Maggie Koerth-Baker
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Science Editor at BoingBoing.net, journalist
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My favorite part of #OWS right now: The numerous online debates I've seen over the last two days concerning whether or not Batman (clearly part of the 1%) operates on behalf of the 99%. I'm not really a DC person, so I don't feel qualified to comment. Except to say: Isn't that really the Green Arrow's schtick?
+23
6 shares - Avi Chatterjee, Joy Nichols, Kyle Jones, Luke Lewis, Molly Collins and 1 more
11 comments - Matt McIrvin, Dawood Nagda, Jim Kakalios, Mark Knipp, Mindy Weisberger and 1 more
Matt McIrvin - It was really the tail end of the Great Depression. It wasn't expressed as "income inequality" but a lot of people were very poor. And fear of crime was part and parcel of that.
One final bit of BoingBoing badassery: Our +Xeni Jardin managed to track down the folks responsible for last night's Occupy Wall Street bat signal within hours of the projections appearing on New York City's Verizon building. She's got a great interview with the signal creators. Among other things, you'll learn about the cool single mom who agreed to let strangers project the signal from her living room! http://boingboing.net/2011/11/17/interview-with-the-occupy-wall.html
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+27
15 shares - Brendan Wamstad-Evans, Caro Mahler, Chris Tackett, Kara Marie, Luciano Berenhauser and 10 more
4 comments - Shaiket Hasan, nitirat sitthi, Donald Iarussi MFA, and Nick Hooper
When I use the word "weird", by the way, I mean it as "awesome." For another example, check out this great guest blog, written by a research diver in Antarctica. You'd think that climate change might affect the north and south poles in pretty similar ways. You'd be wrong.
http://boingboing.net/2011/11/17/under-the-ice-research-diving.html
http://boingboing.net/2011/11/17/under-the-ice-res
Introduction. Maggie Koerth-Baker. The Polar regions of the Arctic and the Antarctic are both cold. Beyond that, you can't really talk about conditions at one pole based on the conditions at the o...
+19
4 shares - Charles Martin, Heeyoung Seo, Jonie S.John, and rasha kamel
6 comments - Buddhini Samarasinghe, Jason Jones, Maggie Koerth-Baker, Donald Iarussi MFA, and Mith Besler
Buddhini Samarasinghe - +Maggie Koerth-Baker Great article, I enjoyed reading that :) I used to live with a Russian guy who was a global warming denier when I was at university, and we used to debate about this sometimes. Eventually he ran out of arguments to deny the evidence of warming and he countered with 'well, at least we'll be able to grow tomatoes in Russia all year round, so how is this a bad thing?'. That was when I realized that it's pointless trying to convince someone of something like global warming - even if you manage to convince them, they don't care enough for it to be a concern to them.
Biological sex is at least as weird as gender. I ran across this study while prepping for my upcoming appearances on the Sex Is Fun podcast and just HAD to write about it. Here I sit, a lady with lady-hormone producing ovaries. But there's a protein in my body that MUST be present and active in order to keep my ovaries from becoming more like testicles. And the reverse is true for dudes. http://boingboing.net/2011/11/17/forget-love-biological-sex-is.html
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+14
9 shares - Denise Grace, Jumi Kassim, Lindsay Stratton, Mark Changizi, Melissa Kozma and 4 more
11 comments - Cassandra Lyon, touria kadioui, Chris Mikkelson, Ellen McManis, Maggie Koerth-Baker and 1 more
Cassandra Lyon - Let all of us women pray that the government doesn't create a virus that turns us into testicle-flopping-breast-sagging-nag machines!!!!! (^ , ^)
I want to know how this new NYC-based bee species feels about that bee-attracting maraschino cherry factory in Brooklyn.
Matt Shipman originally shared this post:New bee species discovered in NYC. Native to Gotham, yet undiscovered? That's amazing and wonderful.
DNA and digital technology have allowed scientists to identify four new species of bees in the New York region, one of them buzzing around Brooklyn.
+12
6 shares - Adam Mayer, Jeff Markel, Michael Conner, Shawna Jean, Steven Goldman and 1 more
9 comments - احميده الدراجي, Bakkari Simo, Bryan Bishop, Kyla Glaser ESQ., Steven Jacquier and 1 more
Whoops.
Kristina Killgrove originally shared this post:
A set of human bones at Gloucester museum, always believed to be from the Stone Age, are actually only about 500 years old.
+12
5 shares - Denis Afanasiev, Emily Smith, Heeyoung Seo, Steven Shelton, and Tia Ghose
10 comments - Khalifa Ndoye, Baruch Ben-David, Mark Hoenig, Alexander Quiñones, Paul N and 1 more
I don't know why, but it never occurred to me that you can just do this. The first round of elimination must be just FULL of ridiculous applicants.
Andrea Kuszewski originally shared this post:Want to be an astronaut?
NASA is accepting applications!
