Michael Clark Duncan michael jackson courtney stodden Ncaa Football Scores Plaquemines Parish michigan football michigan football
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Let's Start a Dialogue: an Interview with Luis Quevedo ... - SciLogs
Science communication, like science itself, is a global enterprise. We are all affected by climate change. We are all grateful for advances in medical research. We are all captivated by the vastness of space. But we are not always very good at sharing information about scientific issues across national, cultural or linguistic borders.
The United States, like many nations, is made up of people from a wide variety of backgrounds. I grew up in a small town in southern Virginia ? far from a cultural hotspot. Yet I had grade school classmates who spoke Spanish, Korean, Italian, Japanese or other languages at home. Becoming a U.S. citizen does not mean abandoning your language or cultural background. (My grandfather, son of German immigrants, didn?t learn to speak English until he began elementary school.)
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 37 million U.S. residents who spoke Spanish at home in 2010, up from 17.3 million in 1990. That indicates that approximately 10 percent of U.S. households are, presumably, more comfortable speaking Spanish than English. What is the science communication community in the U.S. doing to reach that audience?
To begin finding out, I reached out to Luis Quevedo, a scientist turned science communicator. Quevedo is director and host of the show CST (Science, Health and Technology), which airs in the U.S. and across Latin America on NTN24, as well as managing director of Imagine Science Films and former producer of NPR?s Science Friday en Espa?ol. He also produces a monthly science podcast and writes on his site, Probeta en Nueva York.
I asked him about good sources of Spanish-language science news, the overall state of Spanish-language scicomm in the U.S., and what we can do to make it better. [Editor's note: this interview is available en Espa?ol here.]
Communication Breakdown: What got you interested in science communication in the first place?
Luis Quevedo: In hindsight, I could say that I was always interested. But the reality is that it was a surprise. I trained as a biotechnologist in Barcelona, Spain, but a sort of inherent intellectual promiscuity made bench work deeply frustrating and thus I moved to editing and technical writing. Once there, I realized I had a lot to learn if I wanted to be any good at it. So I went back to college for a masters in journalism that, through an internship, landed me in Spanish National TV as a script and production assistant on a famous science program. There I discovered the joy of science communication: a job that required learning and reading ad libitum and then to metabolize whatever I was learning that week to write it in a general-audience-friendly way on a weekly basis. Also, getting paid at the end of the month had an unreal quality for the whole first year.
CB: You moved to the United States from Spain in 2010 when your wife took a position at Rockefeller University. What was your initial assessment of Spanish-language science communication in the U.S.?
Quevedo: I knew the English-language panorama to a certain extent, but I had no clue as to what was going on in Spanish. After a few months, I realized that the answer was: not much. It seemed that nothing was going on in mass media besides translations of science-themed TV productions from Discovery or NatGeo channels, of course. And I couldn?t quite gauge whatever was taking place in small scale projects, for Spanish-speaking high school students, etc.
CB: Can you tell me a little bit about your work experiences in Spanish-language science communication in the U.S.?
Quevedo: My main experience has been in radio and TV. As the Spanish-language producer for NPR?s Science Friday, I created a weekly podcast, inspired by the NPR show, where I interviewed Spanish-speaking researchers about the latest papers published in peer-reviewed journals. I had a two-fold aim: on the one hand, to inform, and, on the other, to showcase the great number of Latino or Spanish-speaking researchers publishing at the highest level.
CB: Are there any challenges that are specific to Spanish-language scicomm in the U.S.? If so, what are they?
Luis Quevedo (Photo Credit: Fernando Sancho)
Quevedo: Yes. In my opinion, and in my area of expertise, I find two.
The Spanish language, its increasing electoral importance notwithstanding, has a secondary role in cultural matters in the U.S. There are no publications ? or radio or TV shows ? in the Spanish language that cover science and technology topics. (At least regularly and in depth. I used to produce Science Friday en Espa?ol until early 2013). I do think that, if you?re interested and/or educated enough, you are supposed to access or consume those contents in the English language.
Now, that shouldn?t be a problem since everybody who lives and works in the U.S. does speak ? or is supposed to be able to speak ? English.
