How to be a genius

How to be a genius

This older talk by computer science pioneer Richard Hamming is awesome: One of the characteristics of successful scientists is having courage. Once you get your courage up and believe that you can…
Is "Understanding Science" a Joke?

Is "Understanding Science" a Joke?

John Hawks is not happy with it. I clicked on this John Timmer story about the new website, “Understanding Science”, directed toward the public and K-12 educators. What I found staring at me was a…
Can Music Therapy Affect Your Health?

Can Music Therapy Affect Your Health?

It seems that music has extraordinary magical powers. Famed for being able to tame wild beasts, set a romantic mood, keep you exercising for longer and make babies smarter, music has taken a…
Evolution Of Running And Our Optimal Pace

Evolution Of Running And Our Optimal Pace

There has been a perception that running has the same metabolic cost per unit of time no matter the speed — in other words, that the energy needed to run a given distance is the same whether…
Violent rampages: what we can do to prevent them

Violent rampages: what we can do to prevent them

Extreme violence resulting in multiple deaths occurs with mounting frequency around the world. March 11, 2009, a teen in Germany slaughtered 15 people, UK News reports. http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/…
Happy St. Patrick's Day, lovers of eolaíocht!

Happy St. Patrick's Day, lovers of eolaíocht!

Need a few Irish Gaelic words for the pub? Want a few trivial tidbits to impress your fellow revelers? Plan to discuss science (eolaíocht) over pints? Read on! Take a PDF cheat sheet with you to…
Irish Soda Bread: Take It or Leaven It

Irish Soda Bread: Take It or Leaven It

I have a curious mind and like to find out how and why things work. Unlike my husband and my two boys, I don’t necessarily take things apart to uncover how they operate (what is it with the Y…