You may not have heard of Chandra Wickramasinghe, but he is due to be sacked alongside all of his collegues at the center for Astrobiology at the University of Cardiff. Yes, he and all his collegues…

How The Media Has Hurt The Japanese People First and foremost I have a personal message for the 180 or so heroes who have been working in shifts around the clock to save their nation from a worse…

In Nanjing, that is close to Shanghai, and I suppose also in other places around here*, you cannot buy salt anymore. Every last grain has been bought up. Why? Apparently, some evil guy started the…

Language may have an undervalued role in learning the meanings of numbers.   A study based on research using deaf people in Nicaragua who never learned formal sign language showed that people…

Really?  Seriously  according to OK Cupid's analysis of their data from asking 642533 people the question  5% of men (gay and straight) and 10% of women (gay and straight) think the…

Given the general fear regarding radiation levels around Japan, this seems the perfect time to give a short introduction to this important topic. There is a lot of confusion regarding radiation and…

Borrowing from the tactics of Bill Maher, I propose a New Rule:  When putting forth the claim that something is "sustainable," it must be with reference to a comparable item or process that is…

The UK Government's Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor Sir John Beddington, is in Tokyo trying to dampen expat fears that the Fukushima nuclear reactors could possibly ruin their lives. I had…

ASAN and the IACC On Monday, I went through an ASAN petition to the CDC that appears to have been intentionally hyperbolic and meant to get supporters foaming at the mouth. Since I posted…

For days now, scientists and science blogs tell us not to worry about Japan’s nuclear reactors. Nothing can happen; no radiation will be released, all is fine. We are treated to false experts even,…