Archives

This blog has been going for a while – check out the archives to view past posts.

2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010 • 2009 • 2008 • 2007

21 - Mar : of cicadas & cordyceps
15 - Mar : permafrost, viruses, and silly zombie headlines
12 - Mar : mastodons in greenland
06 - Mar : schol bio exam – a performance standard
13 - Feb : poor little pangolins – driven to destruction by human greed & stupidity (redux)

20 - Nov : it’s not on to play one discipline off against another

18 - Nov : nuremberg, & history
07 - Sep : trends in human evolution – the shoulder
05 - Jul : what is the “magneto” protein, & why are references to a 2016 paper suddenly in my feed?
19 - May : kary mullis, pcr, & covid tests
05 - May : covid-19 infection and how the spike protein is involved in doing harm
26 - Apr : on Plan B’s support for an anti-vaccine court case
19 - Apr : sam bailey on isolating viruses, and why she is wrong
17 - Apr : why it’s important to check sources
15 - Apr : so much misinformation on a page supposedly about health
14 - Apr : we haven’t taught critical thinking particularly well
13 - Apr : evidence vs spin
10 - Apr : there’s a word for this sort of misinformation about vaccines
07 - Apr : “doing my own research” & the scientific method
31 - Mar : the strange case of the headless sea slug
24 - Mar : I’m still not in the money
10 - Feb : luciferin, luciferase, etymology, & innuendo

13 - Dec : vaccines, viruses, & mRNA
10 - Dec : those vaccine ingredients again
08 - Dec : mammoth bones – and … potatoes???
19 - Nov : it always pays to check before you share
09 - Nov : crabs, carcinization, and crappy headlines
25 - Oct : is it a shrimp? is it a prawn? no – it’s Super Crayfish! (revisited)
24 - Sep : first steps: jerry desilva on the evolution of bipedalism
07 - Sep : the past, present, & future of orca in north america’s pacific northwest
31 - Aug : it’s “only” a 1% death rate
10 - Aug : covid myths & politics
07 - Jun : a fishy story: midas cichlids in nicaraguan lakes
23 - May : honeycreepers in hawaii
10 - May : applying the CRAAP test to Plandemic
23 - Mar : be safe, be kind, care for each other
27 - Feb : thoughts on the proposed changes to NCEA
25 - Feb : why do students need to learn about the nature of science?
31 - Jan : neandertals’ genetic legacy extends into africa
21 - Jan : controversy? or manufactroversy?

16 - Dec : ignorance of basic science isn’t a virtue
02 - Dec : anti-vaxxers in a measles epidemic: so many ways to be untruthful
01 - Dec : a close encounter of the antivaccine kind
28 - Nov : advice about measles: when ignorance is definitely not a virtue
26 - Nov : measles deaths and antivax misinformation
23 - Oct : oh, the ridiculousness!
21 - Oct : zombie ants, updated
18 - Oct : journalism, clickbait, & ideas of classical beauty – but not science
11 - Oct : measles: the quackery that is homeopathic “vaccination”
12 - Sep : measles: a ‘gotcha’ moment that is nothing of the sort
09 - Sep : measles & cancer, part 2
31 - Aug : measles: NOT a “benign childhood disease”
31 - Jul : telling good science from bad (a cautionary tale)
23 - Jul : a new study on the heritability of autism spectrum disorder
19 - Jul : plague enthusiasts: do they assume no-one checks?
06 - Jul : “i’ve done my research!”
12 - Jun : what happened to the neanderthals?
04 - Jun : measles infection & immune amnesia
14 - May : spiders’ prey and pitcher plants
09 - May : the package insert: misunderstood & misrepresented
26 - Apr : measles infection is not a cure for cancer
08 - Apr : essential oils in the classroom: a rose (or other flowers) would smell as sweet
02 - Apr : plants, their predators, and early warning systems
21 - Mar : thoughts on a question about kākāpō
06 - Mar : a new critical analysis of the Wilyman thesis
05 - Mar : no link between mmr vaccination and autism
01 - Mar : measles, and myths in the comments sections
28 - Feb : SS4C – school strike 4 climate
25 - Feb : ardipithecus and bipedal walking
01 - Feb : smallpox stories & shill accusations
27 - Jan : measles outbreaks and the role of anti-vax misinformation
20 - Jan : ocean acidification may have unexpected impacts
17 - Jan : WHO: ‘vaccine hesitancy’ is one of the top 10 health threats in 2019
16 - Jan : human evolution and attention-grabbing headlines

06 - Dec : the sad state of science learning in primary school
03 - Dec : teachers’ reactions to this year’s year 13 Bio exam
20 - Nov : why have i never heard of “osmosis jones” before?
19 - Nov : a pivotal species? what’s that?
22 - Oct : a new take on out-of-africa
05 - Oct : agenda 21 and crank magnetism
04 - Oct : testing the accuracy of another claim from WAVES
03 - Oct : antivaxxers’ dangerous misinformation
01 - Oct : using images to mis-inform
19 - Sep : Science & 1080
16 - Sep : wordle & schol bio
12 - Sep : an open letter to Rethink Fluoride
28 - Aug : cave bears and brown bears and and admixture, oh my!
01 - Aug : slick propaganda has no place in science classroom
18 - Jul : ducks, domestication, and selection’s signature
03 - Jul : science education in the 21st century – what might it look like?
27 - Jun : preparing for scholarship: critical thinking
21 - Jun : 1080 – ill-informed claims deserve a debunking
13 - Jun : appeal to antiquity? appeal to nature? bingo!
07 - Jun : is there science in reflexology?
03 - Jun : could – & should – the moa be a goer again?
30 - May : history & ‘right to try’
10 - May : magic water nonsense
10 - May : talking about what we should teach
20 - Mar : there are horses for courses, but – snails for faces?
12 - Mar : why is one person’s science another’s conspiracy theory?
05 - Mar : UNICEF (& friends) vs the outspoken antivaxxers
25 - Feb : what are the challenges for first-year core science courses?
18 - Feb : poor little pangolins – driven headlong to extinction by human greed & stupidity
17 - Feb : the mms zombie rises to shamble once more
13 - Feb : engagement & experiences in undergraduate science education
08 - Feb : the immortal life of a hydra
07 - Feb : no, we have no GM tomatoes
05 - Feb : does science blogging still matter? yes. yes, it does.
03 - Feb : dogs, diets, & the impact of evolution
02 - Jan : ‘raw water’? eeewwww

29 - Nov : mumps: learning from the comments threads
28 - Nov : what is feedback, and do universities do it well?
28 - Nov : technology to assist learning: sketchfab
23 - Nov : considering the transition between school and university
21 - Nov : blood and guts, surgeons and scientists: “the butchering art”
21 - Nov : the last of the iron lungs
19 - Nov : attitudes and antibiotics
07 - Nov : another antivax myth (ingestion vs injection)
06 - Nov : the various ‘costs’ of measles
05 - Nov : antivaxxers still ‘delusional’ and ‘dangerous’
30 - Oct : tomtits and robins
29 - Oct : preparing for schol bio – a frequently-asked question
16 - Oct : vegetarian spiders? what is the world coming to?
10 - Oct : cancer, oils, and uncritical reporting
08 - Oct : possum peppering – still totally implausible, seven years on
06 - Oct : tl;dr: antiperspirants don’t cause breast cancer
03 - Oct : ‘pregnancy isn’t a death event’ – social media’s window to the dark side
02 - Oct : more on laptops in lectures
13 - Sep : anti-vaccination activists – deluded and dangerous
11 - Sep : wellness and access bars – i can’t even…
04 - Sep : on sleep (& lack thereof)
17 - Aug : supermarkets & nutritional advice
13 - Aug : leech ‘therapy’ redux
31 - Jul : human evolution – new discoveries, & how do we accommodate them in our teaching?
19 - Jul : a pox on all their parties
14 - Jul : 1896, and the consequences of refusing the smallpox vaccine
13 - Jul : measles is a hoax? tell that to europe, councillor!
10 - Apr : nomenclature nonsense, chemical fail
05 - Jan : the ‘fishing’ chimps of bakoun

