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A coalition of 17 organizations reacted today to the survey by calling on the scientific community to become more involved in promoting evolution and other aspects of science education.

The coalition, including the National Academy of Sciences, the American Institute of Physics and the National Science Teachers Association, released this statement:

"The introduction of 'non-science,' such as creationism and intelligent design, into science education will undermine the fundamentals of science education. Some of these fundamentals include using the scientific method, understanding how to reach scientific consensus, and distinguishing between scientific and nonscientific explanations of natural phenomena." (More...)

Wow! Who knew there were so many uneducated people out there? When people start using faith to explain the world around them, basic principles of science break down. Of course spirituality should be kept for each individual, but we should also search for the universal scientific version of our reality.

The girl, named Lakshmi, has been revered by some in her village as the reincarnation of a Hindu goddess. She was born joined to a "parasitic twin" that stopped developing in her mother's womb. The surviving fetus absorbed limbs, kidneys and other body parts of the undeveloped fetus.

A team of more than 30 physicians removed Lakshmi's extra limbs, salvaged her organs, and rebuilt her pelvis area, Dr. Sharan Patil said from a hospital in the southern Indian city of Bangalore.
"Beyond our expectations, the reconstruction worked wonderfully well," said Patil, the lead orthopedic surgeon during the operation."

The complications for Lakshmi's surgery were myriad: She was born with four kidneys, entangled nerves, two stomach cavities and two chest cavities. She has not been able stand up or walk.

The surgery also included separating the fused spines, Patil said. "Every step was successful. There was no setback whatsoever."

Physicians had anticipated an especially difficult challenge would be rebuilding Lakshmi's pelvis, but that went smoothly also.

"We were able to bring the pelvic bones together successfully, which takes away the need for another procedure," Patil said.

Children born with deformities in deeply traditional rural parts of India, like the remote village in the northern state of Bihar that Lakshmi hails from, are often viewed as reincarnated gods. The young girl is no different - she is named after the four-armed Hindu goddess of wealth.

"Everybody considers her a goddess at our village," said her father, Shambhu, who goes by one name. "All this expenditure has happened to make her normal. So far, everything is fine."

Others sought to make money from Lakshmi. Her parents kept her in hiding after a circus apparently tried to buy the girl, they said.

Patil said Lakshmi's family was "overwhelmed," and they expected to see her Wednesday afternoon.

Doctors at Sparsh Hospital in Bangalore said the child was popular among staff and patients. The hospital's foundation paid for the operation because the family could not afford the bills.

"She's a very cute girl," hospital spokeswoman Dr. Patil Mamatha said. "She's very playful and gets along well with others."

SOURCE: http://www.komotv.com/news/national/11076191.html

NASA announced last week that it is now taking applications for the job of astronaut. The agency expects to hire 10 to 15 candidates who wish to have the opportunity to journey into space, and perhaps to land on the moon.

The requirements include a bachelor's degree in engineering, science or math and three years of relevant professional experience. It's helpful to have experience in the fields of engineering or science, or expertise in flying high-performance jet aircraft.

NASA will take applications through July 1, 2008, and will announce the final selections in early 2009. Astronauts will begin training at the Johnson Space Center in Houston in the summer of 2009. To apply click here.

Merck & Co. said Friday that it is ending enrollment and vaccination of volunteers in the large international study, which is partly funded by the National Institutes of Health.

It was a significant setback in the daunting quest to develop a vaccine to prevent AIDS. Merck's vaccine was the farthest along and was closely watched by experts in the field.

Officials at the New Jersey-based company told The Associated Press that 24 of 741 volunteers who got the vaccine in one segment of the experiment later became infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. In a comparison group of volunteers who got dummy shots, 21 of 762 participants also became infected. (Read More...)