> [Original Message] > From: What's New <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: 10/27/2006 1:17:30 PM Subject: [BOBPARKS-WHATSNEW] What's New Friday October 27, 2006
WHAT'S NEW Robert L. Park Friday, 27 Oct 06 Washington, DC 1. STEREOTYPE THREATS: DOES GENDER INFLUENCE MATH PERFORMANCE? It does if women expect it to. When Lawrence Summers speculated that innate ability might explain why there are fewer women in math and science, it cost him the presidency of Harvard. A study reported in Science by researchers at the University of British Columbia found that women exposed to bogus scientific theories linking their gender to poor math skills performed more poorly on subsequent math tests. Uncertainty over whether they could do it presumably affected how hard they tried. Professors over 70 also have a notorious stereotype, but I can't remember what it is. 2. HARVARD: CURRICULUM COMMITTEE PROPOSES "REASON AND FAITH." The world is riven by religious war. It always has been. We live now in an age of science, but it is ancient, unfounded religious beliefs that are central to national disputes over the teaching of evolution, stem cell research, abortion, euthanasia and same-sex marriage. A Harvard curriculum committee has therefore recommended that every Harvard student be required to take one course on the interplay between religion and science. It must be framed in the context of social issues. This seems certain to influence other universities. Scientists had better start getting involved before the zealots take over. 3. CONSPIRATORS: HAVE THEY INFILTRATED BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY? In June, we mentioned the World Trade Center conspiracy theory of physics professor Steven Jones at Brigham Young University http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN06/wn062306.html . He believes the Trade Center was rigged with explosives on 9/11, with the connivance of the U.S. government. BYU suspended Jones pending a review of his 9/11 theories, but Jones has now agree to retire. This isn't his first trip into delusion. Seventeen years ago his delusion of geologic cold fusion got Pons and Fleischmann at the U. of Utah started on a cold fusion delusion of their own. 4. CELL PHONES ARE ATTACKING SPERM? SO BAN THE DAMN CELL PHONES. If they're not attacking sperm, ban them anyway. But there is not a chance that the reported low sperm counts among heavy cell phone users, reported at the American Society of Reproductive Medicine Conference in New Orleans on Sunday, had anything to do with cell phone radiation. The wavelength is far too long to have any direct chemical effect and the microwave heating from a cell phone is easily handled by the body's temperature regulating mechanism. It's too small to affect sperm, even if you put the phone in your underpants. Ashok Agarwal of the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, studied 364 men at a fertility clinic in Mumbai, India. The real question is what they talk about for four hours a day. 5. INVISIBILITY: WHO KNOWS WHAT EVIL LURKS IN THE HEARTS OF MEN? The Shadow knows. Researchers were able to deflect microwaves around a copper cylinder, if you happen to see with microwaves. THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND. Opinions are the author's and not necessarily shared by the University of Maryland, but they should be. --- Archives of What's New can be found at http://www.bobpark.org What's New is moving to a different listserver and our subscription process has changed. To change your subscription status please visit this link: http://listserv.umd.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=bobparks-whatsnew&A=1
