explosion in the quality and quantity of images obtained in a digital format. Developmental biologists are increasingly acquiring beautiful and complex images, thus creating vast image datasets. In the past, patterns in image data have been detected by the human eye. Larger datasets, however, necessitate high-throughput objective analysis tools to computationally extract quantitative information from the images. These tools have been developed in collaborations between biologists, computer scientists, mathematicians and physicists. In this Primer we present a glossary of image analysis terms to aid biologists and briefly discuss the importance of robust image analysis in developmental studies.

"Race" and the difficulties of language.

PubMed

Phillips, Debby A; Drevdahl, Denise J

2003-01-01

"Race," a construct created by scientists, is deeply ingrained in everyday discourses. Using postmodern theories to help us think through the complexities of language in relation to race, we come to understand that truths about race are changing, contingent, and contested products of cultural construction. It is impossible to understand or represent race as an object of study such that it can be known, yet untouched, by language. Health effects are one important consequence of race, particularly related to quality, access, marginalization, and privilege. Analyzing the effects of race bring it visibly into being, and makes evident how language shapes our understandings of the world and its human inhabitants.

Blue Marble Matches: Using Earth for Planetary Comparisons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graff, Paige Valderrama

2009-01-01

Goal: This activity is designed to introduce students to geologic processes on Earth and model how scientists use Earth to gain a better understanding of other planetary bodies in the solar system. Objectives: Students will: 1. Identify common descriptor characteristics used by scientists to describe geologic features in images. 2. Identify geologic features and how they form on Earth. 3. Create a list of defining/distinguishing characteristics of geologic features 4. Identify geologic features in images of other planetary bodies. 5. List observations and interpretations about planetary body comparisons. 6. Create summary statements about planetary body comparisons.

The Historical Basis of Engineering Ethics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furuya, Keiichi

There are different objects and motives between scientists and engineers. Science is to create new knowledge (episteme), while technology (techne) is to create new utility. Both types of social responsibility are required for engineer, because modern technology is tightly connected with science. The relationship between ethics for scientists and engineers is discussed as an evolution of ethical objects. A short history of engineering societies in U.S.A. and Japan are introduced with their ethical perspectives. As a conclusion, respect for fundamental rights for existence of those who stand in, with, and around engineers and their societies is needed for better engineering ethics.

H3Africa and the African life sciences ecosystem: building sustainable innovation.

PubMed

Dandara, Collet; Huzair, Farah; Borda-Rodriguez, Alexander; Chirikure, Shadreck; Okpechi, Ikechi; Warnich, Louise; Masimirembwa, Collen

2014-12-01

Interest in genomics research in African populations is experiencing exponential growth. This enthusiasm stems in part from the recognition that the genomic diversity of African populations is a window of opportunity for innovations in postgenomics medicine, ecology, and evolutionary biology. The recently launched H3Africa initiative, for example, captures the energy and momentum of this interest. This interdisciplinary socio-technical analysis highlights the challenges that have beset previous genomics research activities in Africa, and looking ahead, suggests constructive ways H3Africa and similar large scale science efforts could usefully chart a new era of genomics and life sciences research in Africa that is locally productive and globally competitive. As independent African scholars and social scientists, we propose that any serious global omics science effort, including H3Africa, aiming to build genomics research capacity and capability in Africa, needs to fund the establishment of biobanks and the genomic analyses platforms within Africa. Equally they need to prioritize community engagement and bioinformatics capability and the training of African scientists on these platforms. Historically, the financial, technological, and skills imbalance between Africa and developed countries has created exploitative frameworks of collaboration where African researchers have become merely facilitators of Western funded and conceived research agendas involving offshore expatriation of samples. Not surprisingly, very little funding was allocated to infrastructure and human capital development in the past. Moving forward, capacity building should materialize throughout the entire knowledge co-production trajectory: idea generation (e.g., brainstorming workshops for innovative hypotheses development by African scientists), data generation (e.g., genome sequencing), and high-throughput data analysis and contextualization. Additionally, building skills for political science scholarship that questions the unchecked assumptions of the innovation performers be they funders, scientists, and social scientists, would enable collective innovation that is truly sustainable, ethical, and robust.

Stowaways in the history of science: the case of simian virus 40 and clinical research on federal prisoners at the US National Institutes of Health, 1960.

PubMed

Stark, Laura; Campbell, Nancy D

2014-12-01

In 1960, J. Anthony Morris, a molecular biologist at the US National Institutes of Health conducted one of the only non-therapeutic clinical studies of the cancer virus SV40. Morris and his research team aimed to determine whether SV40 was a serious harm to human health, since many scientists at the time suspected that SV40 caused cancer in humans based on evidence from in vivo animal studies and experiments with human tissue. Morris found that SV40 had no significant effect but his claim has remained controversial among scientists and policymakers through the present day--both on scientific and ethical grounds. Why did Morris only conduct one clinical study on the cancer-causing potential of SV40 in healthy humans? We use the case to explain how empirical evidence and ethical imperatives are, paradoxically, often dependent on each other and mutually exclusive in clinical research, which leaves answers to scientific and ethical questions unsettled. This paper serves two goals: first, it documents a unique--and uniquely important--study of clinical research on SV40. Second, it introduces the concept of "the stowaway," which is a special type of contaminant that changes the past in the present moment. In the history of science, stowaways are misfortunes that nonetheless afford research that otherwise would have been impossible specifically by creating new pasts. This case (Morris' study) and concept (the stowaway) bring together history of science and philosophy of history for productive dialog. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeling human comprehension of data visualizations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Matzen, Laura E.; Haass, Michael Joseph; Divis, Kristin Marie

This project was inspired by two needs. The first is a need for tools to help scientists and engineers to design effective data visualizations for communicating information, whether to the user of a system, an analyst who must make decisions based on complex data, or in the context of a technical report or publication. Most scientists and engineers are not trained in visualization design, and they could benefit from simple metrics to assess how well their visualization's design conveys the intended message. In other words, will the most important information draw the viewer's attention? The second is the need formore » cognition-based metrics for evaluating new types of visualizations created by researchers in the information visualization and visual analytics communities. Evaluating visualizations is difficult even for experts. However, all visualization methods and techniques are intended to exploit the properties of the human visual system to convey information efficiently to a viewer. Thus, developing evaluation methods that are rooted in the scientific knowledge of the human visual system could be a useful approach. In this project, we conducted fundamental research on how humans make sense of abstract data visualizations, and how this process is influenced by their goals and prior experience. We then used that research to develop a new model, the Data Visualization Saliency Model, that can make accurate predictions about which features in an abstract visualization will draw a viewer's attention. The model is an evaluation tool that can address both of the needs described above, supporting both visualization research and Sandia mission needs.« less

Of Science and Scientists an Anthology of Anecdotes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kothare, A. N.

Although a lot is available in the form of biographies and writings of scientists, very little information is found on what made them not only great discoverers but humane too, blessed with humour, humility and humanism. This book helps to convey this very aspect of scientists who while being involved in their unique adventure are like us, the lesser mortals.

2013 Occupant Protection Risk Standing Review Panel Status Review Comments to the Human Research Program, Chief Scientist

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steinberg, Susan

2014-01-01

On December 17, 2013, the OP Risk SRP, participants from the JSC, HQ, and NRESS participated in a WebEx/teleconference. The purpose of the call was to allow the SRP members to: 1. Receive an update by the Human Research Program (HRP) Chief Scientist or Deputy Chief Scientist on the status of NASA's current and future exploration plans and the impact these will have on the HRP. 2. Receive an update on any changes within the HRP since the 2012 SRP meeting. 3. Receive an update by the Element or Project Scientist(s) on progress since the 2012 SRP meeting. 4. Participate in a discussion with the HRP Chief Scientist, Deputy Chief Scientist, and the Element regarding possible topics to be addressed at the next SRP meeting.

PROGRESS AND PROBLEMS FROM THE SOCIAL SCIENTIST'S VIEWPOINT.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

CLARK, KENNETH

REVIEWED FROM A SOCIAL SCIENTIST'S VIEWPOINT IS THE EFFECT OF THE SUPREME COURT'S 1954 BROWN DECISION ON PATTERNS OF DEFACTO SEGREGATION IN NORTHERN COMMUNITIES. THE DECISION HAD PROFOUND EFFECTS ON DE FACTO SEGREGATION, PARTICULARLY IN RELATION TO THE DEMOCRATIC IDEALS OF EQUALITY AND TO THE DAMAGED SELF-IMAGE CREATED BY SEGREGATED SCHOOLS. IT…

NCI Scientists Create New Assay, Identify Novel Therapeutic Compounds, and Take Places on Front Lines of Cancer Research | Poster

Cancer.gov

A team of scientists and specialists from NCI at Frederick, NCI at Bethesda, the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, and Data Management Services, Inc., has developed the first method for identifying natural products that could increase the effectiveness of camptothecin-based cancer treatments.

First Graders Can Do Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marshall, Candice

2006-01-01

In this article, the author, at the very foundation of her teaching, was trying to establish an environment that would promote inquiry and create an investigative mindset in her first-grader students. First, she assessed her first-grade students' thinking about scientists by asking them to draw and write about what a scientist looks like and does.…

Creating a Knowledge Base for Management of Southern Bottomland Hardwood Ecosystems

Treesearch

John C. Bliss; Stephen B. Jones; John A. Stanturf; Christine M. Hamner

1997-01-01

We describe an interdisciplinary approach to forecasting potential impacts of even-aged and uneven-aged silvicultural treatments upon bottomland hardwood ecosystems in the Southern United States. Our approach involves identifying scientists with expertise in key disciplines: utilizing the Delphi technique to develop consensus among these scientists on important system...

Food science challenge: Translating the Dietary Guidelines for Americans to Bring About Real Behavior Change

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Food scientists and nutrition scientists (dietitians and nutrition communicators) are tasked with creating strategies to more closely align the American food supply and the public's diet with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). This paper is the result of 2 expert dialogues to address this m...

Increasing retention of early career female atmospheric scientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, L. M.; Hallar, A. G.; Avallone, L. M.; Thiry, H.

2010-12-01

Atmospheric Science Collaborations and Enriching NeTworks (ASCENT) is a workshop series designed to bring together early career female scientists in the field of atmospheric science and related disciplines. ASCENT uses a multi-faceted approach to provide junior scientists with tools that will help them meet the challenges in their research and teaching career paths and will promote their retention in the field. During the workshop, senior women scientists discuss their career and life paths. They also lead seminars on tools, resources and methods that can help early career scientists to be successful and prepared to fill vacancies created by the “baby boomer” retirees. Networking is a significant aspect of ASCENT, and many opportunities for both formal and informal interactions among the participants (of both personal and professional nature) are blended in the schedule. The workshops are held in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, home of a high-altitude atmospheric science laboratory, Storm Peak Laboratory, which also allows for nearby casual outings and a pleasant environment for participants. Near the conclusion of each workshop, junior and senior scientists are matched in mentee-mentor ratios of two junior scientists per senior scientist. Post-workshop reunion events are held at national scientific meetings to maintain connectivity among each year’s participants, and for collaborating among participants of all workshops held to date. Evaluations of the two workshop cohorts thus far conclude that the workshops have been successful in achieving the goals of establishing and expanding personal and research-related networks, and that seminars have been useful in creating confidence and sharing resources for such things as preparing promotion and tenure packages, interviewing and negotiating job offers, and writing successful grant proposals.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory institutional plan FY 1997--2002

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1996-10-01

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory`s core mission is to deliver environmental science and technology in the service of the nation and humanity. Through basic research fundamental knowledge is created of natural, engineered, and social systems that is the basis for both effective environmental technology and sound public policy. Legacy environmental problems are solved by delivering technologies that remedy existing environmental hazards, today`s environmental needs are addressed with technologies that prevent pollution and minimize waste, and the technical foundation is being laid for tomorrow`s inherently clean energy and industrial processes. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory also applies its capabilities to meet selected nationalmore » security, energy, and human health needs; strengthen the US economy; and support the education of future scientists and engineers. Brief summaries are given of the various tasks being carried out under these broad categories.« less

Using photographic art to connect researchers with public audiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Haren, J. L.; Roberts, E.; Fields, J.; Johnson, B.; Saleska, S. R.

2013-12-01

Communication is a process by which information is exchanged between individuals. Before information can be exchanged both or al parties have to be willing to partake in the communication process. Climate change scientists are still struggling to present their message in part because the general public does not want to hear their message and in part of the personality gap between scientists and the general public (Weiler et al. 2011). This demonstrates the need for communication, through a variety of means, with the general public about who climate change researchers are and what they do, besides the message that they have to convey. This ';feeling' type - relying on personal value and impact of decisions on others- of communication, not common in the scientific community that requires facts, has been suggested to be more effective with the general public (Weiler et al. 2011). We created a multimedia exhibition, which aims to put an intimate human face on science with an approach based on the following ideas: 1) Art initiates the connection between researchers and public audiences through visual stimulation, and 2) The one-on-one experience with a researcher through audio-visual means increases public engagement with climate change science. The exhibition implements these ideas by first, building on the core artistic vision of an artist/photographer who has been accompanying us on field courses and expeditions in the Amazon basin, and second, by bringing the personal voice and stories of students and scientists to the images in which they are represented. Our approach expanded on these themes with a unique twist: we use artistic imagery and video to show the personality of researchers and the process of science. After an image has captured the attention of a visitor, they will be engaged by the intimacy of hearing the scientist explaining how they got there, what they were doing at that particular moment, and why it's relevant and important to the visitor's life. We aim to: 1) inspire to engage in STEM learning in K-12 audiences (especially girls) by presenting science as a human endeavor done by ordinary human beings (seeing that scientists are "people just like me" makes it more possible to imagine oneself doing what scientists do), 2) increase public awareness that climate change is a global problem and that the fate of the Amazon basin can have enormous impacts on the rate of climate change, by putting an international face to the research done in climate change, and 3) we aim to increase the understanding of what scientists do and dispel the myth that all science is conducted in a laboratory, by bringing the tropical forest and science alive through high quality imagery. WEILER, C. S., J. K. KELLER, and C. OLEX. 2011. Personality type differences between Ph.D. climate change researchers and the general public: implications for effective communication. Climatic Change.

New position at Lamont-Doherty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Three scientists at the Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory have been appointed to the position of Doherty Senior Research Scientist, newly created to recognize members of the observatory's senior research staff who have demonstrated “the highest levels of scholarship, scientific leadership, and promise of continuing excellence.”William Ruddiman, associate director of the observatory's Oceans and Climate Division, Taro Takahashi, associate director of the Geochemistry Division, and Dennis Kent, known for his research in paleomagnetics and rock magnetism, were each appointed to 5-year terms as Doherty Senior Research Scientists.

[History of creation of the doctrine, equipment and methods of formation of biological feedback].

PubMed

Bokser, O Ia

1999-01-01

The theoretical and experimental priorities of Russian scientists A. V. Zaporozhets and M. I. Lisina in creating the doctrine of biological feedback (BFB) in 1955 are justified. The priority of American scientists (N. Miller, 1969) in the discovery of the fact that BFB can form in animals is recognized. USA scientists were also be the first to develop and provide a base for manufacturing commercial devices for shaping BFB that have gained wide practical recognition in medicine, sports, and psychophysiology.

Human Activity Helps Prey Win the Predator-Prey Space Race

PubMed Central

Muhly, Tyler B.; Semeniuk, Christina; Massolo, Alessandro; Hickman, Laura; Musiani, Marco

2011-01-01

Predator-prey interactions, including between large mammalian wildlife species, can be represented as a “space race”, where prey try to minimize and predators maximize spatial overlap. Human activity can also influence the distribution of wildlife species. In particular, high-human disturbance can displace large carnivore predators, a trait-mediated direct effect. Predator displacement by humans could then indirectly benefit prey species by reducing predation risk, a trait-mediated indirect effect of humans that spatially decouples predators from prey. The purpose of this research was to test the hypothesis that high-human activity was displacing predators and thus indirectly creating spatial refuge for prey species, helping prey win the “space race”. We measured the occurrence of eleven large mammal species (including humans and cattle) at 43 camera traps deployed on roads and trails in southwest Alberta, Canada. We tested species co-occurrence at camera sites using hierarchical cluster and nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMS) analyses; and tested whether human activity, food and/or habitat influenced predator and prey species counts at camera sites using regression tree analysis. Cluster and NMS analysis indicated that at camera sites humans co-occurred with prey species more than predator species and predator species had relatively low co-occurrence with prey species. Regression tree analysis indicated that prey species were three times more abundant on roads and trails with >32 humans/day. However, predators were less abundant on roads and trails that exceeded 18 humans/day. Our results support the hypothesis that high-human activity displaced predators but not prey species, creating spatial refuge from predation. High-human activity on roads and trails (i.e., >18 humans/day) has the potential to interfere with predator-prey interactions via trait-mediated direct and indirect effects. We urge scientist and managers to carefully consider and quantify the trait-mediated indirect effects of humans, in addition to direct effects, when assessing human impacts on wildlife and ecosystems. PMID:21399682

Involving Practicing Scientists in K-12 Science Teacher Professional Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertram, K. B.

2011-12-01

The Science Teacher Education Program (STEP) offered a unique framework for creating professional development courses focused on Arctic research from 2006-2009. Under the STEP framework, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) training was delivered by teams of practicing Arctic researchers in partnership with master teachers with 20+ years experience teaching STEM content in K-12 classrooms. Courses based on the framework were offered to educators across Alaska. STEP offered in-person summer-intensive institutes and follow-on audio-conferenced field-test courses during the academic year, supplemented by online scientist mentorship for teachers. During STEP courses, teams of scientists offered in-depth STEM content instruction at the graduate level for teachers of all grade levels. STEP graduate-level training culminated in the translation of information and data learned from Arctic scientists into standard-aligned lessons designed for immediate use in K-12 classrooms. This presentation will focus on research that explored the question: To what degree was scientist involvement beneficial to teacher training and to what degree was STEP scientist involvement beneficial to scientist instructors? Data sources reveal consistently high levels of ongoing (4 year) scientist and teacher participation; high STEM content learning outcomes for teachers; high STEM content learning outcomes for students; high ratings of STEP courses by scientists and teachers; and a discussion of the reasons scientists indicate they benefited from STEP involvement. Analyses of open-ended comments by teachers and scientists support and clarify these findings. A grounded theory approach was used to analyze teacher and scientist qualitative feedback. Comments were coded and patterns analyzed in three databases. The vast majority of teacher open-ended comments indicate that STEP involvement improved K-12 STEM classroom instruction, and the vast majority of scientist open-ended comments focus on the benefits scientists received from networking with K-12 teachers. The classroom lessons resulting from STEP have been so popular among teachers, the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development recently contracted with the PI to create a website that will make the STEP database open to teachers across Alaska. When the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development launched the new website in August 2011, the name of the STEP program was changed to the Alaska K-12 Science Curricular Initiative (AKSCI). The STEP courses serving as the foundation to the new AKSCI site are located under the "History" tab of the new website.

Real-Time Field Data Acquisition and Remote Sensor Reconfiguration Using Scientific Workflows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, F.; Mehta, G.; Vahi, K.; Deelman, E.

2010-12-01

Despite many technological advances, field data acquisition still consists of several manual and laborious steps. Once sensors and data loggers are deployed in the field, scientists often have to periodically return to their study sites in order to collect their data. Even when field deployments have a way to communicate and transmit data back to the laboratory (e.g. by using a satellite or a cellular modem), data analysis still requires several repetitive steps. Because data often needs to be processed and inspected manually, there is usually a significant time delay between data collection and analysis. As a result, sensor failures that could be detected almost in real-time are not noted for weeks or months. Finally, sensor reconfiguration as a result of interesting events in the field is still done manually, making rapid response nearly impossible and causing important data to be missed. By working closely with scientists from different application domains, we identified several tasks that, if automated, could greatly improve the way field data is collected, processed, and distributed. Our goals are to enable real-time data collection and validation, automate sensor reconfiguration in response to interest events in the field, and allow scientists to easily automate their data processing. We began our design by employing the Sensor Processing and Acquisition Network (SPAN) architecture. SPAN uses an embedded processor in the field to coordinate sensor data acquisition from analog and digital sensors by interfacing with different types of devices and data loggers. SPAN is also able to interact with various types of communication devices in order to provide real-time communication to and from field sites. We use the Pegasus Workflow Management System (Pegasus WMS) to coordinate data collection and control sensors and deployments in the field. Because scientific workflows can be used to automate multi-step, repetitive tasks, scientists can create simple workflows to download sensor data, perform basic QA/QC, and identify events of interest as well as sensor and data logger failures almost in real-time. As a result of this automation, scientists can quickly be notified (e.g. via e-mail or SMS) so that important events are not missed. In addition, Pegasus WMS has the ability to abstract the execution environment of where programs run. By placing a Pegasus WMS agent inside an embedded processor in the field, we allow scientists to ship simple computational models to the field, enabling remote data processing at the field site. As an example, scientists can send an image processing algorithm to the field so that the embedded processor can analyze images, thus reducing the bandwidth necessary for communication. In addition, when real-time communication to the laboratory is not possible, scientists can create simple computational models that can be run on sensor nodes autonomously, monitoring sensor data and making adjustments without any human intervention. We believe our system lowers the bar for the adoption of reconfigurable sensor networks by field scientists. In this poster, we will show how this technology can be used to provide not only data acquisition, but also real-time data validation and sensor reconfiguration.

Diseases of comfort: primary cause of death in the 22nd century

PubMed Central

Choi, B.; Hunter, D.; Tsou, W.; Sainsbury, P.

2005-01-01

Objective: To describe the concept, causes, and prevention and control strategies of diseases of comfort. Methods: Brokered by a senior research scientist specialised in knowledge translation, a chair, a president, and a past president of national public health associations contributed their views on the subject. Results: Diseases of comfort have emerged as a price of living in a modern society. It is inevitable that these diseases will become more common and more disabling if human "progress" and civilisation continue toward better (more comfortable) living, without necessarily considering their effects on health. Modern technology must be combined with education, legislation, intersectoral action, and community involvement to create built and social environments that encourage, and make easy, walking, physical activity, and nutritious food choices, to reduce the health damaging effects of modern society for all citizens and not only the few. Conclusions: Public health needs to be more passionate about the health issues caused by human progress and adopt a health promotion stance, challenging the assumptions behind the notion of social "progress" that is giving rise to the burden of chronic disease and developing the skills to create more health promoting societies in which individual health thrives. PMID:16286489

Detection of the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism at Position rs2735940 in the Human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Gene by the Introduction of a New Restriction Enzyme Site for the PCR-RFLP Assay.

PubMed

Wang, Sihua; Ding, Mingcui; Duan, Xiaoran; Wang, Tuanwei; Feng, Xiaolei; Wang, Pengpeng; Yao, Wu; Wu, Yongjun; Yan, Zhen; Feng, Feifei; Yu, Songcheng; Wang, Wei

2017-09-01

It has been shown that the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the rs2735940 site in the human telomerase reverse transcriptase ( hTERT ) gene is associated with increased cancer risk. The traditional method to detect SNP genotypes is polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). However, there is a limitation to utilizing PCR-RFLP due to a lack of proper restriction enzyme sites at many polymorphic loci. This study used an improved PCR-RFLP method with a mismatched base for detection of the SNP rs2735940. A new restriction enzyme cutting site was created by created restriction site PCR (CRS-PCR), and in addition, the restriction enzyme Msp I for CRS-PCR was cheaper than other enzymes. We used this novel assay to determine the allele frequencies in 552 healthy Chinese Han individuals, and found the allele frequencies to be 63% for allele C and 37% for allele T In summary, the modified PCR-RFLP can be used to detect the SNP of rs2735940 with low cost and high efficiency. © 2017 by the Association of Clinical Scientists, Inc.

Integrated Environmental Modelling: Human decisions, human challenges

USGS Publications Warehouse

Glynn, Pierre D.

2015-01-01

Integrated Environmental Modelling (IEM) is an invaluable tool for understanding the complex, dynamic ecosystems that house our natural resources and control our environments. Human behaviour affects the ways in which the science of IEM is assembled and used for meaningful societal applications. In particular, human biases and heuristics reflect adaptation and experiential learning to issues with frequent, sharply distinguished, feedbacks. Unfortunately, human behaviour is not adapted to the more diffusely experienced problems that IEM typically seeks to address. Twelve biases are identified that affect IEM (and science in general). These biases are supported by personal observations and by the findings of behavioural scientists. A process for critical analysis is proposed that addresses some human challenges of IEM and solicits explicit description of (1) represented processes and information, (2) unrepresented processes and information, and (3) accounting for, and cognizance of, potential human biases. Several other suggestions are also made that generally complement maintaining attitudes of watchful humility, open-mindedness, honesty and transparent accountability. These suggestions include (1) creating a new area of study in the behavioural biogeosciences, (2) using structured processes for engaging the modelling and stakeholder communities in IEM, and (3) using ‘red teams’ to increase resilience of IEM constructs and use.

Career development for women scientists in Asia.

PubMed

Ip, Nancy Y

2011-06-23

Previously, challenges faced by women scientists have made it difficult for them to realize their dreams. The remarkable growth of Asian bioscience over the past decade, however, has created opportunities for young women in their home countries. The time is ripe for women in Asia to pursue their scientific aspirations. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Biography Today: Profiles of People of Interest to Young Readers. Scientists & Inventors Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abbey, Cherie D., Ed.

2002-01-01

This volume on "Scientists and Inventors" was created to appeal to young readers in a format they can enjoy reading and can readily understand. Each volume contains alphabetically arranged sketches of outstanding people. Each entry provides at least one picture of the individual profiled, and bold-faced rubrics lead the reader to…

From Science to Business: Preparing Female Scientists and Engineers for Successful Transitions into Entrepreneurship--Summary of a Workshop

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Didion, Catherine Jay; Guenther, Rita S.; Gunderson, Victoria

2012-01-01

Scientists, engineers, and medical professionals play a vital role in building the 21st- century science and technology enterprises that will create solutions and jobs critical to solving the large, complex, and interdisciplinary problems faced by society: problems in energy, sustainability, the environment, water, food, disease, and healthcare.…

Engineering Concepts: The Interplay between Concept Formation and Modeling Practices in Bioengineering Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nersessian, Nancy J.

2012-01-01

As much research has demonstrated, novel scientific concepts do not arise fully formed in the head of a scientist but are created in problem-solving processes, which can extend for considerable periods and even span generations of scientists. To understand concept formation and conceptual change it is important to investigate these processes in…

Everyone Knows What a Scientist Looks Like: The Image of a Modern Scientist

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Enevoldsen, Alice

2008-05-01

Children are inspired to follow career paths when they can imagine themselves there. Seeing pictures of adult individuals who look like them working in a given career can provide this spark to children's imaginations. Most (though not all) of the current available posters of scientists are of Einstein, and Einstein-like scientists. This is not representative of the current face of science. To change this, Pacific Science Center is hoping to host a photography exhibit: photographs of real, current scientists from all races, genders, beliefs, walks of life, and branches of science. Photos will be taken and short biographies written by Discovery Corps Interns (Pacific Science Center's youth development program) to increase the amount of direct contact between students and scientists, and to give the exhibit an emotional connection for local teachers and families. We hope to make the photographs from this exhibit available to teachers for use in their classrooms, in addition to being displayed at Pacific Science Center during the International Year of Astronomy. The objectives of this project are to fill a need for representative photographs of scientists in the world community and to meet two of the goals of International Year of Astronomy: to provide a modern image of science and scientists, and to improve the gender-balanced representation of scientists at all levels and promote greater involvement by underrepresented minorities in scientific and engineering careers. In this session I will present our preliminary plan for creating the photographs and working with the Discovery Corps youth, which will be available to other institutions interested in creating a similar project. I will also present more detail on the distribution plan for the photographs, so interested members and institutions can discuss contributing images to the project, or learn how they could receive copies of the photographs during IYA and beyond.

Collaborating with Scientists in Education and Public Engagement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shupla, Christine; Shaner, Andrew; Smith Hackler, Amanda

2016-10-01

The Education and Public Engagement team at the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) is developing a scientific advisory board, to gather input from planetary scientists for ways that LPI can help them with public engagement, such as connecting them to opportunities, creating useful resources, and providing training. The advisory board will assist in outlining possible roles of scientists in public engagement, provide feedback on LPI scientist engagement efforts, and encourage scientists to participate in various education and public engagement events.LPI's scientists have participated in a variety of education programs, including teacher workshops, family events, public presentations, informal educator trainings, and communication workshops. Scientists have helped conduct hands-on activities, participated in group discussions, and given talks, while sharing their own career paths and interests; these activities have provided audiences with a clearer vision of how science is conducted and how they can become engaged in science themselves.This poster will share the status and current findings of the scientist advisory board, and the lessons learned regarding planetary scientists' needs, abilities, and interests in participating in education and public engagement programs.

Collaborating with Scientists in Education and Public Engagement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shupla, C. B.; Shaner, A. J.; Hackler, A. S.

2016-12-01

The Education and Public Engagement team at the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) is developing a scientific advisory board, to gather input from planetary scientists for ways that LPI can help them with public engagement (such as connecting them to opportunities, creating useful resources, and providing training). The advisory board will also assist in outlining possible roles of scientists in public engagement, provide feedback on LPI scientist engagement efforts, and encourage scientists to participate in various education and public engagement events. LPI's scientists have participated in a variety of education programs, including teacher workshops, family events, public presentations, informal educator trainings, and communication workshops. Scientists have helped conduct hands-on activities, participated in group discussions, and given talks, while sharing their own career paths and interests; these activities have provided audiences with a clearer vision of how science is conducted and how they can become engaged in science themselves. We will share the status and current findings of the scientist advisory board, and the resulting lessons learned regarding scientists' needs, abilities, and interests in participating in education and public engagement programs.

Interdisciplinary Learning Through the Teaching of Science and Art

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Illingworth, Samuel; Verran, Joanna; Griffiths, Dave; Carpenter, Annie

2017-04-01

Science and Art are two disciplines that are usually treated as mutually exclusive entities, and yet which have much to offer each other in terms of process, experimentation and analysis. The field of SciArt (or ArtSci) is a relatively new one, in which scientists and artists work together to create information and demonstrations that are neither the science of art nor the art of science but are instead interdisciplinary investigations that utilise the unique strengths and overlapping commonalities of both fields. As well as the products and processes that are created via such collaboration, the introduction of artists and scientists to one another is an exceptionally valuable prospect which can have a significant impact on the working practices of both sets of collaborators. To further develop this field and these opportunities for collaboration, it is necessary to introduce scientists and artists to the potential of working together at an early point in their careers, ideally when they are still in tertiary education. Manchester Metropolitan University has been involved in several art and science programmes that involve science and art undergraduate and postgraduate students working together to create performances, experiments and demonstrations. This includes the UK's first dedicated SciArt course, residential field trips, and exhibiting at an internationally- renowned gallery. Here we present the outcomes of this work, discussing the development of these schemes and presenting future opportunities for early career scientists and artists to collaborate further.

The CREATE Strategy for Intensive Analysis of Primary Literature Can Be Used Effectively by Newly Trained Faculty to Produce Multiple Gains in Diverse Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stevens, Leslie M.; Hoskins, Sally G.

2014-01-01

The CREATE (Consider Read, Elucidate the hypotheses, Analyze and interpret the data, and Think of the next Experiment) strategy aims to demystify scientific research and scientists while building critical thinking, reading/analytical skills, and improved science attitudes through intensive analysis of primary literature. CREATE was developed and…

Korean Affairs Report.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-07-25

scientists , technicians, and workers to emulate the Nagwon working class in rejecting conservatism and technical mysticism and work toward creating new...25 Twelve Students Charged With Rallies Released (THE KOREA TIMES, 21 Jun 86) 26 Seven SNU Activists Create Disturbances in Courtroom (THE...Tokyo. The speakers at the symposium pointed to the tense situation created on the Korean peninsula, the recent anti-U.S. struggle for independence in

Designing a solution to enable agency-academic scientific collaboration for disasters

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mease, Lindley A.; Gibbs-Plessl, Theodora; Erickson, Ashley; Ludwig, Kristin A.; Reddy, Christopher M.; Lubchenco, Jane

2017-01-01

As large-scale environmental disasters become increasingly frequent and more severe globally, people and organizations that prepare for and respond to these crises need efficient and effective ways to integrate sound science into their decision making. Experience has shown that integrating nongovernmental scientific expertise into disaster decision making can improve the quality of the response, and is most effective if the integration occurs before, during, and after a crisis, not just during a crisis. However, collaboration between academic, government, and industry scientists, decision makers, and responders is frequently difficult because of cultural differences, misaligned incentives, time pressures, and legal constraints. Our study addressed this challenge by using the Deep Change Method, a design methodology developed by Stanford ChangeLabs, which combines human-centered design, systems analysis, and behavioral psychology. We investigated underlying needs and motivations of government agency staff and academic scientists, mapped the root causes underlying the relationship failures between these two communities based on their experiences, and identified leverage points for shifting deeply rooted perceptions that impede collaboration. We found that building trust and creating mutual value between multiple stakeholders before crises occur is likely to increase the effectiveness of problem solving. We propose a solution, the Science Action Network, which is designed to address barriers to scientific collaboration by providing new mechanisms to build and improve trust and communication between government administrators and scientists, industry representatives, and academic scientists. The Science Action Network has the potential to ensure cross-disaster preparedness and science-based decision making through novel partnerships and scientific coordination.

[Human ecology. Which is the main challenge to Russia?].

PubMed

Velichkovskiĭ, B T

2002-01-01

The main direction in the study of human ecology in Russia today is to provide evidence for how to maintain environmental balance in the biosphere of the Earth, though the above factor also exerts a constantly growing negative impact on the health and life quality of the population. During the years of the reforms in the country, all the principal medical and demographic indices have undergone negative changes. To overcome the medicodemographic crisis should be now a priority problem to be solved in human ecology in Russia. The crisis was mainly caused by the "shock" strategy of the reforms. To eliminate the negative medicodemographic consequences, a strong working motivation should be firstly created for the population, that is to create such conditions that allow people to earn well-deserved living by honest work. All this requires the development of small business, democratization of private property forms of private property, and changes in the Government's policy concerning work payment. Medical scientists should clarify how biological mechanisms, that is negative social, economic and psychological factors, cause a drastic increase in mortality, particularly in the able-bodied population. This process is likely to involve three regulation levels; the central nervous system (dynamic stereotype break, as called by I. P. Pavlov), the neuroendocrine system (great stress, as described by G. Selye), molecular-cellular free radical processes (phenoptosis, as outlined by V. P. Skulachev). Five factors that most negatively affect human health and demographic processes were identified.

Photogrammetric Techniques for Paleoanthropological Objects Preserving and Studying

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knyaz, V. A.; Leybova, N. A.; Galeev, R.; Novikov, M.; Gaboutchian, A. V.

2018-05-01

Paleo-anthropological research has its specificity closely related with studied objects. Their complicated shape arises from anatomical features of human skull and other skeletal bones. The degree of preservation is associated with the fragility of palaeo-anthropological material which usually has high historical and scientific value. The circumstances mentioned above enhance the relevance of photogrammetry implementation in anthropological studies. Thus, such combination of scientific methodologies with up-to-date technology creates a potential for improvement of various stages of palaeo-anthropological studies. This can be referred to accurate documenting of anthropological material and creation of databases accessible for wide range of users, predominantly research scientists and students; preservation of highly valuable samples and possibility of sharing information as 3D images or printed copies, improving co-operation of scientists world-wide; potential for replication of contact anthropometric studies on 3D images or printed copies providing for development of new biometric methods, and etc. This paper presents an approach based on photogrammetric techniques and non-contact measurements, providing technological and methodological development of paleo-anthropological studies, including data capturing, processing and representing.

The Greatest Challenge Ever for Mankind, Requiring Policies of Accelerating Hardship and Implementation Difficulty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, John

2015-04-01

Providing energy for the contemporary world has resulted in a multi-variable problem in which a confluence of historical anomalies and economic, psychological, political, and demographic factors thwart efforts to prevent significant harm from increasing atmospheric CO2. This unlikely combination has created the perfect storm in which the warnings by scientists are ineffective. Global warming is occurring simultaneously with increased population, some dysfunctional political institutions, ascendency of oversimplified economic theory, campaigns to discredit scientists, misinterpretation of the meaning of noise in the Milankovitch climate cycles, and substantially improved hydrocarbon extraction methods. These factors are compounded by traits of human nature, such as greed and resistance to changing the familiar and discontinuing profitable endeavors. The idea that future people are equal with us may not be widely supported, yet this value is the foundation of climate change action. History shows that most people and nations will not take appropriate measures until forced, yet the cost increases as action is delayed. This makes appropriate policies even more extreme and difficult to accomplish as more wealth is consumed in treating global warming symptoms.

Microorganisms: Good or Evil, MIRRI Provides Biosecurity Awareness.

PubMed

Smith, David; Martin, Dunja; Novossiolova, Tatyana

2017-03-01

The life-science community is a key stakeholder in the effort to ensure that the advances in biotechnology are not misused. Unfortunately, to date, the engagement of life scientists with issues of biosecurity has been limited. Microorganisms have been harnessed for the benefit of humankind but in the wrong hands could be used in direct or indirect acts against humans, livestock, crops, food, water infrastructure and other economically valuable entities. The Microbial Resources Research Infrastructure in its preparatory phase has addressed the topic implementing a code of conduct as part of its programme of prevention of malicious use and continues to work with the international community to raise awareness of best practice to avoid misuse of microorganisms. Biosecurity has become a major concern for several countries creating numerous activities to put in place counter measures, risk assessment, legislation and emergency response. The goal is to implement measures to protect us against malicious use of microorganisms, their products, information and technology transfer. Through this paper, we wish to discuss some of the activities that are underway, mention key educational tools and provide scientists with information on addressing biosecurity issues.

Financial conflicts of interest in science.

PubMed

Sax, Joanna K

2012-01-01

This Article proposes a new direction for addressing financial conflicts of interest, which plague biomedical research and threaten scientific integrity. This Article descriptively states the controversy surrounding financial conflicts of interest by explaining how these conflicts arise and the damage that can be created as a result. By describing the scientific process, the Article explains that changes to the academic environment may allow the public-private interaction to proceed, without creating the problems associated with financial conflicts of interest. Financial conflicts of interest are created when the profit-seeking motive of a private funding source unduly influences an academic scientist's primary responsibilities. The problem with financial conflicts of interest has grown since the passage of the Bayh-Dole Act in 1980. The cornerstone of current policies to address financial conflicts of interest is disclosure, which is inadequate and unsatisfying. The analysis herein changes the trajectory of current approaches in this area by proposing that an analysis of the underlying environment and behavior leading to conflicts of interest must be considered. This Article proposes the use of behavioral economics to craft a policy that effectively addresses conflicts of interest. To this end, this Article applies research from the field of psychology to understand both the environment of academic scientists as well as to begin to understand how academic scientists make decisions. Drawing on psychology literature, this article proposes that academic scientists may experience cognitive dissonance when faced with a situation in which a conflict of interest may arise. This helps to understand why an academic scientist may make a decision that creates a conflict of interest. In addition, this Article utilizes the results of an empirical study conducted by myself and a colleague. In this study, we asked faculty at five medical schools to respond to an anonymous survey containing hypothetical situations in which a conflict may arise. The combination of the psychology literature and our empirical study can provide support to the creation of new policies. Policy proposals include implementation of default rules, education, and changes to academic requirements. Furthermore, this Article considers ways to incentivize medical centers to implement effective policies as well as changes to intellectual property law.

Knowledge systems for sustainable development

PubMed Central

Cash, David W.; Clark, William C.; Alcock, Frank; Dickson, Nancy M.; Eckley, Noelle; Guston, David H.; Jäger, Jill; Mitchell, Ronald B.

2003-01-01

The challenge of meeting human development needs while protecting the earth's life support systems confronts scientists, technologists, policy makers, and communities from local to global levels. Many believe that science and technology (S&T) must play a more central role in sustainable development, yet little systematic scholarship exists on how to create institutions that effectively harness S&T for sustainability. This study suggests that efforts to mobilize S&T for sustainability are more likely to be effective when they manage boundaries between knowledge and action in ways that simultaneously enhance the salience, credibility, and legitimacy of the information they produce. Effective systems apply a variety of institutional mechanisms that facilitate communication, translation and mediation across boundaries. PMID:12777623

Should remaining stockpiles of smallpox virus (variola) be destroyed?

PubMed

Weinstein, Raymond S

2011-04-01

In 2011, the World Health Organization will recommend the fate of existing smallpox stockpiles, but circumstances have changed since the complete destruction of these cultures was first proposed. Recent studies suggest that variola and its experimental surrogate, vaccinia, have a remarkable ability to modify the human immune response through complex mechanisms that scientists are only just beginning to unravel. Further study that might require intact virus is essential. Moreover, modern science now has the capability to recreate smallpox or a smallpox-like organism in the laboratory in addition to the risk of nature re-creating it as it did once before. These factors strongly suggest that relegating smallpox to the autoclave of extinction would be ill advised.

A Passion for Discovery

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Freund, Peter

The human side of doing theoretical physics is explored through stories about the interactions between physicists and about the way world events can affect not only the scientists' behavior, but even their scientific interests and style.  These stories cluster nicely around certain bigger themes to create an overarching whole.  This happens both on account of some interesting narrative structures intrinsic to the science of Physics itself and on account of the way Physics integrates into the general culture. The stories concern Einstein, Schrödinger, Pauli, Heisenberg, Stueckelberg, Jordan and Fock and also involve some mathematicians like Emmy Noether, Teichmüller and Bersmore » and even the psychologist C.G. Jung.« less

A Passion for Discovery

ScienceCinema

Freund, Peter

2017-12-11

The human side of doing theoretical physics is explored through stories about the interactions between physicists and about the way world events can affect not only the scientists' behavior, but even their scientific interests and style.  These stories cluster nicely around certain bigger themes to create an overarching whole.  This happens both on account of some interesting narrative structures intrinsic to the science of Physics itself and on account of the way Physics integrates into the general culture. The stories concern Einstein, Schrödinger, Pauli, Heisenberg, Stueckelberg, Jordan and Fock and also involve some mathematicians like Emmy Noether, Teichmüller and Bers and even the psychologist C.G. Jung.

Genomic research with human samples. Points of view from scientists and research subjects about disclosure of results and risks of genomic research. Ethical and empirical approach.

PubMed

Valle Mansilla, José Ignacio

2011-01-01

Biomedical researchers often now ask subjects to donate samples to be deposited in biobanks. This is not only of interest to researchers, patients and society as a whole can benefit from the improvements in diagnosis, treatment, and prevention that the advent of genomic medicine portends. However, there is a growing debate regarding the social and ethical implications of creating biobanks and using stored human tissue samples for genomic research. Our aim was to identify factors related to both scientists and patients' preferences regarding the sort of information to convey to subjects about the results of the study and the risks related to genomic research. The method used was a survey addressed to 204 scientists and 279 donors from the U.S. and Spain. In this sample, researchers had already published genomic epidemiology studies; and research subjects had actually volunteered to donate a human sample for genomic research. Concerning the results, patients supported more frequently than scientists their right to know individual results from future genomic research. These differences were statistically significant after adjusting by the opportunity to receive genetic research results from the research they had previously participated and their perception of risks regarding genetic information compared to other clinical data. A slight majority of researchers supported informing participants about individual genomic results only if the reliability and clinical validity of the information had been established. Men were more likely than women to believe that patients should be informed of research results even if these conditions were not met. Also among patients, almost half of them would always prefer to be informed about individual results from future genomic research. The three main factors associated to a higher support of a non-limited access to individual results were: being from the US, having previously been offered individual information and considering genomic data more sensitive than other personal medical data. Moreover, the disease of patients, the educational level and the patient's country of origin were factors associated with the perception of risks related to genomic information. As a conclusion, it is mandatory to clarify the criteria required to establish when individual results from genomic research should be offered to participants.

Methods for Creating and Animating a Computer Model Depicting the Structure and Function of the Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium ATPase Enzyme.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Alice Y.; McKee, Nancy

1999-01-01

Describes the developmental process used to visualize the calcium ATPase enzyme of the sarcoplasmic reticulum which involves evaluating scientific information, consulting scientists, model making, storyboarding, and creating and editing in a computer medium. (Author/CCM)

Scientists' Role in Educational Content Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christian, Carol A.

2003-01-01

Describes a model developed as part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) overall plan to create increased learning opportunities related to its scientific and technical enterprises. Uses this model to create multimedia resources designed to improve science and mathematics skills in students to improve public awareness of…

TACT glossary: technoscience.