20 - Dec : melibe engeli – the strangest thing i’ve seen in ages
07 - Nov : “killer neandertals” – a wild claim that doesn’t want to go away
04 - Nov : parts of our genome are actually viral
02 - Nov : mms – the woo-filled gift that keeps on giving
30 - Sep : dogs, dispersal, & (bio)dynamics
16 - Sep : selection and dog breeds
24 - Aug : COOLs? are they as cool as they sound?
15 - Mar : run! well, amble! the giant carnivorous snails are coming!
09 - Mar : attack of the zombie snails
29 - Feb : tunicates – apparent simplicity belies a complex past
25 - Feb : every major’s terrible (sorry, G&S)
22 - Feb : how do hedgehogs mate, and other sensitive questions of that ilk
22 - Feb : they wander our faces at night – and procreate in our eyelashes
19 - Feb : a friday butterfly
17 - Feb : the budwig protocol – help, help, it’s being repressed
14 - Feb : profs, publications, & social media
12 - Feb : is it a drone? is it a giant mozzie?
09 - Feb : the bedbug genome and their bloody habits
07 - Feb : polyps + glowing proteins + hosts = disco snails!
03 - Feb : just how small can a small snail be?
30 - Jan : the strange s*x lives of leopard & banana slugs
29 - Jan : words and ecology, ecology and words
28 - Jan : more moo woo
25 - Jan : the moo woo train has left the station
22 - Jan : snail s*x toys
20 - Jan : the dangerous delusions around use of ‘black salve’
19 - Jan : critiquing another thesis on vaccination
17 - Jan : dragonfly eyes
17 - Jan : the wilyman thesis on how smallpox is transmitted
15 - Jan : wollongong thesis has this to say on smallpox
15 - Jan : freedom of opinion has its place, but this phd thesis goes too far
14 - Jan : the speed of a chameleon’s tongue
11 - Jan : spiders as wasp incubators
08 - Jan : did Ötzi have a tummy bug?

27 - Dec : back from the dead? not exactly
05 - Nov : a science communicator silenced by the mob
04 - Nov : shipworms, pillbugs and gribbles – oh my!
23 - Sep : oh sad new world, that has such foolishness in it!
08 - Sep : does powerpoint make students stupid and professors boring?
01 - Sep : crossing the great (prokaryote-eukaryote) divide
31 - Aug : should we stop students using laptops during lectures?
11 - Aug : gmo free usa – attacking the man and not the ball
08 - May : ‘a worm just crawled across my eye!’
03 - May : ‘slapping therapy’ for diabetes, and a child dies
01 - May : a learning experiment, and a pleasant surprise
26 - Apr : slugs, and snails, and … facials?
25 - Apr : how do we assess teacher quality?
19 - Apr : tips for effective on-line science outreach
15 - Apr : sustainability and on-line learning…
07 - Apr : warmth, empathy – and science communication
06 - Apr : 10 mistakes we all make when interpreting research
29 - Mar : perhaps cancer and cardiovascular disease aren’t such ‘modern’ diseases after all
23 - Mar : the sonorous war cry of a very angry frog
19 - Mar : music to learn by
13 - Mar : farewell, sir terry pratchett
11 - Mar : it’s amazing what you find in the spam folder
09 - Mar : yes, we have some bananas – just not gm ones (yet)
01 - Mar : the mysteries of cannibal octopus s*x
27 - Feb : a mantis? or a fly?
25 - Feb : rip frank’n’louie, the diprosopic cat
20 - Feb : the 10 commandments of rational debate
19 - Feb : only the bones remained
18 - Feb : a tale of two tails
18 - Feb : true facts about owls
16 - Feb : why paper cuts hurt
08 - Feb : food matters aotearoa – an opportunity for real debate? or muddying the waters?
30 - Jan : what would the world be like if we all just… disappeared
29 - Jan : ncea & university entrance – numbers & interpretations
29 - Jan : just a big ball of water falling from the sky
20 - Jan : should food containing dna be labelled?

17 - Dec : it’s the season for ‘best-of’ science compilations…
16 - Dec : are ‘alternative medicines’ really free of side effects?
15 - Dec : cows and physics and urban myths
11 - Dec : engraving by homo erectus – art? or doodling?
07 - Dec : from small beauties to a big one
05 - Dec : the beauty of tiny things
03 - Dec : some seasonal fun (with the spice of science)
02 - Dec : credulous reporting around cancer
02 - Dec : zombies & lego – great combination!
18 - Nov : weapons-grade foolishness from the ‘food babe’
17 - Nov : ‘this app promises to read your DNA’ – colour me skeptical
14 - Nov : but surely if it does no harm…
12 - Nov : the amazingness of lyrebird vocalisations
10 - Nov : a surprising misconception
05 - Nov : reflections on using AdobeConnect in a tutorial
03 - Nov : csiro should fund dowsing? are you serious???
03 - Nov : a tale of rare blood groups, or, ‘the man with the golden blood’
31 - Oct : sticky little lizard feet
29 - Oct : widening the definition of scientific outputs
28 - Oct : pechaflickr, connected courses – education in the future?
27 - Oct : rapid evolution in cane toads
26 - Oct : ‘alternative’ medicine – numbers using it =/= evidence it works
20 - Oct : quirky science demonstrations
17 - Oct : ‘paleo’ diet? or paleofantasy?
11 - Aug : fluffy the dinosaur
03 - Aug : there’s the alarming news about ebola, & then there’s this
28 - Jul : gmo myths & mythinformation
24 - Jul : helicobacter pylori and the complexity of the human microbiome
23 - Jul : one of the largest living insects?
17 - Jul : acapella science does eminem
23 - Jun : 6-second science
19 - Jun : if fish had nightmares, these spiders would feature in them
11 - Jun : human facial features the result of being used as a punching bag? somehow I don’t think so
09 - Jun : pharaoh’s serpent
08 - Jun : carl wieman on active learning
01 - Jun : “If you’re going to get lectured at, you might as well be at home in bunny slippers”
30 - May : a bunch of fascinating animals you’ve never heard of…
28 - May : fascinating stories of dna, and the kiwi’s close cousin uncovered
23 - May : dissecting the predictable (in this case, ffnz on broadbent et al)
21 - May : an anti-fluoride view: democracy is ok as long as it delivers what we want
12 - May : facebook – more than just social networking
04 - May : something reassuringly disgusting…
02 - May : another see-through animal (& a rather lovely image)
30 - Apr : a strange but beautiful bird
31 - Mar : ignorance wins over science? let’s try that another way
29 - Mar : ‘slow life’ – corals and anemones strut their stuff
28 - Mar : most excellent epiphytes
12 - Mar : teaching plant life cycles – trying a different approach
09 - Mar : it’s not all fun & games being a crocodile, you know
08 - Mar : fluoridation – if you fail in the courts, try fear (& more misinformation)
07 - Mar : community water fluoridation is scientifically sound – high court judgement
02 - Mar : an entertaining take on plants & plant cells
23 - Feb : homeopathic first aid
20 - Feb : of whale poo, wolves, and spiny s*x
17 - Feb : thoughts from a conference: scientists and science communication
16 - Feb : presenting on plants at WCeLfest
11 - Feb : musings on moocs
06 - Feb : not science as i know it
04 - Feb : fluoridation in the news
03 - Feb : fluoride-cancer claims exaggerated? it looks that way
27 - Jan : was newton an astrologer?
23 - Jan : non-science nonsense & quaking whales
22 - Jan : the science-based medicine blog on fluoridation
21 - Jan : what constitutes pseudoscience? the TEDx take on this question

