The world of independent science blogging and direct communication from scientist to audience sees another turn.
Category Archives: social justice
Poor Sanitation in India May Contribute to MalnutritionChildren With Malnutrition – NYTimes.com
Poor Sanitation Linked to Malnutrition in India
New research on malnutrition, which leads to childhood stunting, suggests that a root cause may be an abundance of human waste polluting soil and water, rather than a scarcity of food
Poor Sanitation in India May Afflict Well-Fed Children With Malnutrition – NYTimes.com.
The writer-addict gives insight about the actor-addict
The Wrestler — Profiles in Vain — Medium.
David Carr writes about the media for The New York Times. He’s also a recovering addict. He is uniquely qualified to weigh in after the death of actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman. His essay on medium.com is a 5-minute read. But this quote takes just 12 seconds:
I have no certainty about what went wrong, but I can tell you from personal experience that what happened was not the plan. I have been alone in that room with my addled thoughts, the drugs, and the needle. Addicts in the grip always have a plan. I will do this, get this out of the way, and then I will resume life among the living — the place where family, friends and colleagues wait and hope. He didn’t make it back to that place.
May the next one make it back.
I didn’t know her name
This story of a life shows the struggles of young scientists, women scientists and those who cross the line of “conventional” science. Dr. Pert also was quotable and had a sense of humor. That helps in communicating about science. Now I know her name, from her obituary in The Washington Post.
Candace B. Pert, neuroscientist who discovered opiate receptor, dies at 67 – The Washington Post.
BBC News – Is child sponsorship ethical?
The BBC reports positive outcome from child sponsorship:
There has been very little previous research into whether the $3bn (£2bn) transferred from the rich world to the poor through sponsoring children actually has a measurable impact.
So academics from the University of San Francisco decided to undertake the most wide-ranging study yet in six developing countries – Bolivia, Guatemala, India, Kenya, the Philippines, and Uganda.
The full report is at BBC News – Is child sponsorship ethical?.
Holding the Bag of Bread
I just completed an amazing two weeks in Zambia. One afternoon our group stopped at a market in Ndola to buy snacks and drinks. I kept my seat in the back of the van while several others entered the store. Five boys approached seeking food or money. One man from our group came out of the store with a big bag of bread rolls to give to the boys. He handed the bag to the tallest boy, expecting him to pass the rolls around. The boy held the bag by the neck, tight in his fist.
“He won’t share those,” our driver told us. The driver got out of the van and divided the rolls among the boys.
“I’m that boy,” I thought. “I’m holding tight to my bag of rolls. My spot at the table. My money. My American passport.”
Now what will I do with that awareness?
jennifer follis 