Category: Science

Hawaii’s shark fin bill: Public comment period closes Monday

Posted on By David Shiffman 3 Comments on Hawaii’s shark fin bill: Public comment period closes Monday
Conservation, Science

The government of Hawaii has proposed a bill banning the sale of shark fins within their state. It currently has the catchy title of  “SB 2169: A bill for an act relating to shark fins”, and you can read it here.

This bill is progressing much faster than my shark conservation friends working in Hawaii suspected. The public comment period closes Monday at 8:00 a.m. Hawaii time! If you have something you’d like to say about this bill, please do it soon.

You do not need to be a Hawaii resident to submit a comment!

Here’s how to submit a comment:

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Ethical Debate: Animal rights, human health, and government understanding of science

Posted on By David Shiffman 111 Comments on Ethical Debate: Animal rights, human health, and government understanding of science
Science

Image from HumaneSociety.org

I am, in general, a supporter of animal rights. Animal abuse sickens me, and I really believe Ghandi’s famous quote that “you can judge a society by how it treats its weakest members”. That said, while it’s disturbing to see a rabbit which has gone blind from exposure to a potential new shampoo, I’d rather have a rabbit go blind than a human child. More importantly, while it is troubling to infect a chimpanzee with a disease in order to study how to cure that disease, such research unquestionably saves human lives.  That’s why I was surprised to learn about the Great Ape Protection Act.

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Why a DNA database is a very bad idea

Posted on By Andrew Thaler 12 Comments on Why a DNA database is a very bad idea
Science

Imagine this scenario: A murder case that went cold 20 years ago is reopened thanks to newly available DNA-based forensics. The state, lets say Arizona, has a large database of DNA. This isn’t the DNA deposited from newborns that David discussed a few weeks ago, but DNA from convicted criminals and really anyone who’s been brought up on charges in the last few years, whether or not they were eventually found innocent. DNA from a piece of evidence in that 20-tear-old case matches DNA in the database, the suspect is brought in a questioned. He has no alibi for what he was doing on day X 20 years ago. Charges are filed, a jury is called, and the suspect is convicted on the strength of a DNA match. Justice is served, right? Maybe, but maybe not.

So here’s the funny bit. The problem with this scenario has nothing to do with genetics, forensic science, or data storage and access. It’s really not even about crime and justice. It’s about your birthday.

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WhySharksMatter speaking at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

Posted on By David Shiffman
Science

As part of their exhibit entitled “Megaladon: Largest Shark That Ever Lived“, I will be giving a public education talk about sharks at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh. The talk will be at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 9th. The talk is approximately 45 minutes long, which leaves plenty of time … Read More “WhySharksMatter speaking at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences” »

Blogger Day at the Georgia Aquarium

Posted on By David Shiffman 2 Comments on Blogger Day at the Georgia Aquarium
Science

I will be attending “blogger day” this Saturday at the Georgia Aquarium this Saturday. I’ve heard some good things about the aquarium and their “Planet Shark: Predator or Prey” exhibit, and I’m excited to finally check it out. The last time I was in Atlanta was literally one week before they opened. I’ll have a … Read More “Blogger Day at the Georgia Aquarium” »

More proof of Global Draining

Posted on By Andrew Thaler 2 Comments on More proof of Global Draining
Science

Since I discovered the Global Draining phenomenon yesterday, my e-mail and twitter has been flooded with witnesses of similar events all over the country. By fortune and chance, Jeff Priddy documented the earliest stages of Global Draining over three days this weekend. In it, you can see the wetland begin to drain, slow down briefly … Read More “More proof of Global Draining” »

The Conservation Context in Population Genetics, Part 1

Posted on By Andrew Thaler 3 Comments on The Conservation Context in Population Genetics, Part 1
Conservation, Science

This is the first entry in Crowdsourcing ConGen. This entry is meant to be half of an Introduction which lays out the framework for what conservation genetics is, its philosophical basis in population genetics, and why it’s a meaningful method of inquiry for conservation. This first section is meant to outline foundational concepts in population genetics. It is not meant to be a detailed summery of population genetics, but needs to be accurate and clear.

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