PubMed

Tambone, V; Pennacchini, M

2010-01-01

The term technoscience (T) indicates the complex interactions between contemporary science and technology, that have become practically inseparable. From an epistemological point of view, T only considers the quantitative knowledge in a reductionist way. Nature has been reduced to a machine that works according to laws learnt through the experimental science. At present, technical efficiency represents an operational dominion on Nature; it gives the power to those who possess it. Scientists, considered as visionaries, have the assignment to lead society. They create new cosmos-visions that are technocentric, thus Ts use the human being as subject of experimentation and they transform some essential dimensions of the human being. All this suggests the necessity of an ethical evaluation of the action integration of different subjects in what we call integrated action. This configuration involves ethical obligations for the agent: he/she has to act preserving and allowing the collaboration, and respecting the professional's individual responsibility.

EVA Suit R and D for Performance Optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cowley, Matthew S.; Harvill, Lauren; Benson, Elizabeth; Rajulu, Sudhakar

2014-01-01

Designing a planetary suit is very complex and often requires difficult trade-offs between performance, cost, mass, and system complexity. To verify that new suit designs meet requirements, full prototypes must be built and tested with human subjects. However, numerous design iterations will occur before the hardware meets those requirements. Traditional draw-prototype-test paradigms for R&D are prohibitively expensive with today's shrinking Government budgets. Personnel at NASA are developing modern simulation techniques which focus on human-centric designs by creating virtual prototype simulations and fully adjustable physical prototypes of suit hardware. During the R&D design phase, these easily modifiable representations of an EVA suit's hard components will allow designers to think creatively and exhaust design possibilities before they build and test working prototypes with human subjects. It allows scientists to comprehensively benchmark current suit capabilities and limitations for existing suit sizes and sizes that do not exist. This is extremely advantageous and enables comprehensive design down-selections to be made early in the design process, enables the use of human performance as design criteria, and enables designs to target specific populations

Biography Today: Profiles of People of Interest to Young Readers. Scientists & Inventors Series, Volume 5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abbey, Cherie D., Ed.

This book, a special volume focusing on computer-related scientists and inventors, provides 12 biographical profiles of interest to readers ages 9 and above. The Biography Today series was created to appeal to young readers in a format they can enjoy reading and readily understand. Each entry provides at least one picture of the individual…

A survey of big data research

PubMed Central

Fang, Hua; Zhang, Zhaoyang; Wang, Chanpaul Jin; Daneshmand, Mahmoud; Wang, Chonggang; Wang, Honggang

2015-01-01

Big data create values for business and research, but pose significant challenges in terms of networking, storage, management, analytics and ethics. Multidisciplinary collaborations from engineers, computer scientists, statisticians and social scientists are needed to tackle, discover and understand big data. This survey presents an overview of big data initiatives, technologies and research in industries and academia, and discusses challenges and potential solutions. PMID:26504265

From Both Sides, Now: Librarians Team up with Computer Scientist to Deliver Virtual Computer-Information Literacy Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loesch, Martha Fallahay

2011-01-01

Two members of the library faculty at Seton Hall University teamed up with a respected professor of mathematics and computer science, in order to create an online course that introduces information literacy both from the perspectives of the computer scientist and from the instruction librarian. This collaboration is unique in that it addresses the…

The iPlant Collaborative: Cyberinfrastructure for Plant Biology.

PubMed

Goff, Stephen A; Vaughn, Matthew; McKay, Sheldon; Lyons, Eric; Stapleton, Ann E; Gessler, Damian; Matasci, Naim; Wang, Liya; Hanlon, Matthew; Lenards, Andrew; Muir, Andy; Merchant, Nirav; Lowry, Sonya; Mock, Stephen; Helmke, Matthew; Kubach, Adam; Narro, Martha; Hopkins, Nicole; Micklos, David; Hilgert, Uwe; Gonzales, Michael; Jordan, Chris; Skidmore, Edwin; Dooley, Rion; Cazes, John; McLay, Robert; Lu, Zhenyuan; Pasternak, Shiran; Koesterke, Lars; Piel, William H; Grene, Ruth; Noutsos, Christos; Gendler, Karla; Feng, Xin; Tang, Chunlao; Lent, Monica; Kim, Seung-Jin; Kvilekval, Kristian; Manjunath, B S; Tannen, Val; Stamatakis, Alexandros; Sanderson, Michael; Welch, Stephen M; Cranston, Karen A; Soltis, Pamela; Soltis, Doug; O'Meara, Brian; Ane, Cecile; Brutnell, Tom; Kleibenstein, Daniel J; White, Jeffery W; Leebens-Mack, James; Donoghue, Michael J; Spalding, Edgar P; Vision, Todd J; Myers, Christopher R; Lowenthal, David; Enquist, Brian J; Boyle, Brad; Akoglu, Ali; Andrews, Greg; Ram, Sudha; Ware, Doreen; Stein, Lincoln; Stanzione, Dan

2011-01-01

The iPlant Collaborative (iPlant) is a United States National Science Foundation (NSF) funded project that aims to create an innovative, comprehensive, and foundational cyberinfrastructure in support of plant biology research (PSCIC, 2006). iPlant is developing cyberinfrastructure that uniquely enables scientists throughout the diverse fields that comprise plant biology to address Grand Challenges in new ways, to stimulate and facilitate cross-disciplinary research, to promote biology and computer science research interactions, and to train the next generation of scientists on the use of cyberinfrastructure in research and education. Meeting humanity's projected demands for agricultural and forest products and the expectation that natural ecosystems be managed sustainably will require synergies from the application of information technologies. The iPlant cyberinfrastructure design is based on an unprecedented period of research community input, and leverages developments in high-performance computing, data storage, and cyberinfrastructure for the physical sciences. iPlant is an open-source project with application programming interfaces that allow the community to extend the infrastructure to meet its needs. iPlant is sponsoring community-driven workshops addressing specific scientific questions via analysis tool integration and hypothesis testing. These workshops teach researchers how to add bioinformatics tools and/or datasets into the iPlant cyberinfrastructure enabling plant scientists to perform complex analyses on large datasets without the need to master the command-line or high-performance computational services.

More than a thousand words: Helping science speak for itself (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassol, S. J.; Somerville, R. C.; Hussin, D. R.

2013-12-01

Our community has awakened to the complex challenges of communicating about climate change when much more than the science is at issue. Our awareness now includes cultural and psychological issues, and it is critical to continue this focus. At the same time, most people still say they need more information about the science, and so we are challenged to deliver that information in more accessible and effective ways. We are experimenting with some new strategies and techniques at our website, climatecommunication.org. We recently created ten narrated, animated videos that visualize important aspects of climate science. These range from explaining the iconic Keeling Curve to addressing how we know the recent warming is human-induced, to an overview of actions that can stabilize climate affordably. These videos provide a kind of 'guided tour' through what can otherwise be difficult-to-understand scientific graphs. Through other video resources on our site, including answers to common questions and biographical videos of our science advisors, we illuminate the fascinating process of science and portray scientists as the interesting, multi-faceted people they are. This can help challenge the stereotype of scientists, and enhance trust by revealing that scientists share many values and concerns with their fellow citizens. In this talk, we explore the resources available on climatecommunication.org, and discuss our ideas for combining accurate science with effective techniques for communicating with the public.

The iPlant Collaborative: Cyberinfrastructure for Plant Biology

PubMed Central

Goff, Stephen A.; Vaughn, Matthew; McKay, Sheldon; Lyons, Eric; Stapleton, Ann E.; Gessler, Damian; Matasci, Naim; Wang, Liya; Hanlon, Matthew; Lenards, Andrew; Muir, Andy; Merchant, Nirav; Lowry, Sonya; Mock, Stephen; Helmke, Matthew; Kubach, Adam; Narro, Martha; Hopkins, Nicole; Micklos, David; Hilgert, Uwe; Gonzales, Michael; Jordan, Chris; Skidmore, Edwin; Dooley, Rion; Cazes, John; McLay, Robert; Lu, Zhenyuan; Pasternak, Shiran; Koesterke, Lars; Piel, William H.; Grene, Ruth; Noutsos, Christos; Gendler, Karla; Feng, Xin; Tang, Chunlao; Lent, Monica; Kim, Seung-Jin; Kvilekval, Kristian; Manjunath, B. S.; Tannen, Val; Stamatakis, Alexandros; Sanderson, Michael; Welch, Stephen M.; Cranston, Karen A.; Soltis, Pamela; Soltis, Doug; O'Meara, Brian; Ane, Cecile; Brutnell, Tom; Kleibenstein, Daniel J.; White, Jeffery W.; Leebens-Mack, James; Donoghue, Michael J.; Spalding, Edgar P.; Vision, Todd J.; Myers, Christopher R.; Lowenthal, David; Enquist, Brian J.; Boyle, Brad; Akoglu, Ali; Andrews, Greg; Ram, Sudha; Ware, Doreen; Stein, Lincoln; Stanzione, Dan

2011-01-01

The iPlant Collaborative (iPlant) is a United States National Science Foundation (NSF) funded project that aims to create an innovative, comprehensive, and foundational cyberinfrastructure in support of plant biology research (PSCIC, 2006). iPlant is developing cyberinfrastructure that uniquely enables scientists throughout the diverse fields that comprise plant biology to address Grand Challenges in new ways, to stimulate and facilitate cross-disciplinary research, to promote biology and computer science research interactions, and to train the next generation of scientists on the use of cyberinfrastructure in research and education. Meeting humanity's projected demands for agricultural and forest products and the expectation that natural ecosystems be managed sustainably will require synergies from the application of information technologies. The iPlant cyberinfrastructure design is based on an unprecedented period of research community input, and leverages developments in high-performance computing, data storage, and cyberinfrastructure for the physical sciences. iPlant is an open-source project with application programming interfaces that allow the community to extend the infrastructure to meet its needs. iPlant is sponsoring community-driven workshops addressing specific scientific questions via analysis tool integration and hypothesis testing. These workshops teach researchers how to add bioinformatics tools and/or datasets into the iPlant cyberinfrastructure enabling plant scientists to perform complex analyses on large datasets without the need to master the command-line or high-performance computational services. PMID:22645531

Bioseguridad in Mexico: Pursuing Security between Local and Global Biologies.

PubMed

Wanderer, Emily Mannix

2017-09-01

In the aftermath of the 2009 outbreak of H1N1 influenza, scientists in Mexico sought to develop bioseguridad, that is, to protect biological life in Mexico by safely conducting research on infectious disease. Drawing on ethnographic research in laboratories and with scientists in Mexico, I look at how scientists make claims about local differences in regulations, infrastructure, bodies, and culture. The scientists working with infectious microbes sought to establish how different microbial ecologies, human immune systems, and political and regulatory systems made the risks of research different in Mexico from other countries. In developing bioseguridad, the idea of globalized biology that animates many public health projects was undermined as scientists attended to the elements of place that affected human health and safety. Scientists argued for the importance of local biologies, generating tension with global public health projects and regulations premised on the universality of biology. © 2016 by the American Anthropological Association.

Creating Sustainable Societies: Developing Emerging Professionals through Transforming Current Mindsets

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griswold, Wendy

2017-01-01

Future professionals will bear the brunt of creating sustainable societies. Equipping them for the task is the challenge of current educators. Educational experiences facilitating the development of sustainable habits of mind are needed. This research reports on the experiences of developing scientists and engineers engaged in a sustainable energy…

Can Children Really Create Knowledge?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bereiter, Carl; Scardamalia, Marlene

2010-01-01

Can children genuinely create new knowledge, as opposed to merely carrying out activities that resemble those of mature scientists and innovators? The answer is yes, provided the comparison is not to works of genius but to standards that prevail in ordinary research communities. One important product of knowledge creation is concepts and tools…

Translating Radiometric Requirements for Satellite Sensors to Match International Standards.

PubMed

Pearlman, Aaron; Datla, Raju; Kacker, Raghu; Cao, Changyong

2014-01-01

International scientific standards organizations created standards on evaluating uncertainty in the early 1990s. Although scientists from many fields use these standards, they are not consistently implemented in the remote sensing community, where traditional error analysis framework persists. For a satellite instrument under development, this can create confusion in showing whether requirements are met. We aim to create a methodology for translating requirements from the error analysis framework to the modern uncertainty approach using the product level requirements of the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) that will fly on the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite R-Series (GOES-R). In this paper we prescribe a method to combine several measurement performance requirements, written using a traditional error analysis framework, into a single specification using the propagation of uncertainties formula. By using this approach, scientists can communicate requirements in a consistent uncertainty framework leading to uniform interpretation throughout the development and operation of any satellite instrument.

Translating Radiometric Requirements for Satellite Sensors to Match International Standards

PubMed Central

Pearlman, Aaron; Datla, Raju; Kacker, Raghu; Cao, Changyong

2014-01-01

International scientific standards organizations created standards on evaluating uncertainty in the early 1990s. Although scientists from many fields use these standards, they are not consistently implemented in the remote sensing community, where traditional error analysis framework persists. For a satellite instrument under development, this can create confusion in showing whether requirements are met. We aim to create a methodology for translating requirements from the error analysis framework to the modern uncertainty approach using the product level requirements of the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) that will fly on the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite R-Series (GOES-R). In this paper we prescribe a method to combine several measurement performance requirements, written using a traditional error analysis framework, into a single specification using the propagation of uncertainties formula. By using this approach, scientists can communicate requirements in a consistent uncertainty framework leading to uniform interpretation throughout the development and operation of any satellite instrument. PMID:26601032

Inequality in the Scientific Community: The Effects of Cumulative Advantage among Social Scientists and Humanities Scholars in Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Keuntae; Kim, Jong-Kil

2017-01-01

The primary goal of this paper is to provide a balanced perspective for understanding inequality in research productivity among Korean scholars in humanities and social sciences. Specifically, we examine cumulative advantage over the careers of a sample of Korean social scientists and humanities scholars (N = 8933). Descriptive analyses indicated…

On Man and Ecosystems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brookfield, Harold

1982-01-01

Distinctions between natural ecosystems and human ecosystems are misleading. Natural and social sciences can be integrated through the concept of a "human-use ecosystem," in which social scientists analyze the community, household, and individual, and natural scientists analyze the land. Includes a case study of St. Kitts. (KC)

Making Common Sense of Vaccines: An Example of Discussing the Recombinant Attenuated Salmonella Vaccine with the Public.

PubMed

Dankel, Dorothy J; Roland, Kenneth L; Fisher, Michael; Brenneman, Karen; Delgado, Ana; Santander, Javier; Baek, Chang-Ho; Clark-Curtiss, Josephine; Strand, Roger; Curtiss, Roy

2014-01-01

Researchers have iterated that the future of synthetic biology and biotechnology lies in novel consumer applications of crossing biology with engineering. However, if the new biology's future is to be sustainable, early and serious efforts must be made towards social sustainability. Therefore, the crux of new applications of synthetic biology and biotechnology is public understanding and acceptance. The RASVaccine is a novel recombinant design not found in nature that re-engineers a common bacteria ( Salmonella ) to produce a strong immune response in humans. Synthesis of the RASVaccine has the potential to improve public health as an inexpensive, non-injectable product. But how can scientists move forward to create a dialogue of creating a 'common sense' of this new technology in order to promote social sustainability? This paper delves into public issues raised around these novel technologies and uses the RASVaccine as an example of meeting the public with a common sense of its possibilities and limitations.

colormap_util

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Our Python module, colormap_module, presented here can be used to analyze and manipulate colormaps and has two main aims: (i) compare existing and new custom colormaps quantitatively by comparing their values in a color space, called CAM02-UCS, that directly shows how a human perceives their hue, saturation, and lightness values and (ii) create isoluminant colormaps from existing or custom colormaps and (iii) mix isoluminant colormap data with a 4th dimension of data by manipulating lightness values across the image and present the new image. Our module was designed to be a tool for the community to use as a whole,more » allowing scientists to present, analyze, and manipulate colormaps they have created and/or decided to use for a particular type of data. By being able to do this, the scientific community as a whole will think more about the colormaps they choose, see why particular colormaps are bad to use for certain types of data, and move toward using colormaps our eyes can interpret much more efficiently.« less

The physician-scientist, the state, and the oath: thoughts for our times

PubMed Central

Coller, Barry S.

2006-01-01

Triggered by an encounter with survivors of the studies on twins conducted in Auschwitz by Joseph Mengele, who held both MD and PhD degrees, I offer thoughts on the extraordinary powers physician-scientists have to enhance or degrade human dignity. Biomedical science lacks intrinsic morality, but attains moral status by virtue of its purpose and the ethical framework that controls its conduct, both of which derive from the principles of medical humanism codified in the physician’s oath. Physician-scientists have responsibilities to humankind that transcend the state. Careful analysis of historical examples of abuses of human rights committed in the name of medical science or the state is an important mechanism to safeguard current and future human participants. PMID:17016549

The physician-scientist, the state, and the oath: thoughts for our times.

PubMed

Coller, Barry S

2006-10-01

Triggered by an encounter with survivors of the studies on twins conducted in Auschwitz by Joseph Mengele, who held both MD and PhD degrees, I offer thoughts on the extraordinary powers physician-scientists have to enhance or degrade human dignity. Biomedical science lacks intrinsic morality, but attains moral status by virtue of its purpose and the ethical framework that controls its conduct, both of which derive from the principles of medical humanism codified in the physician's oath. Physician-scientists have responsibilities to humankind that transcend the state. Careful analysis of historical examples of abuses of human rights committed in the name of medical science or the state is an important mechanism to safeguard current and future human participants.

A Drupal-Based Collaborative Framework for Science Workflows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinheiro da Silva, P.; Gandara, A.

2010-12-01

Cyber-infrastructure is built from utilizing technical infrastructure to support organizational practices and social norms to provide support for scientific teams working together or dependent on each other to conduct scientific research. Such cyber-infrastructure enables the sharing of information and data so that scientists can leverage knowledge and expertise through automation. Scientific workflow systems have been used to build automated scientific systems used by scientists to conduct scientific research and, as a result, create artifacts in support of scientific discoveries. These complex systems are often developed by teams of scientists who are located in different places, e.g., scientists working in distinct buildings, and sometimes in different time zones, e.g., scientist working in distinct national laboratories. The sharing of these specifications is currently supported by the use of version control systems such as CVS or Subversion. Discussions about the design, improvement, and testing of these specifications, however, often happen elsewhere, e.g., through the exchange of email messages and IM chatting. Carrying on a discussion about these specifications is challenging because comments and specifications are not necessarily connected. For instance, the person reading a comment about a given workflow specification may not be able to see the workflow and even if the person can see the workflow, the person may not specifically know to which part of the workflow a given comments applies to. In this paper, we discuss the design, implementation and use of CI-Server, a Drupal-based infrastructure, to support the collaboration of both local and distributed teams of scientists using scientific workflows. CI-Server has three primary goals: to enable information sharing by providing tools that scientists can use within their scientific research to process data, publish and share artifacts; to build community by providing tools that support discussions between scientists about artifacts used or created through scientific processes; and to leverage the knowledge collected within the artifacts and scientific collaborations to support scientific discoveries.

Realism without truth: a review of Giere's science without laws and scientific perspectivism.

PubMed

Hackenberg, Timothy D

2009-05-01

An increasingly popular view among philosophers of science is that of science as action-as the collective activity of scientists working in socially-coordinated communities. Scientists are seen not as dispassionate pursuers of Truth, but as active participants in a social enterprise, and science is viewed on a continuum with other human activities. When taken to an extreme, the science-as-social-process view can be taken to imply that science is no different from any other human activity, and therefore can make no privileged claims about its knowledge of the world. Such extreme views are normally contrasted with equally extreme views of classical science, as uncovering Universal Truth. In Science Without Laws and Scientific Perspectivism, Giere outlines an approach to understanding science that finds a middle ground between these extremes. He acknowledges that science occurs in a social and historical context, and that scientific models are constructions designed and created to serve human ends. At the same time, however, scientific models correspond to parts of the world in ways that can legitimately be termed objective. Giere's position, perspectival realism, shares important common ground with Skinner's writings on science, some of which are explored in this review. Perhaps most fundamentally, Giere shares with Skinner the view that science itself is amenable to scientific inquiry: scientific principles can and should be brought to bear on the process of science. The two approaches offer different but complementary perspectives on the nature of science, both of which are needed in a comprehensive understanding of science.

REALISM WITHOUT TRUTH: A REVIEW OF GIERE'S SCIENCE WITHOUT LAWS AND SCIENTIFIC PERSPECTIVISM

PubMed Central

Hackenberg, Timothy D

2009-01-01

An increasingly popular view among philosophers of science is that of science as action—as the collective activity of scientists working in socially-coordinated communities. Scientists are seen not as dispassionate pursuers of Truth, but as active participants in a social enterprise, and science is viewed on a continuum with other human activities. When taken to an extreme, the science-as-social-process view can be taken to imply that science is no different from any other human activity, and therefore can make no privileged claims about its knowledge of the world. Such extreme views are normally contrasted with equally extreme views of classical science, as uncovering Universal Truth. In Science Without Laws and Scientific Perspectivism, Giere outlines an approach to understanding science that finds a middle ground between these extremes. He acknowledges that science occurs in a social and historical context, and that scientific models are constructions designed and created to serve human ends. At the same time, however, scientific models correspond to parts of the world in ways that can legitimately be termed objective. Giere's position, perspectival realism, shares important common ground with Skinner's writings on science, some of which are explored in this review. Perhaps most fundamentally, Giere shares with Skinner the view that science itself is amenable to scientific inquiry: scientific principles can and should be brought to bear on the process of science. The two approaches offer different but complementary perspectives on the nature of science, both of which are needed in a comprehensive understanding of science. PMID:19949495

Developing the next generation of diverse computer scientists: the need for enhanced, intersectional computing identity theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez, Sarah L.; Lehman, Kathleen

2017-10-01

This theoretical paper explores the need for enhanced, intersectional computing identity theory for the purpose of developing a diverse group of computer scientists for the future. Greater theoretical understanding of the identity formation process specifically for computing is needed in order to understand how students come to understand themselves as computer scientists. To ensure that the next generation of computer scientists is diverse, this paper presents a case for examining identity development intersectionally, understanding the ways in which women and underrepresented students may have difficulty identifying as computer scientists and be systematically oppressed in their pursuit of computer science careers. Through a review of the available scholarship, this paper suggests that creating greater theoretical understanding of the computing identity development process will inform the way in which educational stakeholders consider computer science practices and policies.

Creating Successful Scientist-Teacher-Student Collaborations: Examples From the GLOBE Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geary, E.; Wright, E.; Yule, S.; Randolph, G.; Larsen, J.; Smith, D.

2007-12-01

Actively engaging students in research on the environment at local, regional, and globe scales is a primary objective of the GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) Program. During the past 18 months, GLOBE, an international education and science program in 109 countries and tens of thousands of schools worldwide, has been working with four NSF-funded Earth System Science Projects to involve K-12 students, teachers, and scientists in collaborative research investigations of Seasons and Biomes, the Carbon Cycle, Local and Extreme Environments, and Watersheds. This talk will discuss progress to date in each of these investigation areas and highlight successes and challenges in creating effective partnerships between diverse scientific and educational stakeholders. More specifically we will discuss lessons learned in the following areas: (a) mutual goal and responsibility setting, (b) resource allocation, (c) development of adaptable learning activities, tools, and services, (d) creation of scientist and school networks, and (e) development of evaluation metrics, all in support of student research.

Modelling headache and migraine and its pharmacological manipulation

PubMed Central

Erdener, S E; Dalkara, T

2014-01-01

Similarities between laboratory animals and humans in anatomy and physiology of the cephalic nociceptive pathways have allowed scientists to create successful models that have significantly contributed to our understanding of headache. They have also been instrumental in the development of novel anti-migraine drugs different from classical pain killers. Nevertheless, modelling the mechanisms underlying primary headache disorders like migraine has been challenging due to limitations in testing the postulated hypotheses in humans. Recent developments in imaging techniques have begun to fill this translational gap. The unambiguous demonstration of cortical spreading depolarization (CSD) during migraine aura in patients has reawakened interest in studying CSD in animals as a noxious brain event that can activate the trigeminovascular system. CSD-based models, including transgenics and optogenetics, may more realistically simulate pain generation in migraine, which is thought to originate within the brain. The realization that behavioural correlates of headache and migrainous symptoms like photophobia can be assessed quantitatively in laboratory animals, has created an opportunity to directly study the headache in intact animals without the confounding effects of anaesthetics. Headache and migraine-like episodes induced by administration of glyceryltrinitrate and CGRP to humans and parallel behavioural and biological changes observed in rodents create interesting possibilities for translational research. Not unexpectedly, species differences and model-specific observations have also led to controversies as well as disappointments in clinical trials, which, in return, has helped us improve the models and advance our understanding of headache. Here, we review commonly used headache and migraine models with an emphasis on recent developments. Linked Articles This article is part of a themed section on Animal Models in Psychiatry Research. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2014.171.issue-20 PMID:24611635

Creating Science Education Specialists and Scientific Literacy in Students through a Successful Partnership among Scientists, Science Teachers, and Education Researchers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Metoyer, S.; Prouhet, T.; Radencic, S.

2007-12-01

The nature of science and the nature of learning are often assumed to have little practical relationship to each other. Scientists conduct research and science teachers teach. Rarely do the scientist and the science teacher have an opportunity to learn from each other. Here we describe results from a program funded by NSF, the Information Technology in Science (ITS) Center for Teaching and Learning. The ITS Center provided the support and structure necessary for successful long-term collaboration among scientists, science teachers, and education researchers that has resulted in the creation of new science education specialists. These specialists are not only among the science teachers, but also include avid recruits to science education from the scientists themselves. Science teachers returned to their classrooms armed with new knowledge of content, inquiry, and ideas for technology tools that could support and enhance students' scientific literacy. Teachers developed and implemented action research plans as a means of exploring educational outcomes of their use and understanding of new technologies and inquiry applied to the classroom. In other words, they tried something different in the class related to authentic inquiry and technology. They then assessed the students' to determine if there was an impact to the students in some way. Many of the scientists, on the other hand, report that they have modified their instructional practices for undergraduate courses based on their experiences with the teachers and the ITS Center. Some joined other collaborative projects pairing scientists and educators. And, many of the scientists continue on-going communication with the science teachers serving as mentors, collaborators, and as an "expert" source for the students to ask questions to. In order to convey the success of this partnership, we illustrate and discuss four interdependent components. First, costs and benefits to the science teacher are discussed through case studies, survey results, and descriptive categories. Costs and benefits to the scientist are discussed through the use of case studies, surveys, and observations. Third, student learning outcomes from a case study are presented. It is argued that the partnership created the opportunity for the integration of imaginative tools of science (specifically GIS in the case study) and authentic science inquiry. The last component is the discussion of the various tools of science utilized by the scientists for their research, taught to the science teachers by the scientists, and then taught to the students by the science teachers. At each step the technology was modified to fit the levels and applications of the specific science teacher, the grade level taught, and the content area taught. Examples of imaginative tools utilized include Geographic Information System (GIS), Global Positioning System (GPS), Google Earth, time-lapse photography, digital microscopy, and Excel. In summary, by examining this collaborative partnership through the lens of the scientists, the science teachers, and the science teachers' students it is evident that this partnership has created new science education specialists and can ultimately improve scientific literacy in K-12 students. Reference: NRC (2005). How Students Learn. The National Academies Press. Washington D.C.

Ice Stories: Engaging Polar Scientists as Field Correspondents for IPY

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, M. K.

2006-12-01

The International Polar Year (IPY 2007-09) gives the public, teachers, and students an extraordinary opportunity to experience the process of scientific discovery in action. The Exploratorium, working in partnership with international scientists at both poles, will create educational resources for museum and online visitors that celebrate life, legacy and science in the world's polar regions. In this session, Senior Science Producer Mary Miller will discuss the Exploratorium's proposed IPY project, Ice Stories. This unique educational project will provide a public face for IPY by using the power of contemporary media to bring current research to mass audiences with unprecedented intimacy and immediacy. Ice Stories includes: a media-rich, dynamic and continuously updated public Web site; a media-assets database for journalists, media producers, educators, and museum partners; a training program in media production and story-telling for polar scientists Ice Stories provides the public with access to IPY research through the development of a network of Exploratorium-trained polar field correspondents. It makes use of the design, education and production capacity of an informal science center to create a bridge between scientific discovery and interested members of the public. Ice Stories employs sophisticated media production and communication technology as well as strong partnerships with allied research groups and with scientists and international organizations at the poles. The Exploratorium has pioneered in translating current science research into exhibits and presentations accessible to museum and Web audiences. It also has long experience creating award-winning Web sites, professional-development workshops, community outreach, and institutional alliances.

Intersectionality as a Framework for Inclusive Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nunez, A. M.

2016-12-01

To create more inclusive environments for the advancement of scientific inquiry, it is critical to consider the role of intersectionality. Originating in activism and legal scholarship grounded in the realities of women of color, the concept of intersectionality emphasizes how societal power dynamics shape the differential construction of life opportunities of diverse demographic groups across a variety of social identities, contexts, and historical conditions. Importantly, intersectionality also recognizes that individuals can simultaneously hold privileged and marginalized identities. For example, while white women scientists are less represented in leadership and decision-making positions than their male counterparts, but they typically do not experience the marginalization of being mistaken for cleaning staff at their institutions, as many African American and Latina scientists report. Thus, white women are relatively privileged in this context. This case and national survey data demonstrate the critical importance of recognizing that the intersection of racial and gender identities creates complex and multi-faceted challenges for diverse women scientists in navigating the organizational culture of science. Educational research indicates that interventions seeking to create more inclusivity in science should take into account the relationships between various social identities, contexts, and broader historical conditions that affect the advancement of historically underrepresented minority groups. Therefore, this presentation will provide a conceptual framework of intersectionality to guide interventions to encourage all scientists to recognize the distinctive intellectual and social contributions of those from diverse gender, race, class, disability, sexual orientation, and other identity backgrounds. It will also address how this framework can be applied to develop programs, policies, and practices that transform organizational cultures to be more inclusive along structural, linguistic, and interpersonal contexts.

An Analysis of the Impact of Student-Scientist Interaction in a Technology Design Activity, Using the Expectancy-Value Model of Achievement Related Choice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Masson, Anne-Lotte; Klop, Tanja; Osseweijer, Patricia

2016-01-01

Many education initiatives in science and technology education aim to create enthusiasm among young people to pursue a career in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Research suggests that personal interaction between secondary school students and scientists could be a success factor, but there is a need for more in-depth…

Biography Today: Scientists & Inventors Series. Profiles of People of Interest to Young Readers. Vol. 1, 1996.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Laurie Lanzen, Ed.; Abbey, Cherie D., Ed.

This issue of "Biography Today" looks at scientists and inventors and is created to appeal to young readers in a format they can and enjoy and easily understand. Each entry provides at least one picture of the individual profiled, and bold-faced rubrics lead the reader to information on birth, youth, early memories, education, first jobs, marriage…

Diversity of Approaches to Structuring University-Based Earth System Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aron, J.; Ruzek, M.; Johnson, D. R.

2004-12-01

Over the past quarter century, the "Earth system science" paradigm has emerged among the interdisciplinary science community, emphasizing interactions among components hitherto considered within separate disciplines: atmosphere (air); hydrosphere (water); biosphere (life); lithosphere (land); anthroposphere (human dimension); and exosphere (solar system and beyond). How should the next generation of Earth system scientists learn to contribute to this interdisciplinary endeavor? There is no one simple answer. The Earth System Science Education program, funded by NASA, has addressed this question by supporting faculty at U.S. universities who develop new courses, curricula and degree programs in their institutional contexts. This report demonstrates the diversity of approaches to structuring university-based Earth system science education, focusing on the 18 current grantees of the Earth System Science Education Program for the 21st Century (ESSE21). One of the most fundamental characteristics is the departmental structure for teaching Earth system science. The "home" departments of the Earth system science faculty range from Earth sciences and physics to agronomy and social work. A brand-new institution created an interdisciplinary Institute for Earth Systems Science and Policy without traditional "parent" departments. Some institutions create new degree programs as majors or as minors while others work within existing degree programs to add or revise courses. A university may also offer multiple strands, such as a degree in the Science of the Earth System and a degree in the Human Dimensions of the Earth System. Defining a career path is extremely important to students considering Earth system science programs and a major institutional challenge for all programs in Earth system science education. How will graduate programs assess prospective students? How will universities and government agencies assess prospective faculty and scientists? How will government agencies allocate funds to interdisciplinary Earth system science and technology? Finally, how should the Earth system science education community evolve?

Can ASCII data files be standardized for Earth Science?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, K. D.; Chen, G.; Wilson, A.; Law, E.; Olding, S. W.; Krotkov, N. A.; Conover, H.

2015-12-01

NASA's Earth Science Data Systems Working Groups (ESDSWG) was created over 10 years ago. The role of the ESDSWG is to make recommendations relevant to NASA's Earth science data systems from user experiences. Each group works independently focusing on a unique topic. Participation in ESDSWG groups comes from a variety of NASA-funded science and technology projects, such as MEaSUREs, NASA information technology experts, affiliated contractor, staff and other interested community members from academia and industry. Recommendations from the ESDSWG groups will enhance NASA's efforts to develop long term data products. Each year, the ESDSWG has a face-to-face meeting to discuss recommendations and future efforts. Last year's (2014) ASCII for Science Data Working Group (ASCII WG) completed its goals and made recommendations on a minimum set of information that is needed to make ASCII files at least human readable and usable for the foreseeable future. The 2014 ASCII WG created a table of ASCII files and their components as a means for understanding what kind of ASCII formats exist and what components they have in common. Using this table and adding information from other ASCII file formats, we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a standardized format. For instance, Space Geodesy scientists have been using the same RINEX/SINEX ASCII format for decades. Astronomers mostly archive their data in the FITS format. Yet Earth scientists seem to have a slew of ASCII formats, such as ICARTT, netCDF (an ASCII dump) and the IceBridge ASCII format. The 2015 Working Group is focusing on promoting extendibility and machine readability of ASCII data. Questions have been posed, including, Can we have a standardized ASCII file format? Can it be machine-readable and simultaneously human-readable? We will present a summary of the current used ASCII formats in terms of advantages and shortcomings, as well as potential improvements.

Redefining Scientist-Educator Partnerships: Science in Service at Stanford

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beck, K.

2005-05-01

The Stanford Solar Observatories Group and Haas Center for Public Service have created an innovative model for scientist-educator partnerships in which science students are trained and mentored by public service education professionals to create outreach events for local communities. The program, Science in Service, is part of the EPO plan for the Solar Group's participation in NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory mission. Based on the principles of service learning, the Science in Service Program mentors college science students in best practices for communicating science and engages these students in public service projects that center on teaching solar science. The program goals are to - Enhance and expand the learning experiences that pre-college students, from underserved and underrepresented groups in particular, have in science and technology. - Promote leadership in community service in the area of science and engineering among the next generation of scientists and engineers, today's undergraduate students. - Encourage science and engineering faculty to think creatively about their outreach requirements and to create a community of faculty committed to quality outreach programs. This talk will describe the unique advantages and challenges of a research-public service partnership, explain the structure of Stanford's Science in Service Program, and present the experiences of the undergraduates and the outreach communities that have been involved in the program.

Huntington's disease: advocacy driving science.

PubMed

Wexler, Nancy S

2012-01-01

My mother, Leonore, was diagnosed with Huntington's disease (HD) in 1968 at age 53. I was 23, my sister Alice 26, and our father, Milton Wexler, 60 years old. The same year, our father created the Hereditary Disease Foundation (HDF), dedicated to finding treatments and cures for HD. HD is an autosomal dominant, neurodegenerative disorder. Alice and I each have a 50% chance of inheriting and dying from the disorder. Over the past 43 years, we have been proud to change the face of science. Through Milton Wexler Interdisciplinary Workshops, judicious funding, and focusing on innovation and creativity, the HDF is an integral partner in key discoveries. The HDF recruited and supported >100 scientists worldwide who worked together as the Huntington's Disease Collaborative Research Group in a successful ten-year search for the HD gene. We found a DNA marker for the HD gene in 1983-the first marker to be found when the chromosomal location was unknown. We isolated the HD gene itself a decade later. These breakthroughs helped launch the Human Genome Project. We supported creating the first mouse model of HD and many other model systems. Currently, we focus on gene silencing, among other approaches, to create new treatments and cures.

Scientists in an alternative vision of a globalized world

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erzan, Ayse

2008-03-01

Why should ``increasing the visibility of scientists in emergent countries'' be of interest? Can increasing the relevance and connectedness of scientific output, both to technological applications at home and cutting edge basic research abroad contribute to the general welfare in such countries? For this to happen, governments, inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations must provide incentives for the local industry to help fund and actively engage in the creation of new technologies, rather than settling for the solution of well understood engineering problems under the rubric of collaboration between scientists and industry. However, the trajectory of the highly industrialized countries cannot be retraced. Globalization facilitates closer interaction and collaboration between scientists but also deepens the contrasts between the center and the periphery, both world wide and within national borders; as it is understood today, it can lead to the redundancy of local technology oriented research, as the idea of a ``local industry'' is rapidly made obsolete. Scientists from all over the world are sucked into the vortex as both the economic and the cultural world increasingly revolve around a single axis. The challenge is to redefine our terms of reference under these rapidly changing boundary conditions and help bring human needs, human security and human happiness to the fore in elaborating and forging alternative visions of a globalized world. Both natural scientists and social scientists will be indispensable in such an endeavor.

Education and Outreach from the JOIDES Resolution during IODP Expedition 360 : linking onboard research and classroom activities during and after the Expedition.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgio, M.; Zhang, J.; Kavanagh, L.; Martinez, A. O.; Expedition 360 Scientists, I.

2016-12-01

The International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) expeditions provide an excellent opportunity for onboard Education Officers (EO) to communicate and disseminate exciting shipboard research and discoveries to students around the world. During expedition 360, the EOs carried out 140 live webcasts, using different strategies to create an effective link between both students and scientists. Below are examples of strategies we used: -Primary school: The Beauty of Gabbro! and Life in the rocks! During the webcasts, students could virtually tour the ship, interview scientists, and see and discuss samples of the cored gabbro and minerals in thin sections. Artistic contextualization by J. Zhang, facilitated these activities. Moreover, highlighting the search for microbes in the Earth's crust , was particularly successful in engaging the students. -Middle and High school: Fun and relationships in science. Students were able to email expert scientists in the scientific discipline they chose to research and interview them during a live webcast. Some students created a song about the expedition. "on the boat - cup song - IODP project" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qex-w9aSV7c-University: Travels, research and the everyday life of professors onboard. We used webcasts to connect with universities in France, Japan and Italy, to create vibrant interactions between students and scientists that enabled students to get closer to their professors and understand better the life of onboard researchers. In collaboration with the science party we developed new strategies to keep in touch with students after completion of the cruise. We generated teaching kits consisting of pedaqgoical sets of pictures, exercises using onboard data, a continuously updated map "tracking geologists", and live webcasts to be organized from laboratories to schools. We already have had enthusiastic feedback from teachers that took part in our webcasts and the challenge is to continue to foster the relationships we created.

Examining Lives in Context: Perspectives on the Ecology of Human Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moen, Phyllis, Ed.; And Others

Extending the work of behavioral scientist Urie Bronfenbrenner on the social and contextual factors influencing human development, this collection of essays, from scholars in a range of disciplines, shows how Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory and research have transformed the way many social and behavioral scientists approach, think about, and…

DAEDALUS, SCIENCE AND CULTURE ISSUE, WINTER 1965.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

GRAUBARD, STEPHEN R.; AND OTHERS

THE INTERRELATIONS BETWEEN THE HUMANITIES, THE SOCIAL SCIENCES, THE SCIENCES, AND THE ARTS IN CONTEMPORARY CULTURE ARE EXPLORED IN THIS SERIES OF ESSAYS DEVELOPED FOR THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. SCHOLARS IN THE HUMANITIES, NATURAL SCIENTISTS, ARTISTS, SOCIAL SCIENTISTS, AND ADMINISTRATORS ADDRESS THEMSELVES TO THE PROBLEMS OF (1)…

A Prototype Indicators System for U.S. Climate Changes, Impacts, Vulnerabilities, and Responses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kenney, M. A.; Janetos, A.; Gerst, M.; Lloyd, A.; Wolfinger, J. F.; Reyes, J. J.; Anderson, S. M.; Pouyat, R. V.

2015-12-01

Indicators are observations or calculations that are used to systematically report or forecast social and biophysical conditions over time. When the purpose of indicators is to, in part, provide complex scientific information that is understood by non-scientists and included in decision processes, the choice of indicators requires a structured process that includes co-production among a range of actors, including scientists, decision-makers, and a range of stakeholders. Here we describe recommendations on a vision and a prototype created for an indicators system, we term the National Climate Indicators System (NCIS). The goal of the NCIS is to create a system of physical, natural, and societal indicators to communicate and inform decisions about climate changes, impacts, vulnerabilities, and responses. The process of generating the indicator system involved input from over 200 subject-matter experts. Organized into 13 teams, experts created conceptual models of their respective sectors to generate an initial recommended set of indicators. A subset of indicators, which could be immediately implemented, were prototyped for the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) a Federal program that coordinates and supports integration of global change research across the government. USGCRP reviewed the recommendations (Kenney et al., 2014) and prototypes provided by the scientific experts, and recently launched 14 indicators as proof-of-concept in support of a sustained National Climate Assessment and to solicit feedback from the users. Social science research is currently being undertaken in order to evaluate how well the prototype indicators communicate science to non-scientists, the usability of indicator system portal by scientists and decision-makers, and the development of information visualization guidelines to improve visual communication effectiveness. The goal of such efforts would be to provide input into the development of a more comprehensive USGCRP indicator set, building on recommendations from Kenney et al. (2014), and improve our understanding of the comprehension and use of indicators by non-scientists.

Changes in Elementary Student Perceptions of Science, Scientists, and Science Careers after Participating in a Curricular Module on Health and Veterinary Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shin, Soo Yeon; Parker, Loran Carleton; Adedokun, Omolola; Mennonno, Ann; Wackerly, Amy; San Miguel, Sandra

2015-01-01

This study examined to what extent a curriculum module that uses animal and human health scientists and science concepts to portray science and scientists in a relevant and authentic manner could enhance elementary students' aspiration for science careers, attitudes to science, positive perceptions of scientists, and perceived relevance of…

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davison, Sarah

2009-01-01

Lions, tigers, and bears, oh my! Digital cameras, young inquisitive scientists, give it a try! In this project, students create an open-ended question for investigation, capture and record their observations--data--with digital cameras, and create a digital story to share their findings. The project follows a 5E learning cycle--Engage, Explore,…

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

Metal organic framework materials are used in many energy-efficient and green technologies. PNNL researchers may bring their commercial use a step closer to reality by developing a new way to create these materials in larger quantities, better qualities, and more quickly than ever before. This video is a step-by-step look at how our PNNL scientists create MOFs with 80% efficacy.

From Research Scientist to Public Outreach: A Personal Journey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stewart, R.

2004-12-01

Over the past six years I have made the transition from research oceanographer to an educator and public outreach specialist. The transition has been rewarding but difficult. On the way I had to learn the vocabulary and concepts of education (e.g. authentic assessment), effective web-page styles, and the difference between science and education--they are very different. I also met many enthusiastic and caring teachers who greatly eased my transition to educator. Some lessons learned. First, partner with experts. Successful outreach is a team effort. I was luck to have the opportunity to work closely with a great professor of education, Robert James, a wonderful middle-school teacher and Presidential Awardee, Margaret Hammer, and talented students, Jon Reisch and Don Johnson, from our School of ArchitectureAƒAøAøâ_sA¬Aøâ_zAøs Visualization Laboratory, who combined art and technology. Second, if you are a scientist, realize that scientists are too critical. We look for the one right answer, and for the flaws in data and theory. Educators look for the many ways to present ideas, all equally valid, and they value the worth of all students. AƒAøAøâ_sA¬A.â_oSo radical are the differences between the worlds of science and human affairs that their demands are sometimes in conflict.AƒAøAøâ_sA¬A_A¿A 1/2 -Philander: Our Affair With El Nino, p.5. Second, the web is a very efficient way of reaching many people. Thus, web skills are essential. Third, I am learning to be humble. There is much I need to learn. The skills necessary to be a successful research scientist are not sufficient for being a successful educator. Fourth, assess, assess, and assess. DonAƒAøAøâ_sA¬Aøâ_zAøt assume that what you create serves its purpose. Get feedback from educators, students, and scientists of all levels of experience.

