Blogs with no links

by SKI tripper

The Houston Chronicle has been adding some very useful science blogs. There is one on Climate Science (Atmo.sphere), one devoted to Cosmology (Cosmo.sphere), and especially one devoted to evolution, Evo.Sphere.

They are well worth adding to your newsfeeds. The main problem I have with them is the lack of external links to other sites or information. There is a great discussion and graph about increased methane in the atmosphere since 2004. What about before 2004? If I want to see more of the original data, I have to go searching for it myself, since there are no useful links to anything in the essay.

Or this nice article about sialic acid residues on human proteins. How did they determine that Neanderthal bones had human sialic acid residues on them? No link to the original paper at all.

Web 2.0 tools make it easier to find information, to gain depth if we want or to buzz along and gain breadth. These essays have some very interesting viewpoints but they act as dead ends.

Instead of being great starting points, or interesting way stations along our path of information gathering, they are simply cul-de-sacs along the way. I really hope they begin to include links to the data they discuss. Because I found the writing to be first rate.

Technorati Tags: Science, Social media, Web 2.0

Update on social studies

[Crossposted at SpreadingScience]
It is so much easier to understand US government with these few videos. One very well done recent one and an old time classic.

Video: Electing a US President in Plain English:
[Via Common Craft - Explanations In Plain English -]

Using a low tech approach, coupled with the latest Web 2.0 approaches, allows Common Craft, a very lightweight company to distribute an incredible message. It reminded me of this oldie, which can now be re-seen due to YouTube.

Or this one:

These are all novel information transfer tools that just were not available to us even a few years ago.

Technorati Tags: Government, Social media, Web 2.0

Flying death spiral

by sciain
Delta Air begs customers to use another airline:
[Via AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth]

The latest news from one of the worst airlines (in a crowded market) is that they now want customers to pay double the amount they were already paying for a second bag. The $15 billion bailout of this pathetic industry only a few years ago obviously wasn’t enough because like Wall Street and get-rich-quick home buyers, they want more. It never ends with these freeloaders. I used to travel 4-5 days a week for business and now I’m easily able to limit it to a few days a month, sometimes even less. Technology has helped people like me do work remotely without the stress of airports and airlines so if Delta and other airlines can’t cut it, go bankrupt. Really, I don’t care. I’ve had it with the constant cutbacks, new charges, miserable service and cramped conditions.

Let the executives who are driving customers like me away and driving their companies into the ground try to find work after they suddenly lose their high six and seven figure jobs. See how attractive they are in the market with countless bankruptcies on their CVs. I feel bad for everyone that has to work for these companies and get slapped with pay cuts and ignorant management teams but wow, enough is enough with this industry. They crossed the tipping point of annoying customers long ago. Until and unless they can figure out how to attract customers, go away.

Having just suffered through a 6 hour flight yesterday, I can certainly sympathize with this. Cramped seats, no films, charge for bags, charge for a meal. I’m expecting that some time soon we will all get weighted and have to pay a surcharge if we weigh too much.

Technorati Tags: Environment, General, Sustainability