NASA is accepting applications!
ASTRONAUT CANDIDATE PROGRAM BROCHURE. USAJOBS USAJOBS is the official job site of the United States Federal Government. NASA HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT. NASA Highlights. INTERNATIONAL SPACE AGENCIES. CONTACT ...
+15
14 shares - Abdul Rehman, Atilio Quintero, Bab Mer, Daniel Hould, Emily Jones and 9 more
2 comments - Marian Jamieson and Stephanie Kirmer
Marian Jamieson - Except our space program is dying.
One of the questions just has to ask if you speak Russian.
One of the questions just has to ask if you speak Russian.
Environmental scientist Paul Epstein from Harvard died this week. He worked on the human impacts of climate change and I got a chance to interview him a couple of years ago. To me, some of his most interesting research had to do with the way changing climate affects plants, and the way changes in those plants, in turn, affect us. Earlier spring and later frost means higher pollen counts for more of the year. Higher temperatures and higher carbon dioxide concentrations mean more (and more potent) poison ivy.
Check out this paper Epstein wrote with the USDA's Lewis Ziska. It's an easy read, and fascinating: http://bit.ly/tPwYVq #RIP
Check out this paper Epstein wrote with the USDA's Lewis Ziska. It's an easy read, and fascinating: http://bit.ly/tPwYVq #RIP
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1 share - James McCann
Ruth Alfasso - It's very sad, I knew him a little and didn't find out he was sick until a couple weeks ago. He will be missed.
You see that little nubbin on the lower left of this photo? That's the drive control for the Nissan Leaf. It has a little button in the center that you press to set the brake. To change from park, to neutral, to drive, you just put your hand on the nubbin's right side and press it toward you. Like it's a puppy you're giving a friendly pat.
I got to test drive the Leaf last night, after a showing of...
Expand this post »I got to test drive the Leaf last night, after a showing of...
+15
2 shares - Daniel Hould and Georgy Zakarashvili
12 comments - Chuck Fredericks, James Salsman, Kirk Flowers, Maggie Koerth-Baker, Robert Moffitt and 1 more
Chuck Fredericks - Most of my driving over the past 10 months has been under 40 miles, but sometimes it's difficult to predict usage. There have been many occasions when I have had to go somewhere unexpectedly during work (e.g., meet a client) or after work which not only exceeded the 40 mile Volt range but would have likely exceeded the Leaf's range.
Don't forget, with the Leaf you have a hard limit of about 40-45 miles for your destination (45 there, 45 back). In spread-out LA where I live, that's not very far. Throw in the 8 hour battery charge time and there are legitimate concerns.
But again, both are great cars with different functionality. If I had a huge bank account/garage, I would probably get a Leaf too. Actually, I would probably get a Tesla Model S that will have a 300 mile range.
Expand this comment »Don't forget, with the Leaf you have a hard limit of about 40-45 miles for your destination (45 there, 45 back). In spread-out LA where I live, that's not very far. Throw in the 8 hour battery charge time and there are legitimate concerns.
But again, both are great cars with different functionality. If I had a huge bank account/garage, I would probably get a Leaf too. Actually, I would probably get a Tesla Model S that will have a 300 mile range.
I'm pretty excited about +Matt Novak's newest project. He's the guy behind Paleofuture. Now he's got another blog on time capsules. Seriously, it's like the guy is going to make a career out of digging around into the obsessive corners of my brain. What's next, Matt? A blog on buried infrastructure beneath cities? A blog on trains? GET OUT OF MY BRAIN!
Matt Novak originally shared this post:My blog about time capsules has a Google+ page:
Matt Novak shared a Google+ page with you.
+14
1 share - Stephanie Powers
6 comments - Timothy Bogart, Nickolas Diaz, Matt Novak, Max Robinson, and Maggie Koerth-Baker
Timothy Bogart - ohhh, maybe if we keep repeating 'infrastructure beneath cities' ..... it will happen
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Introduction
Science Editor at BoingBoing.net. Freelance science journalist. Writer of books.
A reader once described me as, "A lighthouse of reason in a churling ocean of stupidity." I am currently trying to figure out how to get that embroidered on everything that I own.
Bragging rights
"Before the Lights Go Out: Conquering the Energy Crisis Before it Conquers Us" = My new book, due out in March 2012. Pre-order at: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470876255
Occupation
Science journalist
Employment
- Maggie Koerth-Baker Inc.Science Journalist, 2006 - present
- BoingBoingScience Editor, 2009 - present
- mental_floss magazineContributing Editor, 2006 - 2008
- mental_floss magazineAssistant Editor, 2004 - 2006
Education
- University of KansasJournalism, 1999 - 2004
- University of KansasAnthropology, 1999 - 2004
Places lived
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Lawrence, Kansas
- Birmingham, Alabama
- Topeka, Kansas
- Salina, Kansas
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Other names
Maggie Koerth
Nickname
Maggie
