Nature inverviews Senator Obama on science issues

Darkfrog submitted, created time 3 months 1 week (www.nature.com)

The title says it all. Obama, in his own words, responds to Nature magazine on scientific issues. The original idea for the article had been to get both candidates' views, but McCain's campaign declined Nature's invitation. Summaries of Senator McCain's views are given instead.

The only scientific issue for which McCain shows more enthusiasm than Obama is the space program. On others, he is either surpassed or matched by Obama

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Why is no one questioning the rise of new-age nonsense in the name of science, asks David Colquhoun.

pyrazol submitted, created time 1 year 4 months (www.guardian.co.uk)

Corporatisation of science and education leading to loss of clear enlightenment thinking on progress and knowledge..

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A detailed and studious defense of Darwin

Darkfrog submitted, created time 1 year 10 months (www.sciam.com)

I've just met too many bright, intelligent people who didn't think the way I do. Try though I might, I just can't make myself believe that everyone who thinks evolution is hooey is a brainwashed buffoon. The ones who say that science supports a creationist position, however, need a courteous and well-thought-out reality check. Click the above to read one. It's a systematic set of responses to fifteen of the biggest innocent and not-so-innocent critiques of evolution and natural selection.

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Christian faith in the other good book

Vampire submitted, created time 1 year 10 months (www.newscientist.com)

Flocks of the Christian faithful in the US will this Sunday hold special services celebrating Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. The idea is to stand up to creationism, which claims the biblical account of creation is literally true, and which is increasingly being promoted under the guise of "intelligent design". Proponents of ID say the universe is so complex it must have been created by some unnamed designer.

Support for "Evolution Sunday" has grown 13 per cent to 530 congregations this year, from the 467 that celebrated the inaugural event last year

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From words to action

nomad submitted, created time 1 year 10 months (www.nature.com)

The disturbing predictions about global warming in the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) mark a turning point. That's not because of the figures themselves, which are largely in line with previous IPCC forecasts, but because the science behind them is now certain enough to make a serious response from policy-makers almost inevitable. The debate is no longer about whether we can believe the numbers, but what we should do about them.

And so the report, released in Paris on 2 February (see 'Behind the scenes'), may be the harbinger of another change

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Science in Africa: All eyes on Addis

Goose submitted, created time 1 year 11 months (www.nature.com)

If asked to name Africa's highest priorities, most people would cite poverty, disease and conflict, not science and technology. But at next week's summit of African leaders in the ancient Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, science and technology research for African development is top of the agenda. "The challenge," says South African director-general of science and technology Phil Mjwara, "is to impress upon the heads of state that science and technology is of such critical importance to the continent's development that it should be a policy priority for every African nation

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