Find all the posts for that scientific level
Born Too Soon: WHO says simple measures would save most premature babies
The World Health Organization has released its first-ever report on preterm birth: the risks, consequences, and what can be done to reduce the number of deaths and troubles associated with being born too soon. The data reveals a truly global problem, but most disturbing is the evidence that three-quarters of these deaths could be avoided with simple, low-cost medical care that just needs to reach the most in-need.
Social Networks for Scientists
New media outlets and social networks are improving the connectivity of researchers, engineers, PhD candidates, post-docs, and students. Today, several offer solutions to problems faced by researchers, but are still often considered time consuming. As an online extension of the work of your team or as a catalyst for new collaborations, each of these networks has its own special feature. Do you need to optimize your literature review, share or obtain information, dialogue with an instructor, or even reinforce your network of contacts? Whether researcher or student, MyScienceWork presents the new scientific social networks dedicated to your needs.
Open Access + Social Media = Competitive Advantage
In the push-and-pull between open access (OA) publishing models and that of traditional scientific journals, OA should not strive to prove it is as good as the latter; it can be better, and social media tools can give it that competitive edge, say researchers and OA advocates Melissa Terras, Co-Director of the University College London Centre for Digital Humanities, and Curt Rice, Pro Rector for Research at Norway’s University of Tromsø. Through tweets and blog posts and rich, online debate, we can maximize the benefits of OA for researchers, the journals that publish their work, and for society at large.
The new digital tools for scientific research
Whether you’re a student, researcher or engineer, you’ve probably mastered to perfection certain IT tools: PowerPoint, word processing software, electronic messaging. Other, less well known tools exist, each with a specific use. In research, as in many fields, it is important to organize one’s time and to use relevant, well-adapted tools. Do you need to organize your bibliographic search, exchange large files, or optimize your work as a team? The newcomers to help you with this are called ResearcherID, Figshare, Prezi and Sozi… Do you know them? Read on for a look at the digital tools to use for your scientific research.
Researchers, Lovers of all Science: The MyScienceWork Blog is for You!
The MyScienceWork blog now has one year and a rich selection of science articles under its belt. We’ll continue bringing you news, portraits and opinions, from more and more disciplines. Also, we’ll invite researchers to bring their own work out of the lab and write about their studies for an appreciative, multidisciplinary public. Read on to find out more about the goals and future plans for MyScienceWork’s Blog!
Nuclear or “Non”: The French election debate
Currently in the process of choosing its next president, France has some big decisions to make about its energy future. Beyond the debate surrounding European debt or globalization, questions about the nuclear industry and the development of renewable alternatives loom. Following the Fukushima disaster, the question is more relevant than ever, especially for a country so dependent on nuclear power. At the same time, their debate should be everyone’s debate, when it comes to choosing the safest, cleanest, most economically sound energy road ahead.
The “Monkey Bill”: Creationism through the back door?
A new law in the U.S. state of Tennessee, the second in the country, will allow science teachers to address the “strengths and weaknesses” of the theory of evolution with their classes. They may also use class time to present alternative explanations, such as intelligent design, the new incarnation of creationism. Although proponents of the law claim it simply defends “academic freedom” and encourages critical thinking in students, supporters of science see it as a veiled effort to bring creationism into the classroom.
Advances in Open Access à la Nature Publishing Group
With its recent launch of Light: Science and Applications, an open access (OA) physical sciences journal, and several more OA specialist publications planned for this year, Nature Publishing Group (NPG) is moving forward with its plan to include this publishing model in the center of its business. Though not every NPG journal is fair game for open access, it seems – top-tier publications will remain under a subscription-based model – specialist titles may be a place for further expansion as open access continues to develop.
Transition to a Better Future
Not a green movement, precisely, not purely about protecting the environment, Transition is about recreating our communities, from the bottom up, in order to face a slew of impending problems: climate change, peak oil, food production, economic crises. Making efforts now – basic changes that sound more like an older brand of common sense than a 21st-century call for austerity – will ensure more resilient communities, capable of resisting the various shocks that the future certainly holds. A visit to Totnes and Brixton, two UK Transition Towns, reveals the different, concrete forms Transition can take.
Farm Shellfish, Feed the World
As farmland and fresh water become scarcer, and the global population continues to increase, the farming of aquatic species, or aquaculture, may see an expansion of its role in feeding humanity. Important in this will be keeping the cultures disease-free and maximizing their production; highly specialized research in these areas could have a broad impact on countless daily lives. Two scientists recount not only the importance of this work, but the pleasure they take in doing it.
