The fox went out on a chilly night…
He prayed for the moon to give him light He had many a mile to go that night Before he reached the town-o, town-o, town-o, Many a mile to go that night Before he reached the town. Or to be … Continue reading →
Category Archives: Science
I bought slacks made out of recycled bottles
I didn’t realize it when I bought some new slacks at Target, but the label says the fabric is made of recycled bottles, to the tune of 60%. I bought the pants because they fit (not always an easy thing … Continue reading →
More things in heaven and earth…
I often read about something that makes me think of Shakespeare’s line from Hamlet: A phrase used by the title character in the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare. Hamlet suggests that human knowledge is limited: There are more things in … Continue reading →
The latest on the disappearance of Flight MH370
It’s been five years since MH370 and all its souls on board seemingly vanished from the face of the earth, and although the mystery remains unsolved, we have plenty of information. This Atlantic article presents an overview of what’s known … Continue reading →
“Chernobyl” and the press; the real Chernobyl and the public
In a recent article in The New Yorker about the very popular HBO mini-series “Chernobyl,” the author writes: The Soviet system of propaganda and censorship existed not so much for the purpose of spreading a particular message as for the … Continue reading →
Making gametes for humans
It’s not possible yet, but they’re working on it: Progress toward making “artificial gametes” has been accelerating. In Japan, mice were born from eggs scientists had manufactured in a dish from a tail cell. Chinese scientists later claimed they had … Continue reading →
But I thought the science was settled…
Apparently not [emphasis mine]: Recent studies show [scientists] may have overestimated the age of the universe by more than a billion years — a surprising realization that is forcing them to rethink key parts of the scientific story of how … Continue reading →
What caused the ice ages?
Short answer: no one really knows although theories abound, and the causes are probably interactions among multiple factors. I’ve always found the history of earth’s ice ages to be fascinating, from the moment I discovered some maps as a child … Continue reading →
Exploring Doggerland
An ambitious expedition is about to start, with a mission to map the undersea area known as Doggerland, and in particular to take samples to see if any trace of human habitation can be found. I’ve written about Doggerland before. … Continue reading →
Herding the Japanese
Pocket thinks I’d be interested in this article entitled “The Amazing Psychology of Japanese Train Stations: The nation’s famed mastery of rail travel has been aided by some subtle behavioral tricks.” And Pocket’s got my number, all right, because indeed … Continue reading →
Heights: fear of falling or urge to leap
Here’s an interesting exploration of that queasy, unsteady feeling many people get when standing close to the edge of a big drop. Some describe it as an urge to jump, but that might just represent a case of crossed and … Continue reading →
This is what passes for an eminent philosopher these days: Julian Savulescu [Part II]
[NOTE: Part I can be found here.] Later on in his interview, the philosopher and bioethicist Julian Savulescu has much to say about what humans can do on the biological level to help make the world better, in the general … Continue reading →