The problem, in my opinion, is that that assumption leaves out in the cold a large chunk of the Latino population that, despite a good level of English, might just not be confident enough, nor directly targeted, by English-language publications. This is a cultural issue, not just an information one.
The information issue is the following: the share of the Latino population that only ? in practical terms ? lives in Spanish, that gets news and informal adult education in Spanish, don?t have access to a high quantity and quality of information.
This is a rather bold statement, so allow me to give you an example. In a study conducted by UC Davis in California, it was shown that ?Hispanic children often have undiagnosed developmental delays and large numbers of both Hispanic and non-Hispanic children who first were thought to have developmental delay actually had autism.? The authors said in the paper that ?results [...] recommend increased public health efforts to improve awareness, especially among Hispanics, about the indicators of developmental delay and autism.?
I take this as an example of what we might be missing, real problems under the radar.
The second problem might be somewhat abstract, but I find it very important: role models. I do think that science communication not only informs but also inspires. By portraying researchers, their work, words and lives, young people (sometimes) get acquainted with them and, maybe, wonder how it would be ?to be a scientist.?
Now, it has been discussed in the media how important having textbooks that incorporate a diversity of ethnicities can be for students. The same can be applied to science communication. Please note that I?m not proposing to substitute, but to increase exposure to diverse role models.
On top of that, Spanish-speaking countries have not had a strong scientific tradition. That makes any shift in attitudes towards science hard.
CB: How do those challenges compare to science communication challenges in Spain or other Spanish-speaking countries?
Quevedo: I think that, setting aside the English-Spanish issue I mentioned, the lack of role models in the media is equally worrying in Spain and, so I?m told by colleagues, in other Spanish-speaking countries.
CB: Let?s talk about mainstream traditional news outlets for a minute: newspapers, magazines and TV news programs that are not specifically-focused on science. Most of these mainstream outlets have seen a decline in science coverage in recent years. Have Spanish-language news outlets seen similar declines?
Quevedo: I do not have numbers, so I can?t really speak to that effect. I tend to doubt that, if only because I?ve never seen ?that much? science in mainstream media.
CB: There are also traditional, English-language media outlets that do focus solely on science: Scientific American, Popular Science, or NOVA on PBS. How many Spanish-language science-focused news sources exist in the U.S.? Is that part of the challenge for science communication to Spanish-speaking communities?
Quevedo: To the best of my knowledge, none. I used to produce Science Friday en Espa?ol. The experiment lasted for one year. When I figured that because a multiplicity of factors I wouldn?t be able to expand and make the project grow (more staff, better production budget, etc.), I presented my resignation. I do produce the podcast on a monthly basis, though, from New York, in Spanish, with the same basic ingredients but, of course, much less money behind it.
There are a number of interesting, budding initiatives in a very mainstream way, in Nat Geo Mundo, for instance, but nothing specialized that I know of.
CB: While science coverage may be down a bit in conventional, English-language media outlets, there?s been a significant increase in science communication via online tools such as blogs, Tumblr accounts, YouTube channels, etc. Has there been a similar increase in Spanish-language scicomm via these online platforms?
Quevedo: Yes, a remarkable one. I?ll mention three projects I hold in very high esteem: Materia, SINC and Naukas.
Materia is a non-profit e-newspaper, focused on science and medicine. It is remarkable by its journalistic standards and because they publish under a CC license. It is a young project, too, hardly a year in existence, and I?m sure they?re here to stay.
SINC is a project financed by the Spanish Government, in the guise of a news agency. It has been some 5 years in existence and it provides a lot of quality copy to a very large number of publications in all Spanish-speaking countries. It also publishes under a CC license.
The third is Naukas, and I put it apart for the sole reason that they are not journalists but more of a grass-roots science-loving crowd posting in a very, very popular blog. They organize conferences, events and the like, too. It is very interesting but I think somewhat tangential to formal science communication.
CB: I think that science communication is important, and it?s something that I?m passionate about. I?d like to help in some way if I could, but I don?t speak Spanish. Is there anything that non-Spanish-speakers in the science communication community can do to support or facilitate Spanish-language scicomm efforts?
