Professor Brian Cox stands up for science

I consider myself to be a passionate supporter of science. I dismay when science comes under attack from people such as alt med pushers, global warming denialists and creationists. That is why I was so heartened to read this blog post by everyone’s favourite physicist, Professor Brian Cox, entitled “Why Quantum Theory Is So Misunderstood”. … [Read more…]

Catch me ‘on tour’!

It’s just dawned on me that I’ll be at three speaking events within a fortnight. They are all in different places throughout the UK, so if you were feeling generous you could broadly call it a speaking tour! Dates and events are as follows: November 28th 2011: “The Scientific Method: Uses and Abuses” at Hackney … [Read more…]

Thank you Portsmouth Skeptics!

Last Thursday I was very kindly invited to Portsmouth to give my talk on the scientific method to the Portsmouth ‘Skeptics in the Pub’ group. I had a great time, and I think that the subject matter certainly got people talking. I’d like to thank everyone who was very welcoming, my ‘test subjects’ during the … [Read more…]

My first ‘phlog’ via iPadio

I thought I’d try out iPadio, a free service available from ipadio.com which allows you to record your phone conversations and publish them as ‘phlogs’ on the iPadio website. You can also sync them up to social media such as Facebook and Twitter, or in my case my WordPress blog. My first foray is just … [Read more…]

Cotesia glomerata: an amazing example of what evolution is capable of

I’ve recently read Richard Dawkin’s The Greatest Show on Earth (the Evidence for Evolution) and it pointed me in the direction of the family Ichneumonidae, a family of parasitic wasps. Most reproduce by injecting their eggs into their hosts (usually caterpillars). An example is Cotesia glomerata, subject of the National Geographic program In the Womb: … [Read more…]

A New Website for Liverpool Cafe Scientifique

Public science is pretty strong in Liverpool, with regular talks from the Merseyside Skeptics Society, Scibar and Cafe Scientifique. Liverpool Cafe Scientifique have started their new year with a new website, which now includes a blog and videos relating to future meetings. Their next meeting will be on Tuesday January 11th, and the speaker will … [Read more…]

Amateur Anthropology from Iowa

I really love it when someone with a lack of understanding of a scientific principle learns a little bit about it, uses what little they know to come to a silly conclusion, then treats their conclusion as fact. That could be why I’m a big fan of Karl Pilkington. Anyway, a cracking example of this … [Read more…]