I agree with her choices, review in the Telegraph here. I’d only correct her weather forecast a bit, it’s in the 90’s a whole lot. And while the air pollution isn’t like Beijing, it can be bad. But she’s spot on about the Raffles and the Botanical Gardens.
The inside skinny on sequestration and science funding…
From ScienceInsider, here. The key point is that agencies will have a heterogenous response to the cuts depending on how their accounting is handled within the overall Federal budget–bottom-line: NIH seems to have greater flexibility than NSF.
Nature Magazine has an earlier analysis of the situation here.
For the true wonks among us, you’ll want to dive into the exhaustive OMB analysis here.
NSF to CMU: Subra Suresh
Big news out of the National Science Foundation, the story from the Chronicle is here. These are extremely challenging times for US science agencies with the imminent threat of sequestration. The problem is that, as President of Carnegie Mellon, with its institutional emphasis on science and technology, those challenges are going to likely follow him north to Pittsburgh. We wish him luck though…
NeuroX: The Good, the bad and the ugly about pop neuroscience…
May 8-10 in Washington: our annual executive short course–this year looking at all things neuroscience in the mass media. What can we trust? Site is up and running here!
The Human Brain Project…
A brilliant op ed in today’s FT, here from Gary Marcus at NYU. Money quote:
At present, the Human Brain Project seems too tilted towards physical understanding, with too little weight given to functional understanding. Truly understanding the brain will require bridging between the two.
Washington DC’s Harvard?
At least for the Metro Area, here. Can we claim the Ravens also?
Today’s Monday seminar…at 4PM
Just a reminder for local folks, that our Spring semester series kicks off today with a talk by Claudio Cioffi, who heads up the Institute’s Center for Social Complexity. Please join us if you are in the area.
Neural basis of the placebo effect…
Great summary of Ted Kaptchuk’s work in Harvard Magazine, here. Hat tip to Arts&Sciences Daily.
Bump on the road to Exascale?
In Science Magazine here. Bottom-line: governments seem to be running scared and there’s little financial incentive for the big chip makers.
Orr’s review of Thomas Nagel’s new book…
On mind and cosmos–surely the center of our own Krasnow Institute’s scientific program, here in the NY Review of Books. Somehow I feel certain that there will be an enjoyable Institute Brown Bag lunch on this book.
Discoverers and Discoveries 