Quevedo: Yes, please! Ideas are welcome and my friends at CienciaPR or SACNAS or JustGarciaHill I?m sure have a lot to say here. My idea would be: let?s start a dialogue about the relative importance of serving more, better science to Spanish speakers in the US. I can only imagine good things coming out of it: more people interested in science, in research and in fostering both, in any language.
CB: If you could get additional funding or other support for just one Spanish-language scicomm effort, what would it be? Why?
Quevedo: A radio program. Because everybody can listen to radio or podcast, whenever. Because dialogue is king in communication, in my opinion. Because a radio show is nowadays a multimedia venture that can include an occasional video, a blog, and social media activity. Because it?s cheaper than TV and easier to consume. Because we could syndicate the program anywhere in the world and help inform and educate citizens. Because I know too well that a good story, a good segment about science can change the way you think or see a part of the world for better.
Source: http://www.scilogs.com/communication_breakdown/luis-quevedo/
Granbury Tx Jaden Smith eminem eminem google io Kelly Rowland Dirty Laundry star trek
Monday, June 24, 2013
Maria Sharapova slams Serena Williams for rape, boyfriend remarks
Maria Sharapova returned a verbal volley at Serena Williams over veiled remarks Williams made about her in a Rolling Stone interview. Sharapova and Williams will play at Wimbledon this week.
Maria Sharapova of Russia hits a backhand to Sara Errani of Italy at the Sony Open tennis tournament in Key Biscayne, Florida, earlier this year.
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
EnlargeMaria Sharapova took a shot at Serena Williams ? and it was nowhere near a tennis court.
Skip to next paragraph' +
google_ads[0].line2 + '
' +
google_ads[0].line3 + '
Subscribe Today to the Monitor
At her pre-Wimbledon news conference on Saturday, Sharapova was asked about a recent Rolling Stone article where the author surmised that critical comments directed at an unnamed player by Williams were referring to Sharapova.
"At the end of the day, we have a tremendous amount of respect for what we do on the court. I just think she should be talking about her accomplishments, her achievements, rather than everything else that's just getting attention and controversy," Sharapova said.
"If she wants to talk about something personal, maybe she should talk about her relationship and her boyfriend that was married and is getting a divorce and has kids. Talk about other things, but not draw attention to other things. She has so much in her life, many positives, and I think that's what it should be about."
Williams has been linked to coach Patrick Mouratoglou, but neither has confirmed their relationship extends beyond the court. When Mouratoglou was asked about the topic at the French Open this month, he smiled and replied: "Sorry. I don't understand the question."
According to the Rolling Stone story, posted online on Tuesday, Williams spoke about what the reporter described as "a top-five player who is now in love."
Williams is quoted as saying: "She begins every interview with 'I'm so happy. I'm so lucky' ? it's so boring. She's still not going to be invited to the cool parties. And, hey, if she wants to be with the guy with a black heart, go for it."
That is followed by these words in parentheses from the author of the piece, Stephen Rodrick: "An educated guess is she's talking about Sharapova, who is now dating Grigor Dimitrov, one of Serena's rumored exes."
Sharapova beat Williams in the 2004 Wimbledon final. But Williams has won their past 13 matches in a row, including in the French Open final two weeks ago.
At Wimbledon, which begins on Monday, Williams is the defending champion and seeded No. 1. Sharapova is seeded No. 3. They only could face each other in the final.
Williams is scheduled to hold a pre-tournament news conference at Wimbledon on Sunday.
The Rolling Stone article, which was about 4,000 words, drew widespread attention mostly for a one-paragraph reference to the Steubenville, Ohio, rape case. Williams is quoted as saying the teenage victim "shouldn't have put herself in that position."
Two players from the Steubenville high school American football team were convicted in March of raping a drunken 16-year-old girl; one of the boys was ordered to serve an additional year for photographing the girl naked.
A day after the story was posted, Williams issued a statement in which she said she was "reaching out to the girl's family to let her know that I am deeply sorry for what was written."
Williams' statement continued: "What was written ? what I supposedly said ? is insensitive and hurtful, and I by no means would say or insinuate that she was at all to blame."
Said Sharapova on Saturday: "I was definitely sad to hear what she had to say about the whole case."
___
Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.