H3Africa and the African Life Sciences Ecosystem: Building Sustainable Innovation

PubMed Central

Huzair, Farah; Borda-Rodriguez, Alexander; Chirikure, Shadreck; Okpechi, Ikechi; Warnich, Louise; Masimirembwa, Collen

2014-01-01

Abstract Interest in genomics research in African populations is experiencing exponential growth. This enthusiasm stems in part from the recognition that the genomic diversity of African populations is a window of opportunity for innovations in postgenomics medicine, ecology, and evolutionary biology. The recently launched H3Africa initiative, for example, captures the energy and momentum of this interest. This interdisciplinary socio-technical analysis highlights the challenges that have beset previous genomics research activities in Africa, and looking ahead, suggests constructive ways H3Africa and similar large scale science efforts could usefully chart a new era of genomics and life sciences research in Africa that is locally productive and globally competitive. As independent African scholars and social scientists, we propose that any serious global omics science effort, including H3Africa, aiming to build genomics research capacity and capability in Africa, needs to fund the establishment of biobanks and the genomic analyses platforms within Africa. Equally they need to prioritize community engagement and bioinformatics capability and the training of African scientists on these platforms. Historically, the financial, technological, and skills imbalance between Africa and developed countries has created exploitative frameworks of collaboration where African researchers have become merely facilitators of Western funded and conceived research agendas involving offshore expatriation of samples. Not surprisingly, very little funding was allocated to infrastructure and human capital development in the past. Moving forward, capacity building should materialize throughout the entire knowledge co-production trajectory: idea generation (e.g., brainstorming workshops for innovative hypotheses development by African scientists), data generation (e.g., genome sequencing), and high-throughput data analysis and contextualization. Additionally, building skills for political science scholarship that questions the unchecked assumptions of the innovation performers be they funders, scientists, and social scientists, would enable collective innovation that is truly sustainable, ethical, and robust. PMID:25454511

Overcoming Barriers to Public Engagement through a Multi-Institution Consortium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lambert, K. F.; Weiss, M.; Garlick, S.

2016-12-01

A growing body of evidence suggests that public engagement with science (PES) can enhance the relevance and impact of science on society. At the same time, advances in our understanding of public engagement suggest that greater skills, resources, and time horizons are often required to create effective programs. Consequently, despite a proliferation of training programs, many scientists still face the challenge of balancing the demands of public engagement with the requirements of their disciplinary research. Novel institutions are emerging that bring together interdisciplinary networks of principle investigators with PES practitioners to overcome barriers to effective and sustained public engagement in the environmental sciences. We will use the Science Policy Exchange (SPE), a consortium housed at the Harvard Forest, Harvard University, to illustrate how PIs and PES practitioners can collaborate to design public engagement processes, conduct policy-relevant scientific syntheses, and implement science communication strategies. Results from two SPE case studies demonstrate how multi-institutional consortia can help scientists overcome barriers such as lack of knowledge of evidence-based PES approaches, limits on time and funding to implement PES projects, and the need to integrate PES activities with research. The case studies also show how SPE strives to achieve credibility, saliency, and legitimacy in different public policy contexts: (1) engagement between scientists and local stakeholders to develop scenarios of landscape change; and (2) engagement between scientists and policy makers to understand the relationship between power plant emission standards, and air quality, human health and ecosystem function. The presentation will conclude with examples of how SPE programs have led to institutional change (staffing and budget), cultural change (attitudes and expectations of senior leaders), and research change (development of research questions, funding proposals, and research design).

Working with and promoting early career scientists within a larger community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pratt, K.

2017-12-01

For many scientific communities, engaging early career researchers is critical for success. These young scientists (graduate students, postdocs, and newly appointed professors) are actively forming collaborations and instigating new research programs. They also stand to benefit hugely from being part of a scientific community, gaining access to career development activities, becoming part of strong collaborator networks, and achieving recognition in their field of study — all of which will help their professional development. There are many ways community leaders can work proactively to support and engage early career scientists, and it it is often a community manager's job to work with leadership to implement such activities. In this presentation, I will outline ways of engaging early career scientists at events and tailored workshops, of promoting development of their leadership skills, and of creating opportunities for recognizing early career scientists within larger scientific communities. In this talk, I will draw from my experience working with the Deep Carbon Observatory Early Career Scientist Network, supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Evolving building blocks of rhythm: how human cognition creates music via cultural transmission.

PubMed

Ravignani, Andrea; Thompson, Bill; Grossi, Thomas; Delgado, Tania; Kirby, Simon

2018-03-06

Why does musical rhythm have the structure it does? Musical rhythm, in all its cross-cultural diversity, exhibits commonalities across world cultures. Traditionally, music research has been split into two fields. Some scientists focused on musicality, namely the human biocognitive predispositions for music, with an emphasis on cross-cultural similarities. Other scholars investigated music, seen as a cultural product, focusing on the variation in world musical cultures. Recent experiments found deep connections between music and musicality, reconciling these opposing views. Here, we address the question of how individual cognitive biases affect the process of cultural evolution of music. Data from two experiments are analyzed using two complementary techniques. In the experiments, participants hear drumming patterns and imitate them. These patterns are then given to the same or another participant to imitate. The structure of these initially random patterns is tracked along experimental "generations." Frequentist statistics show how participants' biases are amplified by cultural transmission, making drumming patterns more structured. Structure is achieved faster in transmission within rather than between participants. A Bayesian model approximates the motif structures participants learned and created. Our data and models suggest that individual biases for musicality may shape the cultural transmission of musical rhythm. © 2018 New York Academy of Sciences.

The discovery of structural form

PubMed Central

Kemp, Charles; Tenenbaum, Joshua B.

2008-01-01

Algorithms for finding structure in data have become increasingly important both as tools for scientific data analysis and as models of human learning, yet they suffer from a critical limitation. Scientists discover qualitatively new forms of structure in observed data: For instance, Linnaeus recognized the hierarchical organization of biological species, and Mendeleev recognized the periodic structure of the chemical elements. Analogous insights play a pivotal role in cognitive development: Children discover that object category labels can be organized into hierarchies, friendship networks are organized into cliques, and comparative relations (e.g., “bigger than” or “better than”) respect a transitive order. Standard algorithms, however, can only learn structures of a single form that must be specified in advance: For instance, algorithms for hierarchical clustering create tree structures, whereas algorithms for dimensionality-reduction create low-dimensional spaces. Here, we present a computational model that learns structures of many different forms and that discovers which form is best for a given dataset. The model makes probabilistic inferences over a space of graph grammars representing trees, linear orders, multidimensional spaces, rings, dominance hierarchies, cliques, and other forms and successfully discovers the underlying structure of a variety of physical, biological, and social domains. Our approach brings structure learning methods closer to human abilities and may lead to a deeper computational understanding of cognitive development. PMID:18669663

Literature and patent analysis of the cloning and identification of human functional genes in China.

PubMed

Xia, Yan; Tang, LiSha; Yao, Lei; Wan, Bo; Yang, XianMei; Yu, Long

2012-03-01

The Human Genome Project was launched at the end of the 1980s. Since then, the cloning and identification of functional genes has been a major focus of research across the world. In China too, the potentially profound impact of such studies on the life sciences and on human health was realized, and relevant studies were initiated in the 1990s. To advance China's involvement in the Human Genome Project, in the mid-1990s, Committee of Experts in Biology from National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (863 Program) proposed the "two 1%" goal. This goal envisaged China contributing 1% of the total sequencing work, and cloning and identifying 1% of the total human functional genes. Over the past 20 years, tremendous achievement has been accomplished by Chinese scientists. It is well known that scientists in China finished the 1% of sequencing work of the Human Genome Project, whereas, there is no comprehensive report about "whether China had finished cloning and identifying 1% of human functional genes". In the present study, the GenBank database at the National Center of Biotechnology Information, the PubMed search tool, and the patent database of the State Intellectual Property Office, China, were used to retrieve entries based on two screening standards: (i) Were the newly cloned and identified genes first reported by Chinese scientists? (ii) Were the Chinese scientists awarded the gene sequence patent? Entries were retrieved from the databases up to the cut-off date of 30 June 2011 and the obtained data were analyzed further. The results showed that 589 new human functional genes were first reported by Chinese scientists and 159 gene sequences were patented (http://gene.fudan.sh.cn/introduction/database/chinagene/chinagene.html). This study systematically summarizes China's contributions to human functional genomics research and answers the question "has China finished cloning and identifying 1% of human functional genes?" in the affirmative.

Responsive, Flexible and Scalable Broader Impacts (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Decharon, A.; Companion, C.; Steinman, M.

2010-12-01

In many educator professional development workshops, scientists present content in a slideshow-type format and field questions afterwards. Drawbacks of this approach include: inability to begin the lecture with content that is responsive to audience needs; lack of flexible access to specific material within the linear presentation; and “Q&A” sessions are not easily scalable to broader audiences. Often this type of traditional interaction provides little direct benefit to the scientists. The Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence - Ocean Systems (COSEE-OS) applies the technique of concept mapping with demonstrated effectiveness in helping scientists and educators “get on the same page” (deCharon et al., 2009). A key aspect is scientist professional development geared towards improving face-to-face and online communication with non-scientists. COSEE-OS promotes scientist-educator collaboration, tests the application of scientist-educator maps in new contexts through webinars, and is piloting the expansion of maps as long-lived resources for the broader community. Collaboration - COSEE-OS has developed and tested a workshop model bringing scientists and educators together in a peer-oriented process, often clarifying common misconceptions. Scientist-educator teams develop online concept maps that are hyperlinked to “assets” (i.e., images, videos, news) and are responsive to the needs of non-scientist audiences. In workshop evaluations, 91% of educators said that the process of concept mapping helped them think through science topics and 89% said that concept mapping helped build a bridge of communication with scientists (n=53). Application - After developing a concept map, with COSEE-OS staff assistance, scientists are invited to give webinar presentations that include live “Q&A” sessions. The webinars extend the reach of scientist-created concept maps to new contexts, both geographically and topically (e.g., oil spill), with a relatively small investment of time. Initiated in summer 2010, the webinars are interactive and highly flexible: people can participate from their homes anywhere and can interact according to their comfort levels (i.e., submitting questions in “chat boxes” rather than orally). Expansion - To expand scientists’ research beyond educators attending a workshop or webinar, COSEE-OS uses a blog as an additional mode of communication. Topically focused by concept maps, blogs serve as a forum for scalable content. The varied types of formatting allow scientists to create long-lived resources that remain attributed to them while supporting sustained educator engagement. Blogs are another point of contact and allow educators further asynchronous access to scientists. Based on COSEE-OS evaluations, interacting on a blog was found to be educators’ preferred method of following up with scientists. Sustained engagement of scientists or educators requires a specific return on investment. Workshops and web tools can be used together to maximize scientist impact with a relatively small investment of time. As one educator stated, “It really helps my students’ interest when we discuss concepts and I tell them my knowledge comes directly from a scientist!” [A. deCharon et al. (2009), Online tools help get scientists and educators on the same page, Eos Transactions, American Geophysical Union, 90(34), 289-290.

A Stochastic Sprint in the Vague Direction of Data Science: Perspectives from a Graduate Student and Aspiring Data Scientist.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barberie, S. R.

2015-12-01

Since data science does not exist as a stand-alone discipline within major universities, learning data science, or even learning that data science exists is, for an aspiring researcher at the graduate or undergraduate level, something that only happens by accident. Here I present my own series of accidents that transformed me from a somewhat aimless graduate student into an aspiring data scientist and the challenges that that aspiration has created in fitting into traditional academic programs and finding a coherent path forward. I also present my current conundrum: with the clear intention of pursuing data science but an academic background in other subjects, where do I go from here? Do I start my education over, pursue professional certification courses and bootcamp programs, or engage in not-very-marketable self study? This career chasm creates a strange environment for aspiring data scientists where we have a destination, but not a clear road to get there. I also discuss how joining a data focused interest group called The Federation of Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) bridged some of the gap left by Academia in allowing me to network and collaborate with real data scientists from a variety of backgrounds. Organizations like this may someday play an important role in helping aspiring data scientists find their place, although for the moment many gaps and obstacles still remain, and the path forward is far from clear.

Similarity extraction mechanism concerning historical personalities based on SQL queries in an RDBMS environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barouchou, Alexandra; Dendrinos, Markos

2015-02-01

An interesting issue in the domain of history of science and ideas is the concept of similarity of historical personalities. Similar objects of research of philosophers and scientists indicate prospective influences, caused either from one another's reading or meetings, communication or even cooperation. Key methodological role in the surfacing of the sought similarities play the keywords extracted from their works as well as their placement in a philosophical and scientific term taxonomy. The case study examined in the framework of this paper concerns scientists and philosophers, who lived in ancient Greece or Renaissance periods and dealt, in at least one work, with the subject God. All the available data (scientists, studies, recorded relations between scientists, keywords, and thematic hierarchy) have been organized in an RDBMS environment, aiming at the emergence of similarities and influences between scientists through properly created SQL queries based on date and thematic hierarchy criteria.

Explaining Society: An Expanded Toolbox for Social Scientists

PubMed Central

Bell, David C.; Atkinson-Schnell, Jodie L.; DiBacco, Aron E.

2012-01-01

We propose for social scientists a theoretical toolbox containing a set of motivations that neurobiologists have recently validated. We show how these motivations can be used to create a theory of society recognizably similar to existing stable societies (sustainable, self-reproducing, and largely peaceful). Using this toolbox, we describe society in terms of three institutions: economy (a source of sustainability), government (peace), and the family (reproducibility). Conducting a thought experiment in three parts, we begin with a simple theory with only two motivations. We then create successive theories that systematically add motivations, showing that each element in the toolbox makes its own contribution to explain the workings of a stable society and that the family has a critical role in this process. PMID:23082093

Professional learning opportunities from uncovering cover stories of science and science teaching for a scientist-in-transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ritchie, Stephen M.; Kidman, Gillian; Vaughan, Tanya

2007-01-01

Members of particular communities produce and reproduce cultural practices. This is an important consideration for those teacher educators who need to prepare appropriate learning experiences and programs for scientists, as they attempt to change careers to science teaching. We know little about the transition of career-changing scientists as they encounter different contexts and professional cultures, and how their changing identities might impact on their teaching practices. In this narrative inquiry of the stories told by and shared between career-changing scientists in a teacher-preparation program, we identify cover stories of science and teaching. More importantly, we show how uncovering these stories became opportunities for one of these scientists to learn about what sorts of stories of science she tells or should tell in science classrooms and how these stories might impact on her identities as a scientist-teacher in transition. We highlight self-identified contradictions and treat these as resources for further professional learning. Suggestions for improving the teacher-education experiences of scientist-teachers are made. In particular, teacher educators might consider the merits of creating opportunities for career-changing scientists to share their stories and for these stories to be retold for different audiences.

Advancing Water Science through Improved Cyberinfrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koch, B. J.; Miles, B.; Rai, A.; Ahalt, S.; Band, L. E.; Minsker, B.; Palmer, M.; Williams, M. R.; Idaszak, R.; Whitton, M. C.

2012-12-01

Major scientific advances are needed to help address impacts of climate change and increasing human-mediated environmental modification on the water cycle at global and local scales. However, such advances within the water sciences are limited in part by inadequate information infrastructures. For example, cyberinfrastructure (CI) includes the integrated computer hardware, software, networks, sensors, data, and human capital that enable scientific workflows to be carried out within and among individual research efforts and across varied disciplines. A coordinated transformation of existing CI and development of new CI could accelerate the productivity of water science by enabling greater discovery, access, and interoperability of data and models, and by freeing scientists to do science rather than create and manage technological tools. To elucidate specific ways in which improved CI could advance water science, three challenges confronting the water science community were evaluated: 1) How does ecohydrologic patch structure affect nitrogen transport and fate in watersheds?, 2) How can human-modified environments emulate natural water and nutrient cycling to enhance both human and ecosystem well-being?, 3) How do changes in climate affect water availability to support biodiversity and human needs? We assessed the approaches used by researchers to address components of these challenges, identified barriers imposed by limitations of current CI, and interviewed leaders in various water science subdisciplines to determine the most recent CI tools employed. Our preliminary findings revealed four areas where CI improvements are likely to stimulate scientific advances: 1) sensor networks, 2) data quality assurance/quality control, 3) data and modeling standards, 4) high performance computing. In addition, the full potential of a re-envisioned water science CI cannot be realized without a substantial training component. In light of these findings, we suggest that CI industry-proven practices such as open-source community architecture, agile development methodologies, and sound software engineering methods offer a promising pathway to a transformed water science CI capable of meeting the demands of both individual scientists and community-wide research initiatives.

An expert system shell for inferring vegetation characteristics: Interface for the addition of techniques (Task H)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harrison, P. Ann

1993-01-01

All the NASA VEGetation Workbench (VEG) goals except the Learning System provide the scientist with several different techniques. When VEG is run, rules assist the scientist in selecting the best of the available techniques to apply to the sample of cover type data being studied. The techniques are stored in the VEG knowledge base. The design and implementation of an interface that allows the scientist to add new techniques to VEG without assistance from the developer were completed. A new interface that enables the scientist to add techniques to VEG without assistance from the developer was designed and implemented. This interface does not require the scientist to have a thorough knowledge of Knowledge Engineering Environment (KEE) by Intellicorp or a detailed knowledge of the structure of VEG. The interface prompts the scientist to enter the required information about the new technique. It prompts the scientist to enter the required Common Lisp functions for executing the technique and the left hand side of the rule that causes the technique to be selected. A template for each function and rule and detailed instructions about the arguments of the functions, the values they should return, and the format of the rule are displayed. Checks are made to ensure that the required data were entered, the functions compiled correctly, and the rule parsed correctly before the new technique is stored. The additional techniques are stored separately from the VEG knowledge base. When the VEG knowledge base is loaded, the additional techniques are not normally loaded. The interface allows the scientist the option of adding all the previously defined new techniques before running VEG. When the techniques are added, the required units to store the additional techniques are created automatically in the correct places in the VEG knowledge base. The methods file containing the functions required by the additional techniques is loaded. New rule units are created to store the new rules. The interface that allow the scientist to select which techniques to use is updated automatically to include the new techniques. Task H was completed. The interface that allows the scientist to add techniques to VEG was implemented and comprehensively tested. The Common Lisp code for the Add Techniques system is listed in Appendix A.

Understanding Global Change: Frameworks and Models for Teaching Systems Thinking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bean, J. R.; Mitchell, K.; Zoehfeld, K.; Oshry, A.; Menicucci, A. J.; White, L. D.; Marshall, C. R.

2017-12-01

The scientific and education communities must impart to teachers, students, and the public an understanding of how the various factors that drive climate and global change operate, and why the rates and magnitudes of these changes related to human perturbation of Earth system processes today are cause for deep concern. Even though effective educational modules explaining components of the Earth and climate system exist, interdisciplinary learning tools are necessary to conceptually link the causes and consequences of global changes. To address this issue, the Understanding Global Change Project at the University of California Museum of Paleontology (UCMP) at UC Berkeley developed an interdisciplinary framework that organizes global change topics into three categories: (1) causes of climate change, both human and non-human (e.g., burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, Earth's tilt and orbit), (2) Earth system processes that shape the way the Earth works (e.g., Earth's energy budget, water cycle), and (3) the measurable changes in the Earth system (e.g., temperature, precipitation, ocean acidification). To facilitate student learning about the Earth as a dynamic, interacting system, a website will provide visualizations of Earth system models and written descriptions of how each framework topic is conceptually linked to other components of the framework. These visualizations and textual summarizations of relationships and feedbacks in the Earth system are a unique and crucial contribution to science communication and education, informed by a team of interdisciplinary scientists and educators. The system models are also mechanisms by which scientists can communicate how their own work informs our understanding of the Earth system. Educators can provide context and relevancy for authentic datasets and concurrently can assess student understanding of the interconnectedness of global change phenomena. The UGC resources will be available through a web-based platform and scalable professional development programming to facilitate systemic changes in the teaching and learning about climate and global change. We are establishing a diverse community of scientists and educators across the country that are using these tools, and plan to create local networks supported by UGC staff and partners.

The Iranian Human Mutation Gene Bank: a data and sample resource for worldwide collaborative genetics research.

PubMed

Najmabadi, Hossein; Neishabury, Maryam; Sahebjam, Farhad; Kahrizi, Kimia; Shafaghati, Yousef; Nikzat, Nushin; Jalalvand, Maryam; Aminy, Farahnaz; Hashemi, Susan Bany; Moghimi, Babak; Noorian, Ali Reza; Jannati, Ali; Mohammadi, Mehrdad; Javan, Khalil

2003-02-01

As Human Genome Project exploration continues, the necessity of having a broader spectrum of genomic DNA material from different nationalities to study various aspects of hereditary disease becomes more obvious. The existence of high genetic polymorphism within and between different communities in the world makes it necessary for the gene hunters to investigate many different populations. Iran, a large country with close to 66 million people, is a land of different nationalities, tribes, and religions that offers a highly heterogeneous gene pool to the genetics researcher. The purity of many different races in this country has been highly conserved by geographical borders and by an ancient culture that has always encouraged intrafamilial marriages. All these have created a population that is remarkably heterogeneous yet high in consanguinity rate. During the last five years of investigation we have established a DNA bank, the Iranian Human Mutation Gene Bank (www.IHMGB.com), which contains all genetic diseases studied in Iran that have the Mendelian mode of inheritance. Some of the samples are assigned to common or novel mutations and others belong to patients with clinical profiles associated with particular genetic diseases but undefined mutation. This bank stores samples of DNA from the patient and his/her first-degree relatives together with a comprehensive pedigree and clinical profile for each sample. To facilitate collaboration with other scientists around the world with the same interests, we decided to present our experimental projects online. This DNA bank provides opportunities for us to collaborate with scientists outside Iran. It offers a sample resource to research scientists around the world, at no charge, for the purpose of investigating the various aspects of genetic disorders from prenatal diagnosis to gene structure and function. It is strongly stressed that no commercial benefit is involved in the establishment of this DNA bank and the DNA samples are free of charge. However, to meet our goals and to respect ethical values, DNA samples can only be used under certain conditions stated in the User Consent Form. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

ATHENA, the Desktop Human "Body"

ScienceCinema

Iyer, Rashi; Harris, Jennifer

2018-05-18

Creating surrogate human organs, coupled with insights from highly sensitive mass spectrometry technologies, a new project is on the brink of revolutionizing the way we screen new drugs and toxic agents. ATHENA, the Advanced Tissue-engineered Human Ectypal Network Analyzer project team, is developing four human organ constructs - liver, heart, lung and kidney - that are based on a significantly miniaturized platform. Each organ component will be about the size of a smartphone screen, and the whole ATHENA "body" of interconnected organs would fit neatly on a desk. "By developing this 'homo minutus,' we are stepping beyond the need for animal or Petri dish testing: There are huge benefits in developing drug and toxicity analysis systems that can mimic the response of actual human organs," said Rashi Iyer, a senior scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory, the lead laboratory on the five-year, $19 million multi-institutional effort. The project is supported by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). Some 40 percent of pharmaceuticals fail their clinical trials, Iyer noted, and there are thousands of chemicals whose effects on humans are simply unknown. Providing a realistic, cost-effective and rapid screening system such as ATHENA with high-throughput capabilities could provide major benefits to the medical field, screening more accurately and offering a greater chance of clinical trial success.

ATHENA, the Desktop Human "Body"

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Iyer, Rashi; Harris, Jennifer

2014-09-29

Creating surrogate human organs, coupled with insights from highly sensitive mass spectrometry technologies, a new project is on the brink of revolutionizing the way we screen new drugs and toxic agents. ATHENA, the Advanced Tissue-engineered Human Ectypal Network Analyzer project team, is developing four human organ constructs - liver, heart, lung and kidney - that are based on a significantly miniaturized platform. Each organ component will be about the size of a smartphone screen, and the whole ATHENA "body" of interconnected organs would fit neatly on a desk. "By developing this 'homo minutus,' we are stepping beyond the need formore » animal or Petri dish testing: There are huge benefits in developing drug and toxicity analysis systems that can mimic the response of actual human organs," said Rashi Iyer, a senior scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory, the lead laboratory on the five-year, $19 million multi-institutional effort. The project is supported by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). Some 40 percent of pharmaceuticals fail their clinical trials, Iyer noted, and there are thousands of chemicals whose effects on humans are simply unknown. Providing a realistic, cost-effective and rapid screening system such as ATHENA with high-throughput capabilities could provide major benefits to the medical field, screening more accurately and offering a greater chance of clinical trial success.« less

Why the moratorium on human-animal chimera research should not be lifted.

PubMed

Moy, Alan

2017-08-01

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced its plans to lift its moratorium on funding research that involves injecting human embryonic stem cells into animal embryos, which would allow for the creation of part-human and part-animal organisms known as chimeras. The NIH allowed only one month to receive public comments in the midst of a presidential election campaign. Lifting the moratorium means that, for the first time, the federal government will begin spending taxpayer dollars on the creation and manipulation of new organisms that would blur the line between humans and animals. Interestingly, this government effort is creating an uncommon coalition between pro-life groups and animal rights activists that oppose this medical research on ethical grounds; the former seeking to ensure the welfare of human embryos and the latter seeking to protect the well-being of animals. Unlike the issue of abortion, this research is complex. Yet, it is important that the pro-life laity and clergy be adequately informed on some of the basic science and ethics that surround this research. To fully understand why this research is unethical and why the NIH is pursuing this particular research, it is important to understand the ethical tenets governing human-subject research and why secular scientists are pursuing this scientific field.

A critical evaluation of science outreach via social media: its role and impact on scientists

PubMed Central

McClain, Craig; Neeley, Liz

2015-01-01

The role of scientists in social media and its impact on their careers are not fully explored.  While policies and best practices are still fluid, it is concerning that discourse is often based on little to no data, and some arguments directly contradict the available data.  Here, we consider the relevant but subjective questions about science outreach via social media (SOSM), specifically: (1) Does a public relations nightmare exist for science?; (2) Why (or why aren’t) scientists engaging in social media?; (3) Are scientists using social media well?; and (4) Will social media benefit a scientist’s career? We call for the scientific community to create tangible plans that value, measure, and help manage scientists’ social media engagement. PMID:25866620

The APECS Virtual Poster Session: a virtual platform for science communication and discussion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Renner, A.; Jochum, K.; Jullion, L.; Pavlov, A.; Liggett, D.; Fugmann, G.; Baeseman, J. L.; Apecs Virtual Poster Session Working Group, T.

2011-12-01

The Virtual Poster Session (VPS) of the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) was developed by early career scientists as an online tool for communicating and discussing science and research beyond the four walls of a conference venue. Poster sessions often are the backbone of a conference where especially early career scientists get a chance to communicate their research, discuss ideas, data, and scientific problems with their peers and senior scientists. There, they can hone their 'elevator pitch', discussion skills and presentation skills. APECS has taken the poster session one step further and created the VPS - the same idea but independent from conferences, travel, and location. All that is needed is a computer with internet access. Instead of letting their posters collect dust on the computer's hard drive, scientists can now upload them to the APECS website. There, others have the continuous opportunity to comment, give feedback and discuss the work. Currently, about 200 posters are accessible contributed by authors and co-authors from 34 countries. Since January 2010, researchers can discuss their poster with a broad international audience including fellow researchers, community members, potential colleagues and collaborators, policy makers and educators during monthly conference calls via an internet platform. Recordings of the calls are available online afterwards. Calls so far have included topical sessions on e.g. marine biology, glaciology, or social sciences, and interdisciplinary calls on Arctic sciences or polar research activities in a specific country, e.g. India or Romania. They attracted audiences of scientists at all career stages and from all continents, with on average about 15 persons participating per call. Online tools like the VPS open up new ways for creating collaborations and new research ideas and sharing different methodologies for future projects, pushing aside the boundaries of countries and nations, conferences, offices, and disciplines, and provide early career scientists with easily accessible training opportunities for their communication and outreach skills, independent of their location and funding situation.

HRP Chief Scientist's Office: Conducting Research to Enable Deep Space Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Charles, J. B.; Fogarty, J.; Vega, L.; Cromwell, R. L.; Haven, C. P.; McFather, J. C.; Savelev, I.

2017-01-01

The HRP Chief Scientist's Office sets the scientific agenda for the Human Research Program. As NASA plans for deep space exploration, HRP is conducting research to ensure the health of astronauts, and optimize human performance during extended duration missions. To accomplish this research, HRP solicits for proposals within the U.S., collaborates with agencies both domestically and abroad, and makes optimal use of ISS resources in support of human research. This session will expand on these topics and provide an opportunity for questions and discussion with the HRP Chief Scientist. Presentations in this session will include: NRA solicitations - process improvements and focus for future solicitations, Multilateral Human Research Panel for Exploration - future directions (MHRPE 2.0), Extramural liaisons - National Science Foundation (NSF) and Department of Defense (DOD), Standardized Measures for spaceflight, Ground-based Analogs - international collaborations, and International data sharing.

The Amateur Scientist: Simple Optical Experiments in Which Spatial Filtering Removes the "Noise" from Pictures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Jearl

1982-01-01

Spatial filtering, based on diffraction/interference of light waves, is a technique by which unwanted information in a picture ("noise") can be separated from wanted information. A series of experiments is described in which students can create a system that functions as an optical computer to create clearer pictures. (Author/JN)

Creating Excitement and Involvement in the Foreign Language Classroom by Getting Away from the Textbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wattenmaker, Beverly; Lock, Joanne

This paper presents a method for making foreign language learning meaningful and interesting through using language as a tool for communicating about the self and others. Drawing from techniques developed by behavioral scientists, the foreign language was used to develop students' self-awareness and confidence. Learning activities were created,…

Solar University-National Lab Ultra-Effective Program | Photovoltaic

Science.gov Websites

Lab Ultra-Effective Program Solar University-National lab Ultra-effective Program (SUN UP) was created scientists arise out of long-standing collaborations. SUN UP was created to facilitate these interactions of a young man working in a laboratory setting with equipment. The goal of SUN UP is to increase the

Unraveling the mystery of music: music as an evolved group process.

PubMed

Loersch, Chris; Arbuckle, Nathan L

2013-11-01

As prominently highlighted by Charles Darwin, music is one of the most mysterious aspects of human nature. Despite its ubiquitous presence across cultures and throughout recorded history, the reason humans respond emotionally to music remains unknown. Although many scientists and philosophers have offered hypotheses, there is little direct empirical evidence for any perspective. Here we address this issue, providing data which support the idea that music evolved in service of group living. Using 7 studies, we demonstrate that people's emotional responses to music are intricately tied to the other core social phenomena that bind us together into groups. In sum, this work establishes human musicality as a special form of social cognition and provides the first direct support for the hypothesis that music evolved as a tool of social living. In addition, the findings provide a reason for the intense psychological pull of music in modern life, suggesting that the pleasure we derive from listening to music results from its innate connection to the basic social drives that create our interconnected world. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

The C.R.E.A.T.E. Approach to Primary Literature Shifts Undergraduates’ Self-Assessed Ability to Read and Analyze Journal Articles, Attitudes about Science, and Epistemological Beliefs

PubMed Central

Hoskins, Sally G.; Lopatto, David; Stevens, Leslie M.

2011-01-01

The C.R.E.A.T.E. (Consider, Read, Elucidate hypotheses, Analyze and interpret data, Think of the next Experiment) method uses intensive analysis of primary literature in the undergraduate classroom to demystify and humanize science. We have reported previously that the method improves students’ critical thinking and content integration abilities, while at the same time enhancing their self-reported understanding of “who does science, and why.” We report here the results of an assessment that addressed C.R.E.A.T.E. students’ attitudes about the nature of science, beliefs about learning, and confidence in their ability to read, analyze, and explain research articles. Using a Likert-style survey administered pre- and postcourse, we found significant changes in students’ confidence in their ability to read and analyze primary literature, self-assessed understanding of the nature of science, and epistemological beliefs (e.g., their sense of whether knowledge is certain and scientific talent innate). Thus, within a single semester, the inexpensive C.R.E.A.T.E. method can shift not just students’ analytical abilities and understanding of scientists as people, but can also positively affect students’ confidence with analysis of primary literature, their insight into the processes of science, and their beliefs about learning. PMID:22135371

The C.R.E.A.T.E. approach to primary literature shifts undergraduates' self-assessed ability to read and analyze journal articles, attitudes about science, and epistemological beliefs.

PubMed

Hoskins, Sally G; Lopatto, David; Stevens, Leslie M

2011-01-01

The C.R.E.A.T.E. (Consider, Read, Elucidate hypotheses, Analyze and interpret data, Think of the next Experiment) method uses intensive analysis of primary literature in the undergraduate classroom to demystify and humanize science. We have reported previously that the method improves students' critical thinking and content integration abilities, while at the same time enhancing their self-reported understanding of "who does science, and why." We report here the results of an assessment that addressed C.R.E.A.T.E. students' attitudes about the nature of science, beliefs about learning, and confidence in their ability to read, analyze, and explain research articles. Using a Likert-style survey administered pre- and postcourse, we found significant changes in students' confidence in their ability to read and analyze primary literature, self-assessed understanding of the nature of science, and epistemological beliefs (e.g., their sense of whether knowledge is certain and scientific talent innate). Thus, within a single semester, the inexpensive C.R.E.A.T.E. method can shift not just students' analytical abilities and understanding of scientists as people, but can also positively affect students' confidence with analysis of primary literature, their insight into the processes of science, and their beliefs about learning.

The Six Streams of the Emerging Scientist

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sun, Sidney

2017-01-01

NASA invests in professional coaching as a way to accelerate the development of its staff. The speaker shares one foundational human development model in coaching - the Six Streams - and applies it to the challenges that new scientists face. The speaker also describes how a new scientist can develop greater capabilities in the Six Streams so that they can become a more effective scientist and feel more satisfaction with their work.

Debunking the Myth of Value-Neutral Virginity: Toward Truth in Scientific Advertising.

PubMed

Mandel, David R; Tetlock, Philip E

2016-01-01

The scientific community often portrays science as a value-neutral enterprise that crisply demarcates facts from personal value judgments. We argue that this depiction is unrealistic and important to correct because science serves an important knowledge generation function in all modern societies. Policymakers often turn to scientists for sound advice, and it is important for the wellbeing of societies that science delivers. Nevertheless, scientists are human beings and human beings find it difficult to separate the epistemic functions of their judgments (accuracy) from the social-economic functions (from career advancement to promoting moral-political causes that "feel self-evidently right"). Drawing on a pluralistic social functionalist framework that identifies five functionalist mindsets-people as intuitive scientists, economists, politicians, prosecutors, and theologians-we consider how these mindsets are likely to be expressed in the conduct of scientists. We also explore how the context of policymaker advising is likely to activate or de-activate scientists' social functionalist mindsets. For instance, opportunities to advise policymakers can tempt scientists to promote their ideological beliefs and values, even if advising also brings with it additional accountability pressures. We end prescriptively with an appeal to scientists to be more circumspect in characterizing their objectivity and honesty and to reject idealized representations of scientific behavior that inaccurately portray scientists as value-neutral virgins.

On Responsibility of Scientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burdyuzha, Vladimir

The situation of modern world is analised. It is impossible for our Civilization when at least half of the World Scientists are engaged in research intended to solve military problems. Civilization cannot be called reasonable so long as it spends a huge portion of national incomes on armaments. For resolution of our global problems International Scientific Center - Brain Trust of planet must be created, the status of which should be defined and sealed by the UN organization.

Recent advancements in regenerative dentistry: A review.

PubMed

Amrollahi, Pouya; Shah, Brinda; Seifi, Amir; Tayebi, Lobat

2016-12-01

Although human mouth benefits from remarkable mechanical properties, it is very susceptible to traumatic damages, exposure to microbial attacks, and congenital maladies. Since the human dentition plays a crucial role in mastication, phonation and esthetics, finding promising and more efficient strategies to reestablish its functionality in the event of disruption has been important. Dating back to antiquity, conventional dentistry has been offering evacuation, restoration, and replacement of the diseased dental tissue. However, due to the limited ability and short lifespan of traditional restorative solutions, scientists have taken advantage of current advancements in medicine to create better solutions for the oral health field and have coined it "regenerative dentistry." This new field takes advantage of the recent innovations in stem cell research, cellular and molecular biology, tissue engineering, and materials science etc. In this review, the recently known resources and approaches used for regeneration of dental and oral tissues were evaluated using the databases of Scopus and Web of Science. Scientists have used a wide range of biomaterials and scaffolds (artificial and natural), genes (with viral and non-viral vectors), stem cells (isolated from deciduous teeth, dental pulp, periodontal ligament, adipose tissue, salivary glands, and dental follicle) and growth factors (used for stimulating cell differentiation) in order to apply tissue engineering approaches to dentistry. Although they have been successful in preclinical and clinical partial regeneration of dental tissues, whole-tooth engineering still seems to be far-fetched, unless certain shortcomings are addressed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dengue in India

PubMed Central

Gupta, Nivedita; Srivastava, Sakshi; Jain, Amita; Chaturvedi, Umesh C.

2012-01-01

Dengue virus belongs to family Flaviviridae, having four serotypes that spread by the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes. It causes a wide spectrum of illness from mild asymptomatic illness to severe fatal dengue haemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome (DHF/DSS). Approximately 2.5 billion people live in dengue-risk regions with about 100 million new cases each year worldwide. The cumulative dengue diseases burden has attained an unprecedented proportion in recent times with sharp increase in the size of human population at risk. Dengue disease presents highly complex pathophysiological, economic and ecologic problems. In India, the first epidemic of clinical dengue-like illness was recorded in Madras (now Chennai) in 1780 and the first virologically proved epidemic of dengue fever (DF) occurred in Calcutta (now Kolkata) and Eastern Coast of India in 1963-1964. During the last 50 years a large number of physicians have treated and described dengue disease in India, but the scientific studies addressing various problems of dengue disease have been carried out at limited number of centres. Achievements of Indian scientists are considerable; however, a lot remain to be achieved for creating an impact. This paper briefly reviews the extent of work done by various groups of scientists in this country. PMID:23041731

Swift Creek Landslide Observatory: a university public - private partnership for education and public safety

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Linneman, S. R.

2017-12-01

Community - Scientist partnerships take many forms. In the northwest corner of Washington state a large, active, serpentinitic earthflow has, for decades, shed >25,000 m^3/yr of asbestos-rich sediment into a small agricultural stream system. While the landslide, which moves 3 m/yr, and its unusual sediment have much attracted scientific interest, the situation also presents a great opportunity for community - scientist partnerships. The Swift Creek Landslide Observatory (SCLO) (http://landslide.geol.wwu.edu) is a partnership between scientists and technical staff at Western Washington University + local landowners + the state Department of Ecology + Whatcom County Public Works + a local video security firm. SCLO maintains two remote webcams from which current images are posted to the SCLO website hourly. Users can also view archived images from the cameras, create image-compare visualizations, and create time-lapse movies from the eight-year image archive. SCLO is used by local emergency managers and residents to evaluate the threat of debris flows and floods. It is also used by educators to dramatically illustrate hillslope evolution at a variety of time scales.

Skepticism, truth as coherence, and constructivist epistemology: grounds for resolving the discord between science and religion?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Staver, John R.

2010-03-01

Science and religion exhibit multiple relationships as ways of knowing. These connections have been characterized as cousinly, mutually respectful, non-overlapping, competitive, proximate-ultimate, dominant-subordinate, and opposing-conflicting. Some of these ties create stress, and tension between science and religion represents a significant chapter in humans' cultural heritage before and since the Enlightenment. Truth, knowledge, and their relation are central to science and religion as ways of knowing, as social institutions, and to their interaction. In religion, truth is revealed through God's word. In science, truth is sought after via empirical methods. Discord can be viewed as a competition for social legitimization between two social institutions whose goals are explaining the world and how it works. Under this view, the root of the discord is truth as correspondence. In this concept of truth, knowledge corresponds to the facts of reality, and conflict is inevitable for many because humans want to ask which one—science or religion—gets the facts correct. But, the root paradox, also known as the problem of the criterion, suggests that seeking to know nature as it is represents a fruitless endeavor. The discord can be set on new ground and resolved by taking a moderately skeptical line of thought, one which employs truth as coherence and a moderate form of constructivist epistemology. Quantum mechanics and evolution as scientific theories and scientific research on human consciousness and vision provide support for this line of argument. Within a constructivist perspective, scientists would relinquish only the pursuit of knowing reality as it is. Scientists would retain everything else. Believers who hold that religion explains reality would come to understand that God never revealed His truth of nature; rather, He revealed His truth in how we are to conduct our lives.

Insights from Earth Sciences into Human Evolution studies: The example of prehistoric landscape use in Africa and the Levant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devès, Maud H.; Reynolds, Sally; King, Geoffrey C. P.; Kuebler, Simon; Sturdy, Derek; Godet, Nan

2015-07-01

Fossil remains are embedded in a continually evolving landscape. Earth scientists have the methods and approaches to study the processes that shape the landscape at various temporal and spatial scales. Some of these methods can generate insights that are of potential use for researchers in other fields, such as archaeology and palaeoanthropology. Here we present two case studies to illustrate how a broader landscape perspective can provide new insights into the land use by Pliocene hominins in southern Africa, and more recently, by Palaeolithic hominins in the southern Levant. Key landscape attributes can help explain why humans, hominins and the wider animal community exploit certain types of landscapes in predictable ways. Our first case study examines how active tectonics or volcanism appears to be important in creating fertile regions with reliable water sources and complex topography. While relatively easy for agile primates such as hominins to negotiate, zones of complex topography are harder for certain predators and prey animals to traverse. In the second case study, we consider that differences in soil edaphics can exert a major control on animals by supplying or failing to supply necessary trace elements, such as selenium, copper, phosphate and potassium (Henkin et al., 1995). We show that the pattern of trace element distribution can accurately map animal movements between areas of suitable grazing. This predictability could have enabled Levantine humans to ambush megafauna during these seasonal migrations. By studying the landscape attributes around fossil site locations, Earth scientists can offer new insights and perspectives into the past, particularly on the ways in which the inhabitants would have used their landscapes.

Seamless online science workflow development and collaboration using IDL and the ENVI Services Engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harris, A. T.; Ramachandran, R.; Maskey, M.

2013-12-01

The Exelis-developed IDL and ENVI software are ubiquitous tools in Earth science research environments. The IDL Workbench is used by the Earth science community for programming custom data analysis and visualization modules. ENVI is a software solution for processing and analyzing geospatial imagery that combines support for multiple Earth observation scientific data types (optical, thermal, multi-spectral, hyperspectral, SAR, LiDAR) with advanced image processing and analysis algorithms. The ENVI & IDL Services Engine (ESE) is an Earth science data processing engine that allows researchers to use open standards to rapidly create, publish and deploy advanced Earth science data analytics within any existing enterprise infrastructure. Although powerful in many ways, the tools lack collaborative features out-of-box. Thus, as part of the NASA funded project, Collaborative Workbench to Accelerate Science Algorithm Development, researchers at the University of Alabama in Huntsville and Exelis have developed plugins that allow seamless research collaboration from within IDL workbench. Such additional features within IDL workbench are possible because IDL workbench is built using the Eclipse Rich Client Platform (RCP). RCP applications allow custom plugins to be dropped in for extended functionalities. Specific functionalities of the plugins include creating complex workflows based on IDL application source code, submitting workflows to be executed by ESE in the cloud, and sharing and cloning of workflows among collaborators. All these functionalities are available to scientists without leaving their IDL workbench. Because ESE can interoperate with any middleware, scientific programmers can readily string together IDL processing tasks (or tasks written in other languages like C++, Java or Python) to create complex workflows for deployment within their current enterprise architecture (e.g. ArcGIS Server, GeoServer, Apache ODE or SciFlo from JPL). Using the collaborative IDL Workbench, coupled with ESE for execution in the cloud, asynchronous workflows could be executed in batch mode on large data in the cloud. We envision that a scientist will initially develop a scientific workflow locally on a small set of data. Once tested, the scientist will deploy the workflow to the cloud for execution. Depending on the results, the scientist may share the workflow and results, allowing them to be stored in a community catalog and instantly loaded into the IDL Workbench of other scientists. Thereupon, scientists can clone and modify or execute the workflow with different input parameters. The Collaborative Workbench will provide a platform for collaboration in the cloud, helping Earth scientists solve big-data problems in the Earth and planetary sciences.

The law of mortality revisited: interspecies comparisons of mortality.

