I have gone Hollywood | Bad Astronomy

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[Kari, Grant, and Tory from The Mythbusters will be on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson tonight, so it seems like a good time to post this.]

In case anyone was wondering if I would succumb to the bright lights of Hollywood, the answer is, of course: duh.

Last week I attended a wonderful party in Pasadena, thrown by the Discovery Channel for their 25th anniversary (my pictures from the party are on Flickr). My friend Katherine Nelson secured an invite for me; she does PR for the channel and we met at Comic Con in 2008 when I was tagging along with My Close Personal Friend Adam Savage™. Last week I happened to be in LA working on my sooper sekrit project, and that timing happily coincided with the party.

I’m not used to high-end parties, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I decided to go all out and wear a tie. Go me.

I got to the hotel, located somewhere down twisty passages in Pasadena all of which look alike, and started wending my way to the party itself. As I randomly walked, I wondered to myself what celebs might be here, and at that very moment happened to see Ed Begley, Jr.

OK then.

When I finally reached the actual party location, I was happy to see Katherine taking pictures of Kari Byron, Grant Imahara, and Tory Belecci from Mythbusters! I hadn’t seen Kari in a couple of years (I moderated a panel with three of them in Canada), but I saw Grant and Tory at Comic Con last year. It was nice to see them again. I hung out a bit with them, and, as always, found them to be fun and charming and pretty much what you see on TV. At least, they’re nice enough to a dork like me.

There were lots of Discovery Network celebs there (as well as a giraffe). I was completely unashamed to horn in on Stacey and Clinton from "What Not to Wear" and chat for a second. I was thrilled to get a chance to talk with Annabelle Gurwitch, who is on Planet Green now, but I know her from watching "Dinner and a Movie" on TBS a few years ago, and she was exactly as I had hoped: funny and sassy and totally approachable. Also? A doll. There, I said it.

I also dorked a bit when I got a chance to say hi to Kat von D from "L.A. Ink", since she wasn’t in the shop the day I got my tattoo. It was totally cool to show her my tattoo (patience; my show is supposed to air next month) and thank her for the experience. We swapped a couple of stories, and I found she was like everyone else I met at the party: approachable, open, and interesting.

In fact, if there was any disappointment with the party (besides not being allowed to actually eat the cakes made by the bakery from "Cake Boss" and realizing after I had gotten back to my hotel that the Meteorite Men were there and I missed them) it was of the snarky variety; that is, no one was a jerk. I mean, c’mon! This was a Hollywood party! No cocaine? No obnoxious divas?

Could it be that the portrayal of Hollywood in Hollywood films has been Hollywooded? Hmmm.

So all in all it was a fabulous event with a lot of people having lots of fun. It makes me wonder… could it be that because there is a science bent to the networks (not all the shows, but many) the party was more about the fun and less about the personalities? Hmmm again.

Maybe not. But still. Science is cool.


Abstinence makes your parts grow fondler | Bad Astronomy

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As a parent, I spend a lot of time worrying about my daughter. That’s part of the job description. But what they don’t tell you is exactly how to figure out what to worry about.

I suspect that in Fluvanna County, Virginia, that’s a problem too. It’s there, you see, that a bunch of parents are upset about an abstinence-only sex education class. Now, I’d certainly be upset if they offered such nonsense in my daughter’s school, since it has been shown repeatedly that sexual education based on abstinence only doesn’t work at all.

But that’s not what has Fluvanna County parents unhappy. Instead, it’s that students in the class were asked to fill out a survey without first notifying the parents. That’s against the school district rules, not surprisingly. And, to be fair, I’d want to be notified as well so I could look at the survey.

But really, that’s a minor, minor point compared to the fact that their children are not only not getting a real sexual education, but by taking an abstinence-only class they will be more open to STDs and teen pregnancies.

The program in question is called Worth Your Wait. I looked over their website, and will readily admit that a lot of the advice they give is fine: self-control is important, it’s best to wait until you’re ready, and so on. But that hardly matters, since the very basis of what they’re saying is known not to work. It’s like having a website saying drinking a glass a water a day will cure AIDS, and it’ll also hydrate you. Sure, the latter is true, but the overall message is bunk.

It’s too bad, because it’s an enticing idea: teach your kids to not have sex, and like magic, they won’t! But it’s a crock. It’s worse than that, really, because study after study show this very clearly: kids still get pregnant, kids still get STDs, and in fact with abstinence-only education they tend not to get educated on how to practice safe sex, so pregnancies and incidents of STDs actually go up for AO educated children.

But why let research and reality get in the way of dogma?

Tip o’ the chastity belt to Nicole Gluggerflurnaven.


NCBI ROFL: The case of the haunted scrotum. | Discoblog

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“A 45-year-old man was referred for investigation of an undescended right testis by computed tomography (CT). An ultra-sound scan showed a normal testis and epididymis on the left side. The right testis was not visualized in the scrotal sac or in the right inguinal region. On CT scanning of the abdomen and pelvis, the right testis was not identified but the left side of the scrotum seemed to be occupied by a screaming ghost-like apparition (Figure 1). By chance, the distribution of normal anatomical structures within the left side of the scrotum had combined to produce this image. What of the undescended right testis? None was found. If you were a right testis, would you want to share the scrotum with that?”

scrotum

And for your enjoyment, Figure 1 (the free PDF is available here):

figure1

Thanks to Tom for today’s ROFL!