2 dead after plane crashes at Ohio show
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) ? A plane carrying a wing walker crashed Saturday at an air show and exploded into flames, killing the pilot and stunt walker instantly, authorities said.
Dayton International Airport spokeswoman Linda Hughes and Ohio State Highway Patrol Lt. Anne Ralston confirmed the deaths to The Associated Press.
The crash happened at around 12:45 p.m. at the Vectren Air Show near Dayton. No spectators were injured.
The show has been canceled for the remainder of the day. The names of those killed weren't immediately released, but a video posted on WHIO-TV showing the flight and crash identified the performer as wing walker Jane Wicker. A schedule posted on the event's website also had Wicker scheduled to perform.
The video shows the plane turn upside-down as Wicker sits on top of the wing. The plane then tilts and crashes to the ground, exploding into flames as spectators scream.
"All of a sudden I heard screaming and looked up and there was a fireball," spectator Stan Thayer of Wilmington, Ohio, told WHIO.
Another spectator, Shawn Warwick of New Knoxville, told the Dayton Daily News that he was watching the flight through binoculars.
"I noticed it was upside-down really close to the ground. She was sitting on the bottom of the plane," he said. "I saw it just go right into the ground and explode."
Wicker's website says she responded to a classified ad from the Flying Circus Airshow in Bealeton, Va., in 1990, for a wing-walking position, thinking it would be fun. Her full-time job was as a budget analyst for the Federal Aviation Administration, according to her website.
She told WDTN-TV in an interview this week that her signature move was hanging underneath the plane's wing by her feet and sitting on the bottom of the airplane while it's upside-down.
"I'm never nervous or scared because I know if I do everything as I usually do, everything's going to be just fine," she told the station.
Wicker wrote on her website that she had never had any close calls.
"What you see us do out there is after an enormous amount of practice and fine tuning, not to mention the airplane goes through microscopic care. It is a managed risk and that is what keeps us alive," she wrote.
In 2007, veteran stunt pilot Jim LeRoy was killed at the Dayton show when his biplane crashed and burned.
Organizers were presenting a trimmed-down show and expected smaller crowds at Dayton after the Air Force Thunderbirds and other military participants pulled out this year because of federal budget cuts.
The air show, one of the country's oldest, usually draws around 70,000 people and has a $3.2 million impact on the local economy. Without military aircraft and support, the show expected attendance to be off 30 percent or more.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/plane-wing-walker-crashes-ohio-show-2-die-181933614.html
espn greg oden st patricks day st. bonaventure ira glass swain match day
One dead as shooting mars Albania's election
Albania?s Conservative Prime Minister Sali Berisha, 68, who is seeking a third term in office, speaks at a rally in Tirana, Tuesday, June 18, 2013. The general election taking place Sunday, June 23, 2013 is considered a test for the Balkan country to shed its post-Communist legacy of troubled popular votes, as it seeks closer ties and eventual membership in the European Union. Conservative Sali Berisha, is seeking a third term and will speak at his Democratic Party's main election rally Friday in the capital Tirana. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)
Albania?s Conservative Prime Minister Sali Berisha, 68, who is seeking a third term in office, speaks at a rally in Tirana, Tuesday, June 18, 2013. The general election taking place Sunday, June 23, 2013 is considered a test for the Balkan country to shed its post-Communist legacy of troubled popular votes, as it seeks closer ties and eventual membership in the European Union. Conservative Sali Berisha, is seeking a third term and will speak at his Democratic Party's main election rally Friday in the capital Tirana. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)
In this Thursday, June 20, 2013 photo, main opposition Socialist Party leader Edi Rama, speaks at a rally, in Tirana, Albania, ahead of the Sunday?s general elections. Political parties in Albania entered their final day of campaigning for Sunday's general elections, considered a test for the Balkan country to shed its history of troubled campaigns as it seeks closer ties and eventual membership in the European Union. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)
Trash bins in the capital Tirana Saturday, June 22, 2013, are filled with posters, banners and other materials used by the political parties during the month-long electoral campaign. Political campaigning stops in Albania Saturday, a day before parliamentary elections which are considered a crucial test for its ambitions for closer ties and eventual membership in the European Union. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)
An Albanian woman casts her vote in Tirana, Sunday, June 23, 2013 in the Albanian elections. An Albanian political candidate was shot and a supporter of a rival party killed in an exchange of gunfire near a polling station, police said Sunday, as the country held crucial elections already marred by a dispute that could leave the outcome up in the air. Both conservative Prime Minister Sali Berisha and his close rival, Socialist leader Edi Rama, have hopes for eventual entry to the European Union, and the election is seen as a test of whether the country can run a fair and safe vote. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)
An Albanian woman casts her vote in Tirana, Sunday, June 23, 2013 in the Albanian elections. An Albanian political candidate was shot and a supporter of a rival party killed in an exchange of gunfire near a polling station, police said Sunday, as the country held crucial elections already marred by a dispute that could leave the outcome up in the air. Both conservative Prime Minister Sali Berisha and his close rival, Socialist leader Edi Rama, have hopes for eventual entry to the European Union, and the election is seen as a test of whether the country can run a fair and safe vote. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)
TIRANA, Albania (AP) ? Albania's national elections Sunday were marred by violence after an exchange of gunfire wounded a candidate and killed a supporter of a rival party, tainting what had been a largely peaceful campaign and threatening to undermine the country's bid to join the European Union.
