50, 100 & 150 Years Ago: April 2020  

Remembering Big Bang Basher Fred Hoyle

Share this on WhatsApp The recent deaths of Freeman Dyson, Philip Anderson and Margaret Burbidge have stirred up memories of other giants of physics. I’m posting profiles of some of these characters in the hope that readers will find them interesting and relevant to current scientific controversies. They might also provide a distraction from coronavirus coverage. Below is an edited […]

21st-Century Gaslighting – Scientific American

Share this on WhatsApp Untruths come in many shapes and sizes. All are antithetical to science, but the most flagrant variety—gaslighting, in which someone denies the reality that other people are experiencing—has become a greater threat than ever. Throughout a year of tragedy and strife, including the coronavirus pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests, […]

Flamingos Can Be Picky About Company

Share this on WhatsApp Spend some time watching flamingos and you might think that not much goes on in their tiny heads. But these elegant avians actually lead complex social lives. Each bird has certain other individuals it prefers to spend time with, and others it avoids. In other words, flamingos have friends. The Wildfowl […]