He spoke with the religious fervor of a modern-day Jonathan Edwards, but instead of sinners in the hands of an angry God, we were humans in the hands of an angry universe. Read the rest at The Federalist.
Category Archives: Science: The Softer Side
Is China the World Leader in Biomedical Fraud?
Xi Jinping should be promoting evidence-based medicine, not quackery. Read the rest at Foreign Policy.
Regulation Too Often Shackles the Hands of Innovators
After biomedical scientists demonstrated that they could make dangerous viruses like influenza even more dangerous, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) implemented a three-year moratorium on funding such research. But a couple of months ago, in December, the moratorium was lifted, and a tight set of rules were put in its place, such as a mandate for oversight panels. Read the rest at Leaps Mag.
If GPS Failed, We’d Be More Than Lost
Congress should fund a land-based navigation system in case the other one goes down. Read the rest at The Wall Street Journal.
Timidity and a Hostility to Competition Have Left Europe a Scientific Wasteland
A recent study published in the Oxford journal Science and Public Policy reveals the harsh reality of the state of science in the European Union: “Europe lags far behind the USA in the production of important, highly cited research.” Read the rest at The Telegraph.
Merkel Can’t Lead Germany, Much Less the Free World
Angela Merkel is likely cruising to an easy re-election as Germany’s chancellor. Because many pundits in America refer to her as the “leader of the free world,” it is tempting to speculate that her electoral success is due to keen wisdom and firm leadership. In reality, quite the opposite is the case. In many ways, Angela Merkel is Germany’s Bill Clinton, minus the philandering. Read the rest at The National Interest.
‘Designer Babies’ Won’t Be a Fad. It’s Too Hard to Create Them
Intelligence, physical ability, height, skin color and disease risk each are determined by many genes. You can’t get what you want by editing one or two. Read the rest at USA Today.
We Need a DUI Test for Marijuana
Cheyllyn Ranae Collinsworth, an 18-year-old Washington state resident, died in May following a car crash. The person responsible was driving under the influence of marijuana and has been charged with vehicular manslaughter. In states where marijuana is legal, car collisions are up 3%, according to the Highway Loss Data Institute. Although marijuana impairs driving ability, police knew the driver in Washington had been using the drug only because he confessed. Read the rest at Wall Street Journal.
Solar Eclipses Have Always Been Weird. Don’t Let This One Weird You Out
From folklore to numerology, solar eclipses have inspired fear, awe and even ads for copulation during the moment of totality. Read the rest at USA Today.
Trump and Christie’s First Steps to Solving the Opioid Crisis
The epidemic’s cause isn’t clear, but a nationwide system for tracking prescriptions would help. Read the rest at The Wall Street Journal.