The violence near a polling station, which drew condemnation from an EU official, added to the existing uncertainty surrounding the election. Though the leader of the main Socialist Party has claimed victory, it's unclear when the results will be announced because the body that oversees elections in the Balkan country hasn't enough members to certify them constitutionally following a political dispute. However, the law mandates they be revealed no later than three days after the polls.
Election day has been overshadowed by the violence. A police spokesman said Gjon Gjoni, 49, died after being shot in an exchange of fire that also wounded Mhill Fufi, 49, a candidate for Prime Minister Sali Berisha's governing Democratic Party. An opposition party leader identified Gjoni as a supporter. Another man, Fufi's relative Kastriot Fufi, 39, was also wounded.
Details surrounding the incident, which took place in the city of Lac, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) northwest of the capital, Tirana, were sketchy. However, the police spokesman confirmed that it started with an argument.
A spokeswoman for the ruling Democratic Party, Laura Vorpsi, said Fufi was trying to move away some opposition supporters who were trying to bribe voters, and alleged that they "responded with shooting rounds."
"The Democratic Party harshly denounces any act of violence," Vorpsi said.
Once one of the world's most hardline communist countries, Albania has had a rocky road to democracy over the past couple of decades. Corruption has plagued the impoverished country, and its elections have been marred by violence and vote-rigging.
Some 3.3 million registered voters were eligible to vote, the eighth national polls since the fall of communism in 1990. The monthlong contest had been relatively calm until election day, though there had been reports of civil servants and even school children being pressured to attend pro-government rallies.
Some polling stations remained open after the original close time but most have closed and ballot boxes have started to be transported to counting centers nationwide.
The conservative prime minister, Berisha, and his close rival, Socialist Party leader Edi Rama, have both expressed the hope that Albania can gain eventual entry to the EU, and Sunday's election was seen as a test of whether the country can run a fair and safe vote.
Berisha declined to comment on the killing after casting his ballot, saying he needed more information first. The prime minister invited all Albanians to take part in the vote and turn Sunday "into a day of festivities and good understanding."
"I assure you that your vote will be fully respected," Berisha said.
Later Berisha expressed condolences to the victim's family and called on his opponents not to exploit the death "for political capital."
"I ask police and prosecutor's office to investigate with absolute priority the event, discover the truth and the circumstances and the responsibility of each one," he said.
Rama, meanwhile, denounced "certain segments of police" for collaborating with "criminals" and insisted that participation in the vote was the best way to respond.
"It is barbarous that in an election day, in the midst of Europe, a human is shot dead from criminals supported from police," he told reporters.
In the evening Rama came to claim victory "based on operational data" and called on police and election authorities to guarantee the process.
"We are here as unshaken and invincible guarantors of each ballot which has been cast today to take Albania at the address set from its fate ? the European Union," he said in front of his supporters at party headquarters.
Ilir Meta, the leader of the Socialist Movement for Integration, confirmed that Gjoni, the man who died, was a supporter. Meta, whose party allies with Rama's, also blamed police and "criminal elements" of the ruling Democrats, whom he alleged were exerting pressure at polling stations.