19 - Dec : just like ‘alien’ – moray eels have *two* sets of jaws
18 - Dec : kiwi evolution – a new take on an icon’s ancient past
16 - Dec : secrets from an ancient graveyard
13 - Dec : selecting for maladaptive behaviour
10 - Dec : shaking up the academy? or, how the academy could shake up teaching
05 - Dec : nz’s pisa rankings slip, & the soul-searching begins
02 - Dec : the daily mail comes late to the pig-ape hybridisation idea
21 - Nov : the fascinating psychology behind conspiracy theories
19 - Nov : why did the pigeon cross the road?
18 - Nov : a glorious (but deadly) cephalopod
16 - Nov : should one emit flatulent gases silently, or with gusto?
15 - Nov : in which we encounter a very strange idea about water
13 - Nov : swimming as a sperm does
08 - Nov : migration and ear wax
04 - Nov : a creeping assassin
25 - Oct : how to do citizen science
21 - Oct : i feel a great disturbance (in the force)
16 - Oct : an impressive-sounding number of references, (therefore good?)
15 - Oct : google hangout – a new adventure
08 - Oct : essays on our fascination with those who are different
30 - Sep : goat glands, greed, and gullibility
26 - Sep : concerns & conspiracy theories
23 - Sep : is science really “too hard”, and if it is, what are we doing about it?
23 - Sep : teach creationism, undermine science
21 - Sep : fluoridation – it pays to read carefully
19 - Sep : charter schools can teach creationism after all
16 - Sep : i’m (not) in the money, and hitler wasn’t into fluoride
10 - Sep : a beautiful nightmare
09 - Sep : “the only memory of the bee is a painting by a dying flower”
04 - Sep : fluoridation – bringing out the worst in people
01 - Sep : a really strange sea urchin
28 - Aug : what am i?
23 - Aug : fluoridation: an attempt to silence science, and false equivalence
22 - Aug : how old is a piece of string?
21 - Aug : is this a coat of many colours?
13 - Aug : the NEW periodic table song
11 - Aug : drinking in oxygen?
09 - Aug : bicep-flexing & s*xual selection
08 - Aug : once more into the fluoride ‘debate’, dear friends
07 - Aug : the drunken botanist
02 - Aug : have you heard of a pyrosome?
01 - Aug : stunning spiders
01 - Aug : does science literacy matter?
26 - Jul : can people really sense exposure to emfs?
25 - Jul : the sea’s strangest square mile, indeed
23 - Jul : the male himalayan monal – an absolutely gorgeous bird
22 - Jul : the origins of humans lie in a – ahem! – far-fetched hybridisation event?
20 - Jul : ancient jewelry
19 - Jul : mmm, ravioli?
19 - Jun : final flight
12 - Jun : fluoridation: those pesky facts
07 - Jun : fluoridation – but wait, there’s more
06 - Jun : fluoridation (where did science communication go wrong?)
31 - May : why everyone must understand science
28 - May : pretty jelly
22 - May : a great synopsis of evolution? no, i don’t think so
21 - May : perhaps the most inspiring graduation address i have ever heard
20 - May : thought-provoking video, pity about the title…
19 - May : out of the mouths of students
14 - May : aquatic apes & custard elephants
13 - May : selling services on-line
08 - May : the gastric-brooding frog – not quite back from the dead
08 - May : see-through creatures
07 - May : tool use – even more widespread than you thought
02 - May : science challenges & science education
26 - Apr : true facts…
19 - Apr : a little extrapolation is a dangerous thing
02 - Apr : ‘new zealand’s #1 way to lose weight’ – oh really?
01 - Apr : caesarians & medical hypotheses
26 - Mar : chocolate! just in time for easter
20 - Mar : are humans still evolving (a repeat visit)
17 - Mar : a cheer for saccharomyces cerevisiae
02 - Mar : the amazing hCG ‘diet’, redux
21 - Feb : fear & loathing in the water
19 - Feb : cyclists = road vermin? quit the hyperbole, mr ware
13 - Feb : artistry
02 - Feb : what might a ‘science for citizens’ curriculum look like?
01 - Feb : more quirky science songs
30 - Jan : where’s pooh?
28 - Jan : social media & pseudoscience
23 - Jan : cloning neandertals – can we? should we? is it true?
21 - Jan : faecal transplants as a treatment for persistent gut infections
18 - Jan : a lovely friday photo
16 - Jan : evolution – a good video for the classroom
12 - Jan : stem cells, cosmetics – and unexpected consequences
09 - Jan : “the aviator” – a vision of the future that’s a little too close for comfort

03 - Dec : is this fish evil?
29 - Nov : sasquatch dna!!! not so fast, pardner
21 - Nov : stingray x-ray
17 - Nov : a cute little piggy (but why do we find it so?)
09 - Nov : ‘a newly discovered species of little people’
30 - Oct : an interesting take on mousetrap evolution
24 - Oct : kissing cousins with kennewick man?
17 - Oct : talk nerdy to me
14 - Oct : normal service will resume in about a week…
13 - Oct : why kids should grade teachers
05 - Oct : falling numbers in physics – what do teachers think?
04 - Oct : sweet memories
01 - Oct : chutzpah & pingpong balls
30 - Sep : how do kids learn about dna?
26 - Sep : traumatic insemination? ooh that sounds painful!
22 - Sep : an ambulant toupee?
19 - Sep : letting a good story get in the way of a few facts?
14 - Sep : indonesia to host 2014 international biology olympiad
13 - Sep : the sir paul callaghan science academy
09 - Sep : science: 1; society for textbook revise: 0
07 - Sep : if only…
06 - Sep : walking on custard
06 - Sep : more on mosaics
05 - Sep : immortal cells
04 - Sep : a genetic chimera?
31 - Aug : science – it’s not magic!
27 - Aug : fostering is the cause…
21 - Aug : charter schools (from letters to the editor)
15 - Aug : this is a poodle moth…
10 - Aug : dodgy experts & gardasil – further questions
08 - Aug : passionate biologists start early
08 - Aug : things to do with precious bodily fluids
06 - Aug : quality counts – except when it doesn’t
31 - Jul : sharks don’t get cancer?
29 - Jul : foetal lamb cells for autism? baaaah!
23 - Jul : ‘esoteric’ – you keep using that word…
22 - Jul : moss s*x and springtails
19 - Jul : first supertrees – now super domes
16 - Jul : singapore’s stupendous supertrees
10 - Jul : a letter from exotic places
03 - Jul : more on active learning in the biology classroom
02 - Jul : divergent views on the importance of critical thinking
26 - Jun : what constitutes beauty? – tarantulas!
22 - Jun : another silly homeopathic product
13 - Jun : reflections on the WEB days
12 - Jun : a good old debunking – flatulent dinosaurs & aquatic apes
11 - Jun : the great class-size debate
10 - Jun : another stunning biological image
30 - May : nz herald, what are you *thinking* – all kids are psychic?
28 - May : sagan on science & society
27 - May : the worst use for mms yet?
24 - May : every major’s terrible (apologies to gilbert & sullivan)
23 - May : does the swiss government *really* support homeopathy?
22 - May : beauty in simplicity – a guide to basic critical thinking
21 - May : how much do we value our teachers?
13 - May : symphony of science: the world of the dinosaurs
08 - May : musings on national primary science week
02 - May : the ero on primary school science: ‘should do better’
15 - Apr : literate primates?
13 - Apr : scientists *do* have a sense of humour 🙂
11 - Apr : if evolution is true, why are there still apes
10 - Apr : cancer – an example of evolution at the cellular level
02 - Apr : in the lecture theatre – but definitely not giving a lecture!
01 - Apr : a bag moth in residence
26 - Mar : ‘scientists anonymous (nz)’ write again…
21 - Mar : tertiary teachers & accreditation
16 - Mar : parasite goes bananas before s*x
12 - Mar : marathon man, part II (another replay)
08 - Mar : marathon man (rpt)
05 - Mar : changing teaching techniques
05 - Mar : ensuring student success
01 - Mar : if meetings really lower iq…
29 - Feb : videos on creationism & evolution
28 - Feb : cute, creative caminalcules
27 - Feb : in the rush to ‘e-learning’, are we losing sight of our goals?
25 - Feb : anti-vaccination anti-science
21 - Feb : here be dragons
20 - Feb : have universities degraded to teaching ‘only’ scientific knowledge?
19 - Feb : choosing for the future
13 - Feb : on your bike
13 - Feb : these legs were made for walking…
12 - Feb : arsenic & old crimes
08 - Feb : wonderful quotes about science
06 - Feb : what is science?
31 - Jan : motivating tomorrow’s biologists
29 - Jan : critical thinking – a classroom resource
27 - Jan : why things got bigger (rpt)
26 - Jan : should universities offer courses in ‘alternative & complementary therapies’?
26 - Jan : chris stringer talks about human origins
25 - Jan : web 2.0, postmodernism, & attitudes to science
21 - Jan : scientists have cured cancer! – or have they?
16 - Jan : it must be the silly season
12 - Jan : Steve Novella’s BS detector
10 - Jan : leeches & health – asking some questions
09 - Jan : one reason many don’t ‘get’ science
06 - Jan : a homeopathic dinosaur?
04 - Jan : time travellers i have met**
03 - Jan : skulls & braaiiinz – what’s not to like? (also, plants)

