Voices - Sharon Begley - On Science

Begley: Whitewashing Toxic Chemicals

Sat, 03 May 2008 17:09:51 GMT

This book will shock anyone who still believes that 'science' and 'integrity' are soulmates.

Begley: Global Warming and the Food Supply

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:38:25 GMT

Crops in the tropics will do worse, since extra heat where it's already hot hurts more than it helps.

Science: In the Batter’s Box

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 15:44:44 GMT

Fans argue endlessly over whether a fastball or a curve is more likely to be walloped for a home run.

Begley: Blame the Bugs

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 18:19:55 GMT

There is no better way to shatter someone's "we are all the same" illusion than to show pictures of a monkey, a panda and a banana to someone from Japan and someone from Britain. Ask them which two images go together. Chances are, the Japanese will pick the monkey and the banana, because they have a functional relationship: the former eats the latter. The Brit will select the panda and the monkey, because they are both mammals. As Richard Nisbett of the University of Michigan described in his 2003 book, "The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently … and Why," Westerners typically see classifications where Asians see relationships. He means "see" literally. When students in one study looked at tanks holding a large fish, a bunch of small fry and the usual aquarium plants and rocks, the Japanese later said they'd seen lots of background elements; the Americans saw the big fish.

Begley: The Myth of ‘Best In The World’

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 17:59:46 GMT

A spate of new research shows the U.S. behind other countries in cancer survival and diabetes care.

Begley: Placebo Nation--Just Believe

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 17:22:31 GMT

It's not that medicines are 'crummy,' but that placebos are so powerful. It's time scientists learned why.

Our Imaginary, Hotter Selves

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 18:00:39 GMT

Avatars might serve therapeutic purposes, helping those with social phobia become more confident.

Begley: The Biology of Love—Not

Sat, 09 Feb 2008 18:45:33 GMT

A stripper who feels sexy gives a more tip-worthy lap dance than one who feels uncomfortable or bloated.

Begley: When Math Warps Elections

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 21:05:00 GMT

It is a little disturbing for democracy. One candidate could win with some rules and lose with others.

Begley: Mind Reading Is Now Possible

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 19:07:51 GMT

A computer can tell with 78 percent accuracy when someone is thinking about a hammer and not pliers.

"Geo-Engineering" Climate Change

Fri, 23 Nov 2007 15:32:04 GMT

Why even a desperate measure is starting to look reasonable.

Is Brain-Based Learning a Myth?

Sat, 13 Oct 2007 19:30:33 GMT

Neuroscience shows kids build concepts of numbers one by one, through a mental number line.

Is the Food Supply Vulnerable to Terrorism?

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 19:31:10 GMT

An attack on the food supply is hard to execute but could sicken or kill thousands. Complacency makes 'hard' not hard enough.