PubMed

Olshansky, S J

2010-01-01

In 1825 the British actuary Benjamin Gompertz believed he had discovered a consistency in the timing of death in people that was so important that he labelled his observation a 'law of mortality'. To Gompertz, this 'law' was equivalent in importance to Newton's law of gravity because he believed it would be observed in all living things. Gompertz's quest for the 'law' eventually failed, as did similar efforts by other scientists in the 19th and most of the 20th century. However, the search for the law of mortality was successfully resolved in 1996 when my colleagues and I discovered that the only way to 'see' Gompertz's law expressed as common age patterns of death across species was to partition total mortality into its intrinsic and extrinsic components, and examine mortality schedules on a uniform time scale. Scientists had been unable to reveal the law of mortality in the past not only because they could not partition total mortality, but also because of the previous anthropocentric perspective that forced some scientists to view duration of life along a single time scale - one based on human measurements of chronological time. The law of mortality is relevant today not only because it links the epidemiology of disease, ageing and death across species, but because it creates a window into the future for those who study disease epidemiology in animals that now live long enough in protected environments to experience the biological consequences of ageing. In this paper I summarize the historical search for the law of mortality, explain why the solution could only be found by linking two seemingly unconnected scientific disciplines (evolution biology and actuarial/demographics), explain why age patterns of disease and death in humans may be used to understand and predict disease epidemiology in other species, and describe how a new scientific discipline has arisen in the modern era as a result of this research. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Polar Views of Titan Global Topography

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-05-15

These polar maps show the first global, topographic mapping of Saturn moon Titan, using data from NASA Cassini mission. To create these maps, scientists employed a mathematical process called splining.

Microrobotics: Swimmers by design

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aranson, Igor S.

2016-03-16

Scientists have created soft microrobots whose body shapes can be controlled by structured light, and which self-propel by means of travelling-wave body deformations similar to those exhibited by swimming protozoa.

Microrobotics: Swimmers by design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aranson, Igor S.

2016-03-01

Scientists have created soft microrobots whose body shapes can be controlled by structured light, and which self-propel by means of travelling-wave body deformations similar to those exhibited by swimming protozoa.

Kaiser Permanente Northwest

Cancer.gov

Kaiser Permanente Northwest's Center for Health Research was created to study health maintenance organizations by scientists were recruited from a variety of fields to study a range of health and medical care issues.

On genies and bottles: scientists' moral responsibility and dangerous technology R&D.

PubMed

Koepsell, David

2010-03-01

The age-old maxim of scientists whose work has resulted in deadly or dangerous technologies is: scientists are not to blame, but rather technologists and politicians must be morally culpable for the uses of science. As new technologies threaten not just populations but species and biospheres, scientists should reassess their moral culpability when researching fields whose impact may be catastrophic. Looking at real-world examples such as smallpox research and the Australian "mousepox trick", and considering fictional or future technologies like Kurt Vonnegut's "ice-nine" from Cat's Cradle, and the "grey goo" scenario in nanotechnology, this paper suggests how ethical principles developed in biomedicine can be adjusted for science in general. An "extended moral horizon" may require looking not just to the effects of research on individual human subjects, but also to effects on humanity as a whole. Moreover, a crude utilitarian calculus can help scientists make moral decisions about which technologies to pursue and disseminate when catastrophes may result. Finally, institutions should be devised to teach these moral principles to scientists, and require moral education for future funding.

Feelings and ethics education: the film dear scientists.

PubMed

Semendeferi, Ioanna

2014-12-01

There is an increasing body of evidence that not only cognition but also emotions shape moral judgment. The conventional teaching of responsible conduct of research, however, does not target emotions; its emphasis is on rational analysis. Here I present a new approach, 'the feelings method,' for incorporating emotions into science ethics education. This method is embodied in Dear Scientists, an innovative film that combines humanities with arts and works at the subconscious level, delivering an intense mix of music and images, contrasted by calm narration. Dear Scientists has struck a chord across the science, humanities, and arts communities-a promising sign.

Information visualisation for science and policy: engaging users and avoiding bias.

PubMed

McInerny, Greg J; Chen, Min; Freeman, Robin; Gavaghan, David; Meyer, Miriah; Rowland, Francis; Spiegelhalter, David J; Stefaner, Moritz; Tessarolo, Geizi; Hortal, Joaquin

2014-03-01

Visualisations and graphics are fundamental to studying complex subject matter. However, beyond acknowledging this value, scientists and science-policy programmes rarely consider how visualisations can enable discovery, create engaging and robust reporting, or support online resources. Producing accessible and unbiased visualisations from complicated, uncertain data requires expertise and knowledge from science, policy, computing, and design. However, visualisation is rarely found in our scientific training, organisations, or collaborations. As new policy programmes develop [e.g., the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)], we need information visualisation to permeate increasingly both the work of scientists and science policy. The alternative is increased potential for missed discoveries, miscommunications, and, at worst, creating a bias towards the research that is easiest to display. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Earth2Class: Bringing the Earth to the Classroom-Innovative Connections between Research Scientists, Teachers, and Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Passow, M. J.

2017-12-01

"Earth2Class" (E2C) is a unique program offered through the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University. It connects research scientists, classroom teachers, middle and high school students, and others in ways that foster broader outreach of cutting-edge discoveries. One key component are Saturday workshops offered during the school year. These provide investigators with a tested format for sharing research methods and results. Teachers and students learn more about "real"science than what is found in textbooks. They discover that Science is exciting, uncertain, and done by people not very different from themselves. Since 1998, we have offered more than 170 workshops, partnering with more than 90 LDEO scientists. E2C teachers establishe links with scientists that have led to participation in research projects, the LDEO Open House, and other programs. Connections developed between high school students and scientists resulted in authentic science research experiences. A second key component of the project is the E2C website, https://earth2class.org/site/. We provide archived versions of monthly workshops. The website hosts a vast array of resources geared to support learning Earth Science and other subjects. Resources created through an NSF grant to explore strategies which enhance Spatial Thinking in the NYS Regents Earth Science curriculum are found at https://earth2class.org/site/?page_id=2957. The site is well-used by K-12 Earth Science educators, averaging nearly 70k hits per month. A third component of the E2C program are week-long summer institutes offering opportunities to enhance content knowledge in weather and climate; minerals, rocks, and resources; and astronomy. These include exploration of strategies to implement NGSS-based approaches within the school curriculum. Participants can visit LDEO lab facilities and interact with scientists to learn about their research. In the past year, we have begun to create a "satellite" E2C program at UFVJM (Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequinhonha e Mucuri) in Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brasil. The https://earth2class.org/site/?p=12652 page provides a platform to create similar postings of workshops and educational resources for the Brazilian audience. E2C can serve as a model for similar programs at other institutions.

Why can't you scientists leave things alone? Science questioned in British films of the post-war period (1945-1970).

PubMed

Jones, R

2001-10-01

Considerable attention has been paid to the representation of scientists as villains in horror and science fiction films, and to the part this has played in creating the public perception of scientists. But science and scientists have also been represented in films which do not fit readily with the conventions of these genres, and these "mainstream" films allow a more detailed investigation of the public perception of science at the time they were made. This paper examines a number of British mainstream films portraying scientists and science from the period 1945-1970 to see in what ways the conduct of science was being questioned. A concern with the political control of science and the resulting secrecy is evident in a number of the films. The criticism of scientists seems to come from two contradictory directions. Scientists were either seen as too detached and unconcerned about the consequences of their work, or they were too emotional and insufficiently objective. This is in part explained by newer, less deferential attitudes to science co-existing with the older, heroic view during the period under study.

Meet EPA Scientist Chris Weaver, Ph.D.

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA scientist Dr. Chris Weaver’s research focuses on climate change science, especially evaluating the specific risks global change poses to air quality, water quality, human health, and ecosystems.

Insects as human food; from farm to fork.

PubMed

Bessa, Leah Wilson; Pieterse, Elsje; Sigge, Gunnar; Hoffman, Louw Christiaan

2017-12-30

Over the course of the last few years, the consumption of insects, known as entomophagy, has sparked increasing interest amongst scientists and environmentalists as a potential solution to the inevitable global food security and sustainability issues humans will be facing in the coming years. Despite the fact that insects have been an integral part of over 2 billion people's diet worldwide, the concept of eating insects is still new to Western culture. As a result, there are many unknowns regarding insects as a food source, and this has led to a number of studies and investigations being done in recent years to create more knowledge and awareness around this new concept in the food industry. This review discusses some of the key topics and new developments published over recent years, such as the nutritional benefits, food safety concerns, functional properties, potential product concepts and the current ideas and attitudes towards insects as a food source in Western culture. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Production of human lactoferrin in animal milk.

PubMed

Goldman, I L; Georgieva, S G; Gurskiy, Ya G; Krasnov, A N; Deykin, A V; Popov, A N; Ermolkevich, T G; Budzevich, A I; Chernousov, A D; Sadchikova, E R

2012-06-01

Genetic constructs containing the human lactoferrin (hLf) gene were created within a joint program of Russian and Belorussian scientists. Using these constructs, transgenic mice were bred (the maximum hLf concentration in their milk was 160 g/L), and transgenic goats were also generated (up to 10 g/L hLf in their milk). Experimental goatherds that produced hLf in their milk were also bred, and the recombinant hLf was found to be identical to the natural protein in its physical and chemical properties. These properties included electrophoretic mobility, isoelectric point, recognition by polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies, circular dichroic spectra, interaction with natural ligands (DNA, lipopolysaccharides, and heparin), the binding of iron ions, the sequence of the 7 terminal amino acids, and its biological activity. The latter was assessed by the agglutination of Micrococcus luteus protoplasts, bactericidal activity against Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes , and fungicidal activity against Candida albicans . We also demonstrated a significant increase in the activity of antibiotics when used in combination with Lf.

The exoskeletons are here.

PubMed

Ferris, Daniel P

2009-06-09

It is a fantastic time for the field of robotic exoskeletons. Recent advances in actuators, sensors, materials, batteries, and computer processors have given new hope to creating the exoskeletons of yesteryear's science fiction. While the most common goal of an exoskeleton is to provide superhuman strength or endurance, scientists and engineers around the world are building exoskeletons with a wide range of diverse purposes. Exoskeletons can help patients with neurological disabilities improve their motor performance by providing task specific practice. Exoskeletons can help physiologists better understand how the human body works by providing a novel experimental perturbation. Exoskeletons can even help power mobile phones, music players, and other portable electronic devices by siphoning mechanical work performed during human locomotion. This special thematic series on robotic lower limb exoskeletons and orthoses includes eight papers presenting novel contributions to the field. The collective message of the papers is that robotic exoskeletons will contribute in many ways to the future benefit of humankind, and that future is not that distant.

Species Loss: Exploring Opportunities with Art-Science.

PubMed

Harrower, Jennifer; Parker, Jennifer; Merson, Martha

2018-04-25

Human-induced global change has triggered the sixth major extinction event on earth with profound consequences for humans and other species. A scientifically literate public is necessary to find and implement approaches to prevent or slow species loss. Creating science-inspired art can increase public understanding of the current anthropogenic biodiversity crisis and help people connect emotionally to difficult concepts. In spite of the pressure to avoid advocacy and emotion, there is a rich history of scientists who make art, as well as art-science collaborations resulting in provocative work that engages public interest; however, such interdisciplinary partnerships can often be challenging to initiate and navigate. Here we explore the goals, impacts, cascading impacts and lessons learned from art-science collaborations, as well as ideas for collaborative projects. Using three case studies based on Harrower's scientific research into species interactions, we illustrate the importance of artists as a primary audience and the potential for a combination of art and science presentations to influence public understanding and concern related to species loss.

Mentors, networks, and resources for early career female atmospheric scientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hallar, A. G.; Avallone, L. M.; Edwards, L. M.; Thiry, H.; Ascent

2011-12-01

Atmospheric Science Collaborations and Enriching NeTworks (ASCENT) is a workshop series designed to bring together early career female scientists in the field of atmospheric science and related disciplines. ASCENT is a multi-faceted approach to retaining these junior scientists through the challenges in their research and teaching career paths. During the workshop, senior women scientists discuss their career and life paths. They also lead seminars on tools, resources and methods that can help early career scientists to be successful. Networking is a significant aspect of ASCENT, and many opportunities for both formal and informal interactions among the participants (of both personal and professional nature) are blended in the schedule. The workshops are held in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, home of a high-altitude atmospheric science laboratory - Storm Peak Laboratory, which also allows for nearby casual outings and a pleasant environment for participants. Near the conclusion of each workshop, junior and senior scientists are matched in mentee-mentor ratios of two junior scientists per senior scientist. An external evaluation of the three workshop cohorts concludes that the workshops have been successful in establishing and expanding personal and research-related networks, and that seminars have been useful in creating confidence and sharing resources for such things as preparing promotion and tenure packages, interviewing and negotiating job offers, and writing successful grant proposals.

Contemporary Macro-Issues in Human Work Organizations--Agenda for the Scientist-Practitioner in Organizational Communication.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keenan, James J.

This paper presents a brief survey of several contemporary macro-issues in human work organizations as context for--and part of the work of--scientists-practitioners in organizational communication. A special attempt has been made to identify concerns or issues--called "TransIssues" for the purposes of this paper--that appear to cut across two…

A LANL Scientist's Dream Takes Off to Zap Rocks on Mars

ScienceCinema

Wiens, Roger

2018-05-11

Roger Wiens, with a team of 40 people at Los Alamos National Laboratory and the collaboration of the French space institute IRAP, created ChemCam, a laser spectrometer and telescope device aboard the Curiosity rover. ChemCam will blast rocks from as far as 7 meters, vaporize bits of their surfaces, and spectroscopically determine their chemical composition, aiding in the search for life on Mars, and making this scientist's boyhood dream a reality.

A LANL Scientist's Dream Takes Off to Zap Rocks on Mars

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wiens, Roger

2012-07-12

Roger Wiens, with a team of 40 people at Los Alamos National Laboratory and the collaboration of the French space institute IRAP, created ChemCam, a laser spectrometer and telescope device aboard the Curiosity rover. ChemCam will blast rocks from as far as 7 meters, vaporize bits of their surfaces, and spectroscopically determine their chemical composition, aiding in the search for life on Mars, and making this scientist's boyhood dream a reality.

Developing Interactive Exhibits with Scientists: Three Example Collaborations from the Life Sciences Collection at the Exploratorium.

PubMed

King, Denise; Ma, Joyce; Armendariz, Angela; Yu, Kristina

2018-04-25

Science museums have made a concerted effort to work with researchers to incorporate current scientific findings and practices into informal learning opportunities for museum visitors. Many of these efforts have focused on creating opportunities and support for researchers to interact face-to-face with the public through, for example, speaker series, community forums, and engineering competitions. However, there are other means by which practicing scientists can find a voice on the museum floor - through the design and development of exhibits. Here we describe how researchers and museum professionals have worked together to create innovative exhibit experiences for an interactive science museum. For each example: scientist as (1) data providers, (2) advisors, and (3) co-developers, we highlight essential components for a successful partnership and pitfalls to avoid when collaborating on museum exhibits. Not many museums prototype and build their own exhibits like the Exploratorium. In those cases, there may be similar opportunities in more mediated offerings such as public demonstrations or lectures or in other formats that allow for direct interactions between scientists and visitors.We believe there are many opportunities for researchers to share natural phenomena, to advise on exhibit development and interpretation, to provide much needed materials, and to otherwise incorporate authentic research into the learning experiences at museums, no matter what the format.

Human Disease Insight: An integrated knowledge-based platform for disease-gene-drug information.

PubMed

Tasleem, Munazzah; Ishrat, Romana; Islam, Asimul; Ahmad, Faizan; Hassan, Md Imtaiyaz

2016-01-01

The scope of the Human Disease Insight (HDI) database is not limited to researchers or physicians as it also provides basic information to non-professionals and creates disease awareness, thereby reducing the chances of patient suffering due to ignorance. HDI is a knowledge-based resource providing information on human diseases to both scientists and the general public. Here, our mission is to provide a comprehensive human disease database containing most of the available useful information, with extensive cross-referencing. HDI is a knowledge management system that acts as a central hub to access information about human diseases and associated drugs and genes. In addition, HDI contains well-classified bioinformatics tools with helpful descriptions. These integrated bioinformatics tools enable researchers to annotate disease-specific genes and perform protein analysis, search for biomarkers and identify potential vaccine candidates. Eventually, these tools will facilitate the analysis of disease-associated data. The HDI provides two types of search capabilities and includes provisions for downloading, uploading and searching disease/gene/drug-related information. The logistical design of the HDI allows for regular updating. The database is designed to work best with Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome and is freely accessible at http://humandiseaseinsight.com. Copyright © 2015 King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reproductive cloning in humans and therapeutic cloning in primates: is the ethical debate catching up with the recent scientific advances?

PubMed

Camporesi, S; Bortolotti, L

2008-09-01

After years of failure, in November 2007 primate embryonic stem cells were derived by somatic cellular nuclear transfer, also known as therapeutic cloning. The first embryo transfer for human reproductive cloning purposes was also attempted in 2006, albeit with negative results. These two events force us to think carefully about the possibility of human cloning which is now much closer to becoming a reality. In this paper we tackle this issue from two sides, first summarising what scientists have achieved so far, then discussing some of the ethical arguments in favour and against human cloning which are debated in the context of policy making and public consultation. Therapeutic cloning as a means to improve and save lives has uncontroversial moral value. As to human reproductive cloning, we consider and assess some common objections and failing to see them as conclusive. We do recognise, though, that there will be problems at the level of policy and regulation that might either impair the implementation of human reproductive cloning or make its accessibility restricted in a way that could become difficult to justify on moral grounds. We suggest using the time still available before human reproductive cloning is attempted successfully to create policies and institutions that can offer clear directives on its legitimate applications on the basis of solid arguments, coherent moral principles, and extensive public consultation.

W(h)ither the Oracle? Cognitive biases and other human challenges of integrated environmental modeling

USGS Publications Warehouse

Glynn, Pierre D.; Ames, D.P.; Quinn, N. W. T.; Rizzoli, A.E.

2014-01-01

Integrated environmental modeling (IEM) can organize and increase our knowledge of the complex, dynamic ecosystems that house our natural resources and control the quality of our environments. Human behavior, however, must be taken into account. Human biases/heuristics reflect adaptation over our evolutionary past to frequently experienced situations that affected our survival and that provided sharply distinguished feedbacks at the level of the individual. Unfortunately, human behavior is not adapted to the more diffusely experienced, less frequently encountered, problems and issues that IEM typically seeks to address in the simulation of natural resources and environments. While seeking inspiration from the prophetic traditions of the Oracle of Delphi, several human biases are identified that may affect how the science base of IEM is assembled, and how IEM results are interpreted and used. These biases are supported by personal observations, and by the findings of behavioral scientists. A process for critical analysis is proposed that solicits explicit accounting and cognizance of potential human biases. A number of suggestions are made to address the human challenges of IEM, in addition to maintaining attitudes of watchful humility, open-mindedness, honesty, and transparent accountability. These include creating a new area of study in the behavioral biogeosciences, using structured processes for engaging the modeling and stakeholder community in IEM, and using “red teams” to increase resilience of IEM constructs and use.

Biology, politics, and the emerging science of human nature.

PubMed

Fowler, James H; Schreiber, Darren

2008-11-07

In the past 50 years, biologists have learned a tremendous amount about human brain function and its genetic basis. At the same time, political scientists have been intensively studying the effect of the social and institutional environment on mass political attitudes and behaviors. However, these separate fields of inquiry are subject to inherent limitations that may only be resolved through collaboration across disciplines. We describe recent advances and argue that biologists and political scientists must work together to advance a new science of human nature.

Stigma in science: the case of earthquake prediction.

PubMed

Joffe, Helene; Rossetto, Tiziana; Bradley, Caroline; O'Connor, Cliodhna

2018-01-01

This paper explores how earthquake scientists conceptualise earthquake prediction, particularly given the conviction of six earthquake scientists for manslaughter (subsequently overturned) on 22 October 2012 for having given inappropriate advice to the public prior to the L'Aquila earthquake of 6 April 2009. In the first study of its kind, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 earthquake scientists and the transcribed interviews were analysed thematically. The scientists primarily denigrated earthquake prediction, showing strong emotive responses and distancing themselves from earthquake 'prediction' in favour of 'forecasting'. Earthquake prediction was regarded as impossible and harmful. The stigmatisation of the subject is discussed in the light of research on boundary work and stigma in science. The evaluation reveals how mitigation becomes the more favoured endeavour, creating a normative environment that disadvantages those who continue to pursue earthquake prediction research. Recommendations are made for communication with the public on earthquake risk, with a focus on how scientists portray uncertainty. © 2018 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2018.

Navigating translational ecology: Creating opportunities and overcoming obstacles for scientist participation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morelli, T. L.; Hallett, L. M.; Gerber, L. R.; Moritz, M.; Schwartz, M.; Stephenson, N.; Tank, J. L.; Williamson, M. A.; Woodhouse, C. A.

2016-12-01

As scientists seek to make their research more relevant and impactful, a growing number are interested in translational approaches that yield scientific and applied outcomes through iterative collaboration between scientists and practitioners. This is particularly true in the field of ecology, where many of its experts are interested in the resource management and conservation implications of their research. Unfortunately, the pathways to translational ecology are not always apparent. Here we will outline a set of principles to guide academic scientists in the process of translational ecology and provide concrete examples of novel outcomes. We will highlight structural aspects of collaborations, such as how to initiate and sustain projects in ways that meet the needs of all participants. We will also outline common pitfalls for scientists and practitioners, and ways in which translational research can help overcome them. Throughout we will use pressing environmental challenges to emphasize opportunities that exist within current institutional frameworks, while also highlighting ways in which institutions are changing to facilitate effective translational research.

On transferring the grid technology to the biomedical community.

PubMed

Mohammed, Yassene; Sax, Ulrich; Dickmann, Frank; Lippert, Joerg; Solodenko, Juri; von Voigt, Gabriele; Smith, Matthew; Rienhoff, Otto

2010-01-01

Natural scientists such as physicists pioneered the sharing of computing resources, which resulted in the Grid. The inter domain transfer process of this technology has been an intuitive process. Some difficulties facing the life science community can be understood using the Bozeman's "Effectiveness Model of Technology Transfer". Bozeman's and classical technology transfer approaches deal with technologies that have achieved certain stability. Grid and Cloud solutions are technologies that are still in flux. We illustrate how Grid computing creates new difficulties for the technology transfer process that are not considered in Bozeman's model. We show why the success of health Grids should be measured by the qualified scientific human capital and opportunities created, and not primarily by the market impact. With two examples we show how the Grid technology transfer theory corresponds to the reality. We conclude with recommendations that can help improve the adoption of Grid solutions into the biomedical community. These results give a more concise explanation of the difficulties most life science IT projects are facing in the late funding periods, and show some leveraging steps which can help to overcome the "vale of tears".

Taste Disorders

MedlinePlus

... have lost it. Scientists are gaining a better understanding of why the same receptor that helps your tongue detect sweet taste can also be found in the human gut. NIDCD-funded scientists have shown that the ...

Dementia: Hope through Research

MedlinePlus

... by NIA and NINDS, continues to improve diagnosis, design therapeutic approaches to dementias, and create tools and ... Outcomes Data Training & Career Development High School, Undergraduate, & Post-Baccalaureate Predoctoral Fellows Postdoctoral Fellows Clinician-Scientists Faculty ...

Understanding the challenges of integrating scientists and clinical teachers in psychiatry education: findings from an innovative faculty development program.

PubMed

Martimianakis, Maria Athina Tina; Hodges, Brian D; Wasylenki, Donald

2009-01-01

Medical schools and departments of psychiatry around the world face challenges in integrating science with clinical teaching. This project was designed to identify attitudes toward the integration of science in clinical teaching and address barriers to collaboration between scientists and clinical teachers. The authors explored the interactions of 20 faculty members (10 scientists and 10 clinical teachers) taking part in a 1-year structured faculty development program, based on a partnership model, designed to encourage collaborative interaction between scientists and clinical teachers. Data were collected before, during, and after the program using participant observations, surveys, participant diaries, and focus groups. Qualitative data were analyzed iteratively using the method of meaning condensation, and further informed with descriptive statistics generated from the pre- and postsurveys. Scientists and clinicians were strikingly unfamiliar with each other's worldviews, work experiences, professional expectations, and approaches to teaching. The partnership model appeared to influence integration at a social level, and led to the identification of departmental structural barriers that aggravate the divide between scientists and clinical teachers. Issues related to the integration of social scientists in particular emerged. Creating a formal program to encourage interaction of scientists and clinical teachers provided a forum for identifying some of the barriers associated with the collaboration of scientists and clinical teachers. Our data point to directions for organizational structures and faculty development that support the integration of scientists from a wide range of disciplines with their clinical faculty colleagues.

How to Grow Project Scientists: A Systematic Approach to Developing Project Scientists

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kea, Howard

2011-01-01

The Project Manager is one of the key individuals that can determine the success or failure of a project. NASA is fully committed to the training and development of Project Managers across the agency to ensure that highly capable individuals are equipped with the competencies and experience to successfully lead a project. An equally critical position is that of the Project Scientist. The Project Scientist provides the scientific leadership necessary for the scientific success of a project by insuring that the mission meets or exceeds the scientific requirements. Traditionally, NASA Goddard project scientists were appointed and approved by the Center Science Director based on their knowledge, experience, and other qualifications. However the process to obtain the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities was not documented or done in a systematic way. NASA Goddard's current Science Director, Nicholas White saw the need to create a pipeline for developing new projects scientists, and appointed a team to develop a process for training potential project scientists. The team members were Dr. Harley Thronson, Chair, Dr. Howard Kea, Mr. Mark Goldman, DACUM facilitator and the late Dr. Michael VanSteenberg. The DACUM process, an occupational analysis and evaluation system, was used to produce a picture of the project scientist's duties, tasks, knowledge, and skills. The output resulted in a 3-Day introductory course detailing all the required knowledge, skills and abilities a scientist must develop over time to be qualified for selections as a Project Scientist.

Immersive Virtual Environment Technology to Supplement Environmental Perception, Preference and Behavior Research: A Review with Applications

PubMed Central

Smith, Jordan W.

2015-01-01

Immersive virtual environment (IVE) technology offers a wide range of potential benefits to research focused on understanding how individuals perceive and respond to built and natural environments. In an effort to broaden awareness and use of IVE technology in perception, preference and behavior research, this review paper describes how IVE technology can be used to complement more traditional methods commonly applied in public health research. The paper also describes a relatively simple workflow for creating and displaying 360° virtual environments of built and natural settings and presents two freely-available and customizable applications that scientists from a variety of disciplines, including public health, can use to advance their research into human preferences, perceptions and behaviors related to built and natural settings. PMID:26378565

The efficacy of musical emotions provoked by Mozart's music for the reconciliation of cognitive dissonance.

PubMed

Masataka, Nobuo; Perlovsky, Leonid

2012-01-01

Debates on the origin and function of music have a long history. While some scientists argue that music itself plays no adaptive role in human evolution, others suggest that music clearly has an evolutionary role, and point to music's universality. A recent hypothesis suggested that a fundamental function of music has been to help mitigating cognitive dissonance, which is a discomfort caused by holding conflicting cognitions simultaneously. It usually leads to devaluation of conflicting knowledge. Here we provide experimental confirmation of this hypothesis using a classical paradigm known to create cognitive dissonance. Results of our experiment reveal that the exposure to Mozart's music exerted a strongly positive influence upon the performance of young children and served as basis by which they were enabled to reconcile the cognitive dissonance.

Exploring the erodibility of sediments and harmful algal blooms in the Gulf of Maine

USGS Publications Warehouse

Butman, Bradford; Dickhudt, Patrick J.; Keafer, Bruce A.

2012-01-01

Investigators at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) are cooperating with scientists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) to investigate harmful algal blooms along the New England coast in the Gulf of Maine. These blooms are caused by cysts of the dinoflagellate Alexandrium fundyense that overwinter in the bottom sediments and germinate in spring. Depending on conditions such as temperature, light, nutrient levels, and currents, these single-celled organismscan create a bloom along the coast, called ‘red tides.’Shellfish that have ingested these cells in sufficient concentration can become toxic to humans and require that the shellfisheries be closed. After the spring bloom, the organisms form cysts that sink to the sea floor and are sequestered in the bottom sediments over the winter.

Enabling Global Collaboration in the Geosciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klump, Jens; Allison, Lee; Asch, Kristine; Fox, Peter; Gundersen, Linda; Jackson, Ian; Loewe, Peter; Snyder, Walter S.; Ritschel, Bernd

2008-12-01

Geoinformatics 2008; Potsdam, Germany, 11-13 June 2008; Scientists are facing an increasing flood of data and information in the Earth sciences from which they try to distill knowledge. The emerging discipline of geoinformatics brings together the tools necessary to create and make accessible the knowledge needed to respond to society's complex challenges, such as climate change, new energy and mineral resources, new sources of water, and protecting environmental and human health. Globalization of geoinformatics-based research and education in support of meeting societal challenges was the theme for the Geoinformatics 2008 conference, which was held at the German Research Centre for Geosciences, in Potsdam, Germany. Participants came from China, France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Russia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, representing academic institutions, national research centers, and government agencies.

Immersive Virtual Environment Technology to Supplement Environmental Perception, Preference and Behavior Research: A Review with Applications.

PubMed

Smith, Jordan W

2015-09-11

Immersive virtual environment (IVE) technology offers a wide range of potential benefits to research focused on understanding how individuals perceive and respond to built and natural environments. In an effort to broaden awareness and use of IVE technology in perception, preference and behavior research, this review paper describes how IVE technology can be used to complement more traditional methods commonly applied in public health research. The paper also describes a relatively simple workflow for creating and displaying 360° virtual environments of built and natural settings and presents two freely-available and customizable applications that scientists from a variety of disciplines, including public health, can use to advance their research into human preferences, perceptions and behaviors related to built and natural settings.

Climate change and skin disease.

PubMed

Lundgren, Ashley D

2018-04-01

Despite commanding essentially universal scientific consensus, climate change remains a divisive and poorly understood topic in the United States. Familiarity with this subject is not just for climate scientists. The impact of climate change on human morbidity and mortality may be considerable; thus, physicians also should be knowledgeable in this realm. Climate change science can seem opaque and inferential, creating fertile ground for political polemics and undoubtedly contributing to confusion among the general public. This puts physicians in a pivotal position to facilitate a practical understanding of climate change in the public sphere by discussing changes in disease patterns and their possible relationship to a changing climate. This article provides a background on climate change for dermatologists and highlights how climate change may impact the management of skin disease across the United States.

The Society's Involvement in the Defense of Human Rights

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerjuoy, Edward

2015-04-01

The history of the Society's involvement in the defense of human rights, a history of which the Society can be proud, will be summarized; the summary will include illustrative specific APS human rights defense actions in illustrative specific cases. As will be emphasized, the aforesaid involvement has been primarily through the activities of the APS Committee on International Freedom of Scientists (CIFS). It is noteworthy-and one of the reasons the Society can be proud-that CIFS is charged with ``monitoring concerns regarding human rights for scientists,'' not solely for physicists, and that CIFS indeed has sought to protect the human rights of nonphysicists.

Evidence of a Water-Soaked Past

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

This navigation camera image taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity on the 36th martian day, or sol, of its mission (March 1, 2004) shows the layered rocks of the 'El Capitan' area near the rover's landing site at Meridani Planum, Mars. Visible on two of the rocks are the holes drilled by the rover, which provided scientists with a window to this part of the red planet's water-soaked past.

Scientists used the rover's microscopic imager and two spectrometers to look at the details of the freshly exposed, clean surfaces created by the rover's rock abrasion tool. Seeing beyond the veil of dust and coatings on the surface of the rock, scientists obtained the best views of the chemical composition of the areas. These data indicated that the rocks are made up of types of sulfate that could have only been created by interaction between water and martian rock.

The chemical make-up of the two holes is slightly different, giving scientists an inkling into the geologic history of this area. This history may help to explain the origin of the granular hematite found around the small crater cradling Opportunity and the 'El Capitan' rock region.

The sulfates and the other chemicals found in the rocks at this location on Mars also occur on Earth, but only rarely. In places like Rio Tinto, Spain, similar minerals are forming today, and microorganisms live and thrive there.

Analyzing these two clean surfaces created by the rock abrasion tool proves that Mars had interactions between water and rock over extended amounts of time. Life on Earth is sustained by extended interaction between water and the environment. The fact that scientists have now found evidence of a similar relationship between water and rock on Mars does not necessarily mean that life did develop on Mars, but it does bring the possibility one step closer to reality.

Opportunity's wheel tracks can be seen at the bottom left and right sides of this image. The tracks extend to the center of the image, indicating where Opportunity sat when it analyzed the rocks with the instruments on its robotic arm.

The 'Founding Father' of Civic Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lane, Neal

2003-04-01

Benjamin Franklin is America's earliest model of the "civic scientist". He understood the dynamic of cross-cultural conversations, inclusive and anticipatory. Science was his passion and expertise, but society was his concern. As scientists in a much more complex world than Franklin's - we face a society and momentum that, in many ways, we as scientists have created. Just as many in our ranks have taken on the task of insuring a better informed public on scientific matters, and many have moved into policy positions in government and academic institutions, it is clearly a moment in history when more of us should actively seek that role and responsibility that was so clear to Franklin - the larger public arena.

Towards an Earth System Knowledge Environment Designed to Promote More Usable Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Killeen, T. L.

2006-12-01

It is abundantly clear that fundamental decisions about how to manage future human society will need to be informed by quantitative scientific analyses of processes, options, impacts, and responses. In fact, one could argue that the human experience into the foreseeable future will increasingly be tied to the integrating of information, understanding, and experiences to create knowledge and with it solutions to emerging problems as well as opportunities for further progress. This is particularly true for the Geosciences. Our scientific field, and by extension our Union, has a special responsibility for informing policy makers and the public about how the earth system functions and about the relationship between environmental stressors and human activities. In this regard, a greatly improved working interface between natural and social scientists is needed. In this talk, I argue that something like an "Earth System Knowledge Environment" or "Earth System Collaboratory" should be developed using modern information technologies to encapsulate and make accessible existing and emerging interdisciplinary knowledge of particular use to decision makers. Such a "work place" should be open to all and could provide access to observations, models and theories in ways that more easily allow for credible scientific understanding to be translated into policy options at all levels. Examples of fledgling efforts along these lines will be cited in areas such as severe weather impacts and climate change. The challenges involved in creating more usable scientific knowledge are, of course, quite significant and include major issues such as: institutional impediments to interdisciplinary research, the role of proprietary interests, the difficulties involved in working across the natural/social science boundary, and the challenge of developing the kind of human capital needed to effectively close the gap between good science and public policy.

United States National Sewage Sludge Repository at Arizona State University--a new resource and research tool for environmental scientists, engineers, and epidemiologists.

PubMed

Venkatesan, Arjun K; Done, Hansa Y; Halden, Rolf U

2015-02-01

Processed municipal sewage sludges (MSS) are an abundant, unwanted by-product of wastewater treatment, increasingly applied to agriculture and forestry for inexpensive disposal and soil conditioning. Due to their high organic carbon and lipid contents, MSS not only is rich in carbon and nutrients but also represents a "sink" for recalcitrant, hydrophobic, and potentially bioaccumulative compounds. Indeed, many organics sequestered and concentrated in MSS meet the US Environmental Protection Agency's definition of being persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT). In a strategic effort, our research team at the Biodesign Institute has created the National Sewage Sludge Repository (NSSR), a large repository of digested MSSs from 164 wastewater treatment plants from across the USA, as part of the Human Health Observatory (H2O) at Arizona State University (ASU). The NSSR likely represents the largest archive of digested MSS specimens in the USA. The present study summarizes key findings gleaned thus far from analysis of NSSR samples. For example, we evaluated the content of toxicants in MSS and computed estimates of nationwide inventories of mass produced chemicals that become sequestrated in sludge and later are released into the environment during sludge disposal on land. Ongoing efforts document co-occurrence of a variety of PBT compounds in both MSS and human samples, while also identifying a large number of potentially harmful MSS constituents for which human exposure data are still lacking. Finally, we summarize future opportunities and invite collaborative use of the NSSR by the research community. The H2O at ASU represents a new resource and research tool for environmental scientists and the larger research community. As illustrated in this work, this repository can serve to (i) identify and prioritize emerging contaminants, (ii) provide spatial and temporal trends of contaminants, (iii) inform and evaluate the effectiveness of environmental policy-making and regulations, and (iv) approximate, ongoing exposures and body burdens of mass-produced chemicals in human society.

United States National Sewage Sludge Repository at Arizona State University – A New Resource and Research Tool for Environmental Scientists, Engineers, and Epidemiologists

PubMed Central

Venkatesan, Arjun K.; Done, Hansa Y.; Halden, Rolf U.

2014-01-01

Processed municipal sewage sludges (MSS) are an abundant, unwanted by-product of wastewater treatment, increasingly applied to agriculture and forestry for inexpensive disposal and soil conditioning. Due to their high organic-carbon and lipid contents, MSS not only is rich in carbon and nutrients but also represents a ‘sink’ for recalcitrant, hydrophobic and potentially bioaccumulative compounds. Indeed, many organics sequestered and concentrated in MSS meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's definition of being persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT). In a strategic effort, our research team at the Biodesign Institute has created the National Sewage Sludge Repository (NSSR), a large repository of digested MSSs from 164 wastewater treatment plants from across the USA, as part of the Human Health Observatory (H2O) at Arizona State University (ASU). The NSSR likely represents the largest archive of digested MSS specimens in the USA. The present study summarizes key findings gleaned thus far from analysis of NSSR samples. For example, we evaluated the content of toxicants in MSS and computed estimates of nationwide inventories of mass produced chemicals that become sequestrated in sludge and later are released into the environment during sludge disposal on land. Ongoing efforts document co-occurrence of a variety of PBT compounds in both MSS and human samples, while also identifying a large number of potentially harmful MSS constituents for which human exposure data are still lacking. Finally, we summarize new future opportunities and invite collaborative use the NSSR by the research community. The H2O at ASU represents a resource and research tool for environmental scientists and the larger research community. As illustrated in this work, this repository can serve to (i) identify and prioritize emerging contaminants; (ii) provide spatial and temporal trends of contaminants; (iii) inform and evaluate the effectiveness of environmental policy-making and regulations; and (iv) approximate, ongoing exposures and body burdens of mass-produced chemicals in human society. PMID:24824503

SimBasin: A serious gaming framework for integrated and cooperative decision-making in water management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Angarita, H.; Craven, J.; Caggiano, F.; Corzo, G.

2016-12-01

An Integrated approach involving extensive stakeholder dialogue is widely advocated in sustainable water management. However, it requires a social learning process in which scientist and stakeholders become aware of the relationship between their own frames of reference and those of others, differences can be dealt with constructively, and shared ideas can be used to facilitate cooperation. Key obstacles in this process are heritage systems, attitudes and processes, factually wrong, incomplete or unshared mental models, and lack of science-policy dialogue (Pahl-Wostl et al., 2005) To overcome these barriers, a space is required which is free of heritage systems, where mental models can be safely and easily compared and corrected, and where scientists and policy-makers can come together. A "serious game" can serve as such a space - Serious games are games or simulations used to achieve an organizational or educational goal, and such games have already been used to facilitate stakeholder cooperation in the water management sector (Rusca et al., 2005). As well as bringing stakeholders together, they can be an accessible interface between scientific models and non-experts. Here we present SimBasin, a multiplayer serious game framework and development engine. The engine allows to easily create a simulated multiplayer basin management game using WEAP water resources modelling software (SEI, 1992-2015), to facilitate the communication of the complex, long term and wide range relationships between hydrologic, climate, and human systems present in river basins, and enable dialogue between policy-makers and scientists. Different games have been created using the Sim-Basin engine and used in various contexts. Here are discussed experiences with stakeholders at a national forum in Bogotá, flood risk management agencies in the lower Magdalena River Basin in Colombia and with water professionals in Bangkok. The experience shows that the game is a useful tool for enabling dialogue and provides interesting insights into the way computer models and stakeholders' mental models can interact with and enrich each other. SimBasin software and supporting materials are freely available online for download at http://simbasin.hilab.nl.

Debunking the Myth of Value-Neutral Virginity: Toward Truth in Scientific Advertising

PubMed Central

Mandel, David R.; Tetlock, Philip E.

2016-01-01

The scientific community often portrays science as a value-neutral enterprise that crisply demarcates facts from personal value judgments. We argue that this depiction is unrealistic and important to correct because science serves an important knowledge generation function in all modern societies. Policymakers often turn to scientists for sound advice, and it is important for the wellbeing of societies that science delivers. Nevertheless, scientists are human beings and human beings find it difficult to separate the epistemic functions of their judgments (accuracy) from the social-economic functions (from career advancement to promoting moral-political causes that “feel self-evidently right”). Drawing on a pluralistic social functionalist framework that identifies five functionalist mindsets—people as intuitive scientists, economists, politicians, prosecutors, and theologians—we consider how these mindsets are likely to be expressed in the conduct of scientists. We also explore how the context of policymaker advising is likely to activate or de-activate scientists’ social functionalist mindsets. For instance, opportunities to advise policymakers can tempt scientists to promote their ideological beliefs and values, even if advising also brings with it additional accountability pressures. We end prescriptively with an appeal to scientists to be more circumspect in characterizing their objectivity and honesty and to reject idealized representations of scientific behavior that inaccurately portray scientists as value-neutral virgins. PMID:27064318

Mystery Boxes, X Rays, and Radiology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomson, Norman

2000-01-01

Indicates the difficulties of teaching concepts beyond light and color and creating memorable learning experiences. Recommends sequential activities using the mystery box approach to explain how scientists and doctors use photon applications. (YDS)

What Causes SIDS?

MedlinePlus

... Environment Look Like? How Can Caregivers Create a Safe Sleep Environment? Babies Need Tummy ... exactly what causes SIDS at this time. Scientists and health care providers are working very hard to find the cause or causes ...

Being there: The continuing need for human presence in the deep ocean for scientific research and discovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fryer, P.; Fornari, D.; Perfit, M.; Von Damm, K.; Humphris, S.; Fox, P. J.; Lippsett, L.

We see with our mind's eye. This poetic phrase attempts to describe a complex set of human interactions by which we take in and process information about the physical world around us. For millennia, scientists and philosophers have relied on our ability to apply the uniquely human traits of perception, cognition, memory and motor action to scientific observations and experiments. "There is no authority higher than the human eye," observed Leonardo Da Vinci, and his statement still holds true; as most field scientists will attest, there is no substitute for direct observation.

Powering nanorobotic devices: challenges and future strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sankar, Krishna Moorthi

2014-04-01

Nanotechnology, even after 55 years since its foundation (1959 Richard Feynman's speech - `There is lot of space in the bottom'), is still in its infancy. However, of late, there has been a large increase in the research being done in this field in many prominent Universities and Research institutions across the globe. Nanorobotics is the combination of Nanotechnology and the science of Robotics, to create robots that are only a few nanometres (10-9 metres) in size. Nanobots are yet to be made. But with the current pace of ongoing researches, scientists predict that nanobots will be made a reality by next ten years. The main proposed function of nanobots is to use them in the medical field to interact with cells or intra-cellular substances and prevent or reverse structural and genetical problems and diseases. One of the major challenges faced while creating a nanobot to travel through human body is to power it. Nanobots would require a very small yet highly potential source of energy. There are many hypothesised energy sources for nanobots which are either already available within the human body naturally or which are to be supplied externally. But, all of these energy sources pose a few challenges which need to be addressed if they are to be used to power nanobots. These challenges can be overcome using a number of strategies that can be used to make an economically, ecologically and medically viable energy source.

Cloning: A Review on Bioethics, Legal, Jurisprudence and Regenerative Issues in Iran.

PubMed

Nabavizadeh, Seyedeh Leila; Mehrabani, Davood; Vahedi, Zabihallah; Manafi, Farzad

2016-09-01

In recent years, the cloning technology has remarkably developed in Iran, but unfortunately, the required legal framework has not been created to support and protect such developments yet. This legal gap may lead to abuse of scientific researches to obtain illegal benefits and to undermine the intellectual property rights of scientists and researchers. Thus to prevent such consequences, the attempts should be made to create an appropriate legal-ethical system and an approved comprehensive law. In this review we concluded that the right method is guiding and controlling the cloning technology and banning the technique is not always fruitful. Of course, it should be taken into accounts that all are possible if the religion orders human cloning in the view of jurisprudence and is considered as permission. In other words, although the religious order on human cloning can be an absolute permission based on the strong principle of permission, it is not unlikely that in the future, corruption is proved to be real for them, Jurists rule it as secondary sanctity and even as primary one. If it is proved, the phenomenon is considered as example of required affairs based on creation of ethical, social and medical disorders, religious and ethical rulings cannot be as permission for it, and it seems that it is a point that only one case can be a response to it and it needs nothing but time.

