| Leadership candidates leave scientists in dark Party and union members have begun voting in the Labour leadership election, but Imran Khan is none the wiser about the candidates' intentions for science and engineeringThe ballot papers are out and the Labour leadership election is entering its final straight. What will the result mean for science and engineering?To find out, the Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE) teamed up with Scientists for Labour (SfL) to ask the five leadership candidates a series of questions focusing on science and the economy, the use of expert advice, and training the researchers of the future. This followed CaSE's own examination of Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg just before the general election.As well as giving us a new leader of the opposition, whose role it will be to hold the coalition to account, the contest will potentially give us a future prime minister. So it's vital that whoever wins appreciates the role of science and engineering to the economy and society.The bad news is that three of the candidates – Diane Abbott, Ed Balls and Andy Burnham – failed to respond to Scientists for Labour, despite having seven weeks in which to do so. The fact that SfL are a highly engaged group for scientists within the Labour party makes the unanswered questions all the more disappointing.But the responses from David and Ed Miliband were promising – if a little vague. You can read the full answers here.David clearly understands the "multiplier effect" of spending on research, development and education, whereby private-sector spending is leveraged by public spending, and he talked up schools specialising in science and engineering.Ed also gets the "false economy" of cuts in research funding, recognising the importance of science and engineering to economic growth, and said he wants to ensure that "policy is thoroughly evidence-based".There will be more specific issues that Labour will have to deal with in detail. Does it still want all students to be able to study GCSE physics, chemistry and biology as three separate subjects? Is it committed to raising the proportion of GDP that the UK spends on research and development?Largely thanks to the efforts of two former science ministers, the widely respected and independently minded Paul Drayson and David Sainsbury, Labour has enjoyed a reputation of being friendly to science. This was tarnished by the sacking of Professor David Nutt towards the end of Labour's final term, but it's a reputation that CaSE hopes the new Labour leader will reinvigorate.Imran Khan is director of the Campaign for Science and Engineering and blogs at The Science Vote Labour party leadershipDavid MilibandEd MilibandScience policyImran Khanguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Melting sea ice forces walruses ashore in Alaska By SETH BORENSTEIN 2010-09-13T22:12:36ZWASHINGTON (AP) -- Tens of thousands of walruses have come ashore in northwest Alaska because the sea ice they normally rest on has melted.... hosted.ap.org |
Study shows progress with stem cell alternative By MALCOLM RITTER 2010-09-30T16:06:38ZNEW YORK (AP) -- Scientists reported more progress Thursday with a method of creating stem cells without using embryos.... hosted.ap.org |
Green: Bedbug Rider Looms in Real Estate Deals In recent weeks, some lawyers representing co-op and condo buyers have made bedbug disclosure a part of contract negotiation. feeds.nytimes.com |
Today's Mystery Bird For You To Identify Here's two North American mystery birds to keep you busy; are these birds the same species? The same sex?Mystery Birds photographed at Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary, Brazoria County, Texas, USA. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]Image: Joseph Kennedy, 21 October 2010 [raptorize].Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/1250s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400 Here's two North American mystery birds to keep you busy; are these birds the same species? The same sex? These birds share a life history trait that many people dislike. What is that trait and how did it evolve? Daily Mystery Bird Rules: 1. Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification, keeping in mind that more than one field mark is often necessary to distinguish between species. IDs without any supporting information are not valid and may be deleted by the moderators. 2. Expert and intermediate level birders: do NOT try to be the first to blurt out the mystery bird's ID. Instead, please provide helpful hints, such as descriptions, literary references, puns, personal anecdotes, and other forms of discussion and assistance for beginning birders and for those following on their iPhones without naming the species. Expert and intermediate birders are free to name the bird species 24 or more hours after it was first published.3. Each mystery bird is usually accompanied by a question or two. These questions can be useful for identifying the pictured species, but may instead be used to illustrate an interesting aspect of avian biology, behaviour or evolution, or may be intended to generate conversation on other topics, such as conservation. 4. Each bird species will be demystified 48 hours after publication. If you have bird images, video or mp3 files that you'd like to share with a large and appreciate audience, feel free to email them to me for consideration.GrrlScientistguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |