Stories about Science from May, 2014
Legislating on Open Access in Mexico
Saul Equihua writes [es] on Infotecarios about open access in México: On Tuesday, May 20, 2014, Mexico moved ahead by adding and reforming the Legislation of Science and Technology, the General Legislation of Education and the Organic Law of National Council of Science and Technology, to promote open access. After...
Rwanda: The Good, the Bad and the Hopeful
Although Rwanda has made great strides in recovering from the 1994 genocide, advocacy groups continue to report human rights violations.
Reference Services in Library and the Web
Samuel Castro Ponce writes [es] on Infotecarios about reference services [es] or librarian consultaton, history, features and evolution: Evidently, synchronized referece services are evolving. Now there is a trend of using 2.0 websites for taking advantages of social networks that make possible sending and receiving information instantly. The same goes...
Jamaica Blog Day: Environment or Development?
Development at the expense of the environment is a hot topic as Jamaica tries to find ways to ensure economic viability...but must it be an either/or proposition?
Were Jamaican Professor's Statements Supportive of Anti-Homosexuality Laws?
Esteemed medical professor Brendan Bain was sacked from the University of the West Indies over court testimony in which he suggested that homosexuality can be a danger to public health.
A Low-cost Solution to Heal Cataract in Sub Saharan Countries
One of the main causes of blindness in sub saharan countries are cataracts. A group of french physicians has developed a surgical kit called “Phacokit” to treat at low-cost individuals suffering from cataract and help them recover their eyesight [fr]: Pour vaincre la cataracte, principale cause de cécité, notamment dans les pays pauvres,...
Grenada: Kick'em Jenny Study May Save Lives
Repeating Islands republishes a report about a scientific study of Kick'em Jenny, an active underwater volcano located just off the coast of Grenada.
A Star Sister of the Sun
Astrophysicist Ángel R. López-Sánchez blogs [es] on El Lobo Rayado about stars that sisters of the Sun, and the recent confirmation of the existence of one of them, HD 162826. HD 162826 is located in Hercules constellation and is 15% more massive than the Sun, even though it was already...
Argentina and Open Access
Fernando Ariel López writes [es] for Infotecarios about Law 26899: Creating Digital Institutional Repositories of Open, Owned, or Shared Access [es], also known as the Open Access Law, approved in Argentina in November 2013, after a long process initiated in 2009. The scientific-technological production resulting from the work, training, and/or projects funded...
Scientific Communicators Responsibility
In relation to the new Cosmos series, Víctor R. Ruíz reflects [es] on how the search for scientific knowledge is becoming a question of social responsibility, and the role of scientists in the public sphere: Both before and then, private companies and governments have agendas that don't always coincide with general...
Meet Joshua Beckford Who Attended Oxford University at the Age of 6
Omg Ghana reports about Joshua Beckford's outstanding academic achievement: At age 8, you were probably practicing a sport or was preparing for the third grade. Well, meet an 8 year old with a twist, Joshua Beckford. This particular young boy is by far not your average 8 year old. He studied...
4G and other Indonesian Inventions
4G, the fastest data transmission technology of our time, was developed by an Indonesian. Another interesting Indonesian invention is the electric shoes which give women the tool to defend themselves by stunning an attacker with an electric shock.
Madagascar to Start Distributing Crude Oil Locally and Hope to Boost Job Market
L'Express reports that the Madagascar Oil Group will start testing distribution of 55,000 to 73,000 barrels [fr] of crude oil from Tsimiroro, Madagascar onto the local market. It is part of the new government strategy to ingnite economic recovery and strive for energy independence [fr]. The oil exploitation is also expected to create new jobs for local...
Astronomy in Spain
Astrophysicist Angel R. López-Sánchez blogs [es] about the recent XXI State Congress of Astrophysics [es] held in Granada, Spain, on may 1-4, 2014. During the event, there was a astrophotography contest and time-lapse video, about which Angel notes: Three out of four winners are Andalucian, and this shows once again...
A Galaxy Far, Far Away
The website Chileno notes [en] that a Chilean-led team of astronomers has shed new light on the evolution of galaxies by observing young star formations in outer regions of the interacting galaxy NGC 92. As lead author Dr Sergio Torres from Universidad de La Serena explains, there is something special...