Why Dr. Vanier’s Navigenics appointment is good for PM

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Now you may be asking yourself. What does an ER doctor know about genetic testing? Well, usually not a lot. But after being in the biz for quite some time, I am certain Vance knows quite a bit. Despite that training at Hopkins..........LOL

I am very happy and this is a tremendous step in the right direction for the Board at Navigenics. It shows that they acknowledge the best way to enter the healthcare market and have an impact on people's lives is by working with physicians......Something that they were opposed to in the beginning.

In fact one of their PR wonks who is now gone, talks of a doctor who was advising Navi and said

"Teaching doctors about genetics isn't tough...........It's impossible" and with that attitude they approached DTC genomics.

I am here to tell you today, it "appears" they have turned that corner.

Time will tell, but my guess is that they will move towards the market rapidly and aggressively. They will use the lab to market to physicians. They already have a relationship with a handful of MDVIP doctors. One of which who has set up shop in sleepy 'ol Greenwich CT.

I will be happy to help her......

The next question that this company needs to ask themselves is

"Now that we have the right man at the helm, do we have the right product?"

My answer is pretty simple. No. This not the product.

So now, they need to ask. "Do we have the cash to support our venture, UNTIL we have the right product?"

That is only something MDV will know. But, my guess is yes.

Lastly, they then need to ask themselves "Is genetic testing the product?"

Once again, my answer is no. Which means that Navigenics will likely turn into an unscalable set of medical practices and interpretation software......

The interpretation software will soon be a free commodity, just like genetic testing. Why? Prometheus beat the others and Cariaso wins. Thus no patents........

Which means that the only way they make money is via a lenscrafters model.........Which is precisely what I told Dietrich Stephan, Dr. Rothberg, and a whole slew of VCs about 2 years ago now.......

So if any of you are eavesdropping, give me a call and we can run this...........

That being said, Dr Vanier's appointment is a good thing for PM because it shows that investors and boards now appreciate the fact that physicians must be involved in this process. Which is a win for consumers, because now they have someone who swore an oath to heal and protect the patient at the helm.

So heads up Vance, I will be watching.

Best of luck.

The Sherpa Says: Do or Do Not, there is No Try.

LG Display Flexible Newspaper-Sized E-Paper

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From Science Fiction in the News:

LG Display is showing off a remarkable newspaper-sized flexible e-paper prototype. The e-paper display is 19 inches wide (250mm x 400mm). It is just 0.3 millimeters in thickness and the entire display weighs just 130 grams. Fans of Stephen Spielber

Petri Dish Pork Lookin' Purty Good

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From Science Fiction in the News:

Dutch scientists are making progress in their quest for petri dish pork - pork muscle grown in vitro for meat. Just cast your eyes on the delicious photomicrograph shown below, which displays pork grown from stem cells in all its porcine glory.

“Science Under Obama” on the BBC’s “Night Waves” | The Intersection

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I recently appeared on this show, and I wasn’t the only one. Here’s the guest list:

Stewart Brand – author of the newly published Whole Earth Discipline
Dr Janet Rowley – human geneticist at the University of Chicago
Chris Mooney – author of The Republican War on Science and Unscientific America
Reverend Robert Sirico – founder of the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty
Professor Jared Diamond – Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Guns, Germs and Steel: How Human Societies Fail
Oliver Morton – Energy and Environment Editor for The Economist
Dr Brent Blackwelder – President Emeritus of Friends of the Earth, United States

All in all, I have to say it made for a crowded, but very interesting, debate about science, politics, and society in the U.S., exactly one year after President Obama promised to restore science to its “rightful place,” & c & c.

I found that I agree with Stewart Brand about a lot. I also found that I agree with Robert Sirco about pretty much zero–and the same goes for Brent Blackwelder, at least based on what I heard on the show.

Oliver Morton’s comments on science and the American frontier were either deep or brilliant, I’m not sure which. But they gave me a little chill.

Based on his comments, I think Jared Diamond would like Unscientific America.

Oh, and Janet Rowley: Loved her comments on Leon Kass assigning an anti-science short story, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Birth-Mark, at the first meeting of the President’s Council on Bioethics under Bush…an episode that should never be forgotten.

Listen to the whole program here.


The Neural Advantage of Speaking 2 Languages

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From Scientific American:

The ability to speak a second language isn't the only thing that distinguishes bilingual people from their monolingual counterparts--their brains work differently, too. Research has shown, for instance, that children who know two languages more easily solv

Key for Windows XP Disc

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I have an original disc for windows xp for my computer. The computer is totally broken so a new one has been ordered. to keep the price down I am getting a pc without the operating system so I will use my own disc. The only problem is I cannot find the key for it. can i retrieve it from the disc ? i

Hair Ice

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From Boing Boing:

No, that's not a hairy branch but rather an astounding kind of ice formation called "hair ice" ("haareis" in German). Illinois State University professor James Carter of the Geography-Geology Department, created a page about this natural wonder that includes many

There Was a Tool for That?

