Book Review: Charlatan: America's Most Dangerous Huckster, the Man Who Pursued Him, and the Age of Flimflam, by Pope Brock Price: US$14.95 Paperback: 324 pages Publisher: Three Rivers Press, New York, USA (2008) Language: English ISBN: 978-0-307-33989-8 […]
Continue readingYear: 2013
concerns & conspiracy theories
Any discussion around water fluoridation will bring up quite a number of concerns, but increasingly – on-line anyway – conspiracy theories also come to the fore. I think the latter need to be addressed, but not at the risk of ignoring or failing to address the former. Worrying about the nature of what's in our […]
Continue readingis science really “too hard”, and if it is, what are we doing about it?
Elf Eldridge has just put up this excellent post on a breaking news story. The issue? that it seems schools are increasingly pulling back from making science compulsory in year 11. From the Stuff article: Scientists are alarmed as a growing number of schools considering [sic] ditching science from the compulsory curriculum because it is […]
Continue readingteach creationism, undermine science
Every now & then I've had someone say to me that there's no harm in children hearing about 'other ways of knowing' about the world during their time at school, so why am I worried about creationism being delivered in the classroom? Well, first up, my concerns – & those of most of my colleagues […]
Continue readingfluoridation – it pays to read carefully
I've spent a bit of time lately on the Making Sense of Fluoride Facebook page: I realise there's no convincing the committed anti-fluoride activists who spend time there, but like the other science-y people on the page, I'm hoping to provide information (& counter misinformation) for the 'lurkers' there: the people who visit & read […]
Continue readingcharter schools can teach creationism after all
I first wrote about charter schools just over a year ago. At the time I was commenting on statements that such schools would be able to employ as teachers people who lacked teaching qualifications, wondering how that could sit with the Minister's statements around achieving quality teaching practice. But I also noted concerns that charter […]
Continue readingi’m (not) in the money, and hitler wasn’t into fluoride
Every now & then (well, fairly often, if I'm honest) I join in discussion at the Making Sense of Fluoride page on Facebook. This page was set up to discuss the actual science (as distinct from personal opinions) around what's become the very fraught issue of water fluoridation, and over the last few weeks the […]
Continue readinga beautiful nightmare
A few weeks back I briefly mentioned the 'bobbit worm' – a rather large polychaete worm of scary appearance (a friend said 'nightmarish' was closer to the mark) and predatory habits. I've noticed on Facebook how interest in any particular subject seems to come in waves, and so it is with this creature. For via […]
Continue reading“the only memory of the bee is a painting by a dying flower”
The image below is of the bee orchid, Ophrys apifera. I know I'm 'seeing' something – the 'face' – that isn't really there (an example of pareidolia), but still, that's one happy-looking flower! Image courtesy of Hans Hillewaert, from wikimedia.
Continue readingfluoridation – bringing out the worst in people
In the run-up to our local Council elections and the associated (non-binding) referendum on water fluoridation, I've spent a bit of time on a couple of science-based Facebook pages, discussing the various issues associated with fluoridation. My main interest in doing this is because, frankly, I'm appalled by the misrepresentation and distortion of science coming […]
Continue reading