The pro-intelligent design documentary, “Expelled”, made waves a couple of months ago when the famed blogger/biologist PZ Myers, who was lining up to get into the show, was pulled out of the line and not allowed in. But somehow, Richard Dawkins, a fellow biologist and atheist who was with Myers at the time, managed to get in.

The movie tries to argue that people supportive of intelligent design have been muzzled and persecuted.

It has activated the good people who are sadly called on too many times to “defend” evolution and Darwin and to expose intelligent design for what it really is. One of the stars in this arena is Kenneth Miller, a biology professor at Brown U. He has a nice op-ed in today’s Globe saying that not only is the movie full of lies, but is also a threat to science.

“Expelled” is a shoddy piece of propaganda that props up the failures of Intelligent Design by playing the victim card. It deceives its audiences, slanders the scientific community, and contributes mightily to a climate of hostility to science itself.”

The National Center for Science Education has a website devoted to debunking “Expelled”. They accuse the makers of the movie of being dishonest with the people they interviewed and in how they promoted it. The NCSE even recently ran a contest to pick the 5 best refutations of claims made in the documentary. The site says the winning entries will be posted soon, this month.

Not long after I moved to Boston seven years ago, I started hearing about the H-bomb phenomenon. Nothing to do with weaponry or anything, it’s the idea that mentioning that you’re a student at Harvard can have a chilling, intimidating effect on social relations, when you’re, say, at a party and trying to make new friends (or trying to find someone to go on a date with). “Harvard” has this mystique around it that gets associated with people who go/work there. “Ohhh, you must be really smart/rich/snobby/all of the above.” Watch as the veil falls between the Harvard person and the “common” person.

At last night’s NNB pub night, a couple of Harvard postdocs told stories about how they’ve felt the same effect at conferences or other places where they meet other scientists. (Being in a pub right across the street from the Longwood area in the company of other Harvard people felt like a safe place to be able to talk openly and to gain sympathy about this, rather than getting the predictable eyeball-rolls.)

They said that they go out of their way to not say their affiliation. “I’m from Boston.”

As one person put it, if people see that you’re from Harvard, they automatically think you’re a prick.

Where does this come from? Jealousy? Run-of-the-mill pettiness? A primordial urge to want to hate and take down the top dog? Is this any different from the Boston baseball fans who love to hate the NY Yankees? Does this happen in other parts of the world, like to the poor people at Cambridge or Oxford?

Oil-rich countries around the Persian Gulf are not exactly known for their promotion of renewable energy.

So the fact that one of those countries, the United Arab Emirates (UAE)—which sits on about eight percent of the world’s oil reserves, is trying to make a name for itself as an innovator and educator in renewable energy technologies and green urban planning is attracting attention. At a conference at MIT yesterday, the audience heard about a new six square-kilometer city that’s being built from scratch near Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE. The new city, which will be home to 50,000 residents, aims to be zero-carbon and zero-waste, thanks to solar technologies and the banning of cars.

Construction of the $22 billion Masdar City began earlier this year and is being financed in part by the government of Abu Dhabi through its Masdar Initiative, an economic development group created in 2006 with $15 billion from the government, aiming to put Abu Dhabi on the forefront of alternative energy R&D. (Incidentally, Fortune magazine last year called Abu Dhabi “the richest city in the world.”)

(See coverage of Masdar City from NPR, Boston Globe, NY Times and MIT Tech Review)

At the heart of Masdar City will be the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (MIST), a graduate level research institute devoted to renewable energy. It was developed with the help of MIT and will open in September 2009 with 30 faculty and 100 master’s students. It will begin granting PhDs in 2011.

MIST faculty members (15 recruited so far, many of them MIT grads) are at MIT now working with MIT faculty on seven projects, funded by Abu Dhabi, that will be moved to MIST when it gets set up in its new home. Over the long term, MIT researchers can continue to collaborate with MIST researchers on MIST-funded projects, gaining access to Abu Dhabi’s wealth of resources.

I had a chance to sit down today with the Masdar Initiative CEO, Sultan Al Jaber, who was in town for the MIT conference and to promote MIST to Boston-area students.

