One of the first science-fiction movies I can remember seeing was Fantastic Voyage, the tale of a group of scientists in a submarine who were shrunk to microscopic size and injected into the body of an injured man. Their mission: to vaporize a life-threatening but inaccessible blood clot in his brain. Among other things, the …
I like my car a lot. But I have to admit, it doesn’t look as good as it used to. And probably yours doesn’t either. That’s because the moment your car rolls out the factory door, its finish starts to deteriorate. It’s not too surprising, since a car’s surface is attacked by ultraviolet light, ozone, …
It happens every spring. The air warms, the birds sing, the trees bud, the flowers bloom, and people look around at all this natural beauty and say to themselves, “Man, does that fence need painting.” Yes, there’s something about the spring and summer that brings out the handyman–er, handyperson–in all of us. And topping the …
One hesitates to make a premature pronouncement, but it does appear–at least for the moment–that maybe–and this is only a suggestion, not a prediction, don’t hold me to it–that it could be–although I could be wrong–finally–dare I say it?…spring. Whew! No blizzard blew in as I typed that, so I think we’re okay for the …
This is the time of year when the Easter bunny hops throughout the land, distributing eggs to children (he silliest bit of folklore-cum-advertising gimmick I’ve ever heard, but we seem to be stuck with it). What better topic for a column, then, than rabbits?–which, as anyone who has read Watership Down can tell you, are …
I’m going to say something which, alas, will probably immediately alienate me from a large number of readers: I’ve always enjoyed math. Times tables held no terrors for me, fractions I found fascinating, and algebra–ah, algebra! When I first started taking algebra, I enjoyed it so much I’d make up equations out of thin air …
There’s something about the flickering flame of a candle that we seem to find irresistible. When we want to create a special mood, or a feeling of warmth and hominess when the weather and the world are cold and frightful, we light a candle–but we seldom meditate on its history and science. As usual, I’d …
Fifty years ago this month, a machine in the University of Pennsylvania’s Moore School of Electrical Engineering solved in 20 seconds an equation that would have required a human mathematician using a desk calculator 40 hours. The feat astounded the world, and launched the age of computers. The machine was the Electronic Numerical Integrator and …
Valentine’s Day, just past, might just as well be called Rose Day, so popular is that particular flower that day. But few people reflect, as they give or receive these beautiful blooms, on the science associated with them. Allow me to rectify that oversight. The term “rose” is applied to flowering plants that are members …
They lurk in the water. They look harmless. But sometimes–not always, but sometimes–they can cause sickness: even death. “They” are blue-green algae, and it’s a bit startling to think that algae, something we think of, when we think of them at all, as an unsightly but harmless scum, can be toxic–because most algae, most of …
Nobody (nobody human, anyway) likes getting up on a cold winter’s day when it’s still dark and the wind is howling, but for some people it’s more than just unpleasant: it’s almost impossible. They suffer from a form of depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder (also known, appropriately, as SAD). Seasonal depression has probably been around …
Considering how cold it’s been around here recently, global warming sounds not so much like an environmental problem as it does something devoutly to be wished for–but as someone once said, “Be careful what you wish for–you may get it.” While it’s true that science has yet to come flat out and say that global …