31 - Dec : homeopathy is ‘personalised’?
21 - Dec : the status & quality of year 11 & 12 science in australian schools
20 - Dec : letters to the editor: science & god
20 - Dec : using pseudoscience to teach science
17 - Dec : PM’s Science Teacher Prize: Dr Angela Sharples
15 - Dec : convergent evolution: the pandas’ thumb
14 - Dec : new woo for you – ‘sound’ therapy
12 - Dec : melanin + the pecten … a new metabolic future??
09 - Dec : assessment for learning
07 - Dec : what about genetic evidence linking us to chimpanzees
06 - Dec : women & gay men are worst drivers, quoth the telegraph. o, rly?
05 - Dec : eye-catching blog post titles – I mean, ‘icky toilets’?
04 - Dec : prior learning & university success in biology
02 - Dec : challenges in learning biology
01 - Dec : rhys morgan – another one to follow
30 - Nov : a follow-up (from a new blog)
21 - Nov : what about archaeopteryx?
17 - Nov : writing about environmental history
13 - Nov : picking & choosing what to believe in…
12 - Nov : what, exactly, do they teach?
08 - Nov : Election time: Science Q&A – education
06 - Nov : you could probably sell anything with the right sales pitch
04 - Nov : visualising a curriculum
02 - Nov : deconstructing zeolite
12 - Oct : the end of the world is nigh. again…
07 - Oct : old fossils on a spoil heap
06 - Oct : we saw koalas!
25 - Sep : sigh – another on-line hoax
24 - Sep : a response from ‘scientists anonymous’
22 - Sep : are students really as tech-savvy as we think?
10 - Sep : teaching what you don’t know
08 - Sep : the value of relaxed discussion
07 - Sep : the origin of modern humans – free webinar
05 - Sep : are we ready for disaster?
19 - Aug : a ‘little job’ for the weekend
15 - Aug : a mammoth resurrection task
10 - Aug : what scientists can do to help teachers in the compulsory education system
07 - Aug : chemistry cat strikes again
05 - Aug : biological oddities, including the naughty bits
01 - Aug : (non)impact of placebo on the common cold
29 - Jul : chemistry cat to the rescue
28 - Jul : the taipei IBO – what we did when not in the jury room
24 - Jul : what it was like at the IBO, part 1
21 - Jul : technology for technology’s sake, or is there something more?
20 - Jul : international biology olympiad: nz team brings home the medals 🙂
18 - Jul : a re-run of ‘fact and theory’
16 - Jul : plants – more than you expect (again)
13 - Jul : why anecdotal ‘evidence’ is problematic
11 - Jul : meditating on enrolment (again)
09 - Jul : choose wisely… (redux)
08 - Jul : if you’re thinking of taking Scholarship biology…
07 - Jul : interruption to normal service
02 - Jul : eye-catching titles for blog posts
30 - Jun : the carnegie hall hypothesis: practice makes perfect
28 - Jun : wonderful wordle: if my dishwasher had wings
27 - Jun : the moon is a poor prognosticator…
24 - Jun : “how do you know?” always trumps “were you there?”
23 - Jun : birds exist, so evolution is an incoherent theory…
22 - Jun : dishwashers of doom
20 - Jun : gearing up for an olympiad
19 - Jun : evolution according to futurama
14 - Jun : engaging students effectively in science, technology and engineering
11 - Jun : effects of changing teaching styles on student learning
08 - Jun : “1080 poison gets tick from report”
06 - Jun : how homeopathy might (not) work in A&E
31 - May : if pharyngeal slits turn into gills, why don’t humans have gills?
30 - May : the sarcastic fringeheads
27 - May : why are some chickens white?
25 - May : twisting the truth on vaccination
24 - May : talking about exaptations
23 - May : another weird science letter
22 - May : another lovely biological image
19 - May : waiter, there’s a fish in my cucumber!
10 - May : pink – not for boys?
06 - May : why geologists are wrong, wrong, wrong! about the age of the earth
01 - May : on academic honesty
28 - Apr : weird ‘science’ letter of the week
27 - Apr : vision and change: biology education for all students
25 - Apr : vision & change in undergraduate biology education
19 - Apr : ‘darwin’s dilemma’ – id in nz
17 - Apr : a weekend funny…
06 - Apr : some thoughts on ‘looking ahead’
05 - Apr : looking ahead: science education for the 21st century
04 - Apr : to the ridiculous (answersingenesis)…
04 - Apr : from the sublime (pz myers)…
01 - Apr : science education for the 21st century – an update
30 - Mar : bullying – it’s everyone’s problem
28 - Mar : inspired by science – the next stage
27 - Mar : my mother said…
24 - Mar : can ducks count?
21 - Mar : the discussion you have when you’re really having a discussion
19 - Mar : a pat a day may help keep the doctor away
12 - Mar : creationist ‘report’ writing: marked down again
09 - Mar : another form of donation
07 - Mar : an ancient origin for the human eye
04 - Mar : my humble little blog is found by the discovery institute
03 - Mar : where lamarckian evolution might take our little furry fiends…
01 - Mar : predicting earthquakes: hedging your bets
27 - Feb : my blackberry’s not working…
24 - Feb : my heart goes out to christchurch
20 - Feb : a (shaky) date for your diaries
16 - Feb : there are some questions that google can’t answer…
13 - Feb : where do you find the ideas for your posts?
12 - Feb : happy darwin day
09 - Feb : helping students think like scientists
06 - Feb : quirks of human anatomy
03 - Feb : why do people blog?
31 - Jan : attitudes towards teaching evolution in the (US) classroom
28 - Jan : the improbability of an eye
24 - Jan : changing the culture of science education at research universities
18 - Jan : the mind’s eye
17 - Jan : resistance to science
12 - Jan : something old & something new
09 - Jan : pesky little hoppers
07 - Jan : plankton & philosophy – and critical thinking
05 - Jan : goldfish & duckweed
03 - Jan : ‘intelligent design is not creationism in any shape or form’ – yeah, right!
02 - Jan : the human family tree gets even more complex
01 - Jan : happy new year, & thanks for all the fish

