iPhone vs. Blackberry

So many of our colleagues appear to be doing their daily work holding onto an electronic device carefully positioned below eyesight (barely) that this direct comparison of two leading mobile platforms may be useful. Alternatively, there are ways to make meetings more efficient and personal.

Open Source Software Not So Evil

I recall several earnest conversations with colleagues who insisted that by making all the projects I was involved in (e.g. i2b2 and Indivo) adhere to an Open Source license, I was being both naive and counterproductive. There was no way, I was told (as recently as last year) that "real" companies would get anywhere close to supporting products that had an Open Source license. This story about Microsoft's use of Open Source software in its search engine developments should settle those concerns, at least for the next few days.

More here.

Masters of Sex

When studies that helped fuel the sexual revolution become the subject of scholarly retrospectives, one has to wonder what is the current social aphrodisiacal locus?


Critically acclaimed biographer Thomas Maier will be at the Countway Library of Medicine for a presentation and signing of his newest release, The Masters of Sex, offering an unprecedented look at William Masters and Virginia Johnson, the nation’s top experts on sex; their pioneering studies of intimacy, and the sexual revolution they inspired.
Thursday, May 14, 2009, Minot room, Countway Library
4:30 pm: PRESENTATION
5:30 pm: BOOK SIGNING
(The Harvard Medical Coop will be selling the book at Countway)
5:30 RECEPTION: Lahey Room

What Open Access Might Be Competing With

There has been some concern articulated about the bias that could arise from author-fee-driven publications (which is one flavor of open access). Here is an example of bias within the closed access framework that can arise almost completely undetected (thanks to The Scientist for the pointer) and enabled by an industry:industry collaboration

The Australasian Journal of Bone and Joint Medicine, which was published by Exerpta Medica, a division of scientific publishing juggernaut Elsevier, is not indexed in the MEDLINE database, and has no website (not even a defunct one). The Scientist obtained two issues of the journal: Volume 2, Issues 1 and 2, both dated 2003. The issues contained little in the way of advertisements apart from ads for Fosamax, a Merck drug for osteoporosis, and Vioxx. (Click here and here to view PDFs of the two issues.)

Hat tip Josh Parker

Addendum 5/8/2009 here.

5/10/2009 More from The Scientist.

From Moss to Autism to Skateboarding

Our very own Dennis Wall, demonstrates some of his impressive extracurricular "skillz."