I’m travelling to China in the morning, on some university work in Hong Kong and Shantou. It takes two days to travel between here and there, and I’ll be away for 8 days. So yes, I’ll be spending half my time in transit. I’ve been doing some preparatory reading. Here’s […]
Health
Why give penguins antidepressants when they don’t even work?
Penguins. Nature’s best dressed flightless birds. Apparently, the UK climate is getting them down, what with all that rain. And contrary to meteorophobic stereotype, penguins actually like it sunny. So what to do? That’s right. Happy pills! Staff at the Scarborough Sea Life Sactuary, in Yorkshire, are putting the ‘happy […]
“On Correlations and Bias”
Here is a Guest Blog I was invited to write for the folks over at Neuroscience Ireland. I guess this is because I’ve recently been taxonomised as a “Neuroblogger.” It has heft, but such is the nature of being a guest: people expect you to talk. See it in its […]
‘Smart bra’ only works if you’re stupid enough to believe it
So here’s something to get the pulse racing. And that’s all there is to it. Sorry if it means absolutely nothing. Despite a tidal wave of news coverage, the only newsworthy element here is that the manufacturers of this so-called “smart bra” have succeeded in getting a Press Release to go […]
Favourites List (24.01.14)
The week in six bits: 1. NASA startled by ‘Jelly Donut’ on Mars. Probably not a doughnut, though. Personally, I’m more startled by how dumbed down USA Today actually managed to make this report. 2. Conflicts of interest. It’s been a noisy week for sugar. Some folks want it taxed, others […]
All-natural produce is full of (eek!) chemicals!
Thank you, thank you, thank you, to blogger James Kennedy, for this: You see, regular foodstuffs found in nature are chock full of E-numbers, sugars, acids, and things ending in “-ose” and “-dehyde” and “-zene”. I think James has made himself a