Science

This month Marylanders learned that Education Week had named our state's schools the best in the nation for the fifth year in a row. Credit goes to our students, educators, parents and policy makers for this exciting recognition. But as CEO of a nonprofit dedicated to science education, I would caution against excess celebration. A closer look at recent test scores reveals that we must improve how we educate our students in science, a discipline that is vital to success in the 21st century economy.

A professor of physics at the University of Maryland, College Park who specializes in fundamental questions of the structure and behavior of the universe has been named a recipient of the National Medal of Science. Sylvester James Gates Jr., 62, was among 12 researchers named by President Barack Obama on Dec. 21 to receive the award at a White House ceremony this year. The medal, created in 1959 and awarded each year, recognizes what the White House described as extraordinary knowledge and outstanding contributions in science and engineering.

Thousands of people streamed into Baltimore's Inner Harbor on New Year's Eve night to welcome 2013 with a bang of fireworks expected at midnight — a tradition for some and a new experience for others — as police scanned the crowds for threats. Steve and Lori Foster, along with their twin 12-year-old sons, Luke and Dylan, traveled from Newark, Del., for their first New Year's Eve in the city. "Somebody told us they have a really nice event down here, so we decided to come check it out," Steve said.

It's wonderful that in our age of instant communication, digital reality and unmanned aerial warfare, there are still those who believe in miracles. And yes, miracles are very real, though infrequent. I'm one who's also hoping for the complete recovery of Teresa Bartlinski ("Call for a miracle," Nov. 29). However, it is important to credit the "miracle" of modern science that has made this adopted girl's survival possible. I also consider it a "miracle" that the Bartlinski family can pay for all the medical care and upcoming operation out of pocket and were able to go into enormous debt doing so. It's refreshing and humbling the Bartilinski's have not relied on any help from the government or taxpayer funded programs.

Let's start with something I, as a university administrator, am not supposed to say or even think. The humanities and social sciences, the heart of the liberal arts - its students, its graduates, its practitioners - are doomed. They are doomed to irrelevancy. Doomed to shrinking numbers. Doomed to unemployment and underemployment. Doomed to live eternally in mom and dad's basement, playing video games, dining on chips and salsa, and delivering stuffed crust pizza for a living. That is what we are constantly told, at least.

Still in awe of the size and power of Hurricane Sandy? The PBS program "Nova" will soon delve into just how such a storm occurred. Though it hasn't even been a month since the storm devastated much of the Northeast, an episode titled "Inside the Megastorm" will air twice in the coming days -- Nov. 18 and Nov. 21, at 9 p.m. both nights. Here is the program description : Was Hurricane Sandy a freak combination of weather systems? Or are hurricanes increasing in intensity due to a warming climate?

Three years after an Inner Harbor statue of William Donald Schaefer was unveiled, admirers of the city's first African-American mayor want to erect a statue of him nearby. A nonprofit foundation created to honor the late Clarence "Du" Burns, who succeeded Schaefer, is asking the city for permission to place an 8-foot-tall statue on the Inner Harbor's west shore, 800 feet south of the Schaefer statue. "What we want to do is tell Du's story, not just that he was the first African-American mayor of Baltimore but the role he played in the creation of the Inner Harbor" and other economic development initiatives, said Sean D. Burns, a local attorney who heads the Clarence "Du" Burns Memorial Fund Inc. "It's been a long time coming.

Chiropractor Alan K. Sokoloff, who was mentioned in a recent story about meningitis, stated that "lots of times, primary care doctors ... go the extreme route" ("Outbreak spotlights back pain treatment," Nov. 5). Lots? How many? I offer the kind of primary care he's talking about, and I would ask that any alternative provider who treats my patients show the evidence his or her treatment is effective. People shouldn't have to rely on just anecdotes or testimonials to be confident that chiropractic works, is safer and worth the money.

There was a time when the real reasons weren't known for why the autumn leaves of leaf-losing trees and shrubs look so colorful prior to falling. But it was an important question just the same, since autumn's leaf-color changes clearly signaled the end of the growing season. In lieu of a scientific explanation, then, other explanations were concocted - and some were as colorful as autumn-colored leaves themselves. For instance, according to pre-Colombian Algonquins - Native Americans that once resided in our area - a fierce fight was fought long ago and high in the sky by spirit warriors against a great-bear spirit.

Dr. Rondalyn Whitney, of Towson, was recently named assistant professor of occupational therapy at the University of the Sciences, in Philadelphia. Previously, she served as the senior research coordinator at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. At Kennedy Krieger, Whitney's work focused on social skills intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders, and she innovated projects related to the use of artificial intelligence and scenario-based education to optimize learning for students with social deficits.