"Sali Berisha is not Albania's premier any more. He cannot leave power without shedding blood," Meta said.
The shooting wasn't the only incident: A journalist was reportedly not allowed to enter a polling station, while a camera belonging to a private TV station, Top Channel was broken and the cameraman reported to have been beaten.
Albania's president called for unity in wake of Sunday's violence. "Peace, calm, citizens' life is important," Bujar Nishani said. "I appeal for calm and maturity because, we may vote for different parties, but we are one nation."
But the EU's top diplomat in Albania took a hard stand on the violence.
"I want to say something very clear, very firm. Among the international and European standards for elections, there is the refusal of violence," said Ettore Sequi, the EU ambassador to Tirana.
Albania joined NATO in 2009. But it has failed to gain candidate status from the EU, which is pressing for broader democratic reforms and an improved election record.
Some 400 international observers and about 8,000 local ones are monitoring Sunday's election.
Associated Presswarren sapp i robot the big c the visitor king of kings ostara masters 2012
Supermoon: Why it's the best lunar show in the solar system
Supermoon peaked Sunday morning, but good viewing will continue for the next few days. The unusual relationship between Earth and the moon makes supermoon a particularly good show.
Supermoon rises behind the Home Place clock tower in Prattville, Ala., Saturday.
Dave Martin/AP
Enlarge"Supermoon" officially arrived at about 7 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time Sunday morning, with the moon making its closest swing by Earth this year. About a half hour later, the moon reached full status, making it appear 12 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than a regular full moon.
Skip to next paragraph' +
google_ads[0].line2 + '
' +
google_ads[0].line3 + '
Subscribe Today to the Monitor
Don't worry if you missed it. The effect should still linger for a few nights, meaning Sunday, Monday, and even Tuesday should give a good sense of this year's supermoon.
And social media was alight with the event, with pictures of Saturday night's supermoon making an appearance from Facebook to Instagram.
The show is the product of a cosmic quirk. Since planets and moons orbit in ellipses, not circles, there are times when they are closer to what they're orbiting and times when they're farther away. For moons, the point when they're closest to their planet is called perigee, the point farthest away is called apogee.
For Earth and the moon, perigee and apogee happen once each month, since the moon orbits the Earth once every 27 days. But because of small inconsistencies in the orbits, the moon's closest approach and its farthest distance are always slightly different.
The moon hit its monthly perigee Sunday morning, but what makes it worthy of the name "supermoon" was that it was the closest perigee of 2013. Moreover, since it coincided almost perfectly with a full moon, the effect was enhanced.
The moon's farthest apogee this year has already happened and is set to repeat itself next year during the Jan. 15, 2014, full moon. To see the visual difference in size between a perigee and apogee moon, click here.?
But what makes the moon so special? If everything in the solar system orbits in an ellipsis, shouldn't we have a "supersun," too.
In fact, we do. Since we orbit the sun once a year, supersuns only happen once a year. Our closest swing to the sun, called perihelion, also already happened this year, and will happen again on Jan. 4, 2014. (An "un-supersun," when the sun seems smallest at aphelion, is just around the corner: July 5.)
But will there be this much buzz next January with sungazers filling Twitter with pictures of a gigantic sun? Don't count on it.
The reason? the sun is obviously much farther away from Earth than is the moon, so the effect is not so noticeable. For Earth, the distance between aphelion and perihelion is about 3 million miles. But even at perihelion, the Earth is still 91 million miles from the sun.?
In addition, Earth's orbit around the sun is more nearly circular than is the moon's orbit around us, with only Venus and Neptune having more circular orbits than Earth. Mercury has the most eccentric orbit ? ranging from a perihelion of 29 million miles to an aphelion of 43 million miles ? meaning it has a truly dramatic supersun (if you can stand the 800 degree Fahrenheit temperatures on the sun-side surface).
By contrast, the moon's orbit around Earth is the most elliptical orbit of any major moon in the solar system. Combine that with the fact that the moon is comparatively close to Earth, so it looks large in our skies, and supermoon earns its name.
bowl games rose bowl auld lang syne dick clark Happy new year fiscal cliff Pitbull
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)