(Credit: Masdar Initiative)

Why is oil-rich Abu Dhabi interested in developing sources of alternative energy?
Abu Dhabi recognizes that the global energy markets are evolving. If you look at the global energy demand curve, you’ll find that it’s increasing with substantial growth in renewable energy. Does that represent a threat or an opportunity? We believe that it represents a very unique opportunity for us to venture into.

Is this a way to prepare for the time when oil supplies run out?
It’s not only that. In order for the whole world to meet its energy requirements and demands, it can’t rely on one source of energy. It can’t. It’s not only going to be about hydrocarbons. We have to act now to find new sources of energy. We are believers that energy supplies should come from a portfolio of solutions. We prefer to go the clean energy route.

Why did you create MIST?
MIST is the centerpiece of this whole initiative. We saw how successful the Silicon Valley model has been, Singapore too and route 128 here in Boston. They all became successful because they have a university or research institute as the centerpiece of these clusters. They feed them with new technologies, enhance human capital and develop intellectual property. Based on that, we decided that we are going to build the home of alternative energy in Abu Dhabi. But in order for us to have a real home, we have to have a nucleus to provide the talent, the research and the technologies. That is MIST.

Will MIST students and faculty get to work on the development of Masdar City?
Definitely. We already have a few students accepted to MIST working on different activities within Masdar City.

On Friday, I saw a science play for the first time: QED, a play about Nobel prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman. (It was put on by the Catalyst Collaborative, a partnership between MIT and the Underground Railway Theater, as part of the Cambridge Science Festival).

I ran a news story here on NNB a couple of years ago about how theater could be used to bring science to the masses in an entertaining and enlightening way. On Friday, I decided to see a play about science to experience for myself whether theater could teach me a little (or at least increase my appreciation for) an area of science that I know little about: quantum physics (and basically, anything with the word “quantum” in front of it.)

QED brings us into the office of Feynman in 1986 at Caltech on a Saturday and the play is basically a long, meandering, sometimes moving, sometimes funny conversation between him and the audience. It’s interrupted by phone calls with his doctor (he was battling cancer at the time), friends, and officials from Washington DC, as well as a couple of visits from a keen student. Feynman, played by actor Keith Jochim, tells lots of stories in a chatty, jokey kind of way and talks about science, a little bit about his research, his work with the Manhattan Project, his first wife who died many years earlier, his efforts with the Presidential commission to investigate the Challenger disaster, and his recurring cancer. He also manages to squeeze in basic lessons about light (are they waves or particles or both?). Through that, we get a glimpse of what Feynman was like: mischievous, wacky, intensely curious about everything, fascinated with nature.

After the play, the actors came out to answer questions from the audience and they were joined by MIT physicist and emeritus professor Jerome Friedman, who won the Nobel Prize for physics in 1990 and who also knew Feynman. Friedman said the play “captured the essence” of Feynman as an irreverent, unconventional guy.

While I can’t say I learned a lot of physics, or gained any new understanding of quantum mechanics, I would say that what came through in the play was a sense for what science is (“tricking Nature into revealing her secrets”), how it’s done (“if you ask the right question, nature will give you the right answer”), and how fun, awe-inspiring, fascinating and exciting problem-solving and doing science can be. And who better to communicate that message than an eccentric and brilliant scientist like Richard Feynman.

Could such a play change the way a non-scientist audience member thinks about science and scientists? Possibly, given the experience of the actor who played Feynman. In the Q&A session, Jochim said that as a result of playing the part of Feynman and reading other books about him/by him, he found himself becoming more curious about the world around him, asking questions he probably wouldn’t have asked before.

I saw a couple of school kids in the audience with their parents. I think watching this sort of play about science should be a field trip for young science students. Science classes are good at teaching the facts and methods, but do they instill in students the fun and excitement of science? Because, as I wrote in another blog post, I think one of the things all people should know about science is that it can be fun. (I think such a play could benefit burnt out grad students/postdocs too—a good reminder of why they got into science in the first place.)

The Cambridge Science Festival wraps up today, but QED will be reopening again in July in Cambridge at the new Central Square Theater.