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The Martha Stewart show recently dedicated an entire show to technology. Ms. Stewart stood next to a four-tiered rack full of examples of technology past. It included inventions such s the boom box, typewriter, television, video camera, telephone, maps, paper calendar, alarm clock, original Macintos

A beach of sorts in old Dun Laoghaire.

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You’ve toured the lovely island of Ireland.  You’ve driven through rolling green countryside, visited some relatives, perhaps, and popped into Gus O’Connor’s for a pint of Guinness.  Somewhere in there, you’ll have to make your pilgrimage Dublin – it’s expected, of course – and when you do, you’ll likely head over to the nearby town of Dun Laoghaire.

They don’t call Dun Laoghaire “Dublin’s Riviera” for nothing!  This town and harbor just 11 clicks from Dublin has some amazing history – not to mention a very pretty view.  It is also home to a rocky outcropping  towards Dalkey Island that makes a fine sort of beach.

Each Sunday, rain or shine, you’ll see many walk down past the marina to take their morning swim.  Togs must be worn – the signs are plastered as far as the eye can see.  And from rumor, it seems that the town means to enforce the rule (though you’ll see every bare bit of a man as he changes into those togs in the dressing room just above the rocks).

The water isn’t that warm – even, it would seem, in summer.  And the sun rarely pokes out from behind the clouds.  But still, each Sunday, the faithful come.  Some swim a few laps, some swim all the way to Dalkey – and some just sit outside and enjoy the sound of the water lapping on the rocks.  It’s a fine a way to spend a Sunday as any.

The rocks can be a bit jagged so water shoes are probably a good bet.  The current can be swift as well.  But there’s something about Dun Laoghaire that will keep calling you back.  Even if you have to buckle down and wear a pair of togs while you’re there.

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Photo courtesy of Kayt Sukel.

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Northern Ireland’s Blue Flag Beaches

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Northern Ireland.  When you think of the place, you likely think of rolling green hills, the quaintness of Belfast or maybe well-tended, homey farmsteads.  Warm, sandy beaches?  Er, not so much.

But Northern Ireland is an island.  And as such, is actually home to some lovely beaches.  In fact, due to its unique topography and flora, the island boasts some of the most beautiful coastline you may see in all of Europe.  The thick green that this island is known for opening up to white sand is a sure beauty to behold.  Add in stunning natural formations, pebbles and the odd gorse bush or two and you’ll find more than a few postcard-worthy landscapes.

But beyond the pretty,  you can feel good about the safety and environmental friendliness of these strands.  In the past few years, the island has been hard at work cleaning up its beaches to make them not only beautiful but safe.  And in particular, Northern Ireland’s Blue Flag beaches are well worth a visit for a swim, some sunbathing or just a walk down a pretty stretch of coast.

The international Blue Flag system rates beaches on everything from cleanliness to bathrooms to accessibility.  In 2009, six of Northern Ireland’s beaches made the cut across 29 categories for Blue Flag status including Murlough Beach in County Down, Benone Beach in County Londonderry, Portrush White Rocks in County Antrim, Portstewart Strand in County Antrim, Tyrella Beach in County Down and Cranfield West in County Down.

The unique Irish countryside that opens to the beach isn’t a Blue Flag category – though some might argue it should be.  That’s just an extra for beach-goers to enjoy.

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Photo courtesy of L_J.

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The Supreme Court’s Ruling on Campaign Finance Laws

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Sweeping aside a century-old understanding and overruling two important precedents, a bitterly divided Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the government may not ban political spending by corporations in candidate elections.

The ruling was a vindication, the majority said, of the First Amendment’s most basic free speech principle — that the government has no business regulating political speech.

 
So, the Court's view is that campaign finance regulation (at least the part addressed in yesterday's decision) is not constitutional. I am not a lawyer, but that view sounds right to me.  Let's put aside the constitutional issue, however, and ask whether campaign finance regulation would be good policy if it were constitutional?

The standard argument for such regulation rests on four claims:

1. that spending by politicians affects their likelihood of election;

2. that contributions to political campaigns affect the policies a politician supports;

3. that these influences on political outcomes are undesirable;

4. and that regulation successfully limits money’s influence on these outcomes.

Claims 1 and 2 are oft-overstated, but they probably have some validity. 

Claim 3, however, is probably backwards. Money lines up on one side of an issue because a larger economic pie supports that side. Special interests do support bad policies, including corporate welfare, tariffs and quotas, agricultural subsidies, wasteful weapons programs, and pork pork-barrel spending, but money often causes better policies, not worse; free trade is an excellent example.

Claim 4 is even less convincing: politicians and special interests can circumvent most regulation.

So, campaign finance regulation's main goal is not compelling, and the regulation does not achieve that goal anyway.  Instead, the regulation protects incumbents and rewards politicians who exploit loopholes in the law.  The Court's decision is good economics, as well as good law.