A chat with novelist, playwright, poet (and practicing lawyer) Dan Flanigan about An American Tragedy, third book in his Peter O’Keefe crime-fiction series. Websitedanflaniganbooks.com Facebook@eAuthorDanFlanigan X@_DanFlanigan Dan Flanigan’s Amazon Page Amazon Links for An American TragedyAmazon.comAmazon.ca About the Book No good deed goes unpublished In the scorching summer of 1988, amidst the frenzy of the…
A chat with author, artist, and storyteller E.C. Hibbs about the first book in her new Nightland Quartet, The Shade Between Shadows. Websiteechibbs.weebly.com Facebook@echibbs Instagram@e_c_hibbs TikTok@e_c_hibbs YouTube@echibbs E.C. Hibbs’s Amazon Page Amazon Links for The Shade Between ShadowsAmazon.comAmazon.ca About the Book I didn’t think myself truly silent. I possessed a voice, as sure as any…
A chat with award-winning horror author Jennifer Anne Gordon about her new short story collection, The Japanese Box and Other Stories. Websitejenniferannegordon.com Facebook@JenniferAnneGordonAuthor Instagram@jennifergenevievegordon X@JenniferAnneGo5 Jennifer Anne Gordon’s Amazon Page Amazon Links for The Japanese Box and Other StoriesAmazon.comAmazon.ca About the Book A collection of short stories contemplating horror, grief, and trauma. Simulacrum: A dark comedic…
A chat with author, podcaster, and blogger Dr. Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes about her new spy thriller, A Fifth of the Story Websitedrkatherinehayes.com Facebook@authordrkatherinehayes Instagram@authordrkatherine X@khutch0767 Dr. Katherine Huthcinson-Hayes’s Amazon Page Amazon Links for A Fifth of the StoryAmazon.comAmazon.ca About the Book A fascinating thriller of espionage that takes you into the secretive world of the CIA…
A chat with New York Times bestselling YA author Kristen Cicarelli about Heartless Hunter, The Crimson Moth Book 1, a “dangerously romantic Scarlet Pimpernel-inspired fantasy.” Websitekristenciccarelli.com Facebook@AuthorKristenCiccarelli Instagram@kristenciccarelli Pinterest@kciccarelli Kristen Ciccarelli’s Amazon Page Amazon Links for Heartless HunterAmazon.comAmazon.ca About the Book Enemies-to-lovers doesn’t get more high stakes than a witch and a witch hunter falling…
A chat with award-winning fantasy author Sebastien de Castell about Play of Shadows, Book 1 of Court of Shadows, set in the world of his popular Greatcoats series. Websitedecastell.com X@decastell Facebook@decastell Sebastien de Castell’s Amazon Page Amazon Links for Play of ShadowsAmazon.comAmazon.ca About the Book Swordplay, magic, intrigue and friendships stronger than iron: the first…
A chat with author Lyn McGinnis about Anu Awakes, an epic fantasy series, and the most recent release in that series, Book 2, Amarel Mountain. Websiteanuawakesseries.com Bluesky@anuawakes Goodreads Instagram@anuawakes Lyn McGinnis’s Amazon Page Amazon Links for Amarel MountainAmazon.comAmazon.ca About the Book Descendants of the Tolku of the Primary Epoch, the Koru, Yakku and Yelda, now…
A chat with new author Jared N. Michaud about his upcoming YA science fiction novel Brightstar, first book in the Energematric6 space adventure series. Websiteenergematrice6.com Facebook@Energematrice6 X@Energematrice6 Instagram@jarednmichaud Jared N. Michaud’s Amazon Page Amazon Links for BrightstarAmazon.comAmazon.ca About the Book Brightstar is the beginning of an epic space-adventure series that introduces readers to Nate, a…
A chat with the writing team of Charles Breakfield and Rox Burkey about their long-running techno-thriller series, Enigma, and Enigma Tracer, first book in their new Enigma Heirs trilogy. Websiteenigmabookseries.com Facebook@TheEnigmaSeries X@EnigmaSeries@1rburkey Instagram@enigmabookseries YouTube Amazon Links for Engima TracerAmazon.comAmazon.ca About the Book The clock is ticking … can Gracie uncover the truth? Phillip Pliant is…
A chat with author and former television host Steve Truitt about his new science fiction novel series, The Mindset Chronicles. Websitestevetruitt.com Facebook@AuthorSteveTruitt Amazon Links for The DeletionAmazon.comAmazon.ca Steve Truitt’s Amazon Page About the Book In a world where artificial intelligence has become an integral part of daily life, the sudden death of all AI sends…