Cloning: A Review on Bioethics, Legal, Jurisprudence and Regenerative Issues in Iran

PubMed Central

Nabavizadeh, Seyedeh Leila; Mehrabani, Davood; Vahedi, Zabihallah; Manafi, Farzad

2016-01-01

In recent years, the cloning technology has remarkably developed in Iran, but unfortunately, the required legal framework has not been created to support and protect such developments yet. This legal gap may lead to abuse of scientific researches to obtain illegal benefits and to undermine the intellectual property rights of scientists and researchers. Thus to prevent such consequences, the attempts should be made to create an appropriate legal-ethical system and an approved comprehensive law. In this review we concluded that the right method is guiding and controlling the cloning technology and banning the technique is not always fruitful. Of course, it should be taken into accounts that all are possible if the religion orders human cloning in the view of jurisprudence and is considered as permission. In other words, although the religious order on human cloning can be an absolute permission based on the strong principle of permission, it is not unlikely that in the future, corruption is proved to be real for them, Jurists rule it as secondary sanctity and even as primary one. If it is proved, the phenomenon is considered as example of required affairs based on creation of ethical, social and medical disorders, religious and ethical rulings cannot be as permission for it, and it seems that it is a point that only one case can be a response to it and it needs nothing but time. PMID:27853684

Story-Telling for Science: One Scientist's Story

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alley, R. B.

2014-12-01

Science is the most successful way humans have developed to understand the world, and application of the knowledge gained has been essential in allowing a few million hunter-gatherers become a few billion grower-builders. Yet, at least anecdotally, there is a growing tendency for many people to reject science without knowing what they are rejecting, and the ranks of scientists are thinned by having so many students arrive at our universities neither prepared to study science nor open to the possibility of doing so. This growing gap represents a growing opportunity for scientists to use their expertise in the service of humanity. Based on my experience, the biggest requirement for scientists to do so is simply to engage, but engagement is more successful in teamwork with experienced communicators and unexpected voices, and using narrative and history.

Feelings and Ethics Education: The Film Dear Scientists

PubMed Central

Semendeferi, Ioanna

2014-01-01

There is an increasing body of evidence that not only cognition but also emotions shape moral judgment. The conventional teaching of responsible conduct of research, however, does not target emotions; its emphasis is on rational analysis. Here I present a new approach, ‘the feelings method,’ for incorporating emotions into science ethics education. This method is embodied in Dear Scientists, an innovative film that combines humanities with arts and works at the subconscious level, delivering an intense mix of music and images, contrasted by calm narration. Dear Scientists has struck a chord across the science, humanities, and arts communities—a promising sign. PMID:25574256

An overview of the fuel characteristic classification system—quantifying, classifying, and creating fuelbeds for resource planning.

Treesearch

Roger D. Ottmar; David V. Sandberg; Cynthia L. Riccardi; Susan J. Prichard

2007-01-01

We present an overview of the Fuel Characteristic Classification System (FCCS), a tool that enables land managers, regulators, and scientists to create and catalog fuelbeds and to classify those fuelbeds for their capacity to support fire and consume fuels. The fuelbed characteristics and fire classification from this tool will provide inputs for current and future...

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Scientists set a new world record for converting non-concentrated sunlight into electricity using a dual-junction III-V/Si solar cell. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM) scientists have collaborated to create a novel tandem solar cell that operates at 29.8% conversion efficiency under non-concentrator (1-sun) conditions. In comparison, the 1-sun efficiency of a silicon (Si) single-junction solar cell is probably still a few years away from converging on its practical limit of about 26%.

Mapping the Heliosphere

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-04-28

Data from NASA Cassini spacecraft have enabled scientists to create this map of the heliosphere, the bubble of charged particles around our sun. Charged particles stream out from our sun in a phenomenon known as solar wind.

"Who's gonna plant the trees?!?": Creating effective synergies between community and research goals in scientist-community partnerships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Declet-Barreto, J.; Johnson, C.

2017-12-01

Harnessing science into effective, community-focused action requires ongoing partnerships that increase both understanding and trust between communities and scientists. One hurdle to overcome is that often, research questions and goals do not line up with the most pressing perceived or objective issues that a partner community faces. Another barrier is that community members often do not have a clear idea of how communities could benefit from the research, an issue that can create confusion and undermine community support for a partnership. In this session, we will discuss some of our successes and misses in developing research partnerships and actionable science for the benefit of communities. We will share stories on how we crafted effective actionable research products in partnership with Environmental Justice and other vulnerable communities.

Homo Sapiens as Geological Agents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holloway, T.; Bedsworth, L. W.; Caldeira, K.; Rosenzweig, C.; Kelley, G.; Rosenzweig, C.; Caldeira, K.; Bedsworth, L. W.; Holloway, T.; Purdy, J. S.; Vince, G.; Syvitski, J. A.; Bondre, N. R.; Kelly, J.; Vince, G.; Seto, K. C.; Steffen, W.; Oreskes, N.

2015-12-01

In the 18th and 19th centuries, earth scientists came to understand the magnitude and power of geological and geophysical processes. In comparison, the activities of humans seemed paltry if not insignificant. With the development of radiometric dating in the 20th century, scientists realized that human history was but a miniscule part of Earth history. Metaphors to this effect abounded, and filled textbooks: If Earth history were a 24-hour day, human history would not occupy even the final second. If Earth history were a yardstick, the human portion would not even be visible to the naked eye. Generations of scientists were taught that one of the principal contributions of geology, qua science, was the demonstration of our insignificance. The Anthropocene concept disrupts this. To affirms its existence is to insist that human activities compete in scale and significance with other Earth processes, and may threaten to overwhelm them. It also inverts our relation to normative claims. For more than a century earth scientists and evolutionary biologists insisted that their theories were descriptive and not normative—that there was no moral conclusion to be drawn from either planetary or human evolution. Now, we confront the suggestion that there is a moral component to our new paradigm: we can scarcely claim that humans are disrupting the climate, destroying biodiversity, and acidifying the oceans without implying that there is something troubling about these developments. Thus, the Anthropocene concept suggests both a radical redefinition of the scope of Earth science, and a radical reconsideration of the place of normative judgments in scientific work.

Misconceptions of Synthetic Biology: Lessons from an Interdisciplinary Summer School

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Verseux, Cyprien; Acevedo-Rocha, Carlos G.; Chizzolini, Fabio; Rothschild, Lynn J.

2016-01-01

In 2014, an international group of scholars from various fields analysed the "societal dimensions" of synthetic biology in an interdisciplinary summer school. Here, we report and discuss the biologists' observations on the general perception of synthetic biology by non-biologists who took part in this event. Most attendees mainly associated synthetic biology with contributions from the best-known public figures of the field, rarely mentioning other scientists. Media extrapolations of those contributions appeared to have created unrealistic expectations and irrelevant fears that were widely disconnected from the current research in synthetic biology. Another observation was that when debating developments in synthetic biology, semantics strongly mattered: depending on the terms used to present an application of synthetic biology, attendees reacted in radically different ways. For example, using the term "GMOs" (genetically modified organisms) rather than the term "genetic engineering" led to very different reactions. Stimulating debates also happened with participants having unanticipated points of view, for instance biocentrist ethicists who argued that engineered microbes should not be used for human purposes. Another communication challenge emerged from the connotations and inaccuracies surrounding the word "life", which impaired constructive debates, thus leading to misconceptions about the abilities of scientists to engineer or even create living organisms. Finally, it appeared that synthetic biologists tend to overestimate the knowledge of non-biologists, further affecting communication. The motivation and ability of synthetic biologists to communicate their work outside their research field needs to be fostered, notably towards policymakers who need a more accurate and technical understanding of the field to make informed decisions. Interdisciplinary events gathering scholars working in and around synthetic biology are an effective tool in addressing those issues.

Telling the Climate Change Story: Framing and Messaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassol, S. J.

2011-12-01

Scientists have important roles to play in communicating climate change, yet most scientists are not well versed in important aspects of communication. Scientists can improve their communication by helping to develop and deliver effectively framed messages. Research suggests that effective messages about climate change should include science-based descriptions of the risks posed by human-induced warming as well as information about solutions for a better future. Thus, telling the climate change story effectively involves clearly stating that human-induced climate change is happening now and having impacts on society, while also showing that it is not too late to make a difference for the future. For example, framing and messaging should include the fact that lower emissions pathways lead to less severe climate change and fewer impacts than higher emissions pathways. It also involves communicating that there is much we can do to alter our emissions pathway, and that doing these things has other benefits, for example, for human health and the economy. Scientists telling the climate change story should make the threats tangible and the opportunities clear.

Translating Scientific Conclusions about Risk for Public Audiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowman, T. E.

2009-12-01

Climate change has been aptly described as a problem of risk management, yet the scientific community has not been successful in helping the public engage in risk management effectively. Behavioral science studies demonstrate that, while the public generally accepts the reality of anthropogenic climate change today, the immanence of impacts and scale of risk and opportunities for effective mitigation are poorly understood. Helping the public overcome these misperceptions and engage in decision-making about climate risks is, perhaps, the climate communication community’s most urgent priority. Scientific writing and graphic conventions are poorly suited for communicating with non-scientists. Using examples from the IPCC 4th Assessment, this session will demonstrate how specific conventions in science writing and graph making have obscured critical information about climate risks. The session will further demonstrate how reformatting the graphical information can create an exceptionally clear picture of where humanity stands and the implications of various emissions pathways for the future. Attendees will appreciate how presentations of science results can be tailored to answer the public’s questions more effectively by highlighting useful information in accurate, yet accessible ways. Decision-makers and the public urgently need information about climate impact risks and the consequences of various emissions pathways. Yet written and graphic descriptions from the IPCC and other assessment agencies burden non-scientists with multiple temperature baselines (e.g., pre-Industrial, mid-20th century, late 20th century, today), two confusingly similar measures for the key human contribution to atmospheric composition (CO2 and CO2-eq), and multiple ways of describing probability and certainty. The public is further confounded by inconsistent graphic conventions in scientific figures, including inconsistent color-coding, labeling, axis orientation, and treatment of uncertainty. Scientific figures tend to either include too many different messages or over-generalize, and neither approach helps non-scientists identify useful metrics and apply them to decision-making. This session will briefly illustrate each of these problematic scientific conventions and present a more effective translation of key IPCC figures in a new graphic format that help non-scientists appreciate our situation and opportunities. This translation has received positive reviews from informal learning institutions and will be useful to the broader science communication community.

Education and Outreach in the Life Sciences: Qualitative Analysis Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burbank, Roberta L.; John, Lisa; Mahy, Heidi A.

The DOE's National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA) asked Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to consider the role of individual scientists in upholding safety and security. The views of scientists were identified as being a critical component of this policy process. Therefore, scientists, managers, and representatives of Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBCs) at the national labs were invited to participate in a brief survey and a set of focus groups. In addition, three focus groups were conducted with scientists, managers, and IBC representatives to discuss some of the questions related to education, outreach, and codes of conduct in further detail and gathermore » additional input on biosecurity and dual-use awareness at the laboratories. The overall purpose of this process was to identify concerns related to these topics and to gather suggestions for creating an environment where both the scientific enterprise and national security are enhanced.« less

The institutional workers of biomedical science: Legitimizing academic entrepreneurship and obscuring conflicts of interest.

PubMed

Axler, Renata E; Miller, Fiona A; Lehoux, Pascale; Lemmens, Trudo

2018-06-01

Given growing initiatives incentivizing academic researchers to engage in 'entrepreneurial' activities, this article examines how these academic entrepreneurs claim value in their entrepreneurial engagements, and navigate concerns related to conflicts of interest. Using data from qualitative interviews with twenty-four academic entrepreneurs in Canada, we show how these scientists value entrepreneurial activities for providing financial and intellectual resources to academic science, as well as for their potential to create impact through translation. Simultaneously, these scientists claimed to maintain academic norms of disinterested science and avoid conflicts of interest. Using theories of institutional work, we demonstrate how entrepreneurial scientists engage in processes of institutional change-through-maintenance, drawing on the maintenance of academic norms as institutional resources to legitimize entrepreneurial activities. As entrepreneurial scientists work to legitimize new zones of academic scientific practice, there is a need to carefully regulate and scrutinize these activities so that their potential harms do not become obscured.

The 2nd Annual Clinical Scientist Trainee Symposium, August 22, 2017, London, Canada.

PubMed

Yin, Charles; Blom, Jessica N; Lewis, James F

2018-03-27

Clinician scientists play a critical role in bridging research and clinical practice. Unfortunately, the neglect of research training in medical schools has created clinicians who are unable to translate evidence from literature to practice. Furthermore, the erosion of research training in medical education has resulted in clinicians who lack the skills required for successful scientific investigation. To counteract this, the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry has made an effort to engage trainees, at all levels, in the research process. The 2nd Annual Clinician Scientist Trainee Symposium was held in London, Ontario, Canada on August 22, 2017. Organized each year since 2016 by the Schulich Research Office, the symposium features research being conducted by trainees in Schulich's Clinical Research Training Program. The focus this year was on the current state of clinician-scientist training in Canada and visions for the path ahead.

EarthCube: A Community-Driven Cyberinfrastructure for the Geosciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koskela, Rebecca; Ramamurthy, Mohan; Pearlman, Jay; Lehnert, Kerstin; Ahern, Tim; Fredericks, Janet; Goring, Simon; Peckham, Scott; Powers, Lindsay; Kamalabdi, Farzad; Rubin, Ken; Yarmey, Lynn

2017-04-01

EarthCube is creating a dynamic, System of Systems (SoS) infrastructure and data tools to collect, access, analyze, share, and visualize all forms of geoscience data and resources, using advanced collaboration, technological, and computational capabilities. EarthCube, as a joint effort between the U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Geosciences and the Division of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure, is a quickly growing community of scientists across all geoscience domains, as well as geoinformatics researchers and data scientists. EarthCube has attracted an evolving, dynamic virtual community of more than 2,500 contributors, including earth, ocean, polar, planetary, atmospheric, geospace, computer and social scientists, educators, and data and information professionals. During 2017, EarthCube will transition to the implementation phase. The implementation will balance "innovation" and "production" to advance cross-disciplinary science goals as well as the development of future data scientists. This presentation will describe the current architecture design for the EarthCube cyberinfrastructure and implementation plan.

Meet EPA Scientist Robert Devlin, Ph.D.

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA scientist Dr. Robert Devlin's main research interest is understanding the health effects of air pollution. His research characterizes the effects that inhaled substances, such as air pollutants, have on human pulmonary and cardiovascular health

Climate Literacy from the Plains to the Peaks: Challenges in Teaching Climate in Colorado Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hafich, K. A.; Martens, W.; Fletcher, H.; MacFerrin, B.; Morrison, D.; Stone, J.; Collins, M. C.; Chastain, M.; Hager, C.; Duncan, E.; Gay, C. J.; Kurz, J. D.; Manning, C. B.; Graves, B. J.; Bloomfield, L.

2015-12-01

Boulder, Colorado is a central hub of climate research and education resources, yet teachers less than two hours away struggle to find relevant climate curriculum and meaningful connections to climate scientists. Learn More About Climate (LMAC), an initiative of the CU-Boulder Office for Outreach and Engagement was created to provide access to the most up-to-date scientific research in a user-friendly way that raises awareness and inspires an informed dialogue about climate change among Coloradans. LMAC produces classroom ready videos highlighting CU climate scientists, offers classroom visits and Skype sessions with scientists, and serves as a hub for the most recent climate news. LMAC recently formed a Teacher Advisory Board made up of eleven K12 teachers from across Colorado spanning rural, suburban, and urban school districts. Given different locations, demographics, and grade levels, each teacher faces different challenges teaching climate. Here we present our work to identify the primary challenges that our teacher advisors have encountered while teaching climate science in their classrooms. Furthermore, we are working to co-create dynamic solutions with the teachers to address these problems using the LMAC platform.

Angalasut, an education and outreach project to create a bridge between scientists, local population in Greenland and the general public

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bourgain, Pascaline

2015-04-01

Bridging Science and Society has now become a necessity for scientists to develop new partnerships with local communities and to raise the public interest for scientific activities. The French-Greenlandic educational project called "Angalasut" reflects this desire to create a bridge between science, local people and the general public. This program was set up on the 2012-2013 school year, as part of an international scientific program dedicated to study the interactions between the ocean and glaciers on the western coast of Greenland, in the Uummannaq fjord. Greenlandic and French school children were involved in educational activities, in classrooms and out on the field, associated with the scientific observations conducted in Greenland (glacier flow, ocean chemical composition and circulation, instrumentation...). In Greenland, the children had the opportunity to come on board the scientific sailing boat, and in France, several meetings were organized between the children and the scientists of the expedition. In the small village of Ikerasak, the children interviewed Elders about sea ice evolution in the area. These activities, coupled to the organization of public conferences and to the creation of a trilingual website of the project (French, Greenlandic, English) aimed at explaining why scientists come to study Greenland environment. This was the opportunity for scientists to discuss with villagers who could testify on their changing environment over the past decades. A first step toward a future collaboration between scientists and villagers that would deserve further development... The project Angalasut was also the opportunity for Greenlandic and French school children to exchange about their culture and their environment through Skype communications, the exchange of mails (drawings, shells...), the creation of a society game about European fauna and flora... A meeting in France between the two groups of children is considered, possibly in summer 2015. Finally, live interviews with a sea center in France, photo exhibitions and several conferences allowed the general public to interact with scientists, to learn about Greenland environment and culture, and to take part into the Angalasut project.

Growing scientists: A partnership between a university and a school district

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woods, Teresa Marie

Precollege science education in the United States has virtually always been influenced by university scientists to one degree or another. Partnership models for university scientist---school district collaborations are being advocated to replace outreach models. Although the challenges for such partnerships are well documented, the means of fostering successful and sustainable science education partnerships are not well studied. This study addresses this need by empirically researching a unique scientist-educator partnership between a university and a school district utilizing case study methods. The development of the partnership, emerging issues, and multiple perspectives of participants were examined in order to understand the culture of the partnership and identify means of fostering successful science education partnerships. The findings show the partnership was based on a strong network of face-to-face relationships that fostered understanding, mutual learning and synergy. Specific processes instituted ensured equity and respect, and created a climate of trust so that an evolving common vision was maintained. The partnership provided synergy and resilience during the recent economic crisis, indicating the value of partnerships when public education institutions must do more with less. High staff turnover, however, especially of a key leader, threatened the partnership, pointing to the importance of maintaining multiple-level integration between institutions. The instrumental roles of a scientist-educator coordinator in bridging cultures and nurturing the collaborative environment are elucidated. Intense and productive collaborations between teams of scientists and educators helped transform leading edge disciplinary science content into school science learning. The innovative programs that resulted not only suggest important roles science education partnerships can play in twenty-first century learning, but they also shed light on the processes of educational innovation itself. Further, the program and curriculum development revealed insights into areas of teaching and learning. Multiple perspectives of participants were considered in this study, with student perspectives demonstrating the critical importance of investigating student views in future studies. When educational institutions increasingly need to address a diverse population, and scientists increasingly want to recruit diverse students into the fields of science, partnerships show promise in creating a seamless K-20+ continuum of science education.

Strategies for Engaging NASA Earth Scientists in K-12 Education and Public Outreach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meeson, Blanche W.; Gabrys, Robert E.

2001-01-01

Engagement of the Earth Science research community in formal education at the kindergarten through high school level and in various aspects of informal education and in professional development of practitioners in related fields has been and continues to be a challenge. A range of approaches is being used and new ones are constantly being tried. Fundamental to our strategies is an understanding of the priorities, skills, academic experiences, motivation, rewards and work experiences of most scientists. It is within this context that efforts to engage a scientist in education efforts are attempted. A key strategy is to limit our requests to activities where the scientist's contribution of time and expertise can have the most impact. Don't waste the scientist's time! Time is one of their most prized resources, it is extremely valuable to you, and to them, we treat their time like a treasured resource. The clearer a scientist's role, their unique contribution and the finite nature of their effort, the more likely they are to participate. It is critical that commitments made to scientists are kept. If they want and can do more, great! Don't expect or assume more will be forthcoming. Another approach that we use is to create periodic venues that, among other things, serve to identify individuals who have an interest or inclination to con , tribute to education efforts. Once identified we strive to determine their interests so that we can make the best match between their interests and the needs of the education program or efforts. In this way, we try to make the best use of their time while engaging them in efforts which will be personally rewarding, and will further the overall education objectives. In addition, we try to make it easier for scientists to participate by providing focused training, such as development of their interviewing skills, and exposure to key concepts, knowledge and skills which are well known among educators but are not common knowledge among scientists. Another strategy with which we are still struggling is how to create and provide career meaningful rewards for individuals who demonstrate excellence in education equivalent to excellence in science. We do not yet have a yardstick to measure excellence in education nor is there a consensus among scientific peers that these two can be equivalent. None-the-less, methods to identify excellence in education, such as the peer review process, are being tried with some success. Use of solicitation and selection of educational efforts via a peer review process that is the same as for scientific research to identify unique, interesting and creative ideas has been somewhat effective. Furthermore, the application of the same peer review process to the output of an educational effort is used to validate and ensure the quality of this output. An example will be used to illustrate the application of some of these strategies to the development of a high school Earth and Space System Science curriculum created in partnership with a local county school system (Anne Arundel County, MD).

Science in Society: Bridging the gap to connect science to decision makers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, L.; Bwarie, J.; Pearce, I.

2016-12-01

The gap between science and decision making in our society can be large and multi-faceted, involving communication, process, cultural and even subconscious differences. In sweeping generalization, scientists reject anecdotes, focus on uncertainty and details, and expect conflict as part of the scientific process, while non-scientists respond to stories, want certainty and the big picture, and see conflict as a reason to reject the message. Bridging this gap often requires ongoing collaboration to find the intersection of three independent domains: what science can provide, the technical information decision makers need to make the most effective choices and what information decision makers need to motivate action. For ten years, the USGS has experimented with improving the usefulness of its science through the SAFRR (Science Application for Risk Reduction) Project and its predecessor, the Multi Hazards Demonstration Project in Southern California. Through leading and participating in these activities, we have recognized 3 steps that have been essential to successful partnerships between scientists and decision makers. First, determining what makes for a successful product cannot be done in isolation by either scientists or users. The users may want something science cannot produce (e.g., accurate short-term earthquake predictions), while the scientists can fail to see that the product they know how to make may not be relevant to the decisions that need to be made. Real discussions with real exchange and absorption of information on both sides makes for the most useful products. Second, most scientific results need work beyond what belongs in a journal to create a product that can be used. This is not just a different style of communication, but analyses that focus on the community's local questions rather than on scientific advances. Third, probabilities of natural hazards almost never motivate action to mitigate. The probabilities are usually low on human time scales and focus on the uncertainty, conveying a strong message that the hazard may not happen. Presenting the hazard as absolutely certain to occur, just on an unknown time scale is scientifically identical, but conveys a very different emotional message.

Human genetics for non-scientists: Practical workshops for policy makers and opinion leaders

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1995-12-31

These workshops form part of a series of workshops that the Banbury and the DNA Learning Centers of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have held for a number of years, introducing genetics, and the ways in which scientific research is done, to non-scientists. The purpose of the workshops as stated in the grant application was: {open_quotes}Our objective is to foster a better understanding of the societal impact of human genome research by providing basic information on genetics to non-scientists whose professions or special interests interface with genetic technology.... Participants will be chosen for their interest in human genetics and for theirmore » roles as opinion leaders in their own communities. Primary care physicians are of particular interest to us for this series of workshops.{close_quotes} Two workshops were held under this grant. The first was held in 21-24 April, 1994 and attended by 20 participants, and the second was held 16-19 November, 1995, and attended by 16 participants. In each case, there was a combination of concept lectures on the foundations of human molecular genetics; lectures by invited specialists; and laboratory experiments to introduce non-scientists to the techniques used in molecular genetics.« less

Language and values in the human cloning debate: a web-based survey of scientists and Christian fundamentalist pastors.

PubMed

Weasel, Lisa H; Jensen, Eric

2005-04-01

Over the last seven years, a major debate has arisen over whether human cloning should remain legal in the United States. Given that this may be the 'first real global and simultaneous news story on biotechnology' (Einsiedel et al., 2002, p.313), nations around the world have struggled with the implications of this newly viable scientific technology, which is often also referred to as somatic cell nuclear transfer. Since the successful cloning of Dolly the sheep in 1997, and with increasing media attention paid to the likelihood of a successful human reproductive clone coupled with research suggesting the medical potential of therapeutic cloning in humans, members of the scientific community and Christian fundamentalist leaders have become increasingly vocal in the debate over U.S. policy decisions regarding human cloning (Wilmut, 2000). Yet despite a surfeit of public opinion polls and widespread opining in the news media on the topic of human cloning, there have been no empirical studies comparing the views of scientists and Christian fundamentalists in this debate (see Evans, 2002a for a recent study of opinion polls assessing religion and attitudes toward cloning). In order to further investigate the values that underlie scientists' and Christian fundamentalist leader's understanding of human cloning, as well as their differential use of language in communicating about this issue, we conducted an open-ended, exploratory survey of practicing scientists in the field of molecular biology and Christian fundamentalist pastors. We then analyzed the responses from this survey using qualitative discourse analysis. While this was not necessarily a representative sample (in quantitative terms, see Gaskell & Bauer, 2000) of each of the groups and the response rate was limited, this approach was informative in identifying both commonalities between the two groups, such as a focus on ethical concerns about reproductive cloning and the use of scientific terminology, as well as significant differences including concerns over 'playing God' for the Christian pastors, focus on therapeutic cloning by scientists, and subtle but informative differences between the two groups in their use of scientific terminology and their interpretations of human cloning as scientific progress.

Embryonic stem cell research: one small step for science or one giant leap back for mankind?

PubMed

Erwin, Consuelo G

2003-01-01

At the forefront of modern debate over the ethical use of biotechnology is embryonic stem cell research. In this poignant analysis of its legitimacy, the author examines the history of this research in light of the United States' policy favoring the protection of human beings over scientific progress. Stem cells, which can divide in culture to create specialized cells in the human body, possess significant potential for curing disease, particularly when taken from human embryos. However, as evidenced by the research atrocities committed under the Nazi regime, the benefits of human research do not come without a cost to humanity. Recognizing this, the later trial of these scientists produced the Nuremberg Code, a set of natural law principles guiding future research on humans that continues to influence health policy decisions. Drawing on this background, the author first considers the appropriate legal status for a human embryo. Biologically, the characteristics of a human embryo place it between human tissue and a constitutional person. Judicially, the answer is even less clear. The author analyzes case law in the context of abortion and in vitro fertilization, as well as classifications by the common law, state legislation, and the National Bioethics Advisory Commission, to conclude that a human embryo should be subject to the same legal and ethical restrictions as any other "human subject." Accordingly, the author argues that embryonic stem cell research violates the ethical standards and purposes of the Nuremberg Code and should be banned by federal legislation. Such a prohibition will fulfill the societal policy choice of protecting potential life and vulnerable human subjects.

Biological characterization of soft tissue sarcomas.

PubMed

Hayashi, Takuma; Horiuchi, Akiko; Sano, Kenji; Kanai, Yae; Yaegashi, Nobuo; Aburatani, Hiroyuki; Konishi, Ikuo

2015-12-01

Soft tissue sarcomas are neoplastic malignancies that typically arise in tissues of mesenchymal origin. The identification of novel molecular mechanisms leading to mesenchymal transformation and the establishment of new therapies and diagnostic biomarker has been hampered by several critical factors. First, malignant soft tissue sarcomas are rarely observed in the clinic with fewer than 15,000 newly cases diagnosed each year in the United States. Another complicating factor is that soft tissue sarcomas are extremely heterogeneous as they arise in a multitude of tissues from many different cell lineages. The scarcity of clinical materials coupled with its inherent heterogeneity creates a challenging experimental environment for clinicians and scientists. Faced with these challenges, there has been extremely limited advancement in clinical treatment options available to patients as compared to other malignant tumours. In order to glean insight into the pathobiology of soft tissue sarcomas, scientists are now using mouse models whose genomes have been specifically tailored to carry gene deletions, gene amplifications, and somatic mutations commonly observed in human soft tissue sarcomas. The use of these model organisms has been successful in increasing our knowledge and understanding of how alterations in relevant oncogenic and/or tumour suppressive signal cascades, i.e., interferon-γ (IFN-γ), tumour protein 53 (TP53) and/or retinoblastoma (RB) pathway directly impact sarcomagenesis. It is the goal of many in the physiological community that the use of several mouse models will serve as powerful in vivo tools for further understanding of sarcomagenesis and potentially identify new diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic strategies against human soft tissue sarcomas.

ESA seeks gravitational-wave proposals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banks, Michael

2016-12-01

The European Space Agency (ESA) has put out a call for European scientists to submit proposals for the first space mission to observe gravitational waves - ripples in the fabric of space-time created by accelerating massive objects.

NEWS BRIEF: Keeping Cool with Carbon Capture Technologies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

NETL scientists have created unique sorbents to capture indoor air pollutants. The sorbents are used in enVerid System’s new HLR modules. The modules can be incorporated into HVAC systems to scrub the air.

Scientist-Educator Partnerships: the Cornerstone of Astrophysics E/PO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meinke, Bonnie K.; Smith, Denise A.; Lawton, Brandon; Eisenhamer, Bonnie; Jirdeh, Hussein

2015-11-01

For nearly two decades, NASA has partnered scientists and educators by embedding Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) programs and funding in its science missions and research activities. This enables scientist and educators to work side-by-side in translating cutting-edge NASA science and technology for classrooms, museums, and public venues.The Office of Public Outreach at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) is uniquely poised to foster collaboration between scientists with content expertise and educators with pedagogy expertise. As home to both Hubble Space Telescope and the future James Webb Space Telescope, STScI leverages the expertise of its scientists to create partnerships with its collocated Education Team to translate cutting-edge NASA science into new and effective learning tools. In addition, STScI is home of the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Astrophysics Science E/PO Forum, which facilitates connections both within the SMD E/PO community and beyond to scientists and educators across all NASA Astrophysics missions. These collaborations strengthen partnerships, build best practices, and enhance coherence for NASA SMD-funded E/PO missions and programs.We will present examples of astronomers’ engagement in our E/PO efforts, such as NASA Science4Girls.

One More Legacy of Paul F. Brandwein: Creating Scientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fort, Deborah C.

2011-06-01

This paper studies the influence of Paul F. Brandwein, author, scientist, teacher and mentor, publisher, humanist, and environmentalist, on gifted youngsters who later became scientists, based primarily on information gathered from surveys completed by 25 of his students and one colleague. It also traces his profound interactions with science educators. It illuminates the theories of Brandwein and his protégés and colleagues about the interaction of environment, schooling, and education and Brandwein's belief in having students do original research (that is, research whose results are unknown) on their way to discovering their future scientific paths. It tests Brandwein's 1955 hypothesis on the characteristics typical of the young who eventually become scientists, namely: Three factors are considered as being significant in the development of future scientists: a Genetic Factor with a primary base in heredity (general intelligence, numerical ability, and verbal ability); a Predisposing Factor, with a primary base in functions which are psychological in nature; an Activating Factor, with a primary base in the opportunities offered in school and in the special skills of the teacher. High intelligence alone does not make a youngster a scientist (p xix).

Training scientists as future industry leaders: teaching translational science from an industry executive's perspective.

PubMed

Lee, Gloria; Kranzler, Jay D; Ramasamy, Ravichandran; Gold-von Simson, Gabrielle

2018-01-01

PhDs and post-doctoral biomedical graduates, in greater numbers, are choosing industry based careers. However, most scientists do not have formal training in business strategies and venture creation and may find senior management positions untenable. To fill this training gap, "Biotechnology Industry: Structure and Strategy" was offered at New York University School of Medicine (NYUSOM). The course focuses on the business aspects of translational medicine and research translation and incorporates the practice of business case discussions, mock negotiation, and direct interactions into the didactic. The goal is to teach scientists at an early career stage how to create solutions, whether at the molecular level or via the creation of devices or software, to benefit those with disease. In doing so, young, talented scientists can develop a congruent mindset with biotechnology/industry executives. Our data demonstrates that the course enhances students' knowledge of the biotechnology industry. In turn, these learned skills may further encourage scientists to seek leadership positions in the field. Implementation of similar courses and educational programs will enhance scientists' training and inspire them to become innovative leaders in the discovery and development of therapeutics.

Scientists as Correspondents: Exploratorium "Ice Stories" for International Polar Year Project Educational Outreach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGillivary, P. A.; Fall, K. R.; Miller, M.; Higdon, R.; Andrews, M.; O'Donnell, K.

2008-12-01

As part of the 2007-2009 International Polar Year (IPY), an educational outreach developed by the Exploratorium science museum of San Francisco builds on prior high latitude programs to: 1) create public awareness of IPY research; 2) increase public understanding of the scientific process; and, 3) stimulate a new relationship between scientists and outreach. Funded by the National Science Foundation, a key "Ice Stories" innovation is to facilitate "scientist correspondents" reporting directly to the public. To achieve this, scientists were furnished multimedia equipment and training to produce material for middle school students to adults. Scientists submitted blogs of text, images, and video from the field which were edited, standardized for format, and uploaded by Exploratorium staff, who coordinated website content and management. Online links to educational partner institutions and programs from prior Exploratorium high latitude programs will extend "Ice Stories" site visits beyond the @250,000 unique in-house users/year to more than 28 million webpage users/year overall. We review relevant technical issues, the variety of scientist participation, and what worked best and recommendations for similar efforts in the future as a legacy for the IPY.

Changes in Elementary Student Perceptions of Science, Scientists and Science Careers after Participating in a Curricular Module on Health and Veterinary Science

PubMed Central

Shin, Soo Yeon; Parker, Loran Carleton; Adedokun, Omolola; Mennonno, Ann; Wackerly, Amy; SanMiguel, Sandra

2015-01-01

This study examined to what extent a curriculum module that uses animal and human health scientists and science concepts to portray science and scientists in a relevant and authentic manner could enhance elementary students’ aspiration for science careers, attitudes to science, positive perceptions of scientists, and perceived relevance of science. The curriculum was developed by a research-based university program and has been put into practice in two early elementary classrooms in an urban school in the Midwest. An attitudinal rating survey and the Draw-A-Scientist Test (DAST) were used to assess pre to post changes in student attitudes toward science, perceptions of scientists, perceived relevance of science, and aspiration for science careers. Findings indicated that the implementation of this curriculum contributed positively to student attitudes toward science, decreased students’ stereotypical images of scientists, and increased student aspirations to become a scientist. PMID:26726271

Meet EPA Scientist Dermont Bouchard, Ph.D.

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA Scientist Dermont Bouchard, Ph.D., is working to better understand how tiny nanomaterials might be released into the environment. His research helps regulators and other decision-makers lower risks and better protect human health and the environment

Moral and Legal Decisions in Reproductive and Genetic Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heim, Werner G.

1972-01-01

Discusses the moral and ethical issues raised by the imminent possibilities for genetic and reproductive manipulation of humans, the responsibilities of scientists, moralists, and social scientists, and the role of teachers in public information. (AL)

Meet EPA Scientist Jane Gallagher, Ph.D.

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Dr. Jane Gallagher is an EPA research health scientist working with expertise in both field and clinical studies. She develops, tests, and integrates new methods, approaches and biomarkers to study human health risks posed by environmental chemicals

Makers of Modern Science. Volume 9, Linus Pauling: Scientist and Advocate by David E. Newton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kauffman, George B.; Kauffman, Laurie M.

1997-04-01

Facts on File: New York, 1994. 136 pp. Figs. and photos. 15.0 x 22.6 cm. $16.95 Makers of Modern Science, a series of biographies (available on standing order at a 20% discount), explores the lives and achievements of scientists who have made the greatest contributions to human knowledge during the 19th and 20th centuries. Each scientist's achievements, including underlying scientific principles, are discussed simply and clearly and are free of technical jargon. Drawing on primary sources such as diaries, memoirs, letters, and contemporary news stories, as well as secondary sources, each volume depicts the human drama of scientific work, the excitement and frustration of research, and the exhilaration and rewards of discovery. Each book, which includes black-and-white photographs, diagrams, an annotated bibliography, and a detailed index, contains a final chapter summarizing the legacy of the scientist's achievements.

Tobacco industry scientific advisors: serving society or selling cigarettes?

PubMed

Warner, K E

1991-07-01

According to industry documents, the tobacco industry has executed a "brilliantly conceived" strategy to "creat[e] doubt" in the public's mind about whether cigarette smoking is in fact a serious cause of disease. A component of this strategy has been the funding of scientific research "into the gaps in knowledge in the smoking controversy." Grant review and selection are performed by a group of independent scientists. Knowledgeable observers believe that the existence of this research funding program in general, and the Scientific Advisory Board in particular, is intended by the industry to reinforce doubts in the public mind about the severity of the hazards posed by smoking. Because the Advisory Board has never taken a public stance against the industry's position that the causal relationship between smoking and disease remains unproven, I polled these scientists to determine whether they believed that smoking is a cause of lung cancer. Despite repeated opportunities, only four of 13 board members responded, all affirmatively; two others have expressed their judgment that smoking causes lung cancer in their professional publications. Thus, over half of the Board members, and the Board as a whole, have not gone on record as rejecting the industry's "party line." It might be hoped that the American scientists would follow the lead of the members of a similar body of scientists in Australia who have taken a strong and public stand against the industry position that smoking is not an established cause of disease.

Multi-Sensory Approach to Search for Young Stellar Objects in CG4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoette, Vivian L.; Rebull, L. M.; McCarron, K.; Johnson, C. H.; Gartner, C.; VanDerMolen, J.; Gamble, L.; Matche, L.; McCartney, A.; Doering, M.; Crump, R.; Laorr, A.; Mork, K.; Steinbergs, E.; Wigley, E.; Caruso, S.; Killingstad, N.; McCanna, T.

2011-01-01

Individuals with disabilities - specifically individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) and/or blind and visually-impaired (BVI) - have traditionally been underrepresented in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). The low incidence rate of these populations, coupled with geographic isolation, creates limited opportunities for students to work with and receive mentoring by professionals who not only have specialty knowledge in disability areas but also work in STEM fields. Yerkes Observatory scientists, along with educators from the Wisconsin School for the Deaf, the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Breck School, and Oak Park and River Forest High School, are engaged in active research with a Spitzer Science Center (SSC) scientist. Our ultimate goals are threefold; to engage DHH and BVI students with equal success as their sighted and hearing peers, to share our techniques to make astronomy more accessible to DHH and BVI youth, and to generate a life-long interest which will lead our students to STEM careers. This poster tracks our work with an SSC scientist during the spring, summer, and fall of 2010. The group coauthored another AAS poster on finding Young Stellar Objects (YSO) in the CG4 Nebula in Puppis. During the project, the students, scientists and teachers developed a number of techniques for learning the necessary science as well as doing the required data acquisition and analysis. Collaborations were formed between students with disabilities and their non-disabled peers to create multi-media projects. Ultimately, the projects created for our work with NITARP will be disseminated through our professional connections in order to ignite a passion for astronomy in all students - with and without disabilities. This research was made possible through the NASA/IPAC Teacher Archive Research Project (NITARP) and was funded by NASA Astrophysics Data Program and Archive Outreach funds.

National Ice Center Visiting Scientist Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Austin, Meg

2002-01-01

The long-term goal of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) Visiting Scientist Program at the National Ice Center (NIC) is to recruit the highest quality visiting scientists in the ice research community for the broad purpose of strengthening the relationship between the operational and research communities in the atmospheric and oceanic sciences. The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research supports the scientific community by creating, conducting, and coordinating projects that strengthen education and research in the atmospheric, oceanic and earth sciences. UCAR accomplishes this mission by building partnerships that are national or global in scope. The goal of UCAR is to enable researchers and educators to take on issues and activities that require the combined and collaborative capabilities of a broadly engaged scientific community.

Science and Technology Review June 2006

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Radousky, H

2006-04-20

This month's issue has the following articles: (1) Maintaining Excellence through Intellectual Vitality--Commentary by Cherry A. Murray; (2) Next-Generation Scientists and Engineers Tap Lab's Resources--University of California Ph.D. candidates work with Livermore scientists and engineers to conduct fundamental research as part of their theses; (3) Adaptive Optics Provide a Clearer View--The Center for Adaptive Optics is sharpening the view of celestial objects and retinal cells; (4) Wired on the Nanoscale--A Lawrence Fellow at Livermore is using genetically engineered viruses to create nanostructures such as tiny gold wires; and (5) Too Hot to Handle--Livermore scientists couple carbon-cycle and climate models tomore » predict the global effects of depleting Earth's fossil-fuel supply.« less

Enabling Earth Science: The Facilities and People of the NCCS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

The NCCS's mass data storage system allows scientists to store and manage the vast amounts of data generated by these computations, and its high-speed network connections allow the data to be accessed quickly from the NCCS archives. Some NCCS users perform studies that are directly related to their ability to run computationally expensive and data-intensive simulations. Because the number and type of questions scientists research often are limited by computing power, the NCCS continually pursues the latest technologies in computing, mass storage, and networking technologies. Just as important as the processors, tapes, and routers of the NCCS are the personnel who administer this hardware, create and manage accounts, maintain security, and assist the scientists, often working one on one with them.

Creating a Podcast/Vodcast: A How-To Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petersen, C. C.

2011-09-01

Creating podcasts and vodcasts is a wonderful way to share news of science research. Public affairs officers use them to reveal the latest discoveries done by scientists in their institutions. Educators can offer podcast/vodcast creation for students who want a unique way to demonstrate their mastery of science topics. Anyone with a computer and a USB microphone can create a podcast. To do a vodcast, you also need a digital video camera and video editing software. This session focused mainly on creating a podcast - writing the script and recording the soundtrack. Attendees also did a short activity to learn to write effective narrative copy for a podcast/vodcast.

Six Challenges for Ethical Conduct in Science.

PubMed

Niemi, Petteri

2016-08-01

The realities of human agency and decision making pose serious challenges for research ethics. This article explores six major challenges that require more attention in the ethics education of students and scientists and in the research on ethical conduct in science. The first of them is the routinization of action, which makes the detection of ethical issues difficult. The social governance of action creates ethical problems related to power. The heuristic nature of human decision making implies the risk of ethical bias. The moral disengagement mechanisms represent a human tendency to evade personal responsibility. The greatest challenge of all might be the situational variation in people's ethical behaviour. Even minor situational factors have a surprisingly strong influence on our actions. Furthermore, finally, the nature of ethics itself also causes problems: instead of clear answers, we receive a multitude of theories and intuitions that may sometimes be contradictory. All these features of action and ethics represent significant risks for ethical conduct in science. I claim that they have to be managed within the everyday practices of science and addressed explicitly in research ethics education. I analyse them and suggest some ways in which their risks can be alleviated.

Scientific rationality, uncertainty and the governance of human genetics: an interview study with researchers at deCODE genetics.

PubMed

Hjörleifsson, Stefán; Schei, Edvin

2006-07-01

Technology development in human genetics is fraught with uncertainty, controversy and unresolved moral issues, and industry scientists are sometimes accused of neglecting the implications of their work. The present study was carried out to elicit industry scientists' reflections on the relationship between commercial, scientific and ethical dimensions of present day genetics and the resources needed for robust governance of new technologies. Interviewing scientists of the company deCODE genetics in Iceland, we found that in spite of optimism, the informants revealed ambiguity and uncertainty concerning the use of human genetic technologies for the prevention of common diseases. They concurred that uncritical marketing of scientific success might cause exaggerated public expectations of health benefits from genetics, with the risk of backfiring and causing resistance to genetics in the population. On the other hand, the scientists did not address dilemmas arising from the commercial nature of their own employer. Although the scientists tended to describe public fear as irrational, they identified issues where scepticism might be well founded and explored examples where they, despite expert knowledge, held ambiguous or tentative personal views on the use of predictive genetic technologies. The rationality of science was not seen as sufficient to ensure beneficial governance of new technologies. The reflexivity and suspension of judgement demonstrated in the interviews exemplify productive features of moral deliberation in complex situations. Scientists should take part in dialogues concerning the governance of genetic technologies, acknowledge any vested interests, and use their expertise to highlight, not conceal the technical and moral complexity involved.

