Science Made Cool

One of the Good Guys

Anyone with an interest in science already knows how shockingly bad the science reporting is in most newspapers and television news shows.  For every top-notch writer like John Noble Wilford or Sharon Begley, who actually understand and can explain new developments in science, there are scores of reporters who don't know jack about science but turn in the column inches anyway, in between covering the tire-dump fire and the new llama at the zoo.  Most science reporting is nothing but rewriting press releases, and that's usually the best.  The worst comes when reporters try to be "balanced" and give equal time to lunatics and quacks.

Happily, in the United Kingdom there is a reporter who is willing to speak up and name names about bad science reporting.  Ben Goldacre's weekly Bad Science column in the Guardian is a great corrective to sloppy science journalism.   He also can write.

First Review!

Reviewer Shannon Appelcline has posted his review of BONE WARS on RPG.Net.  We call this one the "tough but fair" review; he raises some valid points.  This review is definitely written for hard-core gamers.  BONE WARS was intended to be what Shannon calls a "Beer and Pretzels" game, and we fly our mug-and-snack bowl flag proudly.

One thing which amused the crack Zygote Games design staff:  Shannon's rating our game as a "2" for difficulty.  We happen to agree, but one of the most common complaints we hear is that it's too complicated! 

Super Plants!

A team of genetic engineers are working to give plants the same resistance to extreme conditions enjoyed by some "extremophile" bacteria.  The Pyrococcus furiosus bacterium can thrive in boiling volcanic vents or below-freezing Arctic seawater.  Researchers Wendy Boss and Amy Grunden at North Carolina State University have implanted the genes responsible for that remarkable durability into plants. 
   
Okay, so it's cool that they've created a plant that can only be killed by Kryptonite-laced Roundup.  So what?

So what is who's funding it:  NASA.  Why NASA?  Because they want plants that can grow on Mars.  To provide food and oxygen to visiting astronauts.  And perhaps ultimately to turn the Red Planet green.

That's the real goal of all the rockets, the bunny-suited gene hackers, the crewcut mission controllers, and all the rest:  to bring life to a dead world.  Remember that the next time someone talks about science as "dehumanizing."

Considering this topic in the light of the current debate over "Intelligent Design" reminds me of an old "shaggy God" science fiction story ("Answer" by Frederic Brown):  when the ultimate supercomputer is switched on the first question the programmers ask it is "Is there a God?"  To which the omniscient machine replies "There is now."

Is there an Intelligent Designer which created all life?  For Mars, there is now.  At NC State.

Geek Heaven

If playing E.D. Cope and O.C. Marsh in a game of BONE WARS doesn't satisfy your paleontological urges, try reading this graphic novel about them.  The other science comics from GT Labs are also top-notch and we recommend them highly.

Science, games, and comic books -- Geek Heaven!

Revenge of the Calamari

This just in:  the oceans are teeming with giant carnivorous tentacled monsters.  Sperm whales eat them -- and probably sometimes they eat sperm whales.  Ray Harryhausen fans everywhere are rejoicing.

It's also just kind of neat that a large animal, pretty close to being a top predator in its environment, nevertheless managed to remain unknown until now.  What other wonders have we yet to discover?

STOP GLOBAL SHORTENING

Mount Everest is getting shorter. 

Actually, it was probably this height all along but the measurement methods are getting better.  Although given how many people have been climbing it in the past few decades, maybe poor old Everest is just getting packed down.  From now on the government of Nepal should require climbers to carry up a bag of dirt, just to prevent additional shrinkage.

Climate Games

There just aren't very many science and nature games out there--which is why we started Zygote Games. But here's one called Keep Cool  that we just came across via a link at WorldChanging. We haven't played it or seen any more information than what's here but it looks interesting.  Oh, and it probably helps if you read German. But if you don't,  there's another one referenced in the article that's in English called Winds of Change.

...and Thanks for all the Fish

Turns out dolphins have rhythm. Scientists in Florida showed that dolphins can recognize and reproduce different rhythms. They may not know they're singing, but they hum a mean "Batman" theme.

Thanks to Terry Carroll for the pointer.