22 - Dec : technical hiccups
14 - Dec : science & innovation in education – your thoughts, please
12 - Dec : a mouse with no mother
10 - Dec : nuclear transformation – at body temperature this time
07 - Dec : a young-earth creationist’s view of flood geology (& much more besides)
05 - Dec : paradoxical frogs
02 - Dec : the interface between secondary & tertiary teaching
28 - Nov : homos*xual necrophilia by a mallard drake
27 - Nov : so who are these ‘scientists anonymous’?
26 - Nov : stunning biological image #2
24 - Nov : Algae & isopods – a unique symbiosis
22 - Nov : astrology can help achieve pregnancy? um, really?
18 - Nov : ‘the uncertainty of it all – understanding the nature of science’
15 - Nov : bats and exam questions
12 - Nov : mount st helens as a model for the grand canyon? somehow i don’t think so
11 - Nov : a little exercise in critical thinking
09 - Nov : seven signs of bogus science
08 - Nov : homeopathic ‘vaccines’ and smallpox
05 - Nov : vaccination & smallpox
04 - Nov : homeopathic vaccinations – fail
03 - Nov : chelation quackery around vaccination
02 - Nov : on polio
31 - Oct : “killer neandertals” – does this one really stack up?
29 - Oct : yes, we have some bananas
27 - Oct : sounds of biology
24 - Oct : vaccination in the classroom
19 - Oct : another resource about critical thinking
15 - Oct : inspired by science
11 - Oct : lady gaga in the lab?
10 - Oct : a novel take on a fairy tale
08 - Oct : stunning biological images
07 - Oct : a good example of thinking critically
05 - Oct : rolling brown stuff
03 - Oct : engagement techniques for teaching evolution
29 - Sep : further ruminations on writing an essay
27 - Sep : evidence supporting an hypothesis of crank magnetism
26 - Sep : the specialities of mad scientists
24 - Sep : the great tree of life
22 - Sep : a cultural divide
22 - Sep : prized science
20 - Sep : science & cooking – quite similar in some ways
16 - Sep : more on ‘sweet poison’: aspartame – truth vs fiction
15 - Sep : retail therapy better than s*x?
14 - Sep : conspicuous facultative mimicry in octopuses
12 - Sep : sunday snippets
10 - Sep : discussing death
08 - Sep : preparing for scholarship exams
06 - Sep : sweet poison?
04 - Sep : a genetic window on marsupial evolution
03 - Sep : beery bladders & other oddities
02 - Sep : legionella – an intracellular pathogen
01 - Sep : picking out the drunks, and other interesting tales
31 - Aug : caterpillar drool enhances plants’ calls for help
29 - Aug : X-rays & ouches
26 - Aug : how a fungus avoids a plant’s immune system
24 - Aug : our lives with dogs, & other interesting reading
23 - Aug : fungal parasites & zombie ants
21 - Aug : the scientists of tomorrow, today
19 - Aug : cat behaviour explained
18 - Aug : oxygenated food for the brain?
17 - Aug : a solar salamander
16 - Aug : but surely if it does no harm…
15 - Aug : MMS – continued health claims for an industrial bleach
06 - Aug : a brief hiatus…
04 - Aug : what made me a teacher
03 - Aug : northern rata – first it’s an epiphyte, then it’s not
01 - Aug : azolla & endosymbiosis
29 - Jul : how a little green ball of cells controls where it’s going
27 - Jul : learning in lectures is a two-way street
25 - Jul : dogs behaving badly
22 - Jul : arctic foxes in arctic winters
20 - Jul : from elephantiasis to sperm competition
19 - Jul : giant scrotal elephantiasis
17 - Jul : the implausibility of possum peppering
16 - Jul : growing up with science
13 - Jul : of octopodes & clever horses
11 - Jul : the skills of critical thinking
09 - Jul : are octopuses really psychic?
08 - Jul : do you mind? (brain, meet brian)
06 - Jul : positive allometry & the prehistory of sexual selection
04 - Jul : kinky crayfish courtship
02 - Jul : repeat after me – pterosaurs were not dinosaurs!
29 - Jun : why an evolutionary image merits a ‘fail’
27 - Jun : another early hominin specimen, & other things to read
25 - Jun : the genetics of lactase persistence
24 - Jun : a sponge makes the top 10
22 - Jun : the camel’s hump
19 - Jun : contaminated dietary supplements
18 - Jun : a follow-up on bleeding for the cause
16 - Jun : pseudoscientific gambits
14 - Jun : world blood donor day
13 - Jun : the tyranny of powerpoint
11 - Jun : evolution vs creationism: the ‘discussion’ continues
09 - Jun : i get more mail – belief in evolution allows me to ignore my sins
06 - Jun : reflecting on teaching (& learning) about the nature of science
03 - Jun : acupuncture & adenosine
01 - Jun : iconography of evolution
31 - May : it’s not a miracle
28 - May : female genital mutilation – hideous whichever way you look at it
26 - May : slightly more than half of everything i am is thanks to you (thanks, mum)
25 - May : on craig venter & his new life form
23 - May : sequencing the neandertal genome
20 - May : flashes in the eye
20 - May : let it grow, let it grow…
18 - May : milk & health: there aren’t always two (equal) sides to a story
17 - May : helping students engage with maths & physics
16 - May : knowledge vs certainty
12 - May : why ‘natural supplements’ need regulation
10 - May : what science has given us
08 - May : putting therapeutic touch to the test
07 - May : sensing nonsense
05 - May : death shapes us all
03 - May : academic language & learning about science
28 - Apr : theorists of the lost ark
26 - Apr : think before you write (or at least, before you hand it in)
24 - Apr : chemo vs cancer, science vs disease
22 - Apr : what evolution is
21 - Apr : why don’t students study plants?
18 - Apr : what science is
16 - Apr : what’s in a name
14 - Apr : i get mail…
12 - Apr : more bad stats & other stories
09 - Apr : nature by numbers
09 - Apr : science embargoes & early releases – an update on the ‘new hominin’ story
08 - Apr : live from the nz international biology olympiad training camp
07 - Apr : changes in the early oceans – & their impact on the evolution of animals
05 - Apr : another missing link…
04 - Apr : more on bone-eating snotworms – the fossil years
03 - Apr : the costs of transpiration
01 - Apr : best billboard ever?
31 - Mar : engaging students in science through interactive learning
29 - Mar : a new hominin from siberia?
29 - Mar : humour with a serious message – the vaccine/autism ‘debate’
26 - Mar : hey hey it’s friday – and the darwin awards are out 🙂
23 - Mar : how not to do science: the scole experiment
19 - Mar : belief & knowledge – a plea about language
17 - Mar : how biology teachers can respond to intelligent design
16 - Mar : overrun with creepy-crawlies? maybe not…
14 - Mar : how do we teach students to question what we say?
12 - Mar : cross-species hanky-panky
11 - Mar : what makes students stick at science?
09 - Mar : writing that essay
08 - Mar : a blog for talking teaching
06 - Mar : the age of mammals
05 - Mar : the bca vs simon singh
02 - Mar : evolution supressed in new zealand? i think not
28 - Feb : today’s big earthquake in chile
24 - Feb : the oversized naughty bits of female spotted hyenas
20 - Feb : how i became a science teacher
20 - Feb : $60 a time
16 - Feb : meta-analyses – testing relationships
16 - Feb : an update on facilitated communication
13 - Feb : armed and dangerous…
12 - Feb : happy darwin day!
11 - Feb : breadth vs depth
09 - Feb : but it does no harm…
08 - Feb : the power of the cuttlefish
07 - Feb : the 8-glasses-a-day myth
05 - Feb : what’s your ‘risk intelligence quotient’?
03 - Feb : why dogs live shorter lives
02 - Feb : grumpiness is best?
31 - Jan : of rain and rotifers
29 - Jan : avatar
25 - Jan : a quick lesson from statistics 🙂
24 - Jan : mms revisited
20 - Jan : asking the right questions
18 - Jan : communicating science – an example of good practice
16 - Jan : procrastination – something to avoid
14 - Jan : rather nice zoological videos
13 - Jan : on the shoulders of giants
12 - Jan : the science of lolcats
11 - Jan : saying a lot about little – another example of how not to use statistics
10 - Jan : cauliflory (but not with cheese)
08 - Jan : a wide froggy mouth – but not on a frog
04 - Jan : trees on stilts