Astrosociological Implications of Astrobiology (Revisited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pass, Jim

2010-01-01

Supporters of astrobiology continue to organize the field around formalized associations and organizations under the guise of the so-called ``hard'' sciences (e.g., biology and the related physical/natural sciences). The so-called ``soft'' sciences-including sociology and the other social sciences, the behavioral sciences, and the humanities-remain largely separated from this dynamically growing field. However, as argued in this paper, space exploration involving the search for extraterrestrial life should be viewed as consisting of two interrelated parts (i.e., two sides of the same coin): astrobiology and astrosociology. Together, these two fields broadly combine the two major branches of science as they relate to the relationship between human life and alien life, as appropriate. Moreover, with a formalized system of collaboration, these two complimentary fields would also focus on the implications of their research to human beings as well as their cultures and social structures. By placing the astrosociological implications of astrobiology at a high enough priority, scientists interested in the search for alien life can augment their focus to include the social, cultural, and behavioral implications that were always associated with their work (yet previously overlooked or understated, and too often misunderstood). Recognition of the astrosociological implications expands our perception about alien life by creating a new emphasis on their ramifications to human life on Earth.

COST action TD1407: network on technology-critical elements (NOTICE)--from environmental processes to human health threats.

PubMed

Cobelo-García, A; Filella, M; Croot, P; Frazzoli, C; Du Laing, G; Ospina-Alvarez, N; Rauch, S; Salaun, P; Schäfer, J; Zimmermann, S

2015-10-01

The current socio-economic, environmental and public health challenges that countries are facing clearly need common-defined strategies to inform and support our transition to a sustainable economy. Here, the technology-critical elements (which includes Ga, Ge, In, Te, Nb, Ta, Tl, the Platinum Group Elements and most of the rare-earth elements) are of great relevance in the development of emerging key technologies-including renewable energy, energy efficiency, electronics or the aerospace industry. In this context, the increasing use of technology-critical elements (TCEs) and associated environmental impacts (from mining to end-of-life waste products) is not restricted to a national level but covers most likely a global scale. Accordingly, the European COST Action TD1407: Network on Technology-Critical Elements (NOTICE)-from environmental processes to human health threats, has an overall objective for creating a network of scientists and practitioners interested in TCEs, from the evaluation of their environmental processes to understanding potential human health threats, with the aim of defining the current state of knowledge and gaps, proposing priority research lines/activities and acting as a platform for new collaborations and joint research projects. The Action is focused on three major scientific areas: (i) analytical chemistry, (ii) environmental biogeochemistry and (iii) human exposure and (eco)-toxicology.

The Changing Model of Soil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richter, D. D.; Yaalon, D.

2012-12-01

The contemporary genetic model of soil is changing rapidly in response to advances in soil science and to human and environmental forcings in the 21st century (Richter and Yaalon, 2012). Three ongoing changes in the model of soil include that: (1) lower soil boundaries are much deeper than the solum, historically the O to B horizons, (2) most soils are polygenetic paleosols, products of soil-forming processes that have ranged widely over soils' lifetimes, and (3) soils are globally human-natural bodies, no longer natural bodies. Together, these changes in the model of soil mean that human forcings are a global wave of soil polygenesis altering fluxes of matter and energy and transforming soil thermodynamics as potentially very deep systems. Because soils are non-linear systems resulting from high-order interactions of physics, chemistry, and biology, trajectories of how human forcings alter soils over decades are not readily predictable and require long-term soil observations. There is much to learn about how soils are changing internally as central components of management systems and externally in relation to wider environments. To be critical, research has been remarkably superficial in studies of soil, reductionist in approach, and lacking in time-series observations of responses to soil management. While this criticism may sound negative, it creates significant opportunities for contemporary soil scientists.

Creating the ‘ethics industry': Mary Warnock, in vitro fertilization and the history of bioethics in Britain

PubMed Central

Wilson, Duncan

2011-01-01

Recent decades have seen a shift in the management and discussion of biomedicine. Issues once considered by doctors and scientists are now handled by a diverse array of participants, including philosophers, lawyers, theologians and lay representatives. This new approach, known as ‘bioethics', has become the norm in regulatory committees and public debate. In this article, I argue that bioethics emerged as a valued enterprise in Britain during the 1980s because it fulfilled, and linked, the concerns of several groups. My analysis centres on the moral philosopher Mary Warnock, who chaired a government inquiry into human fertilization and embryology between 1982 and 1984, and became a strong advocate of bioethics. I detail how Warnock's promotion of bioethics tallied with the Conservative government's desire for increased surveillance of hitherto autonomous professions – while fulfilling her own belief that philosophers should engage in public affairs. And I also show that Warnock simultaneously promoted bioethics to doctors and scientists as an essential safeguard against declining political and public trust. This stance, I argue, framed bioethics as a vital intermediary between politics, the public, and biomedicine, and explains the growth and endurance of what the Guardian identified as an ethics industry. PMID:22563348

Canadian-US Demonstration Project Towards an International ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Bellingham Bay will provide the test case for an international nitrogen (N) management system for North America. Spanning a portion of the western interface of the U.S. and Canada, the region supports intensive agriculture, freshwater and estuarine fisheries, diverse wildlife, cities and towns, and to the east, North Cascades National Park that is protected by the US Wilderness Acts. Using abundant data and model activities from a well-established scientific community, our project seeks to create knowledge, build regional capacity, and forge collaborations toward creation of regional N management solutions that protect or restore ecosystems and human health affected by excess reactive N while maintaining a vibrant agricultural community. As an outgrowth of the International Nitrogen Initiative's North American Nitrogen Committee, US and Canadian scientists will collaborate on a demonstration project centered on Bellingham Bay on the US-Canada border. This location presents a good opportunity for this international collaborative effort because of abundant scientific data and numerous connections to engaged scientists and stakeholders. There are other well-studied areas in the US but this presents an opportunity to develop new international collaboration in an area with nitrogen-sensitive terrestrial, groundwater, rivers and coastal systems. There is a tremendous opportunity to collaborate on nitrogen management methods across the U.S. and Canada, as well as with

Contact: Releasing the news

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinotti, Roberto

The problem of mass behavior after man's future contacts with other intelligences in the universe is not only a challenge for social scientists and political leaders all over the world, but also a cultural time bomb as well. In fact, since the impact of CETI (Contact with Extraterrestrial Intelligence) on human civilization, with its different cultures, might cause a serious socio-anthropological shock, a common and predetermined worldwide strategy is necessary in releasing the news after the contact, in order to keep possible manifestations of fear, panic and hysteria under control. An analysis of past studies in this field and of parallel historical situations as analogs suggests a definite "authority crisis" in the public as a direct consequence of an unexpected release of the news, involving a devastating "chain reaction" process (from both the psychological and sociological viewpoints) of anomie and maybe the collapse of today's society. The only way to prevent all this is to prepare the world's public opinion concerning contact before releasing the news, and to develop a long-term strategy through the combined efforts of scientists, political leaders, intelligence agencies and the mass media, in order to create the cultural conditions in which a confrontation with ETI won't affect mankind in a traumatic way. Definite roles and tasks in this multi-level model are suggested.

A Framework for Bridging Scientists, Knowledge Brokers and Local Decision Makers in State-level Climate Assessments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galford, G. L.; Nash, J. L.

2016-12-01

Large-scale analyses like the National Climate Assessment (NCA) contain a wealth of information critical to national and regional responses to climate change but tend to be insufficiently detailed for action at state or local levels. Many states now develop assessments (SCAs) to provide relevant, actionable information to state and local authorities. These assessments generate new or additional primary information, build networks and inform stakeholders. Based on our experience in the Vermont Climate Assessment (VCA), we present a SCA framework to engage local decision makers, using a fluid network of scientific experts and knowledge brokers to conduct subject area prioritization, data analysis, and writing. Knowledge brokers bridged the scientific and stakeholder communities, providing a two-way flow of information by capitalizing on their existing networks. Rich citizen records of climate and climate change impacts associated a human voice, a memorable story, or personal observation with a climate record, improving climate information salience. This engagement process that created salient climate information perceived as credible and legitimate by local and state decision makers. We present this framework as an effective structure for SCAs to foster interaction among scientists, knowledge brokers and stakeholders. We include a qualitative impact evaluation and lessons learned for future SCAs.

When technologies makes good people do bad things: another argument against the value-neutrality of technologies.

PubMed

Morrow, David R

2014-06-01

Although many scientists and engineers insist that technologies are value-neutral, philosophers of technology have long argued that they are wrong. In this paper, I introduce a new argument against the claim that technologies are value-neutral. This argument complements and extends, rather than replaces, existing arguments against value-neutrality. I formulate the Value-Neutrality Thesis, roughly, as the claim that a technological innovation can have bad effects, on balance, only if its users have "vicious" or condemnable preferences. After sketching a microeconomic model for explaining or predicting a technology's impact on individuals' behavior, I argue that a particular technological innovation can create or exacerbate collective action problems, even in the absence of vicious preferences. Technologies do this by increasing the net utility of refusing to cooperate. I also argue that a particular technological innovation can induce short-sighted behavior because of humans' tendency to discount future benefits too steeply. I suggest some possible extensions of my microeconomic model of technological impacts. These extensions would enable philosophers of technology to consider agents with mixed motives-i.e., agents who harbor some vicious preferences but also some aversion to acting on them-and to apply the model to questions about the professional responsibilities of engineers, scientists, and other inventors.

Language/culture/mind/brain. Progress at the margins between disciplines.

PubMed

Kuhl, P K; Tsao, F M; Liu, H M; Zhang, Y; De Boer, B

2001-05-01

At the forefront of research on language are new data demonstrating infants' strategies in the early acquisition of language. The data show that infants perceptually "map" critical aspects of ambient language in the first year of life before they can speak. Statistical and abstract properties of speech are picked up through exposure to ambient language. Moreover, linguistic experience alters infants' perception of speech, warping perception in a way that enhances native-language speech processing. Infants' strategies are unexpected and unpredicted by historical views. At the same time, research in three additional disciplines is contributing to our understanding of language and its acquisition by children. Cultural anthropologists are demonstrating the universality of adult speech behavior when addressing infants and children across cultures, and this is creating a new view of the role adult speakers play in bringing about language in the child. Neuroscientists, using the techniques of modern brain imaging, are revealing the temporal and structural aspects of language processing by the brain and suggesting new views of the critical period for language. Computer scientists, modeling the computational aspects of childrens' language acquisition, are meeting success using biologically inspired neural networks. Although a consilient view cannot yet be offered, the cross-disciplinary interaction now seen among scientists pursuing one of humans' greatest achievements, language, is quite promising.

Addressing contrasting cognitive models in scientific collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diviacco, P.

2012-04-01

If the social aspects of scientific communities and their internal dynamics is starting to be recognized and acknowledged in the everyday lives of scientists, it is rather difficult for them to find tools that could support their activities consistently with this perspective. Issues span from gathering researchers to mutual awareness, from information sharing to building meaning, with the last one being particularly critical in research fields as the geo-sciences, that deal with the reconstruction of unique, often non-reproducible, and contingent processes. Reasoning here is, in fact, mainly abductive, allowing multiple and concurrent explanations for the same phenomenon to coexist. Scientists bias one hypothesis over another not only on strictly logical but also on sociological motivations. Following a vision, scientists tend to evolve and isolate themselves from other scientists creating communities characterized by different cognitive models, so that after some time these become incompatible and scientists stop understanding each other. We address these problems as a communication issue so that the classic distinction into three levels (syntactic, semantic and pragmatic) can be used. At the syntactic level, we highlight non-technical obstacles that condition interoperability and data availability and transparency. At the semantic level, possible incompatibilities of cognitive models are particularly evident, so that using ontologies, cross-domain reconciliation should be applied. This is a very difficult task to perform since the projection of knowledge by scientists, in the designated community, is political and thus can create a lot of tension. The strategy we propose to overcome these issues pertains to pragmatics, in the sense that it is intended to acknowledge the cultural and personal factors each partner brings into the collaboration and is based on the idea that meaning should remain a flexible and contingent representation of possibly divergent views. This can be achieved through the introduction of boundary objects (Star and Griesemer, 1989) that are weakly structured in common use while strongly structured in individual use. In our experience, these are very effective in coordinating collaborative work, creating a map of activities, tasks, concepts or events that can be used to drive through the collaborative space in order to locate information. The collaborative work itself, populating this space with information, will build the contingent meaning of the represented features. We report on the use of several types of maps, from geographical maps that are inborn in the geosciences, to mind maps, event bushes and workflows, and we describe then how this space can be populated through messaging and data upload, access and analysis.

The life-cycle research productivity of mathematicians and scientists.

PubMed

Diamond, A M

1986-07-01

Declining research productivity with age is implied by economic models of life-cycle human capital investment but is denied by some recent empirical studies. The purpose of the present study is to provide new evidence on whether a scientist's output generally declines with advancing age. A longitudinal data set has been compiled for scientists and mathematicians at six major departments, including data on age, salaries, annual citations (stock of human capital), citations to current output (flow of human capital), and quantity of current output measured both in number of articles and in number of pages. Analysis of the data indicates that salaries peak from the early to mid-60s, whereas annual citations appear to peak from age 39 to 89 for different departments with a mean age of 59 for the 6 departments. The quantity and quality of current research output appear to decline continuously with age.

How Are Scientists Using Social Media in the Workplace?

PubMed

Collins, Kimberley; Shiffman, David; Rock, Jenny

2016-01-01

Social media has created networked communication channels that facilitate interactions and allow information to proliferate within professional academic communities as well as in informal social circumstances. A significant contemporary discussion in the field of science communication is how scientists are using (or might use) social media to communicate their research. This includes the role of social media in facilitating the exchange of knowledge internally within and among scientific communities, as well as externally for outreach to engage the public. This study investigates how a surveyed sample of 587 scientists from a variety of academic disciplines, but predominantly the academic life sciences, use social media to communicate internally and externally. Our results demonstrate that while social media usage has yet to be widely adopted, scientists in a variety of disciplines use these platforms to exchange scientific knowledge, generally via either Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or blogs. Despite the low frequency of use, our work evidences that scientists perceive numerous potential advantages to using social media in the workplace. Our data provides a baseline from which to assess future trends in social media use within the science academy.

Why Frankenstein is a Stigma Among Scientists.

PubMed

Nagy, Peter; Wylie, Ruth; Eschrich, Joey; Finn, Ed

2017-06-26

As one of the best known science narratives about the consequences of creating life, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (1818) is an enduring tale that people know and understand with an almost instinctive familiarity. It has become a myth reflecting people's ambivalent feelings about emerging science: they are curious about science, but they are also afraid of what science can do to them. In this essay, we argue that the Frankenstein myth has evolved into a stigma attached to scientists that focalizes the public's as well as the scientific community's negative reactions towards certain sciences and scientific practices. This stigma produces ambivalent reactions towards scientific artifacts and it leads to negative connotations because it implies that some sciences are dangerous and harmful. We argue that understanding the Frankenstein stigma can empower scientists by helping them revisit their own biases as well as responding effectively to people's expectations for, and attitudes towards, scientists and scientific artifacts. Debunking the Frankenstein stigma could also allow scientists to reshape their professional identities so they can better show the public what ethical and moral values guide their research enterprises.

How Are Scientists Using Social Media in the Workplace?

PubMed Central

Collins, Kimberley; Shiffman, David

2016-01-01

Social media has created networked communication channels that facilitate interactions and allow information to proliferate within professional academic communities as well as in informal social circumstances. A significant contemporary discussion in the field of science communication is how scientists are using (or might use) social media to communicate their research. This includes the role of social media in facilitating the exchange of knowledge internally within and among scientific communities, as well as externally for outreach to engage the public. This study investigates how a surveyed sample of 587 scientists from a variety of academic disciplines, but predominantly the academic life sciences, use social media to communicate internally and externally. Our results demonstrate that while social media usage has yet to be widely adopted, scientists in a variety of disciplines use these platforms to exchange scientific knowledge, generally via either Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or blogs. Despite the low frequency of use, our work evidences that scientists perceive numerous potential advantages to using social media in the workplace. Our data provides a baseline from which to assess future trends in social media use within the science academy. PMID:27732598

From Shakespeare to Viruses

ScienceCinema

Kim, Sung-Hou

2017-12-11

Berkeley Lab scientists have created a unique new tool for analyzing and comparing long sets of data, be it the genomes of mammals or viruses, or the works of Shakespeare. The results of the Shakespeare analysis surprised scholars with their accuracy.

Global Topographic Map of Titan

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-05-15

Using data from NASA Cassini spacecraft, scientists have created the first global topographic map of Saturn moon Titan, giving researchers a 3-D tool for learning more about one of the most Earthlike and interesting worlds in the solar system.

Ames Lab 101: Real-Time 3D Imaging

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Song

2010-08-02

Ames Laboratory scientist Song Zhang explains his real-time 3-D imaging technology. The technique can be used to create high-resolution, real-time, precise, 3-D images for use in healthcare, security, and entertainment applications.

Ames Lab 101: Real-Time 3D Imaging

ScienceCinema

Zhang, Song

2017-12-22

Ames Laboratory scientist Song Zhang explains his real-time 3-D imaging technology. The technique can be used to create high-resolution, real-time, precise, 3-D images for use in healthcare, security, and entertainment applications.

Big Bang Day: The Making of CERN (Episode 1)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

2009-10-06

A two-part history of the CERN project. Quentin Cooper explores the fifty-year history of CERN, the European particle physics laboratory in Switzerland. The institution was created to bring scientists together after WW2 .......

Big Bang Day: The Making of CERN (Episode 1)

ScienceCinema

None

2017-12-09

A two-part history of the CERN project. Quentin Cooper explores the fifty-year history of CERN, the European particle physics laboratory in Switzerland. The institution was created to bring scientists together after WW2 .......

From Shakespeare to Viruses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sung-Hou Kim

2009-02-09

Berkeley Lab scientists have created a unique new tool for analyzing and comparing long sets of data, be it the genomes of mammals or viruses, or the works of Shakespeare. The results of the Shakespeare analysis surprised scholars with their accuracy

From Shakespeare to Viruses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, Sung-Hou

2009-02-09

Berkeley Lab scientists have created a unique new tool for analyzing and comparing long sets of data, be it the genomes of mammals or viruses, or the works of Shakespeare. The results of the Shakespeare analysis surprised scholars with their accuracy.

Teaching Research Ethics Better: Focus on Excellent Science, Not Bad Scientists

PubMed Central

Hunter, Lawrence

2013-01-01

Abstract A recent report of the United States’ Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues highlights how important it is for the research community to enjoy the “earned confidence” of the public and how creating a “culture of responsibility” can contribute to that confidence. It identifies a major role for “creative, flexible, and innovative” ethics education in creating such a culture. Other recent governmental reports from various nations similarly call for a renewed emphasis on ethics education in the sciences. We discuss why some common approaches to ethics education in the graduate sciences fail to meet the goals envisioned in the reports and we describe an approach, animated by primary attention on excellent science as opposed to bad scientists, that we have employed in our ethics teaching that we think is better suited for inspiring and sustaining responsible, trustworthy science. PMID:23751025

Final Technical Report for DOE Award SC0006616

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Robertson, Andrew

2015-08-01

This report summarizes research carried out by the project "Collaborative Research, Type 1: Decadal Prediction and Stochastic Simulation of Hydroclimate Over Monsoonal Asia. This collaborative project brought together climate dynamicists (UCLA, IRI), dendroclimatologists (LDEO Tree Ring Laboratory), computer scientists (UCI), and hydrologists (Columbia Water Center, CWC), together with applied scientists in climate risk management (IRI) to create new scientific approaches to quantify and exploit the role of climate variability and change in the growing water crisis across southern and eastern Asia. This project developed new tree-ring based streamflow reconstructions for rivers in monsoonal Asia; improved understanding of hydrologic spatio-temporal modesmore » of variability over monsoonal Asia on interannual-to-centennial time scales; assessed decadal predictability of hydrologic spatio-temporal modes; developed stochastic simulation tools for creating downscaled future climate scenarios based on historical/proxy data and GCM climate change; and developed stochastic reservoir simulation and optimization for scheduling hydropower, irrigation and navigation releases.« less

Teaching research ethics better: focus on excellent science, not bad scientists.

PubMed

Yarborough, Mark; Hunter, Lawrence

2013-06-01

A recent report of the United States' Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues highlights how important it is for the research community to enjoy the "earned confidence" of the public and how creating a "culture of responsibility" can contribute to that confidence. It identifies a major role for "creative, flexible, and innovative" ethics education in creating such a culture. Other recent governmental reports from various nations similarly call for a renewed emphasis on ethics education in the sciences. We discuss why some common approaches to ethics education in the graduate sciences fail to meet the goals envisioned in the reports and we describe an approach, animated by primary attention on excellent science as opposed to bad scientists, that we have employed in our ethics teaching that we think is better suited for inspiring and sustaining responsible, trustworthy science. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Jupiter's Great Red Spot in True Color

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-07-27

This image of Jupiter's iconic Great Red Spot (GRS) was created by citizen scientist Björn Jónsson using data from the JunoCam imager on NASA's Juno spacecraft. This true-color image offers a natural color rendition of what the Great Red Spot and surrounding areas would look like to human eyes from Juno's position. The tumultuous atmospheric zones in and around the Great Red Spot are clearly visible. The image was taken on July 10, 2017 at 07:10 p.m. PDT (10:10 p.m. EDT), as the Juno spacecraft performed its seventh close flyby of Jupiter. At the time the image was taken, the spacecraft was about 8,648 miles (13,917 kilometers) from the tops of the clouds of the planet at a latitude of -32.6 degrees. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21775

The efficacy of musical emotions provoked by Mozart's music for the reconciliation of cognitive dissonance

PubMed Central

Masataka, Nobuo; Perlovsky, Leonid

2012-01-01

Debates on the origin and function of music have a long history. While some scientists argue that music itself plays no adaptive role in human evolution, others suggest that music clearly has an evolutionary role, and point to music's universality. A recent hypothesis suggested that a fundamental function of music has been to help mitigating cognitive dissonance, which is a discomfort caused by holding conflicting cognitions simultaneously. It usually leads to devaluation of conflicting knowledge. Here we provide experimental confirmation of this hypothesis using a classical paradigm known to create cognitive dissonance. Results of our experiment reveal that the exposure to Mozart's music exerted a strongly positive influence upon the performance of young children and served as basis by which they were enabled to reconcile the cognitive dissonance. PMID:23012648

On being a (modern) scientist: risks of public engagement in the UK interspecies embryo debate.

PubMed

Porter, James; Williams, Clare; Wainwright, Steven; Cribb, Alan

2012-12-01

In 2006, a small group of UK academic scientists made headlines when they proposed the creation of interspecies embryos - mixing human and animal genetic material. A public campaign was fought to mobilize support for the research. Drawing on interviews with the key scientists involved, this paper argues that engaging the public through communicating their ideas via the media can result in tensions between the necessity of, and inherent dangers in, scientists campaigning on controversial issues. Some scientists believed that communicating science had damaged their professional standing in the eyes of their peers, who, in turn, policed the boundaries around what they believed constituted a "good" scientist. Tensions between promoting "science" versus promotion of the "scientist;" engaging the public versus publishing peer-reviewed articles and winning grants; and building expectations versus overhyping the science reveal the difficult choices scientists in the modern world have to make over the potential gains and risks of communicating science. We conclude that although scientists' participation in public debates is often encouraged, the rewards of such engagement remain. Moreover, this participation can detrimentally affect scientists' careers.

45 CFR 9.4 - Criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION USE OF HHS RESEARCH FACILITIES BY ACADEMIC... of the academic scientist, or engineer, or student, with the prospect of fruitful interchange of ideas and information between Department personnel and the academic scientist, or engineer, or student...

45 CFR 9.4 - Criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION USE OF HHS RESEARCH FACILITIES BY ACADEMIC... of the academic scientist, or engineer, or student, with the prospect of fruitful interchange of ideas and information between Department personnel and the academic scientist, or engineer, or student...

45 CFR 9.4 - Criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION USE OF HHS RESEARCH FACILITIES BY ACADEMIC... of the academic scientist, or engineer, or student, with the prospect of fruitful interchange of ideas and information between Department personnel and the academic scientist, or engineer, or student...

45 CFR 9.4 - Criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... Department of Health and Human Services GENERAL ADMINISTRATION USE OF HHS RESEARCH FACILITIES BY ACADEMIC... of the academic scientist, or engineer, or student, with the prospect of fruitful interchange of ideas and information between Department personnel and the academic scientist, or engineer, or student...

45 CFR 9.4 - Criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION USE OF HHS RESEARCH FACILITIES BY ACADEMIC... of the academic scientist, or engineer, or student, with the prospect of fruitful interchange of ideas and information between Department personnel and the academic scientist, or engineer, or student...

The future of space medicine.

PubMed

Nicogossian, A; Pober, D

2001-01-01

In November 2000, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and its partners in the International Space Station (ISS) ushered in a new era of space flight: permanent human presence in low-Earth orbit. As the culmination of the last four decades of human space flight activities. the ISS focuses our attention on what we have learned to date. and what still must be learned before we can embark on future exploration endeavors. Space medicine has been a primary part of our past success in human space flight, and will continue to play a critical role in future ventures. To prepare for the day when crews may leave low-Earth orbit for long-duration exploratory missions, space medicine practitioners must develop a thorough understanding of the effects of microgravity on the human body, as well as ways to limit or prevent them. In order to gain a complete understanding and create the tools and technologies needed to enable successful exploration. space medicine will become even more of a highly collaborative discipline. Future missions will require the partnership of physicians, biomedical scientists, engineers, and mission planners. This paper will examine the future of space medicine as it relates to human space exploration: what is necessary to keep a crew alive in space, how we do it today, how we will accomplish this in the future, and how the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) plans to achieve future goals.

Earth System Grid II (ESG): Turning Climate Model Datasets Into Community Resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, D.; Middleton, D.; Foster, I.; Nevedova, V.; Kesselman, C.; Chervenak, A.; Bharathi, S.; Drach, B.; Cinquni, L.; Brown, D.; Strand, G.; Fox, P.; Garcia, J.; Bernholdte, D.; Chanchio, K.; Pouchard, L.; Chen, M.; Shoshani, A.; Sim, A.

2003-12-01

High-resolution, long-duration simulations performed with advanced DOE SciDAC/NCAR climate models will produce tens of petabytes of output. To be useful, this output must be made available to global change impacts researchers nationwide, both at national laboratories and at universities, other research laboratories, and other institutions. To this end, we propose to create a new Earth System Grid, ESG-II - a virtual collaborative environment that links distributed centers, users, models, and data. ESG-II will provide scientists with virtual proximity to the distributed data and resources that they require to perform their research. The creation of this environment will significantly increase the scientific productivity of U.S. climate researchers by turning climate datasets into community resources. In creating ESG-II, we will integrate and extend a range of Grid and collaboratory technologies, including the DODS remote access protocols for environmental data, Globus Toolkit technologies for authentication, resource discovery, and resource access, and Data Grid technologies developed in other projects. We will develop new technologies for (1) creating and operating "filtering servers" capable of performing sophisticated analyses, and (2) delivering results to users. In so doing, we will simultaneously contribute to climate science and advance the state of the art in collaboratory technology. We expect our results to be useful to numerous other DOE projects. The three-year R&D program will be undertaken by a talented and experienced team of computer scientists at five laboratories (ANL, LBNL, LLNL, NCAR, ORNL) and one university (ISI), working in close collaboration with climate scientists at several sites.

Formulating the American Geophysical Union's Scientific Integrity and Professional Ethics Policy: Challenges and lessons learned: Chapter 8

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gundersen, Linda C.; Townsend, Randy

2017-01-01

Creating an ethics policy for a large, diverse geosciences organization is a challenge, especially in the midst of the current contentious dialogue in the media related to such issues as climate change, sustaining natural resources, and responding to natural hazards. In 2011, the American Geophysical Union (AGU) took on this challenge, creating an Ethics Task Force to update their ethics policies to better support their new Strategic Plan and respond to the changing scientific research environment. Dialogue with AGU members and others during the course of creating the new policy unveiled some of the following issues to be addressed. Scientific results and individual scientists are coming under intense political and public scrutiny, with the efficacy of the science being questioned. In some cases, scientists are asked to take sides and/or provide opinions on issues beyond their research, impacting their objectivity. Pressure related to competition for funding and the need to publish high quality and quantities of papers has led to recent high profile plagiarism, data fabrication, and conflict of interest cases. The complexities of a continuously advancing digital environment for conducting, reviewing, and publishing science has raised concerns over the ease of plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, inappropriate peer review, and the need for better accessibility of data and methods. Finally, students and scientists need consistent education and encouragement on the importance of ethics and integrity in scientific research. The new AGU Scientific Integrity and Ethics Policy tries to address these issues and provides an inspirational code of conduct to encourage a responsible, positive, open, and honest scientific research environment.

Taking the Scientist's Perspective. The Nonfiction Narrative Engages Episodic Memory to Enhance Students' Understanding of Scientists and Their Practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larison, Karen D.

2018-03-01

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States 2013) mandates that schools provide students an understanding of the skills and knowledge that scientists use to engage in scientific practices. In this article, I argue that one of the best ways to accomplish this goal is to have students take the perspective of the scientist by reading nonfiction narratives written by scientists and science writers. I explore the anthropological and neurological evidence that suggests that perspective-taking is an essential component in the learning process. It has been shown that by around age 4, the human child begins to be able to take the perspective of others—a process that neuroscientists have shown engages episodic memory, a memory type that some neurocognitive scientists believe is central in organizing human cognition. Neuroscientists have shown that the brain regions in which episodic memory resides undergo pronounced anatomical changes during adolescence, suggesting that perspective-taking assumes an even greater role in cognition during adolescence and young adulthood. Moreover, I argue that the practice of science itself is narrative in nature. With each new observation and experiment, the scientist is acting to reveal an emerging story. It is the story-like nature of science that motivates the scientist to push onward with new experiments and new observations. It is also the story-like nature of the practice of science that can potentially engage the student. The classroom studies that I review here confirm the power of the narrative in increasing students' understanding of science.

Development of lunar nomenclature. [conference of international scientists

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Menzel, D. H.

1973-01-01

A system of unification and standardization for lunar nomenclature was developed. The following recommendations were made for use in future lunar cartography: (1) satellite craters, previously designated by letters will be named; (2) names will no longer be restricted to scientists, but will also include great contributors to human knowledge and human culture; and (3) a system of grids for dividing the moon into 144 regions and subdividing these regions into 2304 provinces will be used.

ASK Florida; a climate change education professional development program for middle school teachers in Florida

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weihs, R. R.

2012-12-01

A series of professional development workshops covering the fundamentals of climate change have been developed and facilitated for two groups of middle school science teachers in three Florida counties. The NASA-supported joint venture between Florida State University's Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies (COAPS) and the University of South Florida's (USF's) Coalition for Science Literacy, ASK Florida, focuses on expanding and deepening teachers' content knowledge of a wide range of climate change topics, connecting local and regional changes to the global picture, and supporting classroom implementation and effective teaching practices. Education experts from USF, climate scientists from COAPS, and Hillsborough county teachers and science coaches coordinated and developed the workshop content, which is based on Florida's Next Generation Sunshine State Standards in science, science curriculum guides for 6th grade, and teacher interest. Several scientists have facilitated activities during the workshop, including professors in meteorology and climatology, research scientists in the field, a NOAA program manager, the state climatologists for Florida, and others. Having these climate scientists present during the workshop provides teachers an opportunity to interact directly with the scientists and gain insight into the climatology field. Additionally, we host an open-forum discussion panel during which teachers can ask the experts about any topics of interest. Activities are designed to enhance the scientific skill level of the teachers. Introductory activities reinforce teachers' abilities to distinguish facts from opinions and to evaluate sources. Other activities provide hands-on experience using actual scientific data from NASA and other agencies. For example, teachers analyze precipitation data to create distributions of Florida rainfall, examine sea level trends at various locations, identify Atlantic hurricane frequencies during the phases of ENSO, and create maps of climate data available on the MYNASADATA web portal. The human aspect of climate change is addressed by discussing anthropological influences such as land use changes. In addition, we examine scientific and public use and interpretation of climate models, scenarios, and projections, and explore adaptation and mitigation strategies for Florida-specific climate projections. Pedagogy is incorporated throughout the workshops to demonstrate how the content and activities can be adapted for their students. Furthermore, we support educators in overcoming obstacles associated with teaching global and regional climate change. This program targets teachers from Title-I schools because students from these schools are typically underrepresented in the STEM fields. Additionally, classroom technology is often limited; therefore, it is important to adapt resources so they can be used in the classroom with or without computers. Activities are presented through an inquiry-based format to encourage knowledge acquisition and discovery similar to that occurring in the actual scientific field. Finally, we prepare teachers to address apathetic or antiscientific sentiments their students may have about climate change by identifying the background issues and ideology and developing strategies to make the content more relevant to their students' lives.

Focusing educational initiatives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parks, George K.

1990-01-01

The United States will soon be facing a critical shortage of aerospace scientists and engineers. To address this problem, Space Grant Colleges can assist in focusing interest in existing educational initiatives and in creating new educational opportunities, particularly for women and underrepresented minorities.

Conversion: Kennedy Plan to Change Research Priorities Approved

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shapley, Deborah

1972-01-01

Describes the main import of Senate Bill 32 which includes measures to assist the retraining and employment of scientists and engineers and broadens the purposes of the National Science Foundation by creating the Civil Science Systems Administration. (AL)

Kenaf and bioremediation in Azerbaijan

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Scientists, businesses, and the Azerbaijan government are bringing together two ancient natural resources, petroleum and kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.), to create a balance between economic growth and environmental reclamation. Oil and kenaf have been used for over 2000 years. Although oil continu...

What can scientific practice look like in a classroom? Insights from scientists' critique of high school students' climate change argumentation practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walsh, E.; McGowan, V. C.

2015-12-01

The Next Generation Science Standards promote a vision in which learners engage in authentic knowledge in practice to tackle personally consequential science problems in the classroom. However, there is not yet a clear understanding amongst researchers and educators of what authentic practice looks like in a classroom and how this can be accomplished. This study explores these questions by examining interactions between scientists and students on a social media platform during two pilot enactments of a project-based curriculum focusing on the ecological impacts of climate change. During this unit, scientists provided feedback to students on infographics, visual representations of scientific information meant to communicate to an audience about climate change. We conceptualize the feedback and student work as boundary objects co-created by students and scientists moving between the school and scientific contexts, and analyze the structure and content of the scientists' feedback. We find that when giving feedback on a particular practice (e.g. argumentation), scientists would provide avenues, critiques and questions that incorporated many other practices (e.g. data analysis, visual communication); thus, scientists encouraged students to participate systemically in practices instead of isolating one particular practice. In addition, scientists drew attention to particular habits of mind that are valued in the scientific community and noted when students' work aligned with scientific values. In this way, scientists positioned students as capable of participating "scientifically." While traditionally, incorporating scientific inquiry in a classroom has emphasized student experimentation and data generation, in this work, we found that engaging with scientists around established scientific texts and data sets provided students with a platform for developing expertise in other important scientific practices during argment construction.

Involving Scientists in Outreach: Incentives, Barriers, and Recommendations from Research Findings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melton, G.; Laursen, S.; Andrews, E.; Weaver, A.; Hanley, D.; Shamatha, J. H.

2004-12-01

Public agencies that fund scientific research are increasingly requiring that researchers invest some of their funding in education or outreach activities that have a "broader impact." Yet barriers exist that inhibit scientists' motivation to participate in K-12 outreach. We will share findings from a quantitative and qualitative study that examined the motivations, rewards, and obstacles for scientists who participate in outreach. We found that most researchers became interested in doing outreach out of a desire to contribute and an expectation of having fun and enjoying the experience. They typically gave outreach presentations away from work, acted as a resource for school teachers, or helped with teacher professional development. However, scientists viewed outreach as a form of volunteer work that was auxiliary to their other responsibilities. Thus, time constraints, a lack of information about outreach opportunities, and the lower value placed on outreach by departments constituted significant barriers to their participation. Scientists involved in outreach typically found their efforts to be rewarding, but occasionally factors left a negative impression, such as poor audience response, classroom management difficulties, organizational problems, or demonstrations not going as planned. Based upon our findings, we offer recommendations on how scientists' participation and experiences in K-12 outreach can be improved, including how to successfully recruit scientists, create a positive outreach experience, and increase institutional support for outreach work.

Social Media and Science: where do we go from here?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bohon, W.; Robinson, S.; Arrowsmith, R.; Semken, S. C.

2013-12-01

What is black and white and 'read' all over? Facebook, that's what. As of December 2012 Facebook had over 618 million daily users, and over a billion monthly users from around the world (http://newsroom.fb.com/Key-Facts). Twitter has more than 130 million active users and generates as many as 340 million Tweets a day (http://blog.twitter.com/2012/03/twitter-turns-six.html). Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter are not the future of communication, they are the reality, and scientists (and science organizations) need to become part of the conversation. More than half of the teenage and adult population of the US belongs to a social network or are using another form of social media on a regular basis. This creates an opportunity for organizations to use the well-established functionality and pervasiveness of social media platforms to communicate important scientific information and discoveries. In addition, the informal environment of social media allows scientists to interact with non-scientists in a friendly and non-threatening way that can be used to create engagement scenarios that continue the cycle of discussions, experiments, analysis and conclusions that typify science. Social media also provides scientists with the means and opportunity to improve the way science is viewed by the public while improving general science literacy and integrating scientific discoveries into the fabric of the lives of non-scientists. Many questions remain regarding the best way to utilize the opportunities that social media present. For instance, how can we reach a broader, more diverse audience? What are realistic expectations about the effects of social media? How do we improve the quality of content? How can we use social media to communicate scientific information in innovative ways? And perhaps most importantly, how do we know if we are communicating successfully? The EarthScope National Office will share our experiences creating a social media program from the ground up, and address some of these important, fundamental questions. We'll also share our opinions and thoughts about the future of online scientific communication, the ever-changing role of social media in communicating scientific discoveries and ways that the community can work together to enhance the role of social media in science.

Scientists, Spirituality and Education for Life.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harlen, Wynne

1986-01-01

In August 1985, almost 300 scientists and science educators came together in Bangalore, India, from over 70 different countries, including both developed and developing nations, to take part in a conference on science and technology, education, and future human needs. The conference is described. (RM)

Expedition Earth and Beyond: Engaging Classrooms in Student-Led Research Using NASA Data, Access to Scientists, and Integrated Educational Strategies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graff, P. V.; Stefanov, W. L.; Willis, K. J.; Runco, S.; McCollum, T.; Baker, M.; Lindgren, C.; Mailhot, M.

2011-01-01

Classroom teachers are challenged with engaging and preparing today s students for the future. Activities are driven by state required skills, education standards, and high-stakes testing. Providing educators with standards-aligned, inquiry-based activities that will help them engage their students in student-led research in the classroom will help them teach required standards, essential skills, and help inspire their students to become motivated learners. The Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Education Program, classroom educators, and ARES scientists at the NASA Johnson Space Center created the Expedition Earth and Beyond education program to help teachers promote student-led research in their classrooms (grades 5-14) by using NASA data, providing access to scientists, and using integrated educational strategies.

Navigating translational ecology: Creating opportunities for scientist participation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hallett, Lauren M.; Morelli, Toni; Gerber, Leah R.; Moritz, Max A.; Schwartz, Mark W.; Stephenson, Nathan L.; Tank, Jennifer L.; Williamson, Matthew A.; Woodhouse, Connie A.

2017-01-01

Interest in translational ecology (TE) – a research approach that yields useful scientific outcomes through ongoing collaboration between scientists and stakeholders – is growing among both of these groups. Translational ecology brings together participants from different cultures and with different professional incentives. We address ways to cultivate a culture of TE, such as investing time in understanding one another's decision context and incentives, and outline common entry points to translational research, such as working through boundary organizations, building place-based research programs, and being open to opportunities as they arise. We also highlight common institutional constraints on scientists and practitioners, and ways in which collaborative research can overcome these limitations, emphasizing considerations for navigating TE within current institutional frameworks, but also pointing out ways in which institutions are evolving to facilitate translational research approaches.

Nutrigenomics: Definitions and Advances of This New Science

PubMed Central

Sales, N. M. R.; Pelegrini, P. B.; Goersch, M. C.

2014-01-01

The search for knowledge regarding healthy/adequate food has increased in the last decades among the world population, researchers, nutritionists, and health professionals. Since ancient times, humans have known that environment and food can interfere with an individual's health condition, and have used food and plants as medicines. With the advance of science, especially after the conclusion of the Human Genome Project (HGP), scientists started questioning if the interaction between genes and food bioactive compounds could positively or negatively influence an individual's health. In order to assess this interaction between genes and nutrients, the term “Nutrigenomics” was created. Hence, Nutrigenomics corresponds to the use of biochemistry, physiology, nutrition, genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics, and epigenomics to seek and explain the existing reciprocal interactions between genes and nutrients at a molecular level. The discovery of these interactions (gene-nutrient) will aid the prescription of customized diets according to each individual's genotype. Thus, it will be possible to mitigate the symptoms of existing diseases or to prevent future illnesses, especially in the area of Nontransmissible Chronic Diseases (NTCDs), which are currently considered an important world public health problem. PMID:24795820

Conditioned Place Preference and Aversion for Music in a Virtual Reality Environment

PubMed Central

Molet, Mikaël; Billiet, Gauthier; Bardo, Michael T.

2012-01-01

The use of a virtual reality environment (VRE) enables behavioral scientists to create different spatial contexts in which human participants behave freely, while still confined to the laboratory. In this article, VRE was used to study conditioned place preference (CPP) and aversion (CPA). In Experiment 1, half of the participants were asked to visit a house for two min with consonant music and then they were asked to visit an alternate house with static noise for two min, whereas the remaining participants did the visits in reverse order. In Experiment 2, we used the same design as Experiment 1, except for replacing consonant music with dissonant music. After conditioning in both experiments, the participants were given a choice between spending time in the two houses. In Experiment 1, participants spent more time in the house associated with the consonant music, thus showing a CPP toward that house. In Experiment 2, participants spent less time in the house associated with the dissonant music, thus showing a CPA for that house. These results support VRE as a tool to extend research on CPP/CPA in humans. PMID:23089383

Striving for collaborative science and communication through the Consortium for Research and Education on Emerging Contaminants (CREEC)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, Juliane B.; Battaglin, William A.

2007-01-01

Current analytical capabilities are allowing scientists to identify possible contaminants in the environment that were previously unmonitored or were present at concentrations too low for detection. New scientific evidence about the exposure pathways and potential impacts of some of these compounds on human or environmental health is regularly being published (Woodling et al., 2006; Drewes et al., 2005; Kinney et al., 2006; Gibs et al., 2007; Veldhoen et al., 2006). Recent news headlines have declared potential human health and ecological concerns regarding the occurrence of personal care products and pharmaceuticals in our environment. These are products that we regularly use (or create) in our homes, businesses, farms and industry, including plasticizers, flame retardants, detergents, pesticides and herbicides, antibacterial agents, steroids, antibiotics, and disinfection byproducts. These ‘emerging contaminants’ (ECs) are compounds that have recently been shown to occur widely in one or more environmental media, have been identified as being a potential public health or ecological risk, and yet adequate data are lacking to determine their actual risk (Younos, 2005; Soin and Smagghe, 2007; Hutchinson, 2007).

[Scientists in cartoons: humanizing science].

PubMed

Fioravanti, Carlos Henrique; Andrade, Rodrigo de Oliveira; Marques, Ivan da Costa

2016-01-01

Published daily from 1994 to 2002 in Correio Popular, a Campinas-based newspaper, Os cientistas (The scientists) comic strips produced by Brazilian researchers and journalists presented science critically and irreverently, exposing the insecurities and frustrations of scientists, as well as the conflicts between them and their communication difficulties with other groups, like journalists. This article shows the diversity of personalities, subjects, graphic styles, and potential meanings in a sample of comic strips published in the first four years.

Reaching for the cloud: on the lessons learned from grid computing technology transfer process to the biomedical community.

