Google might not have debuted some new, high-tech Internet equipment in Boston, but they managed to find us a nice consolation prize. The Internet juggernaut gave Boston's Museum of Science a $1 million grant, with no strings attached, to encourage science education. Similar grants were given to seven other science museums.
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Results tagged “science”
Tuesday's T commute was better than Monday's rough commute. The New Kids on the Block are planning a concert at Fenway Park on June 11. Remember to follow Bostonist on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
One minute, you're a war hero, a national legend, and the greatest hitter in the major leagues. The next, you're dead and your cretinous son is producing a dubious document saying your final wishes were to have your head severed and put in a deep freeze in Arizona.
A few weeks ago, the Boston Globe quietly ditched its weekly Health/Science section, choosing to save some cash by farming out those stories to other departments while keeping more important sections, like the funny pages and horoscopes. The move was a troubling one for those who are concerned about how science news is reported, since even the former Globe science editor admits, "this can't help but dim the overall breadth and scope of coverage when you're fighting for space every day and defining what you do in a more narrowly focused way."
A town that celebrates (or at least tolerates) the geeks among us never has a shortage of science news, and 2008 was no exception. We kicked off the year with the shocking revelation that ESP was DOA, according to researchers at Harvard. Distraught by the news that Miss Cleo and her ilk were frauds, we found that Harvard had set up a more scientific look at love just in time for Valentine's Day. (Maybe it was all part of the plan?)
Unfortunately, the US as a whole still lags behind at 539, which could mean that while we won the race to the Moon, even Latvia could beat us to Mars. Here's hoping that with a sitting president in office who values math (read: won't insist on manipulating data to suit his needs) and science (read: doesn't believe that humans and dinosaurs shared caves back in the old days) these scores will improve. Until then, Reddit readers may continue to vote this story up as proof that the liberals of Massachusetts are, in fact, smarter than the rest of the country.
Rule #76 of science reporting (and wedding crashing): No excuses. Play like a champion. So we’re jumping right into champions for this week's "Beaker Hill" column.
For the most part, hospitals are disappointingly free of multicolored fluorescent lighting. If John Frangioni from Beth Israel Deaconess has his way, that may not be the case for much longer. Frangioni has developed a system in which near-infrared light makes microscopic particles glow inside a patient, with the results viewed on a monitor inside the operating room. Prior to surgery, a particular color of glowing molecule can be targeted to each different type of tissue, causing the patient to light up like in Trauma Center for the Wii (pictured left). This allows surgeons to ensure they have completely removed a tumor, and to keep from accidentally cutting blood vessels. Bostonist couldn't confirm rumors that the system is being adapted for a chain of hospital-themed nightclubs. Frangioni presented his results at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society earlier this week; the article describing his research is in Technology Review.
What's going on here? Not only are students afraid to ride the bus to school, but they also might be afraid to eat lunch.
In his appearance last week on Radio Boston, Dan Grabauskas didn't discuss the issue of violence on the T. No one else asked him about it, either. But he has a lot to do now that a 15-year-old named Tiara Amarante documented the perils of riding the 23 bus. People riding the 23 are living in fear of thugs who pack heat, fight and intimidate riders on a daily basis.
Students at the John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science in Roxbury blocked doors and hallways because the headmaster chided them in a lecture for being tardy. The school responded with a lockdown.
--With this winter's especially foul weather, we have entered a new level of pothole hell. [Boston Globe]
-- Happy Valentine's Day! For us being vegan is all about the love. We love our bodies and want to keep them healthy and strong and free of animal products. We love the environment and want to protect it from the extremely destructive practices of factory farming. We love animals and don't want to see them mistreated. You'll most certainly be doing your heart a favor. Heart disease is still one of the biggest killers in the United States, and is due in large part to the S.A.D.'s (standard American diet) focus on meat products. So as you can see, you can add a little love to your life but cutting down on your consumption of meat and dairy products.
--Looking for a good Super Bowl party? Bring your favorite beer mug to the Milky Way, where the big game will screen, and then you can celebrate with some candlepin bowling. Sponsored by the Mug Project, which wants people to use a mug instead of guzzling their way through disposable cups, and Neighbors for Neighbors. 6:00 pm.
A spring-loaded dress, a sun-lit fan, and a purse with a built-in alarm system were just a few of the futuristic fashions on display at the Seamless: Computational Couture fashion show at the Museum of Science on Wednesday. Over 1000 design and technology lovers packed three floors of the MoS's Blue Wing to admire clothes and accessories ranging from sublime (an air-filled dress that changes shape based on barometric pressure) to sci-fi (a burial suit that grows mushrooms to facilitate 'green' decomposition!).
The exhibit Rhythms of Modern Life: British Prints 1914–1939 shows the sharp, mechanical-feeling prints that set the artistic tone for the future. Museum of Fine Arts. Read Bostonist's preview of the show. Runs through June 1.
After revealing his approach in last night's speech, DJ Spooky dispenses with the theory and dives into the practice. He'll be spinning for the ICA's Experiment, and the ICA lobby will turn into a dance floor. Ghostdad, Kingdon, DJ Lone Wolf, DJ Die Young, and Baltimoroder will be on hand. Learn more about this weekend's DJ Spooky marathon. ICA Boston, 8:00 pm until midnight, $20.
--Dr. Judah Folkman, who found a new way of fighting cancer by cutting off blood supply to tumors, died yesterday. [Boston Globe]
You'd think with all of Harvard's brainpower they'd be finding the cure for cancer. But instead they looked into a crystal ball and found … nothing.