April 29th, 2013
This Wednesday, I’ll be speaking at the inaugural event of ScienceOnlineDC about the recent UCS report I co-authored, Grading Government Transparency: Scientists’ Freedom to Speak (and Tweet) at Federal Agencies. ScienceOnlineDC is a newly formed Washington, DC satellite of ScienceOnline, a nonprofit organization that facilitates conversations, community, and collaborations at the intersection of science and the Web. Read More
March 14th, 2013
Social media can transform debates, inform discussions and, as we saw with the Arab spring, help spread democracy. And information and science have a key role to play in democracy (hence the new Center for Science and Democracy here at UCS). Scientists working for government agencies such as NASA, NOAA, the EPA, and the FDA have a lot to contribute to discussions about the science-based challenges we face. Unfortunately, agency policies combined with a culture of timidity are often constraining individual government scientists from jumping into social media. Read More
November 29th, 2012
NASA revealed new evidence that significant deposits of water ice can be found on Mercury’s poles in three papers published today in Science Express. In a press conference this afternoon, participating scientists said the ice in some parts could be as thick as twenty meters in places that are thermally stable. Read More
August 16th, 2012
Sure, you can watch the actual Mars rover Curiosity landing. And sure, you can watch people dance to LMFAO’s “We’re Sexy and We Know It.” But it did not seem possible that the two could be related. Until yesterday. Read More
July 24th, 2012
Yesterday, the world suffered a great loss with the passing of Dr. Sally K. Ride. Dr. Ride was a brave explorer, passionate educator, brilliant scientist, and complex human being. Her impact and her absence will be long felt. Read More
May 16th, 2012
In an email yesterday to NASA employees (reproduced below), NASA Chief Scientist Waleed Abdalati reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to scientific integrity, touting the scientific integrity policy NASA finalized in December. If only the scientists who work there could navigate through it. Read More
April 16th, 2012
Tomorrow morning, weather permitting, we’ll be treated to a once-in-a-lifetime experience: the Space Shuttle Discovery will fly over Washington, D.C. on its way to its new home at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. Here are some pointers on how you can best view the shuttle, both virtually and in person. I’ll update this post over the next 24 hours as more specifics become available. I also plan on posting photos from readers who are able to catch a glimpse. [UPDATED with more photos 12:30 p.m. 4/18]
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February 7th, 2012
A new federal government satellite is now capturing the imagination of millions of Americans. I can guarantee that you’ve never seen an image of the Earth like the ones just released by NASA. Read More
February 1st, 2012
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), from its Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), just released an updated analysis that indicates 2011 was the ninth warmest year on record for the planet. GISS Director James Hansen said: “Even with the cooling effects of a strong La Niña influence and low solar activity for the past several years, 2011 was one of the 10 warmest years on record.” Read More
© 2013
