ASA Voices

Does taking tests help students learn science?

By Scot Sutherland, on January 24th, 2011

A New York Times article (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/21/science/21memory.html?_r=1&ref=science) based upon a recent Purdue study by Jeffrey D. Karpicke and Janell R. Blunt shows that when students take tests they learn science better than when they use study aids such as concept maps and other learning devices.

Purdue study abstract:

Educators rely heavily on learning activities that encourage elaborative . . . → Read More: Does taking tests help students learn science?

Update from Bill Hamilton

By William Hamilton, on January 22nd, 2011

I haven’t posted here for a while — I was in the hospital from August – November due to a head injury from a fall, which was in turn caused by neuropathy from the chemo I had been receiving. Now begins a new chapter. I am going back to MD Anderson for more chemo. This time . . . → Read More: Update from Bill Hamilton

Ted Davis interview: A History of the Creation-Evolution Conflict

By Stephen MacDonald, on January 7th, 2011

My friend Steven Anderson summarized for me his reaction to the Ted Davis interview, and I would like to post his comments for others to consider. – Stephen A. MacDonald Here is what Steven Anderson wrote to me: Dear Steve, Upon your recommendation, I listened to the . . . → Read More: Ted Davis interview: A History of the Creation-Evolution Conflict

Stuff Happens

By George Murphy, on January 3rd, 2011

“Everybody knows” Einstein’s E = mc2 but not everybody understands it – even some who know what the symbols mean and can use it in physics. Others before Einstein (J.J. Thomson, F. Hasenöhrl) had shown that changes in certain forms of energy would be accompanied by changes in mass in accord with this equation. Relativity . . . → Read More: Stuff Happens

Recent Peer-Reviewed ID Paper

By Richard Blinne, on December 27th, 2010

One of the things I have been critical of concerning the Intelligent Design movement was it’s lack of peer-reviewed papers. It was with great interest, therefore, when I saw an announcement of a new peer-reviewed paper co-authored by William Dembski: Montañez G, Ewert W, Dembski WA, Marks II RJ (2010) A vivisection of the ev computer . . . → Read More: Recent Peer-Reviewed ID Paper

Faith-Based Hiring?

By Randy Isaac, on December 20th, 2010

Astronomer Martin Gaskell has sued the University of Kentucky for discrimination based on religious faith when, in 2007, they bypassed him in favor of someone else to head their observatory. According to the NYTimes, the lawsuit alleges that Gaskell was denied the position on the basis of his religious beliefs. Martin and his wife have been . . . → Read More: Faith-Based Hiring?

Perhaps a response to Jerry Coyne would be appropriate

By Charles Austerberry, on November 4th, 2010

[Moderator note: Not sure why I missed this. Better late than never I suppose.]

I hope some ASAers submit good op-eds to USA Today in response to Jerry . . . → Read More: Perhaps a response to Jerry Coyne would be appropriate

Where’s the Rejoicing?

By Terry M. Gray, on October 4th, 2010

A few months ago Rich Blinne posted on the Voices blog a discussion of the BP Gulf oil spill entitled “Where’s the outrage?”–no doubt a warranted critique of evangelical Christians’ response to the human caused disaster. But now that the leak has been stopped–also due to human effort–I have wondered “Where’s the rejoicing?” Indeed, we had . . . → Read More: Where’s the Rejoicing?

Together we can attract more young people to the ASA!

By Thomas Burnett, on September 19th, 2010

Randy and the executive council have asked me to help them develop an electronic magazine that will intrigue and attract grad students and post-docs to the ASA. I have had great conversations with many of you already, and we’re excited about producing stories that reveal the exciting research that our fellow ASA members are doing. . . . → Read More: Together we can attract more young people to the ASA!

Can “Intrinsic Randomness” Afford Divine Openness?

By Jason Hine, on September 18th, 2010

In his book A New Kind of Science, Stephen Wolfram describes what he calls “intrinsically-generated randomness” (pp. 315-326), and contrasts it with other sources of randomness, namely initial conditions and environmental effects. Could this idea, that randomness may be effectively generated via the simple computational rules governing the behavior of a system, offer anything new . . . → Read More: Can “Intrinsic Randomness” Afford Divine Openness?