by Jon Farrow, Canadian science communicator
With the election of Donald Trump in November came a torrent of think pieces, op-eds, podcasts, Facebook posts, and tweets. Everyone had something to say and someone to blame. It was Hillary's fault, it was the Left's fault, it was Putin's fault, it was the media's fault. In trying to understand the election, I was left feeling …
Hello dear readers, Like I wrote back in September, 2017 will involve more writing here than 2016 did. No more excuses, no more "I don't have time". I'll make time to do what I like doing: writing interesting stories about science. I was inspired by the amazing work my mom has been doing posting her paintings …
Please explain how cameras work, like from old fashion camera’s to the modern digital ones we use today. It blows my mind! - Kristoffer Stewart A camera, at its most fundamental, is a device that captures and stores images. Cameras have evolved a lot over the years and when you stop to think about what …
My question is about taste: why can some people tolerate chilli and some not? Chilli tolerance seems to improve when you eat more, but what’s happening in your mouth and brain? - Andrew Beale The perception of taste is much more complicated than most people assume at first. When you bite into an apple, for …
It's early in the morning. The caffeine from your morning cup of coffee has yet to fully kick in, but as you turn the corner, you see your bus. It's just pulling in to the stop and is only 50m away. You know you can make it, so you break into a sprint. It takes …
It's been 25 weeks since we started this epic journey through the alphabet together, and sadly we are nearing the end. At this critical juncture, just one letter away from the finality of zed, I thought I would bestow my Pharaoh powers on to you, dear readers. Comment below with your burning science questions, and …
A lot happened in the summer of 1954. The world's first atomic power station opened in Russia, Alan Turing committed suicide, the CIA set up a coup in Guatemala, food rationing finally ended in the UK, and the first edition of Sports Illustrated was published. Some pretty big world events, right? You know what else happened? …
It's summer time. And you know what that means? Sure, summer means picnics, barbecues, and sun. But it also means the coming of the most dreaded outdoor villains: wasps. Some people freeze up when they see the stripey serial stingers, others try to wave them away. I prefer the stoic strategy of a short, sharp …
A friend of mine just got some new camera equipment and we filmed this little promo for the blog: Enjoy! Thanks to Kyle Viterbo (@SciDidWhat) for the filming and editing.
This drawing, of a man contained within a circle and a square, is one of the most recognizable in the world. It seems to fascinate people and has a way of transcending time and space to connect with its viewers. It also is really easy to parody. The original document, pictured above and created by Leonardo Da …
