This is the big science news of the day, although some people may question why, in 2010, it is any sort of news at all. A group called the Merseyside Skeptics Society started a campaign called 1023 to raise awareness about homeopathy. Homeopathy is a widely used alternative medicine and it is seen by many as …
Continue reading Dilution Dilemma…
Amino Acids In Space…
I often bang on about amino acids as the building blocks of proteins. Plants can make them from carbohydrate they make themselves through photosynthesis and nitrates absorbed from the soil; you get them from your diet. Your genes are codes for individual proteins which are constructed from chains of amino acids. One of the first …
Continue reading Amino Acids In Space…
Evolution…
The theory of evolution is often seen as the basis of modern biology, indeed it has been said that nothing in biology makes sense without evolution. Evidence from fossils, the geographical distribution of organisms and recent discoveries about genes all support the theory that organisms have changed over time. These changes are incredibly slow and …
Continue reading Evolution…
Large Hadron Collider…
Protons should be beginning their warm-up laps in preparation for piling into the main ring of the LHC at CERN on the Swiss-French border. As you know, shortly after their big launch in September last year, they had a short-circuit followed by a leak of helium that threatened to destroy all their hard work. Now they …
Continue reading Large Hadron Collider…
Why Science Lessons Are Important…
Recently, someone sent me the link to the video below in which Dr Charlene Werner explains how homeopathy works. . Luckily, I did do some chemistry at school so I know what H2O is and I have heard of Einstein so I was able to follow her in depth analysis. I sometimes think it ought to …
Continue reading Why Science Lessons Are Important…
Quis es pennipotenti? Nos iustus operor ignoro!
The ‘tag line’ for this site, which explains what marketing types might call our core values, is ‘Quis es pennipotenti? Nos iustus operor ignoro!’ It is the most searched phrase on Google that leads people to the site, yet nobody has asked what it means. [06/02/10 No longer an oft’ searched phrase!] This is most …
Continue reading Quis es pennipotenti? Nos iustus operor ignoro!
Free Fall…
New Scientist recently featured an article about a wingsuit flyer who plans to be the first to land from a freefall jump without a parachute. A wingsuit increases the jumper’s cross-sectional area so there is more air resistance (drag) and so he falls more slowly. If he is sufficiently skilful he can perform aerial stunts such as …
Continue reading Free Fall…
Galileo Galiwho…
This is obviously a big year for fans of astronomy. As I have mentioned elsewhere, it has been 400 years since Galileo Galilei presented his telescope. He did not invent the first telescope but he did refine it and use it to reveal hitherto undiscovered wonders. To quote “The Galileo Project”… Galileo invented many mechanical devices …
Continue reading Galileo Galiwho…