Bamboo Charcoal: A Sustainable Energy Source for Africa
When we think of bamboo, we rarely think of Africa. Though most of us know the plant as panda food or as the backdrop of Chinese movies like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, it is also a source of alternative energy that can combat soil degradation and massive deforestation in Africa.
SXSW: “Measure of a Society’s Freedom Is Its Tolerance for Satirists”
SXSW Interactive Keynote Speaker Baratunde Thurston, the director of digital at The Onion, reminded a technology-driven crowd that humanity and humor to can help us all achieve greater freedom.
Live from SXSW Interactive 2012
SXSW is the model for a social event, and the main challenge is sorting through the clutter. We’ll be sorting through this data deluge and covering the best of social good tech speakers, panels and discussions in a few key places.
Arctic Seed Vault Receives Seeds from Syria, Trendy Amaranth and Barley, Plus High Altitude Wheat
The Global Crop Diversity Trust, a Burness client, maintains the seed vault in partnership with the Norwegian government and the Nordic Genetic Resources Center, as a back-up to the living crop diversity collections housed in “genebanks” around the world. “The incredible range and importance of the seeds that have been sent here this week for safekeeping provide vivid examples of why we need to carefully collect and preserve our planet’s crop diversity,” said Cary Fowler, executive director of the Global Crop Diversity Trust.
Map Aims to Help Health Officials Take a Bite Out of Lyme Disease
After sizing up more than 5000 ticks, researchers have created a detailed map of the Eastern United States pinpointing where humans are at highest risk of contracting the disease.
Food and Farming at the Heart of Climate Discussion
Last week, a group of 14 international agriculture experts from around the world wrote an opinion piece in Science magazine urging the scientific community to address the importance of agriculture in the climate change debate.
Patients Want Easier Access to Their Doctors’ Notes
Would easier access to doctors’ notes improve patient health? 1 in 5 respondents to a survey in this month’s Annals of Internal Medicine said easier access would likely provoke them to take better care of themselves.
Tinkering with Analogies
A clever analogy can be the best tool for communicating your important research findings to the public.
JAMA Commentary Calls on Researchers to Use Stories Strategically
Stories need to be told to make your work memorable. Those advocating without science or evidence behind their positions won’t be afraid to use stories, and this commentary demonstrates that you can use stories to deliver research in ways that aren’t misleading or dishonest.
Bedbugs’ Spread Fueled by Inbreeding, Treatment Resistance
To adapt a phrase, bed bugs don't die, they multiply. A single mated female can spawn many colonies and then mate with her offspring. The offspring can also mate with each other. That is, bed bugs can survive, and even thrive, by inbreeding.
