links for 2008-09-25

via ALDirect – It frustrates me when I can’t leave comments. See post: on Democracy, Trust, and Libraries. I also discuss this issue in my Master’s Paper.

“”There’s something important in there for the science community, creating an online identity is of growing importance, whether you do it through your lab’s web page, your set of tagged articles on Digg, your blog about your research or personal interests or your photos on Flickr. When people are interested in asking you to give a talk, hiring you, joining your lab, or collaborating with you, they’re going to look you up via Google, and as the Times article points out, there’s a danger in not participating, and thus not controlling your online image”

SmallWorlds project at U. of Leicester: “This project will facilitate the construction of online professional networks using freely available Web 2.0 tools to support the development of early career stage laboratory scientists in the Life and Physical Sciences. We will do this by guiding and encouraging development of clustered small world networks.”

Press release from NIH

“Amid a national debate over the influence of industry money on medical research and practice, two pharmaceutical giants say they will begin publicly reporting payments they make to outside doctors.”

“Dr. Zerhouni was chosen after President Bush announced strict limits on federal financing of stem-cell research, and the White House made clear that Dr. Zerhouni was expected to support this policy. But in 2004 and 2005, Dr. Zerhouni told Congress that the president’s policy was hindering scientific progress.”