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January 27, 2010

Whoops I forgot to mention that I'm on vacation this week

We are staying with friends who live here . Well not in those buildings but a couple of blocks away. Promise to tell more when we return

January 22, 2010

Pat's on the hill

I'll be doing a American Youth Policy Forum on the Hill (yes THAT Hill) on 2/8 on the results of our work with returning dropouts

A Comprehensive Approach to Success in Education and Careers for Out-of-School Youth

The Community Education Pathways to Success (CEPS) model targets out-of-school youth who have expressed interest in earning a GED by addressing low literacy and math skills through an integration of youth development, social supports, and career-related services. The CEPS model, in partnership with community-based organizations, supports participants through completing their education, entering college, finding working, and contributing to their communities. This forum will provide an overview of the model, discuss results from a recently released evaluation, and provide recommendations for policy.

http://www.aypf.org/forumbriefs/2010/fb020810.htm

I know it's not the FairerScience usual thing, but when you think about it, it really is. Anyway I'm really excited about the findings and would appreciate it if you would pass the information on to others who might be interested

Date: Monday February 8, 2010

Time: 11:45am- 1:30pm
Location: Capitol Hill, TBA

If folks are interested in attending they should contact jlerner@aypf.org

and while there won't be Pat's fabulous homemade chocolate chip cookies for everyone there-- there will definitely be cookies for any and all FairerScience friends who are there.

and if you are not going to show up-- I know parking is very difficult-- you can at least read the report.

Barbie

Now that's a title you never expected to see here at FairerScience-- but hey you have a chance to vote for Barbie's next career. The choices: environmentalist, surgeon, computer engineer, news anchor and architect. While I'm tempted to vote on the potential outfits -- What would a Barbie environmentalist wear? Could Barbie do 12 hours of surgery on feet that only fit into really high heels? But instead I think I'll write in a vote for women in science blogger (why not-- Isis does it in really high heels) .

January 21, 2010

Brought to you as a public service

Here are the top passwords Imperva found among those compromised in the attack (they were posted online, without identifying details, for the world to see--and analyze):

1. 123456
2. 12345
3. 123456789
4. Password
5. iloveyou
6. princess
7. rockyou
8. 1234567
9. 12345678
10. abc123

If any of those look too familiar, please stop reading this story and change your password now. No none of these are my passwords--FairerScience friend David Mortman would be very very very upset with me if any of them were.

Big hat tip to PC World for this.

January 16, 2010

Missing being at Science Online 10

I had such a great time at Science Online 08 and 09 including Isis- with those chocolate shoes and Able and the wine tasting- ahhh. I'm so sorry that I can't be part of the in person group at Science Online 10 which is happening NOW.

Miss you all. I'm really glad that we could support you this year. We are so planning to join you next year.

January 13, 2010

Scientiae

As you all know I love Scientiae and I do my best to support it. November and December weren't so great for Scientiae although over at Loveletters , they did a lovely job with the limited entries that they had. The entries are great and you should go read them.

The bigger question that has been raised is what is the future of Scientiae. Paula from Loveletters posses these questions:

For November and December Cherish and I where your Hosts for the Scientiae Carnival. We were both not very good hosts having missed our due dates. But generally there were not many submissions. So I am thinking about whether this Carnival still is the right format. Founded by Alice Pawley who was last blogging with SciWo at Sciencewomen it helped connect women who blog on science in a way a simple blogroll could not. At first there were few of us and then more and more. It was a wonderful thing to watch even though the development seems to become less rapid. Reading and participating in Scientiae has given me the courage and audacity to ask for the science help I need and to tell my boss that I am done with my PhD work and am starting to write up my thesis. That is why I want this Carnival to continue, because there are other scientistas out there who want and need the kind of encouragement that the Carnival has offered me. Alice has stopped blogging for the moment but this Carnvial continues, if you would like to organize it, please get into contact with her.

