Links 13/8/06

Review of a book on the entire human past:
http://www.americanscientist.org/bookshelf/pub/a-look-at-the-entire-human-past
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Review of book on the origins ofresearch universities:
http://www.americanscientist.org/bookshelf/pub/the-professor-comes-of-age
Excerpts:
“Therefore the professor could not come of age until the birth of the modern secular state.

This observation is the linchpin of Clark’s analysis. After making it, he introduces a startling set of ideas: It was not the professors who created the modern academic profession; rather, it was the rationalizing, bureaucratic, market-conscious functionaries who served the various German states of the 18th century. Through site visits, the careful recording of facts, new methods of accountability and judicious use of budgets, government ministers forced the once-indolent professors to become hardworking and reputation-seeking. It was ultimately the state that created the syndrome of "publish or perish" and put us on the path to the large-scale research environments in which scientific work is pursued today.”
“Even four decades ago, Clark Kerr, who was then president of the University of California, warned about the damage to academic culture caused by the "rise of the Research Grant University." In the final chapter of Academic Charisma and the Origins of the Research University, William Clark joins a large number of critics in finding fault both with the managerial and corporate styles of governance present in research academia today and with the grandstanding and self-seeking that have encouraged institutions to purchase faculty. It is assuredly difficult to recognize the remains of collegial authority in today’s universities. The heavy emphasis on wealth generation has produced university-government-industrial alliances that are often disturbing, compromising our sense of the proper use of scientific inquiry and making us wonder about the true strength of professional values. However, this is a complicated story of losses and gains. This tailpiece of the book is its least original part, but in fairness it does tell us where Clark began his retrospective investigations.”
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Last of the recent papers on gender differences by Jake Young in Pure Pedantry:
http://scienceblogs.com/purepedantry/2006/08/some_confounds_in_gender_diffe_1.php#more
This time he summarizes 1993 paper by Diane Halpern:
http://www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/05-03-15.html
In spite of the research since then, her conclusions are similar to those by Jake Young. Final two sentences of her paper:
"We should keep in mind the words of the 18th-century British writer who was once asked, “Which is smarter, men or women?” He replied: “Which man, which woman?””
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Suggested solution to the middle east problem from health scientists:
http://scienceblogs.com/effectmeasure/2006/08/war_crimes_in_lebanon_and_isra.php
I agree with them but how does one go about it?
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An interesting post with a link to recent research and discussion on terrorism fear at:
http://scienceblogs.com/cortex/2006/08/terrorism_and_irrational_fear.php
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Madhukar Shukla is as usual informative and skeptical on future employment in India:
http://alternativeperspective.blogspot.com/2006/08/future-of-work-employment-in-india.html#comments