| Video: Men – how to look hot on the dancefloor Scientists have identified the moves that make men irresistible – and the ones that make them look like their dads guardian.co.uk |
Rare plants sprout after big wet The heavy rain across much of Queensland might be causing flash flooding, cutting off towns and grounding flights, but it is also causing some people to rejoice. abc.net.au |
Report Criticizes Government Over Spill Estimates A report was sharply critical of the Obama administration’s underestimations of the flow from the BP well. feeds.nytimes.com |
The Nightingale Collaboration A new skeptical campaign launched at TAM London by Simon Singh, Alan Henness and Maria MacLachlan aims to put the screws on alternative medicine. (Guest announcement by Alan Henness and Maria MacLachlan)Misinformation about complementary and alternative therapies is rifeon the Internet, in newspapers and magazines and on the high streetand this misinformation misleads the public. It is particularlyimportant that the public have accurate information about healthcareso they can make informed choices.This misleading information won't disappear by itself: it needs to bechallenged.Complaints about chiropractors' website claims, made by Alan Henness,Simon Perry and others, have shown that it is possible to confront andhighlight misleading information, have it withdrawn and thoseresponsible held to account.The Nightingale Collaboration will continue this work and will shareknowledge and best practice with others and give them support andencouragement.Florence Nightingale is well known for her commitment to using robustevidence to decide what worked in improving healthcare. As the firstwoman to be elected to the Royal Statistical Society and on thecentenary of her death in 1910, the Nightingale Collaborationacknowledges her great legacy.AimsThe Nightingale Collaboration will work to improve the protection ofthe public by ensuring claims made about complementary and alternativetherapies are not misleading. We will do this by:challenging misleading claims made by practitioners on their websites,in adverts and in their promotional and sales materials and subjectingthese to scrutiny by the appropriate regulatory bodies;striving to ensure that organisations representing complementary andalternative practitioners have robust codes of conduct for theirmembers that protect the public and that these are rigorouslyenforced.MethodsThere are several different methods of working that will be used toachieve the Aims:A. Nightingale Collaboration Campaigns: conducted by NightingaleCollaboration personnel, gathering information, planning and executingthe campaign, with the support of volunteers where required. This typeof campaign would clearly be carried out in the name of theNightingale Collaboration.B. Associated Campaigns: we will collaborate with volunteers oncampaigns by providing advice and authorisation to ensure maximumimpact and liklihood of success. These campaigns will be publicised asbeing conducted in association with the Nightingale Collaboration.C. The Nightingale Collaboration will make tools and resourcesavailable so that others can pursue their own individual campaignswith maximum effect. These campaigns will be entirely separate fromthe Nightingale Collaboration.Volunteer rolesThere will be differing roles for volunteers, allowing for varyinglevels of commitment. Volunteers will be able to contribute accordingto their skills and whatever time commitment suits them.It will be very much a collaborative effort.Possible tasks include: Locating misleading information, whether that is on theInternet, in national or local press, in local clinics, etc.Gathering this misleading information in a legal and intelligent manner.Coordinating local campaigns.Submitting complaints to the appropriate regulatory bodies.Volunteer trainingThe Nightingale Collaboration will provide training for key volunteersto help them in their roles.Tools and resourcesThere will be Nightingale Collaboration tools, resources, advice andguidance available to volunteers, some of which will also be publiclyavailable to anyone who wants to act wholly independently.Code of ConductThere will be a code of conduct on how we obtain information and howwe deal with others so we maintain the moral high ground and keepwithin the law. All personnel and volunteers will be required to abideby it.ExpertsWe will have access to various experts who can advise us on legalmatters and supply authoritative advice on scientific evidence to usein our campaigns.The Nightingale CollaborationThe Nightingale Collaboration must be seen to be ethical, legal,authoritative, thorough and tenacious. This is so that we attract goodvolunteers and so that the Nightingale Collaboration is takenseriously — providers of misinformation must be clearly aware that wemean business. We must gain a reputation for effectiveness.More information will be released on the website over the coming weeksand months. To be kept informed, send an email toinfo@nightingale-collaboration.org or follow @NightingaleC on Twitter.Martin Robbinsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Today's mystery bird for you to identify I've never seen this species in the wild, but in my opinion, this African mystery bird is a "flying field mark" because nothing else in the world looks like it. Can you identify this lovely and distinctive bird?Mystery Bird photographed at Tarangire National Park, Tanzania, Africa. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]Image: Dan Logen, 17 January 2010 [velociraptorize].Nikon D300, 600 mm lens with 1.4 extender, ISO 400, f/9, 1/400 secI've never seen this species in the wild, but in my opinion, this African mystery bird is a "flying field mark" because nothing else in the world looks like it. Can you identify this lovely and distinctive bird?Daily Mystery Bird Rules: 1. This is a game, not a testosterone-driven competition designed to crush one's fellow birders/twitchers into the muck of disappointment, despair and humiliation. It is meant to be a learning experience where together we can learn a few things about birds and about the process of identifying them (and maybe about ourselves, too).2. 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. 3. 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.4. 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 or ethics. 5. Each bird species will be demystified approximately 48 hours after publication. (Yes, I do my best with this.)If you have bird images, video or mp3 files that you'd like to share with a large and (mostly) appreciative 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 |