Is the Sea Big Enough?
The sea is a big place. Societies are concerned with pollution in rivers, because the river is immediate and relatively small. So societies arrange elaborate sewerage systems to pump it… Read more »
Category: Science
The Useful Genius
The Useful Idiot is a term widely believed (perhaps inaccurately) to be attributable to Lenin, to describe a character who acts unwittingly to the advantage of another group, often one… Read more »
The Science of Underestimation
A group of 50 scientists sit around a table deciding how far an athlete will throw a ball. They are experts in ballistics and aerodynamics. Each is asked for a prediction… Read more »
Today’s Forecast is Cloudy
Try two experiments Experiment One Take beaker of air and seal tight. Measure the level of common air pollutants Increase the pressure in the beaker. Measure the level of pollutants… Read more »
When Will Scientists Stop Saying Things?
Ask yourself the following question, which are you more likely to believe, The Sky is blue Scientists say the sky is blue Now ask yourself which of these statements you… Read more »
A Sense of Scale: Man vs Tree
The Tree Every schoolchild knows that the tree absorbs CO2 and emits O2. Therefore the discussion of tree planting seems curiously absent from measures to curb the rise of CO2… Read more »
Futurists Needed in the Past
I was reading an article in the Intercept by Alex Emmons describing the application of Microsoft software able to identify individuals and read facial expressions. I was struck by the… Read more »
Political Science
When governments pass legislation it is worth bearing in mind how many scientists there are represented. Not because the content of the legislation may have scientific content, although that is… Read more »