science
Congresswoman Deborah Ross talks Medicaid, gun violence, energy policy, and the Trump indictment
State and federal lawmakers are now into some of the busiest days of their respective 2023 sessions, and as NC Newsline was was reminded once again in a conversation with Congresswoman Deborah Ross of North Carolina’s Second District, policy divisions on a host of key issues remain stark. On matters as diverse as gun violence, […]
Suspect science and claims at center of abortion-pill lawsuit
Emergency rooms across America are teeming with women and girls bleeding from abortion drugs in such copious amounts that it’s exacerbating the national blood shortage. Or, at least, that’s the grim – but false – narrative a group of small conservative Christian medical associations have painted for a federal judge in Texas. Their mountain of […]
Monday numbers: A closer look at the effort to get more women into STEM fields
“When I talk to CEOs, the top three issues are workforce, workforce and workforce," Gov. Roy Cooper recently told a group of business and technology leaders gathered at the SAS headquarters in Cary. While the state sees advanced manufacturing as a primary driver of its economic future, many wonder if the North Carolina will have the skilled and diverse talent pool to fill those jobs. It's estimated that there are currently 800,000 open jobs in the manufacturing sector, according to the National Association of Manufacturers.
What will Florida’s climate-change-denying pols learn from Hurricane Ian?
We all know that MAGA 2.0 Ayatollah Ron DeSantis takes a strong interest in what gets taught in Florida schools. But now that Hurricane Ian has wreaked virtually unprecedented havoc on the west side of his state, it’s time for him to sit in a class and get schooled on the basics of science. Lesson […]
Hit me with your best shot of science
The recent photographs from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope mesmerized millions of Earth-bound mortals, myself included. On display was both the spectacular beauty of deep space and the power and creativity of science. Shortly after those photos arrived on our timelines did we learn of the uptick in cases of polio in the U.S. On […]
Weekend humor from Celia Rivenbark: ‘Hangry’ is real
I’m not sure how much money was spent on it, but a recent study confirmed “people are annoyed or irritated quicker than usual when hungry.” The U.K. professor who led the study told USAToday recently he decided to research the relationship between hunger and anger (gettin’ “hangry” as most of us call it) after his […]
The Webb telescope images remind us who we really are
The views of the universe are gifts of perspective So much of our collective experience as a country these days involves division and strife, but this week we rediscovered our capacity for unity and awe, occasioned by a picture. Last Monday, NASA released the first image from the James Webb Space Telescope, a “deep field” photo that captures hundreds of galaxies, each containing roughly 100 million stars...
In our schools: ‘Yes’ to books, science, diversity…and discomfort
Public school book banning is back in the news. Yes, I know; it’s an amazing development in an era in which every imaginable form of explicit violence, sex, and hate speech resides just seconds away at our children’s fingertips. Research indicates that 95% of American teens have ready access to a smartphone and that more than 90 percent of kids play video games...
Experts examine the interaction of science and politics in UNC panel
Should scientists stand outside of politics or do they have an obligation to engage in political debates around science? Do evolving social rules and mores threaten the teaching of science? Does the politicization of science, particularly in a global pandemic, threaten the public’s trust in it? Those were some of the lofty topics tackled by a panel of experts at Tuesday’s night’s Abbey Speaker Series panel at UNC-Chapel Hill.
At Williamsburg, a reminder of what we’ve gained, and could yet lose
WILLIAMSBURG, VA. — An appropriately picturesque walking bridge connects the Visitors’ Center at Colonial Williamsburg to the meticulously recreated historic site about a mile away. And every step along it is a step backward into our tangled, jumbled, and often painful history as a nation. At regularly spaced intervals, plaques set into the concrete remind […]
Editorial: Trump and science
In case you missed it, be sure to check out this morning’s Capitol Broadcasting Company editorial on WRAL.com. In “Trump, magnificently incompetent,” the authors do a great job of exposing President Trump’s almost pathological aversion to science and its vital importance to the well-being of modern society. As the editorial notes, we know what real […]
Scientist: Biology book used by would-be voucher schools mixes fundamentalist Christianity with inaccurate science
In case you missed it, be sure to check out the lead story this morning over on the main Policy Watch site by Prof. William Snider, head of the Neuroscience Center at the the UNC School of Medicine: “Will voucher students learn biology?” If you read through the thoughtful, detailed and quite generous essay, you’ll […]