28 - Dec : misleading medical-science stories – & why most published research findings are false
27 - Dec : australian red beech
26 - Dec : what researchers really mean
25 - Dec : may your christmas be filled…
22 - Dec : botanical architecture
21 - Dec : cassowaries: crucial to rainforest ecology
20 - Dec : great balls of sand
19 - Dec : a whale of a community
17 - Dec : preparing for the future
15 - Dec : owlcat. definitely not coming to a place near you, any time soon
14 - Dec : rocket science & testosterone
13 - Dec : of ant hotels and homicidal figs
12 - Dec : did ancient jellyfish sting?
11 - Dec : an update on xenotransplantation
10 - Dec : holiday photos
08 - Dec : do flies do housework?
06 - Dec : re-post: a worm, but not as we know it
05 - Dec : some interesting links to follow
02 - Dec : please do not adjust your set
01 - Dec : gannet monogamy model moot
30 - Nov : moa evolution & new zealand’s geological past
27 - Nov : facilitated communication?
26 - Nov : evolutionary image… fail
24 - Nov : off to entertain at cafe scientifique
23 - Nov : regulating supplements
22 - Nov : whence the nucleus?
21 - Nov : argh! the dreaded mercury!
20 - Nov : what’s in the water?
19 - Nov : speciation in darwin’s finches
18 - Nov : hummingbirds & the high cost of s*x
17 - Nov : a guest post from an olympian
16 - Nov : things that go BANG!
14 - Nov : topical 1080
13 - Nov : ten questions about intelligent design
12 - Nov : florence nightingale was a statistician
11 - Nov : lumping, splitting, and the morphological species concept
10 - Nov : a question of isolation
08 - Nov : dinosaur footprints in new zealand
06 - Nov : viral evolution – ‘evolution before our eyes’
05 - Nov : fluoride reloaded
03 - Nov : turning kids on to science: the spectrum revisited
03 - Nov : the importance of evolution for modern medicine
31 - Oct : a tale of several fishes
30 - Oct : wolves in the cross-fire
30 - Oct : another contender for ‘best blog post title’
27 - Oct : people can believe some very strange things…
26 - Oct : self-grooming in cows
25 - Oct : teaching old cows new tricks
23 - Oct : two ends of the science spectrum
22 - Oct : conspiracy theories & the electricity supply
20 - Oct : seeing the world through blindsight
19 - Oct : it couldn’t happen here. could it?
18 - Oct : swim with the sharks…
18 - Oct : tomorrow’s young scientists, today
16 - Oct : blood-sucking vampire moths!
15 - Oct : sensory perception in t.rex
13 - Oct : science or magical thinking?
12 - Oct : belief vs acceptance
11 - Oct : stomata & plant immunity to bacterial infection
11 - Oct : the music of science
09 - Oct : (i’ll say it again) dose really does matter!
08 - Oct : why we have telomerase
07 - Oct : please do not adjust your set…
06 - Oct : knuckle-walking – not an ancestral trait in humans
03 - Oct : the ‘missing link’ disproved?
02 - Oct : the fabric of history
30 - Sep : a special kind of donation
29 - Sep : plant growth responses to touch
28 - Sep : what’s your favourite (transitional) fossil?
27 - Sep : plants – much more than you expect
26 - Sep : science blogging in new zealand
24 - Sep : a rather strange decision
23 - Sep : science-based medicine vs the ‘natural’ kind
22 - Sep : critical thinking 101: reading news stories on science
21 - Sep : malaria & sickle-cell anaemia
19 - Sep : the usefulness of parachutes has not been scientifically tested
17 - Sep : ‘warrior genes’ & media fantasies
16 - Sep : why do we worry so much about ageing?
14 - Sep : the lost city & life undersea
12 - Sep : cut a long story short
11 - Sep : science can be fun: swearing as a response to pain
09 - Sep : more musings on human pheromones
07 - Sep : molecular evolution & possible gene therapy
06 - Sep : sherlock holmes & csi
05 - Sep : the scent of fear
04 - Sep : wait until you can see the whites of their eyes
02 - Sep : the power of the human mind
01 - Sep : hierarchies among our furry friends
30 - Aug : from the ‘letters to the editor’ – vaccines & ear infections
29 - Aug : meet ben
27 - Aug : from chickens to dinosaurs?
27 - Aug : scientific laws
26 - Aug : a possible fix for the problem of antibiotic resistance in bacteria
25 - Aug : apple juice & gallstones
24 - Aug : darwin & the appendix
23 - Aug : zombie attacks and worms with luminescent bombs
21 - Aug : watch where you pee
20 - Aug : nature is neither kind nor unkind
19 - Aug : an update on issues associated with the hpv vaccine
18 - Aug : e.coli & the limits of reductionism
17 - Aug : a couple more cool websites
16 - Aug : the wonders of modern technology
15 - Aug : blindfold squid & other fascinating things
14 - Aug : testimonial, anecdote, data…
13 - Aug : the power of placebo is strong in this one
12 - Aug : what is ‘normal’?
10 - Aug : i’m off to ‘do’ a cafe…
08 - Aug : publish & be damned?
07 - Aug : more on measles
06 - Aug : more to a genome than a string of nucleotides
05 - Aug : a bit of thinking practice
04 - Aug : on life, diversity, & extinction
03 - Aug : biotechnological applications & the human gene pool
02 - Aug : experimental vs ‘historical’ science – does this dichotomy really exist
02 - Aug : snakes & spiders & solenodons – oh my!
01 - Aug : what’s wrong with catching the measles
31 - Jul : prompted by a quiz question…
28 - Jul : i cannot brain today…
26 - Jul : time for a little humour
25 - Jul : of crusts & cancer
23 - Jul : the university of google strikes again…
21 - Jul : congratulations to our olympians!
20 - Jul : more on poo – this time, it’s penguins
19 - Jul : fossil poo & moa diets
17 - Jul : lies, damned lies, and science
16 - Jul : more comment on folate
14 - Jul : science as a way of knowing
13 - Jul : food & folate
11 - Jul : live long & prosper?
11 - Jul : of what use are evolution blogs?
10 - Jul : the things people do in the name of science
09 - Jul : getting the big picture
08 - Jul : medical news stories that make the headlines
06 - Jul : moa feathers & DNA – an example of reductionism
06 - Jul : another primate fossil
04 - Jul : oxygenate your brain!
03 - Jul : service may be interrupted…
02 - Jul : the dinosaur lady
02 - Jul : thoughts while marking
29 - Jun : antibiotics in nature
27 - Jun : interesting readings on human evolution
26 - Jun : a biodiversity storeroom
25 - Jun : questions about speciation
24 - Jun : the median is not the message – statistics & cancer
22 - Jun : sometimes life just sucks
22 - Jun : how to read a scientific paper
20 - Jun : finding suitable references
19 - Jun : speciation in the here-&-now
17 - Jun : hyenas & homo erectus
16 - Jun : ‘swine flu parties’ – more than mere sleepovers
15 - Jun : can we clone it? yes we can! but should we?
15 - Jun : amazing aye-ayes
13 - Jun : the TimeTree of Life
12 - Jun : permit me a small piece of pedantry
12 - Jun : a fieldays update…
09 - Jun : science on the farm: “my land, our environment”
09 - Jun : a whole lot more on ‘ida’
08 - Jun : why science outreach is important
07 - Jun : fluoridation – another issue that never seems to go away
04 - Jun : donald prothero on the nature of science
03 - Jun : how not to write a scientific report
03 - Jun : evolutionary biology and treatments for cancer
02 - Jun : a couple of interesting articles for you to read
01 - Jun : a few thoughts on essay-writing
30 - May : arsenic & ancient mummies
29 - May : an update on ida
29 - May : how well do we teach critical thinking?
28 - May : why an anecdote can never be more than a starting point
28 - May : so true…
27 - May : what turns on zebra fish
26 - May : gender of children affects father’s voting preferences?
25 - May : science communication is fun!
24 - May : only in mice…
22 - May : a wonderful fossil – but not a missing link
22 - May : bad doctors, mad scientists, & evil big pharma
19 - May : viral s*x
19 - May : thin pickings again, I’m afraid
18 - May : musings on hansen’s disease
17 - May : a piece of palaeolithic er*tica?
13 - May : what, exactly, is a tree lobster? & why are they interesting?
13 - May : a contemporary issue for you to consider: chemotherapy
10 - May : a brief hiatus in service
09 - May : thoughts on xenotransplantation
06 - May : great balls of stone!
05 - May : when a journal is not really a journal
04 - May : genetics & family pedigrees
03 - May : more on swine flu
02 - May : why is science important?
30 - Apr : anhydrobiosis in antarctic organisms
29 - Apr : the need for science communication
28 - Apr : a good summary on swine flu
28 - Apr : an alien star-child?
26 - Apr : fish oil follow-up (& some more stats)
25 - Apr : how the giraffe got its neck
23 - Apr : the past is the key to the present
22 - Apr : thinking about Scholarship?
21 - Apr : ankle joints & hominin evolution
21 - Apr : when people are most likely to accept outrageous statements…
19 - Apr : social networking & morality
17 - Apr : more on epigenetics & imprinting
16 - Apr : more epigenetics – imprinting
15 - Apr : an entertaining look at our family tree
14 - Apr : ben goldacre’s missing chapter
13 - Apr : let’s clarify something here
11 - Apr : opposable thumbs
10 - Apr : multilingual bacteria & glowing squid
09 - Apr : another request – this time it’s stem cells
08 - Apr : More on the nature of science
07 - Apr : a fun science sticker…
05 - Apr : a paper on epigenetics
04 - Apr : a bit of humour
02 - Apr : magnetic attraction…
01 - Apr : an item that’s entirely appropriate for the current date…
31 - Mar : what ‘average’ means
30 - Mar : male polymorphisms & mating systems
28 - Mar : snail s*x toys
27 - Mar : from an octupuses lagerstatte…
26 - Mar : lactose (in)tolerance & domestication of cattle
24 - Mar : maggots & wound healing – some truth in folk wisdom?
23 - Mar : leopard slugs: s*x on a bungy cord
22 - Mar : the hox genes rap
20 - Mar : yet more on why a passing familiarity with stats is a good thing
19 - Mar : RNA interference explained
18 - Mar : roses are red
17 - Mar : a field guide to logical fallacies
16 - Mar : how to read between the lines
14 - Mar : fish evolution under our own noses
13 - Mar : more on sodium chlorite – the ‘miracle mineral supplement’
12 - Mar : applying evolutionary theory in the lab
11 - Mar : incoming woo – ‘stabilised liquid oxygen’ & other nonsense
10 - Mar : a hearing chair – retraining the senses
09 - Mar : elephantine evolutionary history
07 - Mar : populations vs individuals
06 - Mar : the world of ants
04 - Mar : green sea slugs & endosymbiosis
03 - Mar : meditating on enrolment
02 - Mar : calling all chemistry teachers…
01 - Mar : ben goldacre on ‘facebook causes cancer’
26 - Feb : the ‘barrel-eyed’ fish
25 - Feb : a nice just-so story?
24 - Feb : just a quickie
22 - Feb : a ‘good mother’ whale
20 - Feb : i get mail…
19 - Feb : sequencing the neadertal genome
18 - Feb : a personal ‘darwin bibliography’
17 - Feb : the ‘beagle’ letters
16 - Feb : dolphin vs squid
15 - Feb : an excess of warts
13 - Feb : charles darwin – the man behind the science
12 - Feb : february 12 is…
11 - Feb : terror of the ancient seas?
10 - Feb : an excellent editorial
08 - Feb : cafe scientifique for darwin200
08 - Feb : the plural of anecdote is not data
07 - Feb : evolution & cancer
06 - Feb : a great scientist who touched flowers like a child
05 - Feb : no science for you today
04 - Feb : what women want
03 - Feb : understanding science
02 - Feb : bone-eating worrrms!
01 - Feb : thinking about darwin
31 - Jan : Darwin200
30 - Jan : rivers as ‘medicine cabinets’
29 - Jan : and an answer to that finch question…
28 - Jan : ethics & pre-implantation genetic diagnosis
27 - Jan : one of these things is not like the other
26 - Jan : headlines can be misleading
25 - Jan : choose carefully…
24 - Jan : waterflea helmets – lamarckian, or epigenetic?
24 - Jan : convergence in tomatoes &… a retrovirus
22 - Jan : hiv & your immune system
21 - Jan : why things got bigger
19 - Jan : eat a species – and change it
18 - Jan : louisiana & intelligent design
17 - Jan : does drinking coffee lower the risk of developing alzheimer’s disease?
16 - Jan : that’s not what the textbooks say should happen!
15 - Jan : ‘scientifically proven’ – I think not
14 - Jan : natural selection and chemical replicators
13 - Jan : enough with the sainthood, already
12 - Jan : the ‘origins’ blog
12 - Jan : snowball earth
11 - Jan : there’s journals, & then there’s journals…
10 - Jan : complete neanderthal mtDNA sequenced
10 - Jan : darwin, dover, & intelligent design
09 - Jan : ‘academic freedom’ in oklahoma
08 - Jan : an early birthday surprise
07 - Jan : breaking the species barrier
07 - Jan : a most excellent take-down
05 - Jan : how do we recognise ‘culture’?
04 - Jan : fifteen evolutionary gems
03 - Jan : what is this word, ‘darwinism’?
02 - Jan : the six-million dollar cockroach