We’re putting on our very first conference: a science blogging conference on August 30 in London. It’s free and you can register for it by emailing us at network@nature.com. Several of the NN bloggers will be there. The event is open to anyone who reads and/or writes science blogs and anyone interested in learning more about the science blogosphere. The program will be posted over the coming weeks on the event’s group page so please join the group.

We need a logo for the event so we’re holding a competition to find the best one. For those of you who like to play in Photoshop, please help us out…send us your logo at network@nature.com by the end of May. Please try to include the name of the conference in it.

The winner will get some goodies from us, and we’ll wine and dine you when in London.

The next Nature Network Boston-hosted pub night for local scientists is next Tuesday, May 6 at 6:30pm at the Squealing Pig, near the Longwood Medical area, on the Green E line (map).

You can RSVP by posting a reply here.

Bring scientist-friends. We’ll be in the back room. Hope to see you then!

We have Zipcars …why not Zipbikes?

It looks like Washington DC will the first US city to introduce a bike-sharing program. You pay a yearly membership fee of $40 and then you can sign out one of 120 bikes parked at 10 locations in the city.

We in Boston need this. The T is slow, traffic is bad, and parking is nonexistent. The bikes could be especially useful to students and researchers. If there were bikes parked near all the major universities and campuses, students taking classes or doing research at different schools/campuses could more quickly get around. I wonder if researchers from different institutions around Boston would collaborate more if there were more and faster ways of getting across town? It seems so mundane but distance and commuting can be real barriers to collaboration.

Bike-sharing (and biking in general) could however be limited by two factors: snow (winter) and crazy Massachusetts drivers.

The second Cambridge Science Festival kicks off this Saturday. Many of the events are geared towards families and kids, but here are a few that might interest grown-ups. (I’ve pasted in the descriptions from the full schedule, which can be found here.)

Lunch with a Laureate
Monday, April 28-Friday May 2, noon – 1pm
MIT Museum, 265 Mass. Ave.
An informal talk and Q&A session with one of the many local Nobel winners. Free.
Mon: Phil Sharp (Physiology/Medicine, 1993)
Tues: Wolfgang Ketterle (Physics, 2001)
Wed: Dudley Herschbach (Chemistry, 1986)
Thurs: Jerome Friedman (Physics, 1990)
Fri: Susumu Tonegawa (Physiology/Medicine, 1987) This Friday talk starts at 12:30pm.

Making Us Smarter? The Ethics of Neuronal Enhancement
Monday, April 28, 4:00 – 5:30pm
Novartis Auditorium, 220 Mass Ave.
Explore both the practical prospects and the ethical implications of various kinds of neuronal enhancement that are becoming possible as a result of current developments in the brain sciences. Harvard Provost and Neuroscientist Steven E. Hyman will moderate a panel and will be joined by Mark Bear, Director of the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory and Dr. Richard Wurtman, the Cecil H. Green Distinguished Professor of Neuropharmacology at MIT. Free.

Thinking Outside the Fossil Record: Explanations for the Cambrian Explosion of Animals.
Tuesday, April 29, 6:00pm
Harvard University, Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street
There are many explanations for the Cambrian “explosion” – that flash of evolution 540 million years ago when the diversity of animal life exploded. Family after family of complex creatures with hard shells, spinal cords, and skeletons arose to dominate life on Earth and create rich, albeit incomplete, fossil record. What caused this diversity explosion and what makes this epoch unique in history? Come listen to Charles Marshall, Professor of Biology & Geology and Curator of Invertebrate Paleontology at Harvard. Free

Soap Box/Sociable Robots
Tuesday, April 29, 6:00 – 7:30pm
MIT Museum, 265 Mass. Ave.
What do sociable robots tell us about ourselves? First, we’ll hear from MIT professors Sherry Turkle and Cynthia Breazeal, then we’ll hear from you and the rest of the audience in this salon-style event. Who knows, a socialble robot or two may show-up to have their say! Free