PubMed

Mohammed, Yassene; Dickmann, Frank; Sax, Ulrich; von Voigt, Gabriele; Smith, Matthew; Rienhoff, Otto

2010-01-01

Natural scientists such as physicists pioneered the sharing of computing resources, which led to the creation of the Grid. The inter domain transfer process of this technology has hitherto been an intuitive process without in depth analysis. Some difficulties facing the life science community in this transfer can be understood using the Bozeman's "Effectiveness Model of Technology Transfer". Bozeman's and classical technology transfer approaches deal with technologies which have achieved certain stability. Grid and Cloud solutions are technologies, which are still in flux. We show how Grid computing creates new difficulties in the transfer process that are not considered in Bozeman's model. We show why the success of healthgrids should be measured by the qualified scientific human capital and the opportunities created, and not primarily by the market impact. We conclude with recommendations that can help improve the adoption of Grid and Cloud solutions into the biomedical community. These results give a more concise explanation of the difficulties many life science IT projects are facing in the late funding periods, and show leveraging steps that can help overcoming the "vale of tears".

Tools You Can Use! E/PO Resources for Scientists and Faculty to Use and Contribute To: EarthSpace and the NASA SMD Scientist Speaker’s Bureau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buxner, Sanlyn; Shupla, C.; CoBabe-Ammann, E.; Dalton, H.; Shipp, S.

2013-10-01

The Planetary Science Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) Forum has helped to create two tools that are designed to help scientists and higher-education science faculty make stronger connections with their audiences: EarthSpace, an education clearinghouse for the undergraduate classroom; and NASA SMD Scientist Speaker’s Bureau, an online portal to help bring science - and scientists - to the public. Are you looking for Earth and space science higher education resources and materials? Come explore EarthSpace, a searchable database of undergraduate classroom materials for faculty teaching Earth and space sciences at both the introductory and upper division levels! In addition to classroom materials, EarthSpace provides news and information about educational research, best practices, and funding opportunities. All materials submitted to EarthSpace are peer reviewed, ensuring that the quality of the EarthSpace materials is high and also providing important feedback to authors. Your submission is a reviewed publication! Learn more, search for resources, join the listserv, sign up to review materials, and submit your own at http://www.lpi.usra.edu/earthspace. Join the new NASA SMD Scientist Speaker’s Bureau, an online portal to connect scientists interested in getting involved in E/PO projects (e.g., giving public talks, classroom visits, and virtual connections) with audiences! The Scientist Speaker’s Bureau helps educators and institutions connect with NASA scientists who are interested in giving presentations, based upon the topic, logistics, and audience. The information input into the database will be used to help match scientists (you!) with the requests being placed by educators. All Earth and space scientists funded by NASA - and/or engaged in active research using NASA’s science - are invited to become part of the Scientist Speaker’s Bureau. Submit your information into the short form at http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/speaker.

Diseases of comfort: primary cause of death in the 22nd century.

PubMed

Choi, Bernard C K; Hunter, David J; Tsou, Walter; Sainsbury, Peter

2005-12-01

The world has started to feel the impact of a global chronic disease epidemic, which is putting pressure on our health care systems. If uncurbed, a new generation of "diseases of comfort" (such as those chronic diseases caused by obesity and physical inactivity) will become a major public health problem in this and the next century. To describe the concept, causes, and prevention and control strategies of diseases of comfort. Brokered by a senior research scientist specialised in knowledge translation, a chair, a president, and a past president of national public health associations contributed their views on the subject. Diseases of comfort have emerged as a price of living in a modern society. It is inevitable that these diseases will become more common and more disabling if human "progress" and civilisation continue toward better (more comfortable) living, without necessarily considering their effects on health. Modern technology must be combined with education, legislation, intersectoral action, and community involvement to create built and social environments that encourage, and make easy, walking, physical activity, and nutritious food choices, to reduce the health damaging effects of modern society for all citizens and not only the few. Public health needs to be more passionate about the health issues caused by human progress and adopt a health promotion stance, challenging the assumptions behind the notion of social "progress" that is giving rise to the burden of chronic disease and developing the skills to create more health promoting societies in which individual health thrives.

Floating Forests: Validation of a Citizen Science Effort to Answer Global Ecological Questions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenthal, I.; Byrnes, J.; Cavanaugh, K. C.; Haupt, A. J.; Trouille, L.; Bell, T. W.; Rassweiler, A.; Pérez-Matus, A.; Assis, J.

2017-12-01

Researchers undertaking long term, large-scale ecological analyses face significant challenges for data collection and processing. Crowdsourcing via citizen science can provide an efficient method for analyzing large data sets. However, many scientists have raised questions about the quality of data collected by citizen scientists. Here we use Floating-Forests (http://floatingforests.org), a citizen science platform for creating a global time series of giant kelp abundance, to show that ensemble classifications of satellite data can ensure data quality. Citizen scientists view satellite images of coastlines and classify kelp forests by tracing all visible patches of kelp. Each image is classified by fifteen citizen scientists before being retired. To validate citizen science results, all fifteen classifications are converted to a raster and overlaid on a calibration dataset generated from previous studies. Results show that ensemble classifications from citizen scientists are consistently accurate when compared to calibration data. Given that all source images were acquired by Landsat satellites, we expect this consistency to hold across all regions. At present, we have over 6000 web-based citizen scientists' classifications of almost 2.5 million images of kelp forests in California and Tasmania. These results are not only useful for remote sensing of kelp forests, but also for a wide array of applications that combine citizen science with remote sensing.

Finding Common Ground Between Earth Scientists and Evangelical Christians

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grant Ludwig, L.

2015-12-01

In recent decades there has been some tension between earth scientists and evangelical Christians in the U.S., and this tension has spilled over into the political arena and policymaking on important issues such as climate change. From my personal and professional experience engaging with both groups, I find there is much common ground for increasing understanding and communicating the societal relevance of earth science. Fruitful discussions can arise from shared values and principles, and common approaches to understanding the world. For example, scientists and Christians are engaged in the pursuit of truth, and they value moral/ethical decision-making based on established principles. Scientists emphasize the benefits of research "for the common good" while Christians emphasize the value of doing "good works". Both groups maintain a longterm perspective: Christians talk about "the eternal" and geologists discuss "deep time". Both groups understand the importance of placing new observations in context of prior understanding: scientists diligently reference "the literature" while Christians quote "chapter and verse". And members of each group engage with each other in "fellowship" or "meetings" to create a sense of community and reinforce shared values. From my perspective, earth scientists can learn to communicate the importance and relevance of science more effectively by engaging with Christians in areas of common ground, rather than by trying to win arguments or debates.

TERRA Education and Public Outreach: Bringing Earth Science Resources to the Public, Students, Educators, and Citizen Scientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, N.; Thome, K. J.; Bounoua, L.; Owen, T.

2014-12-01

Leaping advances in the capability to accurately measure global atmospheric and surficial conditions from space have created an abundance of educationally relevant images, discoveries, and products. In attempt to fully utilize these abundant resources, TERRA has allocated a portion of its mission toward education and public outreach. From highly interactive websites allowing users to view the latest satellite images and discoveries, to partnerships with museums encouraging enhanced primary and secondary scholastic experiences, TERRA has successfully applied a multifaceted range of tools to aid in the furthering of education for students, educators, scientists, and the general public. This presentation aims to increase publicity regarding these many methods of outreach, and to highlight particular outreach success stories. With the increasing emphasis on STEM education in current school systems, the invaluable resources and opportunities that TERRA provides for young scientists have become a necessity and will continue to help inspire the next generation of Earth Scientists.

Educating Students on the Need to Protect Authentic Science in Public Policy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grifo, F.; McCarthy, M.; Langlais, C.

2008-12-01

Scientists have an important responsibility to be sure their students are aware of the ways in which their research results can be politicized and misused. Political interference in science has penetrated deeply into the culture and practices of federal agencies. The persistent and energetic engagement of scientists is critical to ensuring the government meets its obligation to serve the public interest. To foster thoughtful discussions about the proper role of science in federal policy making, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) has created a Scientific Integrity Curriculum Guide to help graduate, undergraduate and advanced high school instructors teach this complex subject. The guide is a fully developed lesson plan that teachers in both scientific and non-scientific disciplines can tailor to suit their needs. It provides lecture slides, worksheets, homework assignments, essay suggestions, and links to other resources. Educating the next generation of scientists is essential because significant and long-lasting reforms require the support of a well- informed scientific community.

Facial appearance affects science communication.

PubMed

Gheorghiu, Ana I; Callan, Mitchell J; Skylark, William J

2017-06-06

First impressions based on facial appearance predict many important social outcomes. We investigated whether such impressions also influence the communication of scientific findings to lay audiences, a process that shapes public beliefs, opinion, and policy. First, we investigated the traits that engender interest in a scientist's work, and those that create the impression of a "good scientist" who does high-quality research. Apparent competence and morality were positively related to both interest and quality judgments, whereas attractiveness boosted interest but decreased perceived quality. Next, we had members of the public choose real science news stories to read or watch and found that people were more likely to choose items that were paired with "interesting-looking" scientists, especially when selecting video-based communications. Finally, we had people read real science news items and found that the research was judged to be of higher quality when paired with researchers who look like "good scientists." Our findings offer insights into the social psychology of science, and indicate a source of bias in the dissemination of scientific findings to broader society.

U.S. Geological Survey Science at the Intersection of Health and Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kimball, S. M.; Plumlee, G. S.

2016-12-01

People worldwide worry about how their environment affects their health, and expect scientists to help address these concerns. The OneHealth concept recognizes the crucial linkages between environment, human health, and health of other organisms. Many US Geological Survey science activities directly examine or help inform how the Earth and the environment influence toxicological and infectious diseases. Key is our ability to bring to bear a collective expertise in environmental processes, geology, hydrology, hazards, microbiology, analytical chemistry, ecosystems, energy/mineral resources, geospatial technologies, and other disciplines. Our science examines sources, environmental transport and fate, biological effects, and human exposure pathways of many microbial (e.g. bacteria, protozoans, viruses, fungi), inorganic (e.g. asbestos, arsenic, lead, mercury) and organic (e.g. algal toxins, pesticides, pharmaceuticals) contaminants from geologic, anthropogenic, and disaster sources. We develop new laboratory, experimental, and field methods to analyze, model, and map contaminants, to determine their baseline and natural background levels, and to measure their biological effects. We examine the origins, environmental persistence, wildlife effects, and potential for transmission to humans of pathogens that cause zoonotic or vector-borne diseases (e.g., avian influenza or West Nile virus). Collaborations with human health scientists from many organizations are essential. For example, our work with epidemiologists and toxicologists helps understand the exposure pathways and roles of geologically sourced toxicants such as arsenic (via drinking water) and asbestos (via dusts) in cancer. Work with pulmonologists and pathologists helps clarify the sources and fate of inhaled mineral particles in lungs. Wildlife health scientists help human health scientists assess animals as sentinels of human disease. Such transdisciplinary science is essential at the intersection of health and environment.

Human Issues in Human Rights

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kates, Robert W.

1978-01-01

Presents the report of the National Academy of Sciences' Committee in Human Rights which seeks to ease the plight of individual scientists, engineers, and medical personnel suffering severe repression. Case studies of instances of negligence of human rights are provided. (CP)

The effect of historical, non-fiction, trade books on third-grade students' perceptions of scientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farland, Donna Lynn

Researchers do not know what, if any, specific influence such stereotypical images have on the shaping of children's perceptions in science (Schibeci & Sorenson, 1983), but the indications are that stereotypical images translate into negative perceptions of science. Commonly held stereotypic images are in direct opposition to what students should understand about science as identified by the National Science Education Standards (1996) in which learning about 'Science as a Human Endeavor' begins as early as grades K--4. Nationally, many schools are moving toward kit-based science instruction, which generally consists of a series of guided discovery activities that lead children toward description and understanding of scientific phenomena. It is proposed that by supplementing these kits with historical, non-fiction, trade books, children will gain a broader understanding of the diversity of scientists, their work, and the variety of places science is done. No studies, to date, have been conducted to examine students' understanding of the concepts included in 'Science as a Human Endeavor' as they receive kit-based science instruction. This research has been designed to answer the following question: Does the inclusion of historical, non-fiction, trade books, presenting scientists as people working with or developing an idea, as part of kit-based science instruction influence third grade students' representations of the contemporary scientist and his/her work? It was found that students who were read historical, non-fiction, trade books in conjunction with kit-based instruction demonstrated significant differences in their drawings of scientists from those produced by students who were not exposed to the trade books with respect to two criteria; appearance of scientists, and the activity performed by scientists. This study also revealed that students were able to maintain the improvement in their representations of scientists four weeks after the intervention had ended. This study indicates that there is a need for explicit teaching of the concepts of 'Science as a Human Endeavor'. It is suggested that historical, non-fiction, trade books provide the means by which third grade students gain a broader understanding of who does science and what their work involves. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Creating Useable Science? Policy Plays a Vital Role

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hooke, W. H.

2006-12-01

According to the International Council for Science (ICSU), the greatest challenge facing 21st century science is the widening gap between the advance of science and society's ability to use it. A recently constituted ICSU panel on natural and human-induced environmental disasters has a corollary charge: to better understand why, despite advances in scientific understanding of the natural and social causes for disasters, disaster losses continue to mount. If the gap between science and society's ability to use it is indeed widening, then we as individual scientists ought to be concerned, because the challenge threatens the social contract we've enjoyed for decades: the ability to pursue curiosity-driven research, relatively unfettered, and handsomely supported by a taxpaying public on the premise that the benefits will more than exceed the costs. We also ought to care on purely humanitarian grounds: A range of social ills: poverty, environmental despoliation, disease, and many more desperately call for help from science. Over the years, scientists have responded. Investments in applied research, systems development, technology transfer, rapid prototyping, decision support tools, community-based research and extension services, and other efforts to reconcile the supply and demand for science all attempt to accelerate societal benefit from science and technology. A new breed of experts, known variously as bridgers, information brokers, translators, or interpreters, is emerging to facilitate this work. Additionally, cost-benefit analyses and other socio- economic research can help prioritize science and technology based on likely societal utility. Such efforts are necessary. Are they sufficient? So far, the work has proven demanding, the support has been minimal, and improvements have been uneven and incremental at best. Moreover, the benefits of science (though they can be characterized) are not fundamental constants, but vary considerably, depending upon the prevailing policy framework at all levels of government. Some illustrations, e.g., electricity deregulation and water resource management, readily show the contrast. In the future, scientists, policy makers, and the public will have to collaborate more effectively if scientific advance is to rapidly improve the human condition.

The alliance between feminists and researchers. Meeting women's unmet needs.

PubMed

Barroso, C

1993-01-01

There are four reasons why it is important to build an alliance between women activists and scientists in order to improve the quality of life for women throughout the world. First of all, feminists, such as Margaret Sanger, create the social climate that supports research and counteracts negative influences. Feminists can also mobilize against the indifference with which policy-makers consider population policies. This alliance can also increase the ultimate effectiveness of the range of technologies developed because women's health advocates can draw attention to realities of women's lives and thus contribute to improvement of research and development strategies. Finally, feminists can help scientists create conditions for the implementation of high ethical standards which bridge the gap in sophistication between researchers and subjects, achieve true informed consent, fight against a paternalistic hierarchical approach, and improve the adequacy of screening and follow-up. Collaboration among women and scientists can be enhanced by improving mutual understanding through improved dialogue and by fostering a willingness to share decision-making power. In two areas, improved dialogue has not yet produced significant shifts in priority. First of all, the scientific community has failed to respond to demands for better protection against sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS. Secondly, women's concerns about the delivery of services have not yet been taken seriously. Systemic, long-lasting, and provider-dependent methods of contraception still receive the greatest attention despite serious quality of care issues and potential abuse. Such methods may also increase the vulnerability of women to infection. The difficulties posed by forging the alliance between women and scientists, however, should not deter meeting the challenge.

Student Planetary Investigators: A Program to Engage Students in Authentic Research Using NASA Mission Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hallau, K.; Turney, D.; Beisser, K.; Edmonds, J.; Grigsby, B.

2015-12-01

The Student Planetary Investigator (PI) Program engages students in authentic scientific research using NASA mission data. This student-focused STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) program combines problem-based learning modules, Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) aligned curriculum, and live interactive webinars with mission scientists to create authentic research opportunities and career-ready experiences that prepare and inspire students to pursue STEM occupations. Primarily for high school students, the program employs distance-learning technologies to stream live presentations from mission scientists, archive those presentations to accommodate varied schedules, and collaborate with other student teams and scientists. Like its predecessor, the Mars Exploration Student Data Team (MESDT) program, the Student PI is free and open to teams across the country. To date, students have drafted research-based reports using data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Mini-RF instrument and the MESSENGER Mercury orbiter, with plans to offer similar programs aligned with additional NASA missions in the future pending available funding. Overall, the program has reached about 600 students and their educators. Assessments based on qualitative and quantitative data gathered for each Student PI program have shown that students gain new understanding about the scientific process used by real-world scientists as well as gaining enthusiasm for STEM. Additionally, it is highly adaptable to other disciplines and fields. The Student PI program was created by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) Space Department Education and Public Outreach office with support from NASA mission and instrument science and engineering teams.

Joint Knowledge Generation Between Climate Science and Infrastructure Engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoner, A. M. K.; Hayhoe, K.; Jacobs, J. M.

2015-12-01

Over the past decade the engineering community has become increasingly aware of the need to incorporate climate projections into the planning and design of sensitive infrastructure. However, this is a task that is easier said than done. This presentation will discuss some of the successes and hurdles experiences through the past year, from a climate scientist's perspective, working with engineers in infrastructure research and applied engineering through the Infrastructure & Climate Network (ICNet). Engineers rely on strict building codes and ordinances, and can be the subject of lawsuits if those codes are not followed. Matters are further complicated by the uncertainty inherent to climate projections, which include short-term natural variability, as well as the influence of scientific uncertainty and even human behavior on the rate and magnitude of change. Climate scientists typically address uncertainty by creating projections based on multiple models following different future scenarios. This uncertainty is difficult to incorporate into engineering projects, however, due to the fact that they cannot build two different bridges, one allowing for a lower amount of change, and another for a higher. More often than not there is a considerable difference between the costs of building two such bridges, which means that available funds often are the deciding factor. Discussions of climate science are often well received with engineers who work in the research area of infrastructure; going a step further, however, and implementing it in applied engineering projects can be challenging. This presentation will discuss some of the challenges and opportunities inherent to collaborations between climate scientists and transportation engineers, drawing from a range of studies including truck weight restrictions on roads during the spring thaw, and bridge deck performance due to environmental forcings.

Crisis Communication during Natural Disasters: Meeting Real and Perceived Needs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, L.

2017-12-01

When significant natural disasters strike, our modern information-driven society turns to scientists, demanding information about the event. As part of their civic duty scientists respond, recognizing how the scientific information could be used to improve response to the disaster and reduce losses. However, what we often find is that the demand for information is not for improved response but to satisfy psychological, often subconscious needs. Human beings evolved our larger brains to better survive against larger and stronger predators. Recognizing that a movement of grass and the lack of birdsong means that a predator is hiding would in turn mean a greater likelihood of having progeny. Our ability to theorize comes from the need to create patterns in the face of danger that will keep us safe. From wondering about someone's exercise habits when we hear they have a heart attack, to blaming hurricane victims for not heeding evacuation orders even if they had no means to evacuate, we respond to disasters by trying to make a pattern that means that we will not suffer the same fate. Much of the demand for information after a natural disaster is a search for these patterns. Faced with a random distribution, many people still make patterns that can reduce their anxiety. The result is that meanings are ascribed to the information that is not supported by the data and was not part of the communication as intended by the scientist. The challenge for science communicators is to recognize this need and present the information is a way that both reduces the anxiety that arises from a lack of knowledge or uncertainty while making clear what patterns can or cannot be made about future risks.

[Citizens' veillance on environmental health through ICT and Genomics].

PubMed

Tallacchini, Mariachiara; Biggeri, Annibale

2014-01-01

In the last decade three different phenomena have merged: the widespread use of ICT devices to collect and potentially share personal and scientific data, and to build networked communities; biobanking for genomics, namely the organized storage of human biological samples and information; and the collaboration between scientists and citizens in creating knowledge, namely peer-production of knowledge, for shared social goals. These different forms of knowledge, technical tools, and skills have merged in community based scientific and social, as well as legal, initiatives, where scientists and citizens use genetic information and ICT as powerful ways to gain more control over their health and the environment. These activities can no longer be simply qualified as epidemiological research and surveillance. Instead, they can be framed as new forms of citizens' participatory "veillance:" an attitude of cognitive proactive alertness towards the protection of common goods. This paper illustrates two Italian case-studies where citizens and scientists, by making use of both ICT and biobanking, have joined with the goal of protecting environmental health in highly polluted contexts. The statute of these initiatives still needs to be defined as to both the validity of the underlying citizen science and the lack of adequate legal tools for structuring them. However, as to their scientific quality and use of sophisticated technologies, these activities cannot be compared to previous experiences, such as those inspired by so-called popular epidemiology. Moreover, the deep awareness towards the data to be transparent, reliable, and accessible, as well as towards funding mechanisms to be crowdsourced, allows these experiences to go beyond the mere confrontation with institutional knowledge, and to represent a potential model for knowledge production for institutional implementation.

Arctic Warming as News - Perils and Possibilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Revkin, A. C.

2015-12-01

A science journalist in his 30th year covering human-driven climate change, including on three Arctic reporting trips, reflects on successes and setbacks as news media, environmentalists and Arctic communities have tried to convey the significance of polar change to a public for which the ends of the Earth will always largely be a place of the imagination.Novel challenges are arising in the 24/7 online media environment, as when a paper by a veteran climate scientist proposing a mechanism for abrupt sea-level rise became a big news story before it was accepted by the open-review journal to which it had been submitted. New science is digging in on possible connections between changing Arctic sea ice and snow conditions and disruptive winter weather in more temperate northern latitudes, offering a potential link between this distant region and the lives of ordinary citizens. As cutting-edge research, such work gets substantial media attention. But, as with all new areas of inquiry, uncertainty dominates - creating the potential for distracting the public and policymakers from the many aspects of anthropogenic climate change that are firmly established - but, in a way, boring because of that.With the challenges, there are unprecedented opportunities for conveying Arctic science. In some cases, researchers on expeditions are partnering with media, offering both scientists and news outlets fresh ways to convey the story of Arctic change in an era of resource constraints.Innovative uses of crittercams, webcams, and satellite observations offer educators and interested citizens a way to track and appreciate Arctic change. But more can be done to engage the public directly without the news media as an intermediary, particularly if polar scientists or their institutions test some of the established practices honed by more experienced communicators at NASA.

Crowdsourcing Science to Promote Human Health: New Tools to Promote Sampling of Mosquito Populations by Citizen Scientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boger, R. A.; Low, R.; Jaroensutasinee, M.; Jaroensutasinee, K.; Sparrow, E. B.; Costosa, J. I.; Medina, J.; Randolph, G.

2015-12-01

GLOBE in Thailand and GLOBE in Africa independently developed citizen science protocols for collecting and analyzing mosquito larvae. These protocols have been piloted in several workshops and implemented in schools. Data collected have been used for several secondary, undergraduate and graduate student research studies. Over this past year, 2015, these protocols have been synthesized into one protocol that will be made available to the world-wide community through the GLOBE website (www.globe.gov). This new protocol is designed to be flexible in the mosquito species that can be collected and the types of environments sampled (e.g., containers in and around the house, ponds, irrigation ditches in a rice paddy field). Plans are underway to enable web-based data entry and mobile apps for data collection and submission. Once everything is finalized, a GLOBE field campaign will be initiated for citizen scientists to collect meaningful data on where different types of mosquito larvae are found and how the abundance and distribution is changing seasonally. To assist in the standardization of data collection and quality control, training slides are being developed and will be made available in early 2016. This will enable a wider participation of citizen scientists to participate in this effort to collect mosquito data by making it easier to become part of the GLOBE community. As with mosquito larvae, training slides are being created for hydrosphere, biosphere, atmosphere, and pedosphere GLOBE measurement protocols. The development of the mosquito protocol and the training slides are in direct response to the GLOBE community's desire to increase citizen science participation beyond primary and secondary schools, in observing and measuring environmental change.

Computer analysis of digital sky surveys using citizen science and manual classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuminski, Evan; Shamir, Lior

2015-01-01

As current and future digital sky surveys such as SDSS, LSST, DES, Pan-STARRS and Gaia create increasingly massive databases containing millions of galaxies, there is a growing need to be able to efficiently analyze these data. An effective way to do this is through manual analysis, however, this may be insufficient considering the extremely vast pipelines of astronomical images generated by the present and future surveys. Some efforts have been made to use citizen science to classify galaxies by their morphology on a larger scale than individual or small groups of scientists can. While these citizen science efforts such as Zooniverse have helped obtain reasonably accurate morphological information about large numbers of galaxies, they cannot scale to provide complete analysis of billions of galaxy images that will be collected by future ventures such as LSST. Since current forms of manual classification cannot scale to the masses of data collected by digital sky surveys, it is clear that in order to keep up with the growing databases some form of automation of the data analysis will be required, and will work either independently or in combination with human analysis such as citizen science. Here we describe a computer vision method that can automatically analyze galaxy images and deduce galaxy morphology. Experiments using Galaxy Zoo 2 data show that the performance of the method increases as the degree of agreement between the citizen scientists gets higher, providing a cleaner dataset. For several morphological features, such as the spirality of the galaxy, the algorithm agreed with the citizen scientists on around 95% of the samples. However, the method failed to analyze some of the morphological features such as the number of spiral arms, and provided accuracy of just ~36%.

NASA Design Projects at UC Berkeley for NASA's HEDS-UP Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuznetz, Lawrence

1998-01-01

Missions to Mars have been a topic for study since the advent of the space age. But funding has been largely reserved for the unmanned probes such as Viking, Pathfinder and Global Surveyer. Financial and political constraints have relegated human missions, on the other hand, to backroom efforts such as the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) of 1989-1990. With the new found enthusiasm from Pathfinder and the meteorite ALH84001, however, there is renewed interest in human exploration of Mars. This is manifest in the new Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) program that NASA has recently initiated. This program, through its University Projects (HEDS-UP) office has taken the unusual step of soliciting creative solutions from universities. For its part in the HEDS-UP program, the University of California at Berkeley was asked to study the issues of Habitat design, Space Suits for Mars, Environmental Control and Life Support Systems, Countermeasures to Hypogravity and Crew Size/Mix. These topics were investigated as design projects in "Mars by 2012", an on-going class for undergraduates and graduate students. The methodology of study was deemed to be as important as the design projects themselves and for that we were asked to create an Interactive Design Environment. The Interactive Design Environment (IDE) is an electronic "office" that allows scientists and engineers, as well as other interested parties, to interact with and critique engineering designs as they progress. It usually takes the form of a website that creates a "virtual office" environment. That environment is a place where NASA and others can interact with and critique the university designs for potential inclusion in the Mars Design Reference Mission.

76 FR 36931 - National Institute of Mental Health; Notice of Closed Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-23

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health National Institute of Mental... clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. Name of Committee: National Institute of Mental Health..., Mental Health Research Grants; 93.281, Scientist Development Award, Scientist Development Award for...

Mulptiple Sclerosis, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment and Latest NIH Research | NIH MedlinePlus the Magazine

MedlinePlus

... Multiple Sclerosis: Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment and Latest NIH Research Past Issues / Spring 2012 Table of Contents Symptoms ... my MS will ever go away? Latest NIH Research Scientists continue their extensive efforts to create new ...

GIS FOR QA PROFESSIONALS

EPA Science Inventory

GIS scientists and QA Professionals have combined their efforts to create this one day course that provides the QA community with a basic understanding of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The course emphasizes the QA Aspects of GIS so that the QA Professional is better prep...

Scenario Analysis of the Impact on Drinking Water Intakes from Bromide in the Discharge of Treated Oil and Gas Wastewater

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA scientists created different scenarios for conventional commercial wastewater treatment plants that treat oil and gas wastewaters to evaluate the impact from bromide in discharges by the CWTP plants.

Genetic Engineering: and the Law

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Australian Journal of Mental Retardation, 1977

1977-01-01

In a transcript from a radio show, Nobel Prize Winner Sir Macfarlane Burnet stresses the critical need for scientists to regulate their own activities in genetic research and cites the potential danger of creating a new form of polio which might escape. (CL)

Communicating and countering misconceptions about the scientific consensus on human-caused global warming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cook, J.

2016-12-01

A number of studies have sought to quantify the level of agreement among climate scientists on human-caused global warming. This has included surveys of the scientific community, analyses of public declarations about climate change and analyses of peer-reviewed climate papers. This body of research has found that the level of consensus increases with expertise in climate science, culminating in 97% agreement among publishing climate scientists. Despite this robust finding, there is a significant gap between public perception of scientific consensus and the overwhelming agreement among climate scientists. This "consensus gap" is due in large part to a persistent, focused campaign to manufacture doubt about the scientific consensus by opponents of climate action. This campaign has employed non-expert spokespeople, magnified the small minority of dissenting scientists and exploited the journalistic norm of balance to generate the impression of an equal debate among scientists. Given the importance of perceived consensus as a "gateway belief" influencing a number of climate beliefs and attitudes, it is imperative that climate communicators close the consensus gap. This can be achieved by communicating the 97% consensus and explaining the techniques used to cast doubt on the consensus.

Exploration Science Opportunities for Students within Higher Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bailey, Brad; Minafra, Joseph; Schmidt, Gregory

2016-10-01

The NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) is a virtual institute focused on exploration science related to near-term human exploration targets, training the next generation of lunar scientists, and education and public outreach. As part of the SSERVI mission, we act as a hub for opportunities that engage the public through education and outreach efforts in addition to forming new interdisciplinary, scientific collaborations.SSERVI provides opportunities for students to bridge the scientific and generational gap currently existing in the planetary exploration field. This bridge is essential to the continued international success of scientific, as well as human and robotic, exploration.The decline in funding opportunities after the termination of the Apollo missions to the Moon in the early 1970's produced a large gap in both the scientific knowledge and experience of the original lunar Apollo researchers and the resurgent group of young lunar/NEA researchers that have emerged within the last 15 years. One of SSERVI's many goals is to bridge this gap through the many networking and scientific connections made between young researchers and established planetary principle investigators. To this end, SSERVI has supported the establishment of NextGen Lunar Scientists and Engineers group (NGLSE), a group of students and early-career professionals designed to build experience and provide networking opportunities to its members. SSERVI has also created the LunarGradCon, a scientific conference dedicated solely to graduate and undergraduate students working in the lunar field. Additionally, SSERVI produces monthly seminars and bi-yearly virtual workshops that introduce students to the wide variety of exploration science being performed in today's research labs. SSERVI also brokers opportunities for domestic and international student exchange between collaborating laboratories as well as internships at our member institutions. SSERVI provides a bridge that is essential to the continued international success of scientific, as well as human and robotic, exploration.

Germline Editing: Editors Cautionary.

PubMed

Krishan, K; Kanchan, T; Singh, B; Baryah, N; Puri, S

2018-01-01

This communication is regarding the recent editing of the genome of the human embryo with CRISPR/Cas9 which generated a debate amongst the biological scientists around the world. Editing human germline genes may act as godsend in some serious genetic and other disorders as the genes related to these disorders can be replaced effectively. The scientists are in dilemma whether the human germline gene modification is a boon or bane for the human society. Though editing human germline genes may be an answer to many serious genetic disorders however; it may have unpredictable effects on future generations. The ethical issues regarding the germline editing need further discussion which may have implications on human race and on-going human evolution. Thus, the researchers need to be doubly cautious and some stringent regulations should be framed regarding the various aspects of germ line gene modifications and any potential conflict with nature for future outcome.

Teaching peers to talk to peers: the time has come for science to create a respectable, full-time career track for "peer-peer communication teachers".

PubMed

Rodríguez, Armando Chapin

2012-11-01

Scientists should learn to communicate effectively with their colleagues through long-term, sustained training instead of ad hoc, one-off "interventions" that may or may not occur during graduate school or postdoctoral work. Since such training may place unreasonable demands on research advisors, institutions should create career opportunities for "peer-peer communication teachers." Copyright © 2012 WILEY Periodicals, Inc.

On being a (modern) scientist: risks of public engagement in the UK interspecies embryo debate

PubMed Central

Porter, James; Williams, Clare; Wainwright, Steven; Cribb, Alan

2012-01-01

In 2006, a small group of UK academic scientists made headlines when they proposed the creation of interspecies embryos – mixing human and animal genetic material. A public campaign was fought to mobilize support for the research. Drawing on interviews with the key scientists involved, this paper argues that engaging the public through communicating their ideas via the media can result in tensions between the necessity of, and inherent dangers in, scientists campaigning on controversial issues. Some scientists believed that communicating science had damaged their professional standing in the eyes of their peers, who, in turn, policed the boundaries around what they believed constituted a “good” scientist. Tensions between promoting “science” versus promotion of the “scientist;” engaging the public versus publishing peer-reviewed articles and winning grants; and building expectations versus overhyping the science reveal the difficult choices scientists in the modern world have to make over the potential gains and risks of communicating science. We conclude that although scientists' participation in public debates is often encouraged, the rewards of such engagement remain. Moreover, this participation can detrimentally affect scientists' careers. PMID:23293548

Consolidated Human Activity Database (CHAD) for use in human exposure and health studies and predictive models

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA scientists have compiled detailed data on human behavior from 22 separate exposure and time-use studies into CHAD. The database includes more than 54,000 individual study days of detailed human behavior.

Real Science, Real Learning: Bridging the Gap Between Scientists, Educators and Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, Y.

2006-05-01

Today as never before, America needs its citizens to be literate in science and technology. Not only must we only inspire a new generation of scientists and engineers and technologists, we must foster a society capable of meeting complex, 21st-century challenges. Unfortunately, the need for creative, flexible thinkers is growing at a time when our young students are lagging in science interest and performance. Over the past 17 years, the JASON Project has worked to link real science and scientists to the classroom. This link provide viable pipeline to creating the next generation scientists and researchers. Ultimately, JASON's mission is to improve the way science is taught by enabling students to learn directly from leading scientists. Through partnerships with agencies such as NOAA and NASA, JASON creates multimedia classroom products based on current scientific research. Broadcasts of science expeditions, hosted by leading researchers, are coupled with classroom materials that include interactive computer-based simulations, video- on-demand, inquiry-based experiments and activities, and print materials for students and teachers. A "gated" Web site hosts online resources and provides a secure platform to network with scientists and other classrooms in a nationwide community of learners. Each curriculum is organized around a specific theme for a comprehensive learning experience. It may be taught as a complete package, or individual components can be selected to teach specific, standards-based concepts. Such thematic units include: Disappearing Wetlands, Mysteries of Earth and Mars, and Monster Storms. All JASON curriculum units are grounded in "inquiry-based learning." The highly interactive curriculum will enable students to access current, real-world scientific research and employ the scientific method through reflection, investigation, identification of problems, sharing of data, and forming and testing hypotheses. JASON specializes in effectively applying technology in science education by designing animated interactive visualizations that promote student understanding of complex scientific concepts and systems (Rieber, 1990, 1996). JASON's experience in utilizing the power of simulation technology has been widely recognized for its effectiveness in exciting and engaging students in science learning by independent evaluations of JASON's multimedia science curriculum (Ba et al., 2001; Goldenberg et al., 2003). The data collected indicates that JASON's science products have had a positive impact on students' science learning, have positively influenced their perceptions of scientists and of becoming scientists, and have helped diverse students grasp a deeper understanding of complex scientific content, concepts and technologies.

Guidance for Considering and Using Open Literature Toxicity Studies to Support Human Health Risk Assessment

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This guidance was developed to assist OPP scientists and is intended for use in OPP’s risk assessments. It is intended to ensure consistent consideration, use, and documentation of information in the open literature by OPP scientists and risk assessors.

Science and the Humanities: Stephen Jay Gould's Quest to Join the High Table

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruse, Michael

2013-01-01

Stephen Jay Gould was a scientist, a paleobiologist, who was also a professional-level historian of science. This essay explores Gould's work, showing how he used the history of science to further his agenda as a working scientist.

Challenges of Global Change for Lakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seekell, D.

2016-12-01

Lakes comprise a tiny fraction of Earth's surface, but contribute significantly to human life and wellbeing. Many lakes are disappearing due to climate change and water diversions, and there are widespread disruptions to ecosystem processes due to human influences. For example, pollution by nutrients and toxic chemicals causes toxicity to humans, livestock, fish, and wildlife. Lake desiccation reduces economic opportunity and food security, displacing entire communities. Understanding these changes at the global scale, and their implications for human societies, are a key challenges for aquatic scientists. In this talk, I will use results from my research to highlight some of the key uncertainties related to global change and lakes, as well as recent developments by aquatic scientists aimed at predicting, mitigating, and coping with these changes.

Online matchmaking: It's not just for dating sites anymore! Connecting the Climate Voices Science Speakers Network to Educators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wegner, K.; Herrin, S.; Schmidt, C.

2015-12-01

Scientists play an integral role in the development of climate literacy skills - for both teachers and students alike. By partnering with local scientists, teachers can gain valuable insights into the science practices highlighted by the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), as well as a deeper understanding of cutting-edge scientific discoveries and local impacts of climate change. For students, connecting to local scientists can provide a relevant connection to climate science and STEM skills. Over the past two years, the Climate Voices Science Speakers Network (climatevoices.org) has grown to a robust network of nearly 400 climate science speakers across the United States. Formal and informal educators, K-12 students, and community groups connect with our speakers through our interactive map-based website and invite them to meet through face-to-face and virtual presentations, such as webinars and podcasts. But creating a common language between scientists and educators requires coaching on both sides. In this presentation, we will present the "nitty-gritty" of setting up scientist-educator collaborations, as well as the challenges and opportunities that arise from these partnerships. We will share the impact of these collaborations through case studies, including anecdotal feedback and metrics.

Training scientists as future industry leaders: teaching translational science from an industry executive’s perspective

PubMed Central

Lee, Gloria; Kranzler, Jay D; Ramasamy, Ravichandran; Gold-von Simson, Gabrielle

2018-01-01

PhDs and post-doctoral biomedical graduates, in greater numbers, are choosing industry based careers. However, most scientists do not have formal training in business strategies and venture creation and may find senior management positions untenable. To fill this training gap, “Biotechnology Industry: Structure and Strategy” was offered at New York University School of Medicine (NYUSOM). The course focuses on the business aspects of translational medicine and research translation and incorporates the practice of business case discussions, mock negotiation, and direct interactions into the didactic. The goal is to teach scientists at an early career stage how to create solutions, whether at the molecular level or via the creation of devices or software, to benefit those with disease. In doing so, young, talented scientists can develop a congruent mindset with biotechnology/industry executives. Our data demonstrates that the course enhances students’ knowledge of the biotechnology industry. In turn, these learned skills may further encourage scientists to seek leadership positions in the field. Implementation of similar courses and educational programs will enhance scientists’ training and inspire them to become innovative leaders in the discovery and development of therapeutics. PMID:29657853

Online Matchmaking: It's Not Just for Dating Sites Anymore! Connecting the Climate Voices Science Speakers Network to Educators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wegner, Kristin; Herrin, Sara; Schmidt, Cynthia

2015-01-01

Scientists play an integral role in the development of climate literacy skills - for both teachers and students alike. By partnering with local scientists, teachers can gain valuable insights into the science practices highlighted by the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), as well as a deeper understanding of cutting-edge scientific discoveries and local impacts of climate change. For students, connecting to local scientists can provide a relevant connection to climate science and STEM skills. Over the past two years, the Climate Voices Science Speakers Network (climatevoices.org) has grown to a robust network of nearly 400 climate science speakers across the United States. Formal and informal educators, K-12 students, and community groups connect with our speakers through our interactive map-based website and invite them to meet through face-to-face and virtual presentations, such as webinars and podcasts. But creating a common language between scientists and educators requires coaching on both sides. In this presentation, we will present the "nitty-gritty" of setting up scientist-educator collaborations, as well as the challenges and opportunities that arise from these partnerships. We will share the impact of these collaborations through case studies, including anecdotal feedback and metrics.

Charting the map of life.

PubMed Central

Schmidt, C W

2001-01-01

Scientists expect that mapping the human genome will lead to a host of innovations in biology and research. For example, it may become possible to use DNA microarrays to accurately diagnose cancer and infectious disease subtypes and to predict clinical outcomes. Scientists might also use the genome to look at the interactions of the environment, genetic makeup, and toxic exposures, including the ability of certain beneficial genes to detoxify the body and resist disease. But despite the great potential of the field of genomics, scientists caution that public expectations need to be tempered by reality. People are as much a product of their environment as they are of their genes, say experts, and to suggest that genetics is the sole determinant that defines humans as individuals stretches the science beyond the current data. PMID:11171541

Strategies to improve water productivity in a water-stressed future

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In the fiscal years 2011 through 2014, ARS scientists and engineers made substantial progress in addressing research problems related to improving water productivity and creating new knowledge, products and outcomes to improve American agricultural production, efficiency of resource use, safety and ...

Center for Clinical Services Research, California.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Findley, Foster

2001-01-01

Highlights Stanford University's 220,000 square-foot Center for Clinical Sciences, the design of which represents a high-quality architectural departure from the old building styles and creates an elegant, solar-protected gathering place for scientists. Includes photographs, sectional drawing, and site plan. (GR)

Switch on Micro*scope!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roland, Sarah; Bahr, Michele; Olendzenski, Lorraine; Patterson, David J.

2005-01-01

Scientists at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, have created micro*scope, a free, searchable knowledge environment for exploring the microbial world. Microbiology can easily be incorporated into the curriculum, because microbial communities are easy to access. Organisms grow quickly, making certain arrays of…

Enabling Scientists: Serving Sci-Tech Library Users with Disabilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coonin, Bryna

2001-01-01

Discusses how librarians in scientific and technical libraries can contribute to an accessible electronic library environment for users with disabilities to ensure independent access to information. Topics include relevant assistive technologies; creating accessible Web pages; monitoring accessibility of electronic databases; preparing accessible…

Soil and Culture

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Editors Ed Landa and Christian Feller have assembled an international ensemble cast of writers, artists, historians, philosophers, and scientists of broad perspective to create a book of truly fascinating reading for any soils enthusiast. When so little we see in print is truly new or original, Soil...

Building Ocean Learning Communities: A COSEE Science and Education Partnership

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robigou, V.; Bullerdick, S.; Anderson, A.

2007-12-01

The core mission of the Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE) is to promote partnerships between research scientists and educators through a national network of regional and thematic centers. In addition, the COSEEs also disseminate best practices in ocean sciences education, and promote ocean sciences as a charismatic interdisciplinary vehicle for creating a more scientifically literate workforce and citizenry. Although each center is mainly funded through a peer-reviewed grant process by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the centers form a national network that fosters collaborative efforts among the centers to design and implement initiatives for the benefit of the entire network and beyond. Among these initiatives the COSEE network has contributed to the definition, promotion, and dissemination of Ocean Literacy in formal and informal learning settings. Relevant to all research scientists, an Education and Public Outreach guide for scientists is now available at www.tos.org. This guide highlights strategies for engaging scientists in Ocean Sciences Education that are often applicable in other sciences. To address the challenging issue of ocean sciences education informed by scientific research, the COSEE approach supports centers that are partnerships between research institutions, formal and informal education venues, advocacy groups, industry, and others. The COSEE Ocean Learning Communities, is a partnership between the University of Washington College of Ocean and Fishery Sciences and College of Education, the Seattle Aquarium, and a not-for-profit educational organization. The main focus of the center is to foster and create Learning Communities that cultivate contributing, and ocean sciences-literate citizens aware of the ocean's impact on daily life. The center is currently working with volunteer groups around the Northwest region that are actively involved in projects in the marine environment and to empower these diverse groups including research scientists, formal and informal educators, business representatives, and non-profit groups to identify ocean-related problems, and develop solutions to share with their own communities. COSEE OLC practices and studies the skills of developing these collaborations.

Sky Fest: A Model of Successful Scientist Participation in E/PO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dalton, H.; Shipp, S. S.; Shaner, A. J.; LaConte, K.; Shupla, C. B.

2014-12-01

Participation in outreach events is an easy way for scientists to get involved with E/PO and reach many people with minimal time commitment. At the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) in Houston, Texas, the E/PO team holds Sky Fest outreach events several times a year. These events each have a science content theme and include several activities for children and their parents, night sky viewing through telescopes, and scientist presentations. LPI scientists have the opportunity to participate in Sky Fest events either by helping lead an activity or by giving the scientist presentation (a short lecture and/or demonstration). Scientists are involved in at least one preparation meeting before the event. This allows them to ask questions, understand what activity they will be leading, and learn the key points that they should be sharing with the public, as well as techniques for effectively teaching members of the public about the event topic. During the event, each activity is run by one E/PO specialist and one scientist, enabling the scientist to learn about effective E/PO practices from the E/PO specialist and the E/PO specialist to get more science information about the event topic. E/PO specialists working together with scientists at stations provides a more complete, richer experience for event participants. Surveys of event participants have shown that interacting one-on-one with scientists is often one of their favorite parts of the events. Interviews with scientists indicated that they enjoyed Sky Fest because there was very little time involved on their parts outside of the actual event; the activities were created and/or chosen by the E/PO professionals, and setup for the events was completed before they arrived. They also enjoyed presenting their topic to people without a background in science, and who would not have otherwise sought out the information that was presented.

