| NC farm produces emerald shaped into massive gem By EMERY P. DALESIO 2010-08-31T01:28:22ZRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- An emerald so large it's being compared with the crown jewels of Russian empress Catherine the Great was pulled from a pit near corn rows at a North Carolina farm.... hosted.ap.org |
Why did Ireland's science minister agree to launch an anti-evolution book? | Eoin Butler That Conor Lenihan even considered endorsing such a preposterous piece of work is outrageousThe decision, since reversed, by Ireland's minister for science, Conor Lenihan, to speak at the launch of a book that condemns evolution as a hoax is a damning and depressing indictment of Irish politics. But not, perhaps, for quite the reason readers might expect.John J May, the author of The Origin of Specious Nonsense, believes that evolution "cripples sanity, promotes myth and obscures reality". Anyone who teaches evolutionary theory, he says, is "either ignorant or deliberately suppressing the known scientific facts". Most of May's arguments are so preposterous as to defy serious scrutiny. In a YouTube video posted to his site, he says: "They say we used to live up in trees. Well folks, climb a tree and live there for a week, and see how you feel. They also say we came out of the sea. Eh? If you lie in your bath for nine hours your skin is so wrinkled it's not [sic] hardly recognisable. Yet a baby can be in a womb nine months in liquid without drowning, and when it's born it's not particularly wrinkled."That a minister for science should think it appropriate to endorse such hilarious (and unscientific) hokum is obviously outrageous. Ireland is still viewed by some as a country with an overly strong attachment to Christian dogma. But it would be wrong to assume that the minister was pandering to an undercurrent of creationist-inspired anti-evolutionary feeling among voters here. Despite falling mass attendances, Ireland remains a Catholic country. And the Catholic Church has never taken a strong position against evolution.In Ireland, our dwindling band of religious fundamentalists opposed the legalisation of homosexuality and divorce. They remain fiercely opposed to any liberalisation of the law on abortion. But on the subject of evolution they have been mostly silent.Besides, as the former editor of a sex magazine called SIN, John J May cannot be what anyone would call a prude. He describes himself as "like Abraham Lincoln, self educated, and might be viewed as a polymath. [I] left school young and commenced my real education." I took part in a television discussion with him last year and felt that I had never before encountered a man whose self-confidence was so wildly out of proportion to his erudition. He is, quite simply, a crank.So why on earth did Lenihan agree to launch his book? In his only public statement, the minister's spokesperson claimed that he had only planned to attend in his capacity as May's local TD and that he did not necessarily agree with the book's central thesis (such as it is.) That would mean that he did not see (or perhaps was not even aware of) any conflict between his duties as the country's minister for science and the endorsement of such a profoundly unscientific book.It would be nice to say that the spokesperson was definitely bending the truth here, and that the minister couldn't possibly have been so stupid. But I would hesitate to do so in this instance.It's no secret that Lenihan is one of Dáil Éireann's less highly evolved thinkers. In 2005, he famously referred to exploited Turkish construction workers as "kebabs" during a Dáil debate. (To get the reaction of the Turkish community, the equally cerebral and culturally sensitive TV3 News visited a kebab shop and interviewed a man making a kebab!)But there are two other points to be made to put the minister's decision in context. Firstly, there is the local nature of Irish politics. Ireland has 166 members of parliament representing a country of less than 4.5 million people. That's one TD for about every 26,000 people. So it is expected that TDs will be available to their constituents in way that would not be common in other countries. While he was a TD for Sligo-Leitrim in the 1970s, my late grandfather was once asked to collect a greyhound in Athlone on his way home from a Dáil session and deliver it to a constituent. (He refused.)The second important thing to understand is that Lenihan is steeped in the traditions of Fianna Fáil. Like the Chinese communist party, Fianna Fáil has long since jettisoned whatever principles and ideals it was founded upon. Today, its only raison d'être is the pursuit and consolidation of it's own power.As far as this preposterous book goes then, the only consideration likely to have weighted on Lenihan's mind is whether helping to launch this book would help garner a few extra votes for him at the next election. When it seemed that it might, he agreed to help. When he realised that it wouldn't, he withdrew. It was gombeen politics, nothing more.IrelandEvolutionCatholicismEoin Butlerguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Cash-strapped science departments face overseas brain drain Government spending cuts mean British universities cannot compete with foreign rivals in science research• Datablog: Alok Jha explains how science funding worksScientists have always been nomads, and the variety of surnames and accents in Britain's laboratories is testament to this country's appeal to researchers from around the world. But the UK is increasingly losing out to foreign rivals when it comes to attracting the best brains.Now, faced with deep cuts to research budgets in the government's spending review, there is mounting concern over the flight of the most gifted researchers as the US, Canada and countries in east Asia plough money into science.Nick Wright, pro vice-chancellor for research at Newcastle University, said there was anecdotal evidence that younger researchers were starting to turn away from Britain. "Newcastle over the last few years has recruited a lot of very high-calibre people from Germany but the German research excellence initiative has produced a huge number of new posts and funding there. At the moment, we're not getting any applications from Germany."Wright said one of the strengths of UK universities had always been the strong international mix in faculty staff. "In the long run, I think it's sad that that will go down. If you want the research in the UK of the highest international standard, it's very hard to see that being possible if we don't have significant numbers of staff from overseas. It's not credible to believe that we're going to do that on a purely UK basis. We have to concentrate in particular research areas