Big Think

Will the Government's Biofuel Goals Kill Ocean Life?

There are tradeoffs inherent in any energy source, but we hear more than usual about those associated with biofuels—whether the energy at the end of the process is more than the energy inputs. However, a new study in Environmental Science & Technology tackles not the question of energy balance but rather the environmental balance of biofuels, and one thing in particular: fertilizer. … Read More

September 18, 2009   |  In Science & Tech

Your Science Could Soon Be Free, But Also Free of Skepticism

There's good news and bad news about the openness of scientific information this week. The good news is that you might soon have access to more of it than ever. The bad news is that you might not know what to make of it. … Read More

September 16, 2009   |  In Science & Tech

Live Longer And Prosper (After Life in the NFL)

If you enjoyed watching the thunderous hits and tackles of the NFL's opening weekend, remember this: playing pro football isn't exactly the route to a long, full life. Thanks to the wear and tear of bone rattling collisions, and carrying more weight that a human frame is supposed to, America's favorite weekend warriors have a life expectancy that's more than two decades shorter than the average person's. Can we make life after football better for players? … Read More

September 15, 2009   |  In Health & Medicine, Science & Tech

The Potato Famine Fungus is Back, But This Time We Have Genomics

Late blight is back. The fungus, which spreads through its spores and caused the great Irish Potato Famine of the 1840s, emigrated to the United States back then and is hitting the potatoes and tomatoes of the eastern U.S. especially hard this year. This time, however, scientists are working to get a step ahead: they just finished sequencing the genome of this pesky organism. … Read More

September 11, 2009   |  In Science & Tech

McCarthyism 2.0: What Pieces of Paper Have You Signed Lately?

Few of my pet peeves equal my distaste for conspiracy theories, whether it's that the moon landing was a hoax, that the Bush Administration had a hand in 9/11, or the anti-Obama "birther" nonsense. But are we really going to start McCarthyism 2.0 because Van Jones signed a 9/11 petition? … Read More

September 9, 2009   |  In Politics & Policy