Short of watching The Lost World: Jurassic Park for the umpteenth time, there’s no way to see pachycephalosaurs really butting heads like they used to, 72 million years ago. But scientists from the University of Calgary have now come closer than ever before, and they’ve shown that the head-butting practices of these ancient creatures are…
Author: Tyler Irving
Why Science Communication Matters
As you’ll know from my mission statement, the purpose of this blog is to help science tell its own story, in other words, to improve communication between scientists and non-scientists. While I believe this to be a noble goal, others may disagree. Sure, knowing about science might get you a better score down at your…
Fukushima is (Thankfully) Not Chernobyl
Like everyone else, I’ve been closely watching the events in Japan over the last week. The tragedies arising from the earthquake and the resulting tsunami are powerful enough to defy easy attempts at explanation. Still, that hasn’t stopped us from trying, and a tension has emerged between those who see in the disaster hubris on…
Boiling Water Trick Explained
A few weeks ago, this video (made by Samantha Stewart of Yellowknife) garnered over a million views on YouTube, and was picked up by both CBC and CNN. It shows the seemingly magical instant transformation of boiling water into snow, which can only happen at temperatures below -30 C. Needless to say, I couldn’t wait…
The Tiniest Farmers in the World
Just when you thought slime molds couldn’t get any more bizzare, some researchers at Rice University have caught them farming. If you are already familiar with slime molds, you can skip over the next couple of paragraphs. If not, get ready to have your mind blown. Life, you see, is quite fond of befuddling our…
Bad Astrology: Can We Salvage a Teachable Moment?
So, by now you’ve probably heard the “news” that your star sign is off by about a month, or if you’re really lucky (born between November 19 and December 17) that you’re now an Ophiuchus, the, um, snake-carrying guy.
What’s the Deal with Precession?
First, let’s explain the zodiac. Imagine the sun as a basketball on a table. Imagine the earth as an apple with a pencil stuck through it. The earth is spinning like a top on the point of the pencil (its axis) while at the same time slowly circling the sun.* Thing is, the top isn’t…