I’m a bit late with this, but just for record, “Ick!”: A giant fossilized claw discovered in Germany belonged to an ancient sea scorpion that was much bigger than the average man, an international team of geologists and archaeologists reported Tuesday.
Tag: science
Roboethics
Download the audio version.Get my science column weekly as a podcast. *** A couple of weeks ago I wrote about research aimed at making robot-human interactions more comfortable for humans. With more and more robots finding more and more uses in society, that kind of research is important. But there’s something else we’re going to …
I, for one, welcome our new robot masters…
…or apparently I would if I were a cockroach: Cockroaches will often choose shelter unwisely when under the influence of robots, a new study shows. Usually when the creepy crawlers are let loose in a brightly lit area, they gather under the darkest shade they can find. ***But when the bugs were joined by tiny …
Rise of the (giggling, dancing, punning) robots
Download the audio version.Get my science column weekly as a podcast. ***Robots were once science fiction: in fact, the word comes from the Czech word “robota,” meaning work, and originated in Karel Capek’s popular 1920 science-fiction play R.U.R. (for Rossum’s Universal Robots). These days, there are robot vacuum cleaners, lawn mowers and dogs, and all …
My most recent Futurismic posts
I haven’t been as bloggingly active as usual this week due to the press of other commitments, but I have managed to keep up regular posts at Futurismic. Looking for some recent science news? Here’s what I’ve blogged about over there in the past few days: Scientists envision growing human eyeballs. Top 87 Bad Predictions …
Is today a good day to ask for a raise?
Download the audio version.Get my science column weekly as a podcast. **** As a full-time freelancer, I’m in the enviable position of being on intimate terms with my employer. “I need a raise,” I tell myself. “Sure,” I always reply. Of course, then I get all heavy-handed and I’m-in-charge-here and say hurtful things like “So …
Beautiful singing starts with science
Download the audio version.Get my science column weekly as a podcast. As I mentioned last column, I spent last week singing with the Canadian Chamber Choir in southern Ontario. In addition to concerts, we also took part in several workshops with musicians ranging in age from eight to 80. Our director, Dr. Julia Davids, who …
The 2007 Ig Nobel Prizes
Download the audio version.Get my science column weekly as a podcast. Every fall the leaves fall from the trees, and the Ig Nobel Prizes fall from on high (well, from the magazine Annals of Improbable Research) upon the grateful—usually—heads of researchers whose achievements “make people laugh—then think.” My favorite this year (probably because I read …
2007 Ig Nobel Awards presented
It’s Ig Nobel time again. This year’s winners include the U.S. military for its plans to make a “gay bomb,” research into the use of Viagra to help hamsters recover from jet lag, and a medical study of the risks of sword swallowing. (Via New Scientist.) See my post at Futurismic–and next week’s science column!
Watch for falling rock
Download the audio version.Get my science column weekly as a podcast. As a kid I was always disappointed when we drove past “Watch for Falling Rock” signs in the mountains and no rocks actually fell. (I had a similar reaction to deerless “Deer Crossing” signs.) Obviously we were just driving in the wrong places, because …
Avert your eyes!
The singularity at the center of our galaxy may be naked…and through its corrupting wanton abandon could “leak lawlessness into the universe, destroying any concept of cause and effect.” Paging Dr. Who…
One step closer to the return of the woolly mammoth?
Maybe. That’s the focus of today’s post at Futurismic; and thanks to Janet at The Walrus Said for the tip!
My latest live walk and vlog
Buy Autographed Books
