An interesting paper in Seed magazine that suggests that the sudden emergence of language about 120,000 years ago is due to a mutation in a gene, FOXP2, that we share with most other organisms. Essentially, the paper says, most of … Continue reading →

In science, ‘fact’ can only mean ‘confirmed to such a degree that it would be perverse to withhold provisional assent.’ Stephen Jay Gould

The New York Times picked up the torch that Richard and I were carrying on Friday: Some experts on science education also point to the typical sequence of high school science instruction: biology, chemistry and then physics. It would make … Continue reading →

We had that “but you can’t prove it” discussion at our beer bash at work the other day. The one where your co-debater suggests that, if you believe something without proof, you are making a leap of faith. Consider the … Continue reading →

I haven’t blogged for a while and was scanning some of my old half-started blog entries when I came across this quote: how amazing it is that the Mississippi River manages to meet every tributary, go under every bridge, past … Continue reading →

I might sign my children up with these people since the other lot won’t let us in. They have better badges too. I qualify for this one and this one and – my only level III badge – this one … Continue reading →

If there is anything about Quantum Physics that you are unsure about, it will all become clear after you watch this clip.

A common argument, among those who wish to debunk evolution, is the argument from irreducibly complexity. The idea is that, if there is a complex organ – like an eye – and that there is no value in having a … Continue reading →

Georgina is telling me that I can’t have tea to ease my post-op suffering because hot tea will cause my bleeding to bleed. But this website (the online arm of The Lancet and endorsed by the AMA and the BMA) … Continue reading →

When the chimpanzee genome was published a couple of years ago we got a fascinating insight into how similar we are to our closest relative. But, when scientists found genes that differed only slightly between humans and chimpanzee it raised … Continue reading →