31 - Dec : the strange case of the floating mud snails
29 - Dec : do insects see the world as we do?
28 - Dec : those nasty toxins…
26 - Dec : evolution in action
25 - Dec : merry christmas
24 - Dec : talking about science
23 - Dec : the consequences of vision
22 - Dec : if it sounds too good to be true…
21 - Dec : hard to explain? more creationist straw men
19 - Dec : an early dromaeosaur
18 - Dec : still more on eyes
17 - Dec : how to s*x a moa
16 - Dec : why rumours can last for ages
15 - Dec : evolution of the eye
14 - Dec : a biologist on holiday
13 - Dec : more on copy-number variations in chimps & humans
12 - Dec : outrunning age
11 - Dec : badscience – the book
10 - Dec : another little filler (in more ways than one)
09 - Dec : enzyme benefits?
08 - Dec : an interesting post on the dmanisi fossils
06 - Dec : a brief hiatus
05 - Dec : one for the physicists
04 - Dec : phew! I’m glad that’s over!
03 - Dec : a wordle for my blog
02 - Dec : more on tiktaalik
01 - Dec : another good thing about questions
30 - Nov : breathe through your left nostril…
29 - Nov : shades of jurassic park
28 - Nov : it’s different at uni – part 2 (& a guest post!)
27 - Nov : adventures of a curious character
26 - Nov : it’s different at uni
25 - Nov : two-headed kitties & embryonic development
24 - Nov : why don’t big dogs live so long?
23 - Nov : lazy sunday
22 - Nov : animal communication
20 - Nov : the natural history of the eye
19 - Nov : the beauty of biscuits…
18 - Nov : human-chimp similarities – evolution? or design?
17 - Nov : do you go ‘wow!’ at big numbers?
16 - Nov : a vaccine for AIDS?
15 - Nov : why play?
14 - Nov : another example of critical thinking…
13 - Nov : discovering biology in a digital world
12 - Nov : unforseen consequences of megafaunal removal
11 - Nov : something fishy here…
09 - Nov : going to the movies
08 - Nov : the importance of deep time
07 - Nov : rain man? – rainfall & autism
06 - Nov : egg-eating foxes
05 - Nov : ancient shaman’s burial site
04 - Nov : volcanic eruptions & human bottlenecks
03 - Nov : wind farms & bird kill
01 - Nov : long-legged (weta) males have more s*x
31 - Oct : r.i.p. milo
30 - Oct : diabetes, pigs, & xenotransplantation
29 - Oct : a three-way symbiosis
27 - Oct : what everyone should know about science
26 - Oct : candles & ears – not a good mix
25 - Oct : a new voyage for the beagle
24 - Oct : more on the pau d’arco question
23 - Oct : happy birthday, Earth!
23 - Oct : did dinosaurs have lungs like those of birds?
22 - Oct : thinking carefully about the question
20 - Oct : talking about ‘the controversy’ in the classroom
19 - Oct : big brains, c-sections, & evolution
18 - Oct : are humans evolving faster? a counter to steve jones
17 - Oct : life in the cambrian
16 - Oct : mating systems in takahe
15 - Oct : the joys of essay-marking (no, seriously)
14 - Oct : viruses have s*x???
13 - Oct : answers to wells’ questions – all in one place
10 - Oct : blog readability
09 - Oct : a pile of brown stuff
08 - Oct : has human evolution stopped?
07 - Oct : read the question!
06 - Oct : a plug for david attenborough
05 - Oct : the benefits of science blogging
04 - Oct : fish fingers, anyone?
03 - Oct : deconstructing ‘processes & patterns of evolution’
01 - Oct : so many books, so little time in the day
29 - Sep : kiwi conservation & ancient DNA
27 - Sep : so what’s that 10th question?
27 - Sep : apparent beneficial effect of Bt-cotton crops
26 - Sep : arrowheads revisited
25 - Sep : culture in chimpanzees
24 - Sep : the importance of genetic variation
22 - Sep : captain cook & global warming – who’d have thought?
21 - Sep : how to argue against a scientific theory…
20 - Sep : wells’ 9th question
19 - Sep : a bit of friday humour
19 - Sep : charles darwin’s thoughts on the large hadron collider
18 - Sep : pseudoscience? bad science, anyway
17 - Sep : an update on dr reiss & his ‘creationism’ comments
17 - Sep : the ambiguity of pseudogenes
16 - Sep : the 8th ‘question’ on wells’ little list
15 - Sep : creationism – misconception or worldview?
14 - Sep : black robins & tomtit hybridisation
12 - Sep : wells again – this time, darwin’s finches
11 - Sep : another book: carl zimmer’s “microcosm”
10 - Sep : genetic underpinnings of thumbs
09 - Sep : a follow-up on peppered moths
08 - Sep : medicine & individual genotype
07 - Sep : charles darwin – voyaging
06 - Sep : the peculiar platypus
04 - Sep : peppered moths – another ‘icon’?
02 - Sep : preparing for scholarship
01 - Sep : another one of jonathan wells’ ‘icons’ of evolution
31 - Aug : evidence-based thought
28 - Aug : x-rays & age
28 - Aug : wells is peeved with haeckel’s embryos
27 - Aug : wells’ third ‘icon’ – homology
25 - Aug : the cambrian ‘explosion’
24 - Aug : obfuscation galore!
23 - Aug : science – how to tell if you’re doing it wrong
22 - Aug : can ducks count?
21 - Aug : brain food
20 - Aug : another bit of creationist misinformation
19 - Aug : tuskless elephants – natural selection & genetic drift
17 - Aug : something else to share
15 - Aug : why you should study evolution
13 - Aug : i didn’t know that!
13 - Aug : promoting a scientific mind
12 - Aug : mtDNA & neandertal/sapiens relationships
11 - Aug : locking in the benefits of dieting?
08 - Aug : looking for more science writing?
07 - Aug : critical thinking & journalism
07 - Aug : ‘the genius of Charles Darwin’
06 - Aug : environmental change and evolution
05 - Aug : a general piece on Scholarship
04 - Aug : have your say on science
03 - Aug : ‘the demon-haunted world’
30 - Jul : population genetics of A1 & A2 milk
30 - Jul : thinking about the exams
29 - Jul : interference competition in wolves & coyotes
26 - Jul : hormones, s*x, & fidelity…
24 - Jul : another excellent blog to share
23 - Jul : how not to design an experiment
21 - Jul : possibilities for future research into evolution
20 - Jul : the beauty & wonder of science
20 - Jul : more on the nature of science…
17 - Jul : a most wonderful quote on the nature of humanity
16 - Jul : a very early tetrapod indeed
14 - Jul : you won’t get a 747 from a tornado in a junkyard
11 - Jul : science as a human endeavour
10 - Jul : more in the occasional series: ‘what I’m reading’
06 - Jul : how evolutionary theory develops
05 - Jul : advice to young scientists
03 - Jul : something to listen to
30 - Jun : are internet polls worthwhile?
26 - Jun : beyond the farm & the theme park
25 - Jun : being clever isn’t something we should be frightened of
23 - Jun : we have lift-off…
22 - Jun : things to remember when writing an essay
18 - Jun : another title for the reading list
17 - Jun : dipping deeper in the blogosphere
16 - Jun : theory, fact, hypothesis & law
14 - Jun : science on the farm
09 - Jun : more from your inner fish
05 - Jun : a smelly story
01 - Jun : a pregnant placoderm
30 - May : the tasmanian tiger’s evolutionary affinities
28 - May : scientists are wrong (a lot)
27 - May : darwin’s tomatoes & the evolution of novel features
25 - May : one very big frog
21 - May : the thylacine – back from the dead?
20 - May : leonardo’s life
17 - May : Why Scholarship is hard work
13 - May : missing fingers & pixie dust
09 - May : from my reading list
06 - May : rapid evolutionary change in lizards
01 - May : tooth wear & diet in paranthropus
29 - Apr : how to lie with statistics
27 - Apr : neandertals in siberia
25 - Apr : back to the oxygen pseudoscience
22 - Apr : hosting the biology olympiad
20 - Apr : evolution: shaping both life and the environment
18 - Apr : do you google?
16 - Apr : “lucy’s child” – an answer to a question
13 - Apr : more forensic genetics – and the origins of multicellular animals
11 - Apr : polio & evolution
09 - Apr : creationist argument #3: Darwin –> Hitler
06 - Apr : orrorin tugenensis & the origins of bipedalism
04 - Apr : scientifique kiwis
30 - Mar : fish oil & exam results
30 - Mar : some historical reading: darwin on human ‘races’
26 - Mar : better s*x from headless males…
22 - Mar : use of colour by early sapiens
19 - Mar : why the bioblog?
16 - Mar : ask a biologist
14 - Mar : non-random nature of natural selection: a comment
12 - Mar : deifying Darwin? I think not
10 - Mar : Is evolution a random process?
08 - Mar : a question for you…
05 - Mar : forensic genetics & an evolutionary puzzle
04 - Mar : the nature of science (again)
01 - Mar : the ‘bioblog’ reading level
01 - Mar : cell phones & male fertility
28 - Feb : adaptive radiation in birds
28 - Feb : good web articles on evolution issues
26 - Feb : (pseudo)science runs amok
24 - Feb : coevolution of weta and fleshy fruits
20 - Feb : a quote to think about
16 - Feb : an overview of how we see ourselves
13 - Feb : Happy Darwin Day
11 - Feb : what is it with cockroaches?
07 - Feb : giant fish extinctions
04 - Feb : cool cephalopods
31 - Jan : coevolution of bats & flowers
28 - Jan : that milk ad on youtube
23 - Jan : possible interruption to service
21 - Jan : fact & theory
17 - Jan : think carefully about what you read
13 - Jan : the PCR song
13 - Jan : even octopuses get christmas presents
09 - Jan : I never thought I’d link to youtube, but…
06 - Jan : creationist argument #2
02 - Jan : a bit off-topic, maybe?

