One Astronomer's Noise

For lack of any original thought over the last few days, I’ll continue to quip about articles that have come across my Google Reader, either on their own or from my favorite blogs (off to the right, see them there?)

Get Inside the Vaccine-and-Autism Scare with a review of Dr. Paul A. Offit’s new book, “Autism’s False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure.” This is important medical history for anyone with or planning to have children. As a parent, (I imagine, since I am not one) you have to make very important decisions that affect the health and well-being of your child. Since not all of us can be doctors, we have to do the best we can with a little bit of reading, research, and critical thinking. I’m sure I will spend most of my pregnancy (whenever I do decide to spawn some little buggers) researching children’s health issues, such as the anti-vaccine campaign. The evidence seems to rule against these claims, but many parents still choose not to vaccinate children, putting them and other children at risk of disease. Also, autism is an important disease that deserves careful research into plausible areas of risk prevention, if such a thing is possible, and treatment.

Christopher Hitchens was at it again in a debate against theologian and physicist Monsignor Lorenzo Albacete. Apparently, Hitchens was in top form and was able to trounce his opponent, and I hope that video of this will be available. IMO, he was pretty good, but not thorough, against the blatant and boring misuse of science by Frank Turek at VCU earlier this month, and frankly, they just talked right past each other.

PZ Myers warns us that in medicine, “provider conscience rights” are getting more airplay, and that they are in clear violation of patients’ rights. Scary stuff.

Coming out of the closet? No, not that one, the atheist closet. Then you are wanted for a sociological survey by Dr. Tom Arcaro and Brother Richard. All the cool kids are doing it.

Oh noes! The LHC will now be down until spring 2009! The repairs needed for the problems since the first test will creep into the winter maintenance period, so comissioning won’t resume until the spring. Bummer. Yet a situation all to familiar to one who works in instrumentation.

In the meantime, check out the top LHC videos! You’ve got the ever famous LHC rap, the adorable and smart Brian Cox telling the scientists’ creation story and marvelling at the wonder of exploration, and a great in-depth explanation of how the LHC makes those protons go round and round.

And finally, signs of the seasons…

and signs of the times…

(In all fairness, the latter was taken on the Google “Appiness” Bus while on its tour stop at UVa!)