‘Tis the season to start columns with the phrase ’tis the season…and, if you’re fortunate, to laugh a lot, at parties, at kids, at TV Christmas specials–or just because other people are laughing. Why is laughter contagious? A new study, just published in the Journal of Neuroscience, provides a hint. Researchers at University College London …
Of course, Shakespeare would have said it better than that. Here’s the gist of this new study: Shakespeare uses a linguistic technique known as functional shift that involves, for example using a noun to serve as a verb. Researchers found that this technique allows the brain to understand what a word means before it understands …
Just a reminder for any readers in the Regina area: I’ll be reading and signing my book A Safe and Prosperous Future: 100 years of engineering and geoscience achievements in Saskatchewan, tonight (Tuesday, December 19) at 7 p.m. at the Book & Brier Patch in Regina. Since my wife can’t even be there, it would …
To find out, SF writer Tobias S. Buckell ran an entirely unscientific but still illuminating poll at his blog, and has posted the results. Here’s the core: 32% wrote one novel13% wrote two11% wrote 38% wrote 49% wrote 53% wrote 613% wrote 7 or more novels6% wrote some short fiction first5% wrote a ton of …
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An unopened bottle of Labatt’s Velvet Cream Stout in a stubby bottle. Date unknown, but probably ca. 1980–might be earlier, can’t be much later. From the “things I found in my mother-in-law’s house” series. More photos here.
You know, I’m probably more philosophically inclined toward the Conservatives than the Liberals, and I’ve been on board with many of the policy decisions the Stephen Harper government has implemented, and at least willing to give them the benefit of the doubt regarding others, but… Are you people nuts? What are you thinking? I’m with …
…this story of germs from the era of the dinosaurs found trapped in amber would be the beginning of a medical/biological/technological horror-thriller.
Not only that, the story references science fiction, so I don’t have to. Here’s how it works: The controlling individual – in this case a graduate student in Rao’s lab – wears a cap dotted with 32 electrodes. The electrodes pick up brain signals from the scalp based on a technique called electroencephalography. The person …
…when five of the top 15 (I know, there are more than 15 listed here, but some of them tied) search terms bringing people to edwardwillett.com relate to Christmas. Here are the terms and (new feature!) the links they take you to on my main site: 42 flying reindeer 40 christmas chemistry 32 animal intelligence …
Hairy ape-like creatures have been recently sighted in Saskatchewan, and it’s not even football season.* *(Yes, I know, many football players are cleancut, smart, well-dressed, etc. But what can I do? Sometimes a joke is so obvious you just have to make it. Witness yesterday’s post…)
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