Science

== Before you make your final decision about a topic, get to know it a bit. Look for books and articles; talk with folks who might know something about the topic. ==

=== Questions to ask when selecting a topic: ===
 * 1) How much information is available? Is it readily available or do I have to dig deep?
 * 2) Is the information credible? written by an expert? current?
 * 3) Is the information written on a level I can understand?

Don't miss these great sources of science news and information -
> ===http://www.nytimes.com/pages/science/index.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage®ion=TopBar&module=HPMiniNav&contentCollection=Science&WT.nav=page===
 * ===Science Friday: http://sciencefriday.com/===
 * ===**Science News**: []===
 * ===**Science Daily:** []===
 * ===NYTimes Science News:===

What conditions make the spread of Ebola particularly difficult to control and stop? What can be learned from this outbreak of Ebola?

Can the decline of the world's bee population be reversed?
 * http://sciencefriday.com/segment/07/11/2014/concerns-rise-over-pesticide-use-birds-and-bees.html
 * https://www.sciencenews.org/article/big-study-raises-worries-about-bees-trading-diseases
 * https://www.sciencenews.org/article/do-your-bit-bumblebees

Is a "sixth extinction" underway?
 * http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=317051608

Should more be done to encourage organ donation?

What's the future of Hatteras and North Carolina's other barrier islands?
 * http://www.wncn.com/story/25430529/outer-banks-business-owners-worry-about-beach-erosion-future
 * http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/06/science/highway-12-outer-banks-lifeline-is-under-siege-by-nature.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
 * http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/special-features/2014/07/140725-outer-banks-north-carolina-sea-level-rise-climate/

What recent advancements in science have most changed and/or improved our daily lives and future prospects?

What progress is being made towards developing reliable sources of alternative energy?

Should more study of cellular memory be undertaken? > Should we care about bird populations?
 * http://guardianlv.com/2013/06/organ-transplants-cellular-memory-proves-major-organs-have-self-contained-brains/
 * http://www.abcbirds.org/aboutabc/whybirds.html

Should something be done to protect wild bird populations from cats? (search bird mortality)
 * http://abcnews.go.com/US/roaming-cats-kill-billion-birds-year-american-bird/story?id=13194701
 * http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/03/21/cute-but-deadly-cats-are-a-far-bigger-threat-to-u-s-birds-than-windmills/

Should the U.S. expand its programs to turn sewage in drinking water?
 * http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/environment/2011-03-03-1Apurewater03_CV_N.htm
 * http://news.yahoo.com/texas-plant-turn-sewage-drinking-water-205103974.html
 * video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bk6PEz2QF8

Are vitamins and herbal supplements necessary for good health?
 * http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2010/05/26/127135971/herbal-supplements-use-questionable-marketing-practices
 * http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127279047

Should companies be allowed to own a gene?

Should insurance companies and employers be given an individual’s genetic information? http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120587756
 * http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120587756
 * http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2010/08/13/129175941/under-pressure-uc-berkeley-won-t-tell-students-gene-test-results?print=1

How will the recent changes to laws governing stem cell research affect scientific inquiry?
 * http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129406648
 * http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/08/31/129560896/top-gov-t-scientist-asks-stem-cell-judge-to-lift-bar
 * http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2010/09/01/129574279/justice-department-appeals-stem-cell-funding-stay

What can be done to safely rid us of mosquitoes? Should the use of pesticides and herbicides be tested and more strictly restricted?
 * http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/mosquitoes/
 * http://npic.orst.edu/pest/mosquito/mosqcides.html
 * http://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/pesticides/index.cfm
 * http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/
 * http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/pesticides.html

Should research involving chimps be restricted or eliminated?
 * http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/chimpanzee-research-an-endangered-species-as-experts-debate-usefulness-ethics/2011/08/12/gIQAGt0xDJ_story.html
 * http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/09/chimp-status/
 * http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/11/opinion/stop-using-chimps-as-guinea-pigs.html

Could proposed and actual budget cuts to science and research endanger the future of the U.S.?
 * http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2011-03-02-scienceresearch02_CV_N.htm
 * http://www.genomeweb.com/compromises-cuts-science-2011-budget
 * http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2011/0617/Space-exploration-Will-budget-cuts-stall-search-for-other-Earths
 * http://www.climatesciencewatch.org/2011/07/22/dangerously-unprepared-congressional-budget-cuts-are-leaving-americans-vulnerable-to-climate-extremes/

Should the gray wolf/orangutan be protected?

Should research dollars for bioengineering (engineering + biology/medicine) be drastically cut or increased?
 * http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90014997

What criteria should be used to allocate funds for research on cancer and other life-threatening or debilitating diseases?
 * http://report.nih.gov/rcdc/categories/
 * http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/NCI/research-funding
 * http://www.aacr.org/home/public--media/science-policy--government-affairs/aacr-cancer-policy-monitor/aacr-cancer-policy-monitor---february-2011/house-votes-to-cut-cancer-research-funding.aspx

2014-2015
Should research money be spent to bring extinct animals back to life?
 * http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/02/magazine/the-mammoth-cometh.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3As%2C{%221%22%3A%22RI%3A10%22}&_r=0

Should scientists try to create new life forms and/or recreate extinct animals?
 * http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/06/130601-woolly-mammoth-blood-russia-science-extinct-species-deextinction/
 * http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2013/04/125-species-revival/zimmer-text
 * http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/02/magazine/the-mammoth-cometh.html?_r=0

What can we learn from new science about the teenage brain?
 * http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/10/teenage-brains/dobbs-text
 * https://student.societyforscience.org/article/distracted-teenage-brain
 * http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2015-09-09/using-brain-science-to-understand-the-terrible-teens
 * http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/risky-teen-behavior-is-driven-by-an-imbalance-in-brain-development/

2013-2014
Has enough scientific data and knowledge been gained from the Mars Rover mission to justify the existence and expense of the program?

2011-12 Topics
Should the U.S. set up a colony in space? Is ending the Shuttle program and privatizing space travel a smart move for the long-run?

2010-11 Topics
Are animals smarter than we think? Should wild animals be used for our entertainment? Should more be done to prevent puppy mills? Should more be done to prevent wild animals from being used for entertainment? Do twins have a strong connection that other siblings do not share?  Should scientists try to create new life forms and/or recreate extinct animals?
 * http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/06/130601-woolly-mammoth-blood-russia-science-extinct-species-deextinction/
 * http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2013/04/125-species-revival/zimmer-text
 * http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/02/magazine/the-mammoth-cometh.html?_r=0