Brewing Innovation
Wednesday, April 30, 6:30 – 9:30pm
MIT Museum, 265 Mass. Ave.
Join us for an evening of science and Sam (Adams)! Yeast has been used in the research of diseases from cancer to Alzheimer’s as well as cutting edge emerging energy work. Samuel Adams Beer Founder Jim Koch will talk about the science of brewing followed by Dr. Gerald R. Fink of the Whitehead Institute, who will lecture on breaking Biofuel research. Beer tasting and hors d’oeuvres will round out the evening. Strictly 21+ event. Cheers! Free but must pre-register, only 100 slots available. scitacular@gmail.com

QED/Underground Railway Theater
Wednesday, April 30 – Sunday, May 4
Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 7 Cambridge Center, Cambridge
QED, Peter Parnell’s play about the brilliant and eccentric Richard Feynman, who won the Nobel Prize for his work on quantum electrodynamics. Directed by Jon Lipsky, starring Keith Jochim. Alternately very funny and surprisingly moving, QED is deeply inspirational about scientific inquiry and an expression of the human spirit. Performances will be followed by conversations with the public led by scientists of the MIT community, many of whom knew Feynman personally. This performance is a part of the Catalyst Collaborative@MIT, an on-going science/theater initiative between MIT and URT and follows up on the very successful production of Einstein’s Dreams which was part of the first Cambridge Science Festival. Cost: Tickets $20/$12 for students/seniors with ID.
Wed-Thurs, Sun: 7:30pm
Fri-Sat: 8pm
Sat and Sun: 3pm

Whitehead Institute Film Festival
Thursday, May 1, 7:00 – 9:00pm
McGovern Auditorium, Whitehead Institute, 9 Cambridge Center
Join us for a journey into the visual expressions of modern biology through a series of short films. Life-sustaining refreshments included. Free

Sci-Fi Camp-O-Rama: Sci-Fi Movie night at the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Saturday, May 3, 7:00pm
Phillips Auditorium at the Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street
Get ready for the yin and yang of sci-fi filmmaking. First we humbly offer one of Mystery Science Theater 3000’s funniest versions of the movie “Space Mutiny.” The second offering is “2010: The Year We Make Contact.” Unlike 2001, this sequel has a story that makes sense! It brings a whole new meaning to the words intelligent design. These films are a part of a special series, “Everything I Learned About Science, I Learned at the Movies!” that include free drawings and an enlightening science lecture. Free

MIT announced yesterday that it has received $10M from the Chesonis Family Foundation to fund R&D on better solar power technologies. (Last week, MIT announced that it was launching a new research center devoted to making solar power less costly.)

Gov. Deval Patrick mentioned this news yesterday (Earth Day) in a speech he gave at MIT about all of the ‘green’ initiatives that he and his administration are pushing forward. He spoke as a pragmatic politician, saying that renewable energy was not only good for the environment, but also promised to create a new industry and new jobs in MA…not just for engineers and scientists but also in manufacturing and for blue collar workers (eg electricians to install solar panels). That seemed to really excite him.

So we can expect to see soon more programs and initiatives from state government to foster this industry and to encourage greater adoption of renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency. MA seems intent on competing with California on being the greenest and most energy efficient state. Given the lack of energy policy from the feds, it’ll be interesting to see what states can do and how much they can do to wean us off our oil addiction.

Update (Thurs, Apr 24): The governor, Senate president and House speaker said yesterday that Massachusetts would develop and adopt standards capping the amount of carbon in fuel. Again, another instance where Massachusetts is following the footsteps of California in developing clean energy initiatives.

You can hypothesize, experiment, analyze and squirt tiny volumes of liquids into small containers. But can you mambo?

At the upcoming Cambridge Science Festival, we’ll find out which scientists can best shake their stuff. As part of the festival later this month, the MIT Museum and the Boston Globe will host an evening on May 1 (7:30pm) where six finalists (chosen from videos submitted by dancing scientists) will perform in front of a panel of judges at the the MIT Museum.

The dances are supposed to somehow communicate a complicated scientific concept.

I have to admit to some skepticism about how well dance can depict science. (The best and only dance I’ve seen showing a scientific concept is the protein synthesis one from the 70s narrated by Paul Berg). But I’ll be in the audience May 1 with my camera to find out!