So what should be the future of Scientiae? I don't know. I'm willing to host once a year and contribute but not to be in charge. What do you think?

January 09, 2010

Stereotypes are usually the last thing to change in the face of contradictory evidence

No I didn't write that sentence but thank you for thinking that I did. "Stereotypes are usually the last thing to change in the face of contradictory evidence." is the first sentence in a Scientific American article/podcast .

While the title doesn't say it all, it does come close: No Gender Gap in Math A worldwide study of nearly half a million boys and girls found no significant gender gap in math ability. It's written by FarierScience friends Marcia Linn and Janet Hyde with lead author Nicole Elsie-Quest (who I hope will become a FairerScience friend).

The study is a Psychological Bulletin in press (I keep checking to see when it will be available) but Scientific American says:

Researchers analyzed results from two math tests that assessed nearly half a million boys and girls between the ages of 14 to 16, from 69 countries. They tested algebra, geometry, data analysis and number concepts. The study’s lead author, Villanova University psychology professor Nicole Else-Quest found “…that on average across all the nations the gender difference was negligible.”

WAIT WAIT IT'S HERE!

Gotta go; have some reading to do-- .

January 05, 2010

Good by Mary Daly and thank you

Heaven knows that I didn't always agree with Mary Daly (ok sorry about the - what- pun? choice of words? whatever?) but when she was in the world, she always made us question our assumptions and challenge our beliefs. It may be an easier but not a better world, with her passing.

Who is Mary-- well today her website says:

"Women of the world unite! Stand up and fight! Say our own names! Go up in flames!" - Mary Daly, September 2006

Mary Daly urges you to remember: The World Can't Wait, Women Can't Wait Women Can't Wait, the World Can't Wait
Rest in Peace, Mary.

The rest makes sense but "Rest in peace" Ha that would be so not be Mary. The Boston Globe said it this way:

Fiercely and playfully -- often at the same time -- Mary Daly used words to challenge the basic precepts of the Catholic Church and Boston College, where she was on the faculty for more than 30 years.

Dr. Daly emerged as a major voice in the burgeoning women's movement with her first book, "The Church and the Second Sex," published in 1968, and "Beyond God the Father: Toward a Philosophy of Women's Liberation," which appeared five years later. That accomplishment was viewed, then and now, as all the more significant because she wrote and taught at a Jesuit college.

"She was a great trained philosopher, theologian, and poet, and she used all of those tools to demolish patriarchy -- or any idea that domination is natural -- in its most defended place, which is religion," said Gloria Steinem.

So Lesley, Michelle -you took courses with her-- anything you want to add?

January 02, 2010

Calling all geoscientists: the results

Now many of you (some of you? anyone?) might remember that in August we asked for your help . FairerScience friends and geoscientists Kim Hannula and Anne Jefferson were interested in the role that geoscience and women in science blogs played in the lives of geoscientists. They asked Zuska and me if we wanted to be involved (and of course we did). So we set up an on-line survey and asked you all to respond. And thank you- we got 102 responses and Kim presented the results at the GSA Annual Meeting in October.

Kim has done a great job writing up the results. So go on over and read them. Here are some tidbits to get you to read the whole thing:

In general, women tended to agree that reading blogs made their experience more normal (ave = 2.20, std dev = 1.05), that reading blogs told them what work as a geo/environmental scientist is like (ave = 2.37, std dev = 0.97), and that reading blogs tells them what it is like to be a woman scientist (ave = 2.18, std dev = 1.02), but are more neutral about the effect of reading blogs on their career interests.

We found some (for social science research) darned high correlations (0.56 to 0.64, among the following statements:

* "Reading blogs makes my experience seem more normal."
* "Reading blogs tells me what it is like to be a woman scientist."
* "[Reading blogs] I feel more connected to other women scientists."
* "[Reading blogs] I find a greater variety of role models than I find in my real life."

Yes-- this whole blog thing does appear to be making a difference. so go read the results.