23 - Dec : ancient whales and their cousins
17 - Dec : evolution has shaped women’s spines! Really?
13 - Dec : indigobirds and evolution
12 - Dec : summer slow-down
08 - Dec : faces of our ancestors
07 - Dec : battle of the brains
05 - Dec : weird & wacky… science?
03 - Dec : who’d be a cockroach?
29 - Nov : The ancient mariners
26 - Nov : tree-hugging wolves?
23 - Nov : a worm, but not as we know it
20 - Nov : gradualism and/or punk eek?
19 - Nov : primates’ closest living relatives?
16 - Nov : swan girl’s story
14 - Nov : evolution & the nature of science
13 - Nov : more on plant domestication
11 - Nov : dating plant domestication
07 - Nov : Using human evolution to illustrate patterns of evolution
04 - Nov : Darwin at the museum
01 - Nov : Evolution – micro, macro, what’s the difference?
29 - Oct : Coming up to the exams
26 - Oct : Sexual signals and strong, silent males
23 - Oct : “Punk eek” and speciation
22 - Oct : Climate change and human evolution
20 - Oct : Can plants hunt?
18 - Oct : Ants, drugs & aphid slaves
16 - Oct : Magnetism & navigation – in bacteria
14 - Oct : Things to think about when reading a scientific paper
11 - Oct : Our feathered friends?
09 - Oct : Homo erectus – more variable than first thought
09 - Oct : Gene targeting technique wins a Nobel Prize
07 - Oct : Further food for thought
02 - Oct : Food for thought?
30 - Sep : New paper on floresiensis
26 - Sep : Diet and your genes
23 - Sep : Charles Darwin, I presume?
22 - Sep : marathon man, part deux
19 - Sep : marathon man?
16 - Sep : The nature of natural selection
11 - Sep : The improbability of an eye… (‘intelligent design’ part 2)
09 - Sep : “intelligent design” – science or philosophy?
05 - Sep : The risks of sex (well, one of them, anyway)
03 - Sep : Student query: gene sequencing
31 - Aug : The nature of science
26 - Aug : Richard Dawkins on the nature of science
22 - Aug : PCR – technique & application
17 - Aug : Extending our family tree?
15 - Aug : Ancient data + modern technology = enhanced understanding
11 - Aug : Is it a valid argument?
06 - Aug : This isn’t an English class!
02 - Aug : Question: are humans still evolving?
02 - Aug : Scholarship Bio Blog