and it's impossible to believe that all of the talent in that particular area will be generated in the UK."Wright said international collaboration would not compensate for the potential losses. "If you're content with being a second-rate nation, you can live off the research of other people," he said. "If we want to remain in the forefront of the world, we need to be generating knowledge, not absorbing it second-hand."Southampton, a member of the elite Russell Group of research-intensive universities, has begun to close or scale down departments where research is not "world class" as part of an ongoing effort to ensure its teaching is underpinned by leading academics. In the past year, vice-chancellor Don Nutbeam has decided to close the department of sports science and to end undergraduate courses in social work.Nutbeam said other vice-chancellors were following suit in anticipation of a future where universities are more diverse and specialised. "We have taken a tough view of what it is we are genuinely internationally competitive at," he said.The gulf between Britain and other rich countries was driven home when he sought to recruit an Australian academic. "I wince when I look at his current salary package and the kind we might typically offer here. Whereas 18 months ago there was a pretty close comparison in salaries at professorial level between the UK and Australia, there is now something like a 40% difference." He warned that deep budget cuts on top of the falling exchange rate would lead to "an insidious grinding down of the UK research community".Last week John Krebs, chair of the House of Lords science and technology committee, warned ministers that cuts to the government's science budget would lead to a brain drain of talent from the UK. In a letter to the science minister, David Willetts, Lord Krebs said several leading institutions had already lost scientists and warned of "significant risks" to the UK's scientific research base.Universities are vulnerable in the spending review because the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is the biggest in Whitehall without a protected budget. Science funding is one of the biggest components of that budget.The department acknowledged that Britain had historically benefited from a net inward migration of research staff. "The government recognises the importance of ensuring that the UK continues to be a world-leading place to do science."Research, technology and innovation will play a key role in rebalancing the economy and we want science to emerge from these tough economic times to be strong, sustainable and effective. That's why we are committed to making the economic case for science and innovation … Public spending on science, just like everything else, has to stand up to rigorous economic scrutiny. In these austere times, the public should expect nothing less."One forecast of the UK's future research landscape, drawn up by a science policy magazine, outlines a model for government cuts in which Britain's universities would become heavily stratified.The prediction by Research Fortnight describes a future in which some universities are shut out of science research altogether, while funding is concentrated on the most internationally renowned departments. However, even many of Britain's elite universities would lose huge sums every year: Newcastle University would lose more than £4m and Liverpool more than £3.5m. Many others – including London Metropolitan University, Bournemouth and Lincoln – would see funds dry up completely.The magazine analysed the impact of potential cuts based on the existing formula for distributing government funds to universities. The analysis was based on cuts to a portion of the total taxpayer funding for research.In a recent speech, the skills secretary, Vince Cable, said his preferred option would be to concentrate funding on research identified as "world class". "My preference is to ration research funding by excellence and back research teams of international quality – and screen out mediocrity – regardless of where they are and what they do," he said. A second scenario considered by Research Fortnight, based on these comments, suggests that around 30 university departments would lose funding altogether.The inventor Sir James Dyson, author of a report for the Conservatives on UK manufacturing, urged scientists to "do more with less". "The UK trails Japan, China, Germany, South Korea and France in spending. UK science is going to take some of the hit in the austerity cuts … We need to make money by turning research into something we can patent and sell – more emphasis on development," he said.Dyson has proposed that companies willing to invest in research should be rewarded with tax incentives "so universities don't face a double budget squeeze". "In times of austerity commercial research must come to the fore by necessity, but it need not be detrimental," he said.Responding to comparisons with other developed countries, David Cairncross, senior policy adviser on innovation at the CBI, had blunt advice. "We're not in the same fiscal position as most other OECD member states. We have to cut our coat according to our cloth."Science funding abroadUS Science funding will rise in the 2010 budget, with health and human services department spending up to $81.3bn from $79.6bn last year.Germany According to the Royal Society, although government expenditure will be cut from €319.5bn this year to €307.4bn in 2011, the federal science budget is going to increase. The education and research ministry will have €780m more to spend, a 7.2% increase on the current €11.65bn budget.Canada The government plans to invest $800m as part of its fiscal stimulus plan, and an additional $2.8bn into green technology initiatives.France Earmarked spending for higher education and research increased by 5.3%, to €29.2bn from €27.7bn in 2009.Australia The government plans to invest $A2.9bn as part of its long-term fiscal stimulus plan, with a further $A5.7bn invested into green technology initiatives.Sources: Campaign for Science and Engineering, OECD Science funding crisisEducation in crisisResearch fundingScience policyEducation policyHigher educationResearchBudgetLiberal-Conservative coalitionIan SampleAlok JhaJeevan VasagarJessica Shepherdguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Threatened plant found after record rain Scientists from the Northern Territory environment department have discovered a new population of a threatened wetland plant after record rain. abc.net.au |
Personal Health: What to Do Now to Feel Better at 100 The body’s decline can be slowed by interventions. “And it often doesn’t matter whether you’re 50 or 90 when you start tweaking,” an expert says. feeds.nytimes.com |