NASA life sciences. An improvement in vital signs.

PubMed

Lawler, A

2000-08-04

Last week a hefty Russian module with living and working quarters for astronauts docked with the pieces of the international space station already in orbit, a critical step in creating a full-time orbiting laboratory. Meanwhile, NASA bureaucrats put the finishing touches on a realignment of the agency's struggling biology effort that should bolster fundamental research and allow scientists to make better use of the facility, scheduled to be completed in 2005. The two events raise the hopes of U.S. academic space life scientists that their discipline is at last on the ascent at NASA.

Wartime nuclear weapons research in Germany and Japan.

PubMed

Grunden, Walter E; Walker, Mark; Yamnazaki, Masakatsu

2005-01-01

This article compares military research projects during the Second World War to develop nuclear weapons in Germany and Japan, two countries who lost the war and failed to create nuclear weapons. The performance and motivations of the scientists, as well as the institutional support given the work, is examined, explaining why, in each case, the project went as far as it did-but no further. The story is carried over into the postwar period, when the two cultures and their scientists had to deal with the buildup of nuclear weapons during the cold war and the new nuclear power industry.

Leo Szilard Lecturship Award: How can physicists help the public make better decisions about science and technology?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Primack, Joel

2016-03-01

For more than 40 years the APS has worked to improve governmental decision-making, mainly through the Congressional Science and Technology Fellowship program and through occasional studies of important science and technology issues. How productive have these been? How can the APS and other professional societies more effectively combat anti-science propaganda and help the public develop better-informed views about science and technology? How can individual scientists communicate scientific concepts in a more understandable and engaging way? How can we encourage young scientists and students to participate in creating a scientifically responsible future?

The new world atlas of artificial night sky brightness

PubMed Central

Falchi, Fabio; Cinzano, Pierantonio; Duriscoe, Dan; Kyba, Christopher C. M.; Elvidge, Christopher D.; Baugh, Kimberly; Portnov, Boris A.; Rybnikova, Nataliya A.; Furgoni, Riccardo

2016-01-01

Artificial lights raise night sky luminance, creating the most visible effect of light pollution—artificial skyglow. Despite the increasing interest among scientists in fields such as ecology, astronomy, health care, and land-use planning, light pollution lacks a current quantification of its magnitude on a global scale. To overcome this, we present the world atlas of artificial sky luminance, computed with our light pollution propagation software using new high-resolution satellite data and new precision sky brightness measurements. This atlas shows that more than 80% of the world and more than 99% of the U.S. and European populations live under light-polluted skies. The Milky Way is hidden from more than one-third of humanity, including 60% of Europeans and nearly 80% of North Americans. Moreover, 23% of the world’s land surfaces between 75°N and 60°S, 88% of Europe, and almost half of the United States experience light-polluted nights. PMID:27386582

Langley Research Highlights 1999: Advanced Aerospace Technology Clouds That Help Create the Ozone Hole Capturing Comet Dust

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

This report contains highlights of some of the major accomplishments and applications made by NASA Langley Research Center and its university partners and industry colleagues during 1999. The highlights illustrate the broad range of research and technology activities carried out by NASA Langley and the contributions of this work toward maintaining United States' leadership in aeronautics and space research. The Center's historic national role since 1917 continues in Aerospace Technology research with an additional major role in Earth Science research. Langley also partners closely with other NASA Centers and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Space Science and the Human Exploration and Development of Space. A color version is available at http://larcpubs.larc.nasa.gov/randt/1999/. For further information, contact Dennis Bushnell, Senior Scientist, Mail Stop 110, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia 23681-2199, (757)-864-8987, e-mail address: d.m.bushnell@larc.nasa.gov.

The new world atlas of artificial night sky brightness.

PubMed

Falchi, Fabio; Cinzano, Pierantonio; Duriscoe, Dan; Kyba, Christopher C M; Elvidge, Christopher D; Baugh, Kimberly; Portnov, Boris A; Rybnikova, Nataliya A; Furgoni, Riccardo

2016-06-01

Artificial lights raise night sky luminance, creating the most visible effect of light pollution-artificial skyglow. Despite the increasing interest among scientists in fields such as ecology, astronomy, health care, and land-use planning, light pollution lacks a current quantification of its magnitude on a global scale. To overcome this, we present the world atlas of artificial sky luminance, computed with our light pollution propagation software using new high-resolution satellite data and new precision sky brightness measurements. This atlas shows that more than 80% of the world and more than 99% of the U.S. and European populations live under light-polluted skies. The Milky Way is hidden from more than one-third of humanity, including 60% of Europeans and nearly 80% of North Americans. Moreover, 23% of the world's land surfaces between 75°N and 60°S, 88% of Europe, and almost half of the United States experience light-polluted nights.

Cosmic Origins Program Annual Technology Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pham, Bruce Thai; Neff, Susan Gale

2015-01-01

What is the Cosmic Origins (COR) Program? From ancient times, humans have looked up at the night sky and wondered: Are we alone? How did the universe come to be? How does the universe work? COR focuses on the second question. Scientists investigating this broad theme seek to understand the origin and evolution of the universe from the Big Bang to the present day, determining how the expanding universe grew into a grand cosmic web of dark matter enmeshed with galaxies and pristine gas, forming, merging, and evolving over time. COR also seeks to understand how stars and planets form from clouds in these galaxies to create the heavy elements that are essential to life starting with the first generation of stars to seed the universe, and continuing through the birth and eventual death of all subsequent generations of stars. The COR Programs purview includes the majority of the field known as astronomy, from antiquity to the present.

Program Annual Technology Report: Cosmic Origins Program Office

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pham, Thai; Neff, Susan

2017-01-01

What is the Cosmic Origins (COR) Program? From ancient times, humans have looked up at the night sky and wondered: Are we alone? How did the universe come to be? How does the universe work? COR focuses on the second question. Scientists investigating this broad theme seek to understand the origin and evolution of the universe from the Big Bang to the present day, determining how the expanding universe grew into a grand cosmic web of dark matter enmeshed with galaxies and pristine gas, forming, merging, and evolving over time. COR also seeks to understand how stars and planets form from clouds in these galaxies to create the heavy elements that are essential to life, starting with the first generation of stars to seed the universe, and continuing through the birth and eventual death of all subsequent generations of stars. The COR Programs purview includes the majority of the field known as astronomy.

Creationism and intelligent design.

PubMed

Pennock, Robert T

2003-01-01

Creationism, the rejection of evolution in favor of supernatural design, comes in many varieties besides the common young-earth Genesis version. Creationist attacks on science education have been evolving in the last few years through the alliance of different varieties. Instead of calls to teach "creation science," one now finds lobbying for "intelligent design" (ID). Guided by the Discovery Institute's "Wedge strategy," the ID movement aims to overturn evolution and what it sees as a pernicious materialist worldview and to renew a theistic foundation to Western culture, in which human beings are recognized as being created in the image of God. Common ID arguments involving scientific naturalism, "irreducible complexity," "complex specified information," and "icons of evolution," have been thoroughly examined and refuted. Nevertheless, from Kansas to Ohio to the U.S. Congress, ID continues lobbying to teach the controversy, and scientists need to be ready to defend good evolution education.

International standards for brucellosis prevention and management.

PubMed

Ragan, V; Vroegindewey, G; Babcock, S

2013-04-01

International standards are a crucial element in brucellosis prevention and management. They allow policy-makers, scientists, epidemiologists, laboratories and trade entities to have a common vocabulary for communication and understanding of the disease. These standards cover the entire spectrum of activities from surveillance, testing, prophylaxis, transport and trade to policy development, research and reporting. Developing, adhering to and monitoring standards increases both the effectiveness and efficiency of prevention and management programmes. Creating standards with the input of all stakeholders ensures that the standards do not adversely affect the requirements of any of the multiple parties involved. The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), in conjunction with its Member Countries, and through its standing and ad hoc committees plus expert input, has taken a key leadership role in developing and reviewing brucellosis standards. These standards are used to harmonise testing, prevention processes, vaccines and reporting, to support trade and to protect human and animal health.

Fumed silica nanoparticle mediated biomimicry for optimal cell-material interactions for artificial organ development.

PubMed

de Mel, Achala; Ramesh, Bala; Scurr, David J; Alexander, Morgan R; Hamilton, George; Birchall, Martin; Seifalian, Alexander M

2014-03-01

Replacement of irreversibly damaged organs due to chronic disease, with suitable tissue engineered implants is now a familiar area of interest to clinicians and multidisciplinary scientists. Ideal tissue engineering approaches require scaffolds to be tailor made to mimic physiological environments of interest with specific surface topographical and biological properties for optimal cell-material interactions. This study demonstrates a single-step procedure for inducing biomimicry in a novel nanocomposite base material scaffold, to re-create the extracellular matrix, which is required for stem cell integration and differentiation to mature cells. Fumed silica nanoparticle mediated procedure of scaffold functionalization, can be potentially adapted with multiple bioactive molecules to induce cellular biomimicry, in the development human organs. The proposed nanocomposite materials already in patients for number of implants, including world first synthetic trachea, tear ducts and vascular bypass graft. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Playing Scientist

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Ashley

2012-01-01

Engaging students in the study of genetics is essential to building a deep understanding of heredity, a core idea in the life sciences (NRC 2012). By integrating into the curriculum the stories of famous scientists who studied genetics (e.g., Mendel, Franklin, Watson, and Crick), teachers remind their students that science is a human endeavor.…

As Threats of Violence Escalate, Primate Researchers Stand Firm.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schneider, Alison

1999-01-01

Scientists doing research on primates are increasingly being subjected to threats and acts of violence from animal rights groups. The intimidation has resulted in many laboratories taking extensive security measures. Some scientists claim, however, that there is no surrogate for animal research in understanding human diseases. There are fears that…

Early Primary Invasion Scientists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spellman, Katie V.; Villano, Christine P.

2011-01-01

"We really need to get the government involved," said one student, holding his graph up to USDA scientist Steve Seefeldt. Dr. Steve studies methods to control "invasive" plants, plants that have been introduced to an area by humans and have potential to spread rapidly and negatively affect ecosystems. The first grader and his…

From Daedalus to Mengele: the dark side of human genetics.

PubMed

Müller-Hill, B

1989-01-01

Until recently, the role of scientists in society has been considered sacrosanct. Wherever scientists had been involved in crimes, either the crimes or the quality of science was denied (that is, the science was considered merely pseudoscience). As a result it has been claimed that science can only flourish in democracies but is doomed in other states. So far experience contradicts this opinion. In this paper I discuss the origins of the view that scientists and geneticists in particular, are sacrosanct. I trace it back to the earliest mythological scientists, such as Daedalus and Dr. Faustus. I view the well-known Dr. Mengele as a successor in this tradition.

Science is innate!

DOE PAGES

Gilbert, Jack A.

2014-10-02

I am a professional scientist. What does that mean? I think it is safe to say it means that, to the best of my ability, I apply the scientist method to test hypotheses and gain a clearer understanding of the world around me. Furthermore, I am also a human being, and so when I am asked, as I often am, about how my research findings have influenced my day-to-day activities, I like to take a step back and think about what it means to be a scientist.

Looking for Hazardous Pollutants in Your Kitchen

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Singer, Brett

2013-07-22

For decades, teams of Berkeley Lab scientists have investigated the ways that indoor air quality affects human health. In Berkeley Lab's test kitchen scientist Brett Singer and his team are measuring the pollutants emitted by cooking foods and evaluating how effective various range hoods are in capturing the pollutants. In an unprecedented recent study, the scientists estimated that 60 percent of homes in California that cook at least once a week with a gas stove can reach pollutant levels that would be illegal if found outdoors.

Looking for Hazardous Pollutants in Your Kitchen

ScienceCinema

Singer, Brett

2018-02-14

For decades, teams of Berkeley Lab scientists have investigated the ways that indoor air quality affects human health. In Berkeley Lab's test kitchen scientist Brett Singer and his team are measuring the pollutants emitted by cooking foods and evaluating how effective various range hoods are in capturing the pollutants. In an unprecedented recent study, the scientists estimated that 60 percent of homes in California that cook at least once a week with a gas stove can reach pollutant levels that would be illegal if found outdoors.

In the heat of the moment: Effectively engaging scientists and diverging science in hazard events.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brosnan, D. M.

2015-12-01

Scientists are increasingly called upon to use their expertise to help minimize disasters stemming from natural and human induced hazards ranging from volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis to oil-spills. Decision-makers want scientists who collect and analyze data to be able to predict the likelihood and severity of a hazard occurrence. When there is an event, they look to scientists to find ways to ameliorate the consequences. Science cannot predict with the accuracy sought by scientists and scientists themselves are rarely aware of the cascading consequences that they are being asked to minimize. Importantly too, scientists differ in their interpretation of data and uncertainties. While these differences are the spark of science they are often the bane of disaster decisions. This presentation addresses the applicatoin of science in the midst of hazard crises. Using examples from several global disasters it explores how different techniques to deal with scientific uncertainties and diverging conclusions among scientists has been more or less successful. The presentation addresses methods and opportunities exist for effectively applying science during hazard events.

Science and Software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zelt, C. A.

2017-12-01

Earth science attempts to understand how the earth works. This research often depends on software for modeling, processing, inverting or imaging. Freely sharing open-source software is essential to prevent reinventing the wheel and allows software to be improved and applied in ways the original author may never have envisioned. For young scientists, releasing software can increase their name ID when applying for jobs and funding, and create opportunities for collaborations when scientists who collect data want the software's creator to be involved in their project. However, we frequently hear scientists say software is a tool, it's not science. Creating software that implements a new or better way of earth modeling or geophysical processing, inverting or imaging should be viewed as earth science. Creating software for things like data visualization, format conversion, storage, or transmission, or programming to enhance computational performance, may be viewed as computer science. The former, ideally with an application to real data, can be published in earth science journals, the latter possibly in computer science journals. Citations in either case should accurately reflect the impact of the software on the community. Funding agencies need to support more software development and open-source releasing, and the community should give more high-profile awards for developing impactful open-source software. Funding support and community recognition for software development can have far reaching benefits when the software is used in foreseen and unforeseen ways, potentially for years after the original investment in the software development. For funding, an open-source release that is well documented should be required, with example input and output files. Appropriate funding will provide the incentive and time to release user-friendly software, and minimize the need for others to duplicate the effort. All funded software should be available through a single web site, ideally maintained by someone in a funded position. Perhaps the biggest challenge is the reality that researches who use software, as opposed to develop software, are more attractive university hires because they are more likely to be "big picture" scientists that publish in the highest profile journals, although sometimes the two go together.

Challenges and opportunities in building health research capacity in Tanzania: a case of the National Institute for Medical Research.

PubMed

Magesa, Stephen M; Mwape, Bonard; Mboera, Leonard E G

2011-12-01

Capacity building is considered a priority for health research institutions in developing countries to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. However, in many countries including Tanzania, much emphasis has been directed towards human resources for health with the total exclusion of human resources for health research. The objective of this study was to systematically investigate the capacity building process for the Tanzanian National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) over a 30-year period and identify the challenges and opportunities in creating a critical mass of multi-disciplinary research scientists that is required for achieving the intended health benefits. A desk review of personnel database was conducted for information covering 1980-2009 on academic qualifications, training, research experience and research output. The current staff curriculum vitae (CV) were reviewed to gather information on researchers' employment record, training, training support, area of expertise and scientific output. Interviews were conducted with a cross section of researchers on capacity development aspects using a self-administered questionnaire. In-depth interviews were also conducted with the current and former NIMR Management to seek information on capacity development challenges. A review was also done on staff personal files, annual reports, strategic plans and other occasional documents. A total of 163 CV were assessed; of these, 76.7% (125) were for Research Scientists (RS), 20.9% (34) Laboratory Technologists (LT) and 2.4% (4) for System Analysts. The Institute had 13 research scientists upon its establishment. Since 1980, NIMR has recruited a total of 185 Research Scientists. By 2009, NIMR had a total scientific workforce of 170 staff (RS= 82.4%; LT= 17.6%). Of the 140 RSs, 37 (26.4%), were first degree; 77 (55.5%) second degree while 26 (18.6%) were PhD degree holders. Of the total of 78 researchers interviewed, 55 (70.5%) indicated to have accessed postgraduate training through their personal efforts and 23 through institutional arrangement. Sixty (77%) respondents were satisfied with their tenure at NIMR. Seventy (89%) indicated that they had not at any point considered leaving NIMR. Most (79%) research scientists were recruited while holding a first degree, a few (17%) with second degree while only one (0.7%) holding a PhD degree. NIMR has experienced a research scientist attrition rate of 17.5%. Staff retention factors included availability of training opportunities; passion for conducting research; and good career prospects. Despite having a training programme, the institute has never at any moment been able to hold its own training resources. Being a public research institution, NIMR receives its core funding from the government of the United Republic of Tanzania. The bulk of the funding appears to be spent on personnel emoluments that take up to 85% (mean = 66%) of the allocated budget. In conclusion, the current NIMR's research capacity building is dependent mainly on foreign funding and personal initiatives. There is an urgent need to increase local funding for capacity building and conduct of research. A programme should be put in place to ensure sustainability of the capacity building process.

Creating a Star: The Science of Fusion--Fusion Power Would Not Contribute to Global Warming, Acid Rain, or Other Forms of Air Pollution, nor Would It Create Long-Lived Radioactive Waste

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baird, Stephen L.

2005-01-01

Fusion is the process that powers the sun and the stars. Since the 1950s, scientists and engineers in the United States and around the world have been conducting fusion research in pursuit of the creation of a new energy source for our planet and to further our understanding and control of plasma, the fourth state of matter that dominates the…

A criterion autoscheduler for long range planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sponsler, Jeffrey L.

1994-01-01

A constraint-based scheduling system called SPIKE is used to create long-term schedules for the Hubble Space Telescope. A meta-level scheduler called the Criterion Autoscheduler for Long range planning (CASL) was created to guide SPIKE's schedule generation according to the agenda of the planning scientists. It is proposed that sufficient flexibility exists in a schedule to allow high level planning heuristics to be applied without adversely affected crucial constraints such as spacecraft efficiency. This hypothesis is supported by test data which is described.

DigitalHuman (DH): An Integrative Mathematical Model ofHuman Physiology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hester, Robert L.; Summers, Richard L.; lIescu, Radu; Esters, Joyee; Coleman, Thomas G.

2010-01-01

Mathematical models and simulation are important tools in discovering the key causal relationships governing physiological processes and improving medical intervention when physiological complexity is a central issue. We have developed a model of integrative human physiology called DigitalHuman (DH) consisting of -5000 variables modeling human physiology describing cardiovascular, renal, respiratory, endocrine, neural and metabolic physiology. Users can view time-dependent solutions and interactively introduce perturbations by altering numerical parameters to investigate new hypotheses. The variables, parameters and quantitative relationships as well as all other model details are described in XML text files. All aspects of the model, including the mathematical equations describing the physiological processes are written in XML open source, text-readable files. Model structure is based upon empirical data of physiological responses documented within the peer-reviewed literature. The model can be used to understand proposed physiological mechanisms and physiological interactions that may not be otherwise intUitively evident. Some of the current uses of this model include the analyses of renal control of blood pressure, the central role of the liver in creating and maintaining insulin resistance, and the mechanisms causing orthostatic hypotension in astronauts. Additionally the open source aspect of the modeling environment allows any investigator to add detailed descriptions of human physiology to test new concepts. The model accurately predicts both qualitative and more importantly quantitative changes in clinically and experimentally observed responses. DigitalHuman provides scientists a modeling environment to understand the complex interactions of integrative physiology. This research was supported by.NIH HL 51971, NSF EPSCoR, and NASA

Digital Humanities: What Can Libraries Offer?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wong, Shun Han Rebekah

2016-01-01

The collaborative aspect of digital humanities is one of the core values of the field. Specialists and organizations involved in digital humanities partnerships may include individual scholars focusing on a particular area, multiple scholars across disciplines, computer scientists, or digital humanities centers. Through a quantitative analysis of…

NASA Center for Intelligent Robotic Systems for Space Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

NASA's program for the civilian exploration of space is a challenge to scientists and engineers to help maintain and further develop the United States' position of leadership in a focused sphere of space activity. Such an ambitious plan requires the contribution and further development of many scientific and technological fields. One research area essential for the success of these space exploration programs is Intelligent Robotic Systems. These systems represent a class of autonomous and semi-autonomous machines that can perform human-like functions with or without human interaction. They are fundamental for activities too hazardous for humans or too distant or complex for remote telemanipulation. To meet this challenge, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) has established an Engineering Research Center for Intelligent Robotic Systems for Space Exploration (CIRSSE). The Center was created with a five year $5.5 million grant from NASA submitted by a team of the Robotics and Automation Laboratories. The Robotics and Automation Laboratories of RPI are the result of the merger of the Robotics and Automation Laboratory of the Department of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering (ECSE) and the Research Laboratory for Kinematics and Robotic Mechanisms of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, and Mechanics (ME,AE,&M), in 1987. This report is an examination of the activities that are centered at CIRSSE.

OMIM.org: Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM®), an online catalog of human genes and genetic disorders

PubMed Central

Amberger, Joanna S.; Bocchini, Carol A.; Schiettecatte, François; Scott, Alan F.; Hamosh, Ada

2015-01-01

Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man, OMIM®, is a comprehensive, authoritative and timely research resource of curated descriptions of human genes and phenotypes and the relationships between them. The new official website for OMIM, OMIM.org (http://omim.org), was launched in January 2011. OMIM is based on the published peer-reviewed biomedical literature and is used by overlapping and diverse communities of clinicians, molecular biologists and genome scientists, as well as by students and teachers of these disciplines. Genes and phenotypes are described in separate entries and are given unique, stable six-digit identifiers (MIM numbers). OMIM entries have a structured free-text format that provides the flexibility necessary to describe the complex and nuanced relationships between genes and genetic phenotypes in an efficient manner. OMIM also has a derivative table of genes and genetic phenotypes, the Morbid Map. OMIM.org has enhanced search capabilities such as genome coordinate searching and thesaurus-enhanced search term options. Phenotypic series have been created to facilitate viewing genetic heterogeneity of phenotypes. Clinical synopsis features are enhanced with UMLS, Human Phenotype Ontology and Elements of Morphology terms and image links. All OMIM data are available for FTP download and through an API. MIMmatch is a novel outreach feature to disseminate updates and encourage collaboration. PMID:25428349

Dizziness Can Be a Drag: Coping with Balance Disorders

MedlinePlus

... now in clinical trials, scientists have created a “virtual reality” grocery store. It allows people with balance disorders to walk safely on a treadmill through computer-generated store aisles. While ... reach for items on virtual shelves. By doing this, they safely learn how ...

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fornasiero, Francesco

Aiming to protect soldiers from biological and chemical threats, a team of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory scientists have created a material that is highly breathable yet protective from biological agents. This material is the first key component of futuristic smart uniforms that also will respond to and protect from environmental chemical hazards.

Kenaf and bioremediation in Azerbaijan: Planting locations, plant populations, and varieties

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Scientists, businesses, and the Azerbaijan government are bringing together two ancient natural resources, petroleum and kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.), to create a balance between economic growth and environmental reclamation. Oil and kenaf have been used for over 3000 years. Although oil continu...

Extra-terra incognita: Martian maps in the digital age.

PubMed

Messeri, Lisa

2017-02-01

Science and technology studies (STS) and critical cartography are both asking questions about the ontological fixity of maps and other scientific objects. This paper examines how a group of NASA computer scientists who call themselves The Mapmakers conceptualizes and creates maps in service of different commitments. The maps under construction are those of alien Mars, produced through partnerships that NASA has established with Google and Microsoft. With the goal of bringing an experience of Mars to as many people as possible, these maps influence how we imagine our neighbouring planet. This paper analyzes two attributes of the map, evident in both its representation and the attending cartographic practices: a sense of Mars as dynamic and a desire for a democratic experience of Mars in which up-to-date Mars data can be intuitively accessed not only by scientists but by lay users as well. Whereas a democratic Mars promises users the ability to decide how to interact with the map and understand Mars, dynamic Mars imposes a more singular sense of Mars as a target of continued robotic and maybe even human exploration. Because maps of Mars have a different (and arguably less complex) set of social and political commitments than those of Earth, they help us see how different goals contradict and complement each other in matters of exploration and state-craft relevant both to other worlds and our own.

Whole-Tooth Regeneration: It Takes a Village of Scientists, Clinicians, and Patients

PubMed Central

Snead, Malcolm L.

2008-01-01

A team of senior scientists was formed in 2006 to create a blueprint for the regeneration of whole human teeth along with all of the supporting structure of the dentition. The team included experts from diverse fields, each with a reputation for stellar accomplishment. Participants attacked the scientific issues of tooth regeneration but, more importantly, each agreed to work collaboratively with experts from other disciplines to form a learning organization. A commitment to learn from one another produced a unique interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary team. Inspired by the Kennedy space program to send a man to the moon, with its myriad of problems and solutions that no one discipline could solve, this tooth regeneration team devised an ambitious plan that sought to use stem cell biology, engineering, and computational biology to replicate the developmental program for odontogenesis. In this manner, team members envisioned a solution that consisted of known or knowable fundamentals. They proposed a laboratory-grown tooth rudiment that would be capable of executing the complete program for odontogenesis when transplanted to a suitable host, recreating all of the dental tissues, periodontal ligament, cementum, and alveolar bone associated with the canonical tooth. This plan was designed to bring regenerative medicine fully into the dental surgery suite, although a lack of funding has so far prevented the plan from being carried out. PMID:18676799

Teaching students to think critically about science and origins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seals, Mark A.

2010-03-01

In David Long's article, Scientists at Play in a Field of the Lord, he studies the discourse between a network of regional scientists, atheists, activists and evolutionists at the opening of The Creation Museum on Memorial Day, 2007. This review essay examines the teaching of evolution through the teacher's `lens of empathy' and also considers a `pupil centeredness' approach. As a practicing science educator, I have found it paramount to take into consideration my students' backgrounds and their families' beliefs in order to understand their preconceived notions about the origins of life. By teaching evolution as `a theory with both facts and fallacies' only then does it become an opportunity for critical thinking that fosters growth and risk taking in a safe environment. Most times students hear evolution preached as a one-sided lecture by teachers who believe it's "my way or the highway" and leave little or no room for dialogue. I believe that a teacher's job is to stay updated with current research on the theory of evolution and then present all the information to students in a way that creates personal opportunities for them to adjust their existing schema without demeaning them, their ideas, or their faith or belief system. This not only shows value, compassion and tolerance for them as thinking humans, but also allows them opportunities to develop critical thinking, which helps to shape whom they become as adults.

EOS ART: Six Artistic Projects Inspired by Earth Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kerlow, Isaac

2015-04-01

The six projects produced under the artists' residencies at the Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS) were inspired by Earth science and by the human experience in naturally hazardous regions. These contemporary artworks were created within an interdisciplinary framework that fostered collaborations between artists and scientists. EOS ART was a pilot program that also facilitated the active engagement of regional artists with issues related to Earth science, sustainable societies, and innovative methods for science outreach. An interdisciplinary jury of art critics, curators and Earth scientists selected art projects proposed by regional artists, and funds were awarded to develop and realize the projects. The artworks-including installations, photographs, and video art-were showcased in the "Unearthed" public exhibit at the Singapore Art Museum from March to July of 2014. A 92-page catalog accompanied the show and public seminars about interdisciplinary connections complemented the event. This was a unique example of collaboration between scientific and artistic institutions in Southeast Asia. The paper provides an overview of the motivations, process and accomplished results. The art projects include "Coastline" by Zhang Xiao (China), "Lupang" by Clara Balaguer and Carlos Casas (Philippines and Spain), "Sound of the Earth" by Chen Sai Hua Kuan (Singapore), "Sudden Nature" by Isaac Kerlow (Mexico/USA), "The Possibility of Knowing" by Robert Zhao Renhui (Singapore), and "When Need Moves the Earth" by Sutthirat Supaparinya (Thailand).

Stem cell research and policy in India: current scenario and future perspective.

PubMed

Sharma, Alka

2009-01-01

Stem cell research is an exciting area of biomedical research, with potential to advance cell biology, and other new modalities of treatment for many untreatable diseases. The potential resides in the ability of these cells to develop into many different cell types in the body. In India, efforts are being made on several fronts to promote this area in an integrated way. The main features of the strategy are: explore the full potential of adult and embryonic stem cells (ESCs) through basic and translational research; generate patient specific human ESC lines; enhance creation of animal models for pre-clinical studies; virtual network of Centres; creation institutions; generation of well trained manpower; build partnership with large companies in path-breaking areas; promote closer interactions amongst basic scientists, clinical researchers and the industry. Newer initiatives include: establishment of a dedicated institute for stem cell science and regenerative medicine with its translational units; GMP and clean room facilities in medical schools; creation of a system for multi-centric clinical studies using autologous adult stem cells; national and international training courses for providing training to the students and the young scientists in the both embryonic and adult stem cells; and formulation of guidelines to conduct stem cell research in a responsible and ethically sensitive manner in the country. The core capacity must be nurtured and built to create the required critical mass to have impact.

Strategic investments in non-communicable diseases (NCD) research in Africa: the GSK Africa NCD Open Lab.

PubMed

Hall, Matthew D; Dufton, Ann M; Katso, Roy M; Gatsi, Sally A; Williams, Pauline M; Strange, Michael E

2015-01-01

In March 2014, GSK announced a number of new strategic investments in Africa. One of these included investment of up to 25 million Pounds Sterling (£25 million) to create the world's first R&D Open Lab to increase understanding of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Africa. The vision is to create a new global R&D effort with GSK working in partnership with major funders, academic centres and governments to share expertise and resources to conduct high-quality research. The Africa NCD Open Lab will see GSK scientists collaborate with scientific research centres across Africa. An independent advisory board of leading scientists and clinicians will provide input to develop the strategy and selection of NCD research projects within a dynamic and networked open-innovation environment. It is hoped that these research projects will inform prevention and treatment strategies in the future and will enable researchers across academia and industry to discover and develop new medicines to address the specific needs of African patients.

Characterizing the Background Corona with SDO/AIA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Napier, Kate; Alexander, Caroline; Winebarger, Amy

2014-01-01

Characterizing the nature of the solar coronal background would enable scientists to more accurately determine plasma parameters, and may lead to a better understanding of the coronal heating problem. Because scientists study the 3D structure of the Sun in 2D, any line-of-sight includes both foreground and background material, and thus, the issue of background subtraction arises. By investigating the intensity values in and around an active region, using multiple wavelengths collected from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) over an eight-hour period, this project aims to characterize the background as smooth or structured. Different methods were employed to measure the true coronal background and create minimum intensity images. These were then investigated for the presence of structure. The background images created were found to contain long-lived structures, including coronal loops, that were still present in all of the wavelengths, 131, 171, 193, 211, and 335 A. The intensity profiles across the active region indicate that the background is much more structured than previously thought.

The discovery of the body: human dissection and its cultural contexts in ancient Greece.

PubMed Central

von Staden, H.

1992-01-01

In the first half of the third century B.C, two Greeks, Herophilus of Chalcedon and his younger contemporary Erasistratus of Ceos, became the first and last ancient scientists to perform systematic dissections of human cadavers. In all probability, they also conducted vivisections of condemned criminals. Their anatomical and physiological discoveries were extraordinary. The uniqueness of these events presents an intriguing historical puzzle. Animals had been dissected by Aristotle in the preceding century (and partly dissected by other Greeks in earlier centuries), and, later, Galen (second century A.D.) and others again systematically dissected numerous animals. But no ancient scientists ever seem to have resumed systematic human dissection. This paper explores, first, the cultural factors--including traditional Greek attitudes to the corpse and to the skin, also as manifested in Greek sacred laws--that may have prevented systematic human dissection during almost all of Greek antiquity, from the Pre-Socratic philosopher-scientists of the sixth and fifth centuries B.C. to distinguished Greek physicians of the later Roman Empire. Second, the exceptional constellation of cultural, political, and social circumstances in early Alexandria that might have emboldened Herophilus to overcome the pressures of cultural traditions and to initiate systematic human dissection, is analyzed. Finally, the paper explores possible reasons for the mysteriously abrupt disappearance of systematic human dissection from Greek science after the death of Erasistratus and Herophilus. PMID:1285450

Science, technology and inventions: Children draw their own visions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Addezio, G.; Rubbia, G.; Marsili, A.

2013-12-01

Italian primary schools participated with enthusiasm to the drawing competition 'I'm a scientist too! Science and scientists from the children point of view' organized by the Laboratorio di Didattica e Divulgazione Scientifica of Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) in Rome, Italy. The best drawings were awarded and published in the 2011 school calendar. Children were asked to realize a drawing, choosing among three suggestions: 1) How do you imagine a scientist, and how do you imagine the daily activities of a researcher? 2) What invention do you consider the most important among all those you know? 3) What would you invent? The topic 'invention' (#3) was the most successful. In fact, among the collected 1,000 drawings, 400 drawings depict scientists, nearly 150 depict scientists with their inventions, and other 350 depict inventions alone. A classification scheme was designed in order to synthetically describe this set of images and analyze it. The Draw-A-Scientist scheme, known from literature, was maintained but modified in order to characterize both inventors and inventions. A preliminary analysis about scientists reveals a persistent gender stereotype, since most of depicted persons were male and nearly half of girls draw men scientists. The image of 'mad scientist' is still present but it is mainly related to men. Women scientists are drawn by girls; they are represented as young, not crazy, usually good-looking. There are no particular differences between boys and girls in assigning research fields to scientists. Women scientists are often depicted as assistants, but when alone they are self-confident enough to give their name to an invention or to aspire for Nobel Prize. In this work we present the preliminary analysis performed on drawings containing inventions. What do girls and boys 6 to 11 years old invent? Robots, helping in housekeeping or in doing homework; rockets, space vehicles and time machines, but also fictional machines and hybridized animals, devices helping in human caring or having impact on the environment, for a better quality of life. In general, preferred subjects refer to something useful with respect to things we do in everyday life but also fancy devices, for which imagination runs wild. Inventions can include something useful to individuals or to a community, being something totally new, or already existing, but improved, combined or transformed; being a device or part of the natural environment or of the human body; they can involve several dimensions of living like eating, transporting, entertainment or work. Do girls and boys conceive different inventions? What do they invent with respect to Earth Sciences and natural environment? Which are the relationships with the outreach programs organized and performed by INGV? What arises from children's drawings provides us a direct and unconventional approach to point out how we convey our science - a strategic topic for a suitable future of the humanity - to the players of the world of tomorrow.

International lighting in controlled environments workshop: Proceedings

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1994-12-31

Lighting is a central and critical aspect of control in environmental research for plant research and is gaining recognition as a significant factor to control carefully for animal and human research. Thus this workshop was convened to reevaluate the technology that is available today and to work toward developing guidelines for the most effective use of lighting in controlled environments with emphasis on lighting for plants but also to initiate interest in the development of improved guidelines for human and animal research. There are a number of established guidelines for lighting in human and animal environments. Development of new lightingmore » guidelines is necessary for three reasons: (1) recent scientific discoveries show that in addition to supporting the sensation of vision, light has profound nonvisual biological and behavioral effects in both animals and humans; (2) federal regulations (EPACT 1992) are requiring all indoor environments to become more energy efficient with a specific emphasis on energy conservation in lighting; (3) lighting engineers and manufacturers have developed a wealth of new light sources and lighting products that can be applied in animal and human environments. The workshop was aimed at bringing together plant scientists and physical scientists to interact in the discussions. It involved participation of biological scientists involved in studying mechanisms of light reactions and those involved in utilizing lighting for production of plants and maintenance of animals in controlled environments. It included participation of physical scientists from universities and government involved in research as well as those from industry involved in producing lamps and in construction of controlled growth facilities. Selected papers are indexed separately for inclusion in the Energy Science and Technology Database.« less

Machine Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirrane, Diane E.

1990-01-01

As scientists seek to develop machines that can "learn," that is, solve problems by imitating the human brain, a gold mine of information on the processes of human learning is being discovered, expert systems are being improved, and human-machine interactions are being enhanced. (SK)

Establishing a Community of Practice between an Elementary Educator and a Scientist as a Means of Professional Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dashoush, Nermeen

This dissertation reports on an ethnographic study to examine and detail emerging practices in a community of practice comprised of an elementary teacher and a scientist (microbiologist). The study was conducted in order to design a model for professional development. It also aimed to contribute to the limited research involving elementary educators and their work with scientists. Furthermore, extra attention was given to understanding how both the elementary teacher and the scientist benefitted from their participation in the community of practice created from working together in teaching and learning science as a form of professional development. This was in accordance with a community of practice framework, which details that a healthy community is one without a perception of hierarchy among members (Wenger, 1998). The elementary teacher and scientist as participants collaborated in the creation of a science unit for an afterschool program. A wide variety of data was collected, including: interviews, transcribed meetings, and online journals from both participants. The data was coded for reoccurring themes surrounding practices and shifts in perception about science teaching and learning that emerged from this community of practice as professional development. The findings have implications for practices that could be used as a foundational structure in future collaborations involving elementary teachers and scientists for elementary science professional development.

From here to eternity - the secret of Pharaohs: Therapeutic potential of black cumin seeds and beyond

PubMed Central

Padhye, Subhash; Banerjee, Sanjeev; Ahmad, Aamir; Mohammad, Ramzi; Sarkar, Fazlul H

2008-01-01

Summary Over many centuries humans have been mining the bounties of nature for discovering substances that have been used for the treatment of all human diseases; many such remedies are useful even today as modern day medicine. Emerging evidence also suggests that the search is still continuing for harnessing active compounds from nature in combating human illnesses although pharmaceutical industries are equally active for synthesizing small molecule compounds as novel therapeutics. The lesson learned over many centuries clearly suggests that further sophisticated search for finding compounds from natural resources together with robust characterization and chemical synthesis will lead to the discovery of novel drugs that may have high therapeutic efficacy against all human diseases including cancer. Black cumin seed (Nigella sativa) oil extracts have been used for many centuries for the treatment of many human illnesses, and more recently the active compound found in black seed oil, viz. thymoquinone (TQ) has been tested for its efficacy against several diseases including cancer. However, further research is needed in order to assess the full potential of TQ as a chemopreventive and/or therapeutic agent against cancers. Here, we have summarized what is known regarding the value of black seed oil and its active compound TQ, and how this knowledge will help us to advance further research in this field by creating awareness among scientists and health professionals in order to appreciate the medicinal value of TQ and beyond. PMID:19018291

Water-Energy-Food Nexus: Compelling Issues for Geophysical Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akhbari, M.; Grigg, N. S.; Waskom, R.

2014-12-01

The joint security of water, food, and energy systems is an urgent issue everywhere, and strong drivers of development and land use change, exacerbated by climate change, require new knowledge to achieve integrated solution using a nexus-based approach to assess inter-dependencies. Effective research-based decision support tools are essential to identify the major issues and interconnections to help in implementation of the nexus approach. The major needs are models and data to clearly and unambiguously present decision scenarios to local cooperative groups of farmers, electric energy generators and water officials for joint decisions. These can be developed by integrated models to link hydrology, land use, energy use, cropping simulation, and optimization with economic objectives and socio-physical constraints. The first step in modeling is to have a good conceptual model and then to get data. As the linking of models increases uncertainties, each one should be supplied with adequate data at suitable spatial and temporal resolutions. Most models are supplied with data by geophysical scientists, such as hydrologists, geologists, atmospheric scientists, soil scientists, and climatologists, among others. Outcomes of a recently-completed project to study the water-energy-food nexus will be explained to illuminate the model and data needs to inform future management actions across the nexus. The project included a workshop of experts from government, business, academia, and the non-profit sector who met to define and explain nexus interactions and needs. An example of the findings is that data inconsistencies among sectors create barriers to integrated planning. A nexus-based systems model is needed to outline sectoral inter-dependencies and identify data demands and gaps. Geophysical scientists can help to create this model and take leadership on designing data systems to facilitate sharing and enable integrated management.

Sandscape - engaging people in Met Office science through sand sculpture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liggins, Felicity; Dowell, Ellen; Wardley, Jamie; Jamieson, Claire

2017-04-01

In 2015, the Met Office's award-winning outreach programme, designed to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers, delivered one of its most ambitious and creative activities to date. It explored how scientists and artists can come together to create an engaging experience for young people and families. This activity was called Sandscape. Sandscape is an interactive sand sculpture workshop exploring how weather and climate affect our health. Budding sand sculptors are shown how to fashion elaborate structures from sand and water - creating a landscape with bridges, skyscrapers, forests and factories. As they work, participants are encouraged by the scientists delivering the activity to reflect on what makes a healthy city, considering how the natural and built environments influence air quality and circulation and how this impacts our health. Topics discussed include urban heat islands, air pollution and dispersion modelling, pollen forecasting and predicting the wind-borne spread of animal diseases. Each hour long workshop culminates in a dramatic demonstration that uses dry ice to represent clean air circulating from mountains, along rivers and into cities. Here we present an overview of Sandscape, identify the strengths and challenges of such a collaborative, innovative and playful approach to public engagement and share the results of our evaluation. Sandscape was originally supported by the Met Office and the Wellcome Trust, and produced by Einstein's Garden in collaboration with the Met Office, scientists from the University of Exeter and sand sculptors from Sand in Your Eye. It was first presented in Einstein's Garden at Green Man festival 2015, an independent music and arts festival held annually in Wales, and has since been invited to run at the 2015 Bournemouth Arts By the Sea Festival and Teignmouth's TRAIL Sculpture Festival in the summer of 2016.

How Framing Climate Change Influences Citizen Scientists' Intentions to Do Something about It

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dickinson, Janis L.; Crain, Rhiannon; Yalowitz, Steve; Cherry, Tammy M.

2013-01-01

How we communicate the dangers of climate change may influence attitudes, intentions, and behaviors. Here we test two pairs of positive and negative framing statements with North American citizen scientists interested in gardening and birdwatching. Mentioning dangers for humans did not increase participants' interest in taking personal action on…

Population Biology, Conservation Biology, and the Future of Humanity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ehrlich, Paul R.

1987-01-01

Recounts some of the progress that has been made in the field of population biology. Presents some of the important advances made in the field, along with some of their applications to societal problems. Calls for more cooperation between population scientists and social scientists, and more environmental education for the public. (TW)

Integrating ecological and social knowledge: learning from CHANS research

Treesearch

Bruce Shindler; Thomas A. Spies; John P. Bolte; Jeffrey D. Kline

2017-01-01

Scientists are increasingly called upon to integrate across ecological and social disciplines to tackle complex coupled human and natural system (CHANS) problems. Integration of these disciplines is challenging and many scientists do not have experience with large integrated research projects. However, much can be learned about the complicated process of integration...

Gait Analysis by High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heck, Andre; van Dongen, Caroline

2008-01-01

Human walking is a complicated motion. Movement scientists have developed various research methods to study gait. This article describes how a high school student collected and analysed high quality gait data in much the same way that movement scientists do, via the recording and measurement of motions with a video analysis tool and via…

KSC-03pd1832

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-06-06

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A science briefing on the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) missions is held for the media at Kennedy Space Center. From left, the participants are Donald Savage, NASA Public Information Officer; Dr. Ed Weiler, Associate Administrator for Space Science, NASA Headquarters; Dr. Jim Garvin, Mars lead scientist, NASA Headquarters; Dr. Cathy Weitz, MER program scientist, NASA Headquarters; Dr. Joy Crisp, MER project scientist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory; and Dr. Steve Squyres, Mer principal investigator, Cornell Univeristy, Ithaca, N.Y. NASA's twin Mars Exploration Rovers are designed to study the history of water on Mars. These robotic geologists are equipped with a robotic arm, a drilling tool, three spectrometers, and four pairs of cameras that allow them to have a human-like, 3D view of the terrain. Each rover could travel as far as 100 meters in one day to act as Mars scientists' eyes and hands, exploring an environment where humans are not yet able to go. MER-A is scheduled to launch on June 8 at 2:06 p.m. EDT, with two launch opportunities each day during a launch period that closes on June 24.