Animal rights groups often argue (Warning: AR Website) that new imaging technologies, such as fMRI, provide an alternative to invasive brain research in animals, accusing those doing animal work of failing to adopt these modern methods. Such a position reflects a misunderstanding of what these instruments measure and their limitation in studying how the brain … Continue reading The limits of fMRI
Month: July 2009
Open Letter to Michael Budkie
On June 1, 2009, animal rights activist, Michael Budkie, submitted a letter of complaint (AR Website) to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), with the charge that scientists are performing duplicative research. Mr. Budkie’s complaint was based upon his own analysis of the publicly available information about research funded by the National Eye Institute, … Continue reading Open Letter to Michael Budkie
ALF’s clever website trickery
The ALF web person has been up to some fairly deceitful tricks. Look closely at the screen shot below from the ALF website (Warning: AR Website). The article is about two scientists who have apparently been barred from their university. The interesting thing to note is the link to the Speaking of Research committee webpage … Continue reading ALF’s clever website trickery
Scientists discover AIDS in Chimpanzees
The discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) by the French scientists Luc Montagnier and Françoise Barré-Sinoussi in 1983, and the, and the subsequent confirmation by the American scientist Robert Gallo that it caused AIDS was a shock to doctors and scientists around the globe, and begged the question as to whether or not similar … Continue reading Scientists discover AIDS in Chimpanzees
SR at SSR
On Monday July 20th Tom Holder gave a presentation as part of the President's Sympozium at the Society for the Study of Reproduction's 42nd Annual Meeting. The presentation was attended by around 500 members of the society, ranging from undergraduates up to well established professors. The talk provided suggestions on how to talk about science … Continue reading SR at SSR
SR to speak at SSR Conference in Pittsburgh on 20th
On Monday July 20th, Tom Holder will address the Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR) at their 42nd Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh. Holder will speak as part of the President's Symposium on "Reproductive Policy and the Public Good" alongside Mary Wooley President of Research!America and John Peterson Myers founder of Environmental Health News. No … Continue reading SR to speak at SSR Conference in Pittsburgh on 20th
Three Young Advocates Step Up
Americans for Medical Progress (AMP) decided to fund three new Hayre fellows on two Hayre Fellowships. This is a fantastic chance for three students to stand up and motivate the people in their community and beyond. AMP created the Fellowship in honor of its late Chairman, Michael D. Hayre, DVM. Its aim is to foster … Continue reading Three Young Advocates Step Up
Public views on Science and Research
On July 9th, the Pew Research Center for People & the Press, in collaboration with the Americans Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) released its findings (full report) regarding the public perception of science. In this post I will reflect on some of the interesting aspects of the report. To give some context, the … Continue reading Public views on Science and Research
Speaking of Research 