In defense of theatrics: Why Greenpeace is tricky, though not without value
The imagery and messages of large activist groups like Greenpeace can be problematic. It’s easy to see why. Hume observed, and this is now a…
Articles by science
Climate change and the community: Participate in local discussion on the effects of climate change.
For thousands of years humans have taken for granted that we would have winter and summer, a planting season and harvest season. Suddenly we’re finding…
Carl Sagan Day! Eloquent popular scientist remembered, fifteen years after his death
Two weeks ago, the Center for Inquiry of Fort Lauderdale in Florida celebrated the fourth annual Carl Sagan day. Since 2009, they have hosted educational…
Comparative planetology is a girl’s best friend: ‘Diamond planet’ discovered
In the sky with diamonds It’s like something out of a science fiction movie. Forty light years away in the constellation of Cancer, orbiting a…
Geoengineering trouble: Iron fertilization project denounced by scientists and activists
Controversy continues to rage over a geoengineering project intended to boost salmon populations around the islands of Haida Gwaii, BC, by fertilizing the water with…
Genghis Khan’s climate: Research reveals climate conditions at beginning of Khan’s rise to power
Research published in the journal Science has helped to explain the climate conditions behind Genghis Khan’s rise to power. Through examining the inside of old…
Earthquake scientists found guilty: Italian scientists get six years in prison for manslaughter
Three years after the earthquake in the town of L’Aquila, Italy, that killed 309 people, a group of Italian scientists and government officials have been…
Science briefs: Dutch psychologist to be prosecuted, and Monsanto’s GM corn
Dutch authorities to prosecute psychologist Diederik Stapel Dutch psychologist Diederik Stapel is under investigation by the Openbaar Ministerie (Public Prosecution Service) of the Netherlands for…
Corvids and causal reasoning: Further evidence of higher-level cognitive processing in crows
Corvids (birds of the crow family) have long been accepted to be among the most intelligent bird species. Crows have proven imaginatively playful, adept at…
Open access is a red herring: Have academic journals lost their value?
The entire field of particle physics is going to switch to open-access publishing within the next few years, making almost all new research available for…