Category Archives: News
Perot Museum Scores a Pair of Nobel Prizes
The soon-to-open Perot Museum of Nature and Science has added a pretty convincing exhibit: a couple of Nobel Prizes.
One of the medals, a Nobel Peace Prize, is on loan from the family of Dr. Norman Borlaug. Borlaug was an agronomist (as in agriculture) who has often been called “the Father of the Green Revolution”.
The other award is a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine that was awarded to Dr. Alfred Gilman in 1994. Gilman served as a professor and provost at UT Southwestern Medical Center and was renowned for the discovery of the G protein.
Punishing Mosquitoes (and Humans) with an Iron Fist
One way or another, Dallasites with the slightest feeling of uncertainty toward West Nile Virus aerial spraying will find out anti-spray efforts have been thwarted, crushed, and often ignored outright by city officials.
Multiple interviews with commissioners have revealed little to no understanding of the science behind the aerial spray. They’ve sat through an endless loop of local media interviews, parroting the same “scientific” blanket statements every time. You’ll never get a surefire declaration of safety, instead cover-ups of “well, we haven’t noticed any ill effects” or “scientists haven’t detected any abnormalities”. When asked if the spray would affect children or pregnant women, one spokesperson replied with a textbook response about studies looking promising. Comforting!
Eclipsin’ Like It’s 1994
If you’re into unworldly phenomena, have an interest in the final frontier, or just want to see something cool, you might be able to catch a glimpse of a solar eclipse this weekend.
This Sunday will mark this region’s first annular eclipse of the sun since 1994 — that’s “annular” as in the moon appearing smaller than the sun, allowing sunlight to form a ring (annulus) around the outer edges. This is opposed to a total eclipse, where the moon appears larger and totally covers the sun.
In the Dallas area, at about 8:21 p.m. (give or take), we’ll be seeing a sunset edition of a partial eclipse, when the moon will block 67 percent of the lower right side of the sun. When any type of eclipse combines with sunset, it can make for some pretty incredible scenery (see above). The Lubbock area will be getting the best eclipse views in Texas, so if you’re reading this from your Texas Tech dorm room, congratulations! You’ve won the geographical eclipse lottery.
The Dallas Sidekicks: Version 2.0
It’s been nearly a decade since the Dallas Sidekicks played their last game, but this November they’ll be making a welcome comeback with a familiar face.
The Sidekicks played their inaugural season in 1984 and remain one of the oldest professional soccer clubs in the country. They resided in the now-demolished Reunion Arena and suspended operations in 2004 as the last active sports tenant at the stadium. They will now play in the 7,500-seat Allen Even Center.
Many Sidekicks fans’ (myself included) memories came at the boots of Brazilian forward Antonio Pecorari — known around here as “Tatu”. He was the face of the franchise, the Sidekicks equivalent of Modano or Nowitzki, and has remained a prominent figure in Dallas, even in the team’s absence. He served as a player-coach in 1998 and he’ll now serve as head coach for the “new” Sidekicks.
Indoor soccer has always provided a fast-paced alternative for people who don’t fancy full-pitch soccer and an offseason bonus for those who do. It’s rink-sized field of play and lack of “bounds” allows for a quicker pace similar to ice hockey. Off-the-wall passes are the norm and, like arena football, the score can climb quickly.
Dallas will be joining the Professional Arena Soccer League — PASL (Big D Soccer with the find) — and is scheduled for their first game this November.
Mexico vs. Brazil: A World-Class DFW Matchup
Photo: FIFA
On June 3, Mexico’s national team is set to take one of the top national football squads in the world — Brazil — which currently ranks fifth in FIFA World Ranking. The match will be Mexico’s final stop on their 2012 U.S. Tour.
Out-of-country friendly matches often have a reputation of excluding some of the big names that shape each nation’s team (see FC Barcelona’s Messi-less visit to Cowboys Stadium last year). However, Brazil’s automatic qualification for the 2014 World Cup could lead to a more prominent lineup.
Brazil’s international friendly squad will likely feature notable names like Ronaldinho, Dani Alves, Alexandre Pato, Neymar, Thiago Silva, and Julio Cesar. Mexico has no shortage of fame either, including Giovani Dos Santos, Rafa Marquez, and the popular Manchester United striker Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez.
Mexico will have a shot to get some friendly revenge in light of an October loss to a 10-man Brazil squad. After a first-half Brazilian own goal and red card, Ronaldinho and Marcelo scored in the 80th and 83rd minutes to knock off Mexico 2-1.
Mexico-Brazil tickets range from $40-250 and can be purchased online (watch out for those Cowboys Stadium parking fees). Kickoff is at 2 p.m. CST.
Check back for active squad updates; they’ll be posted as they become available.
Homepage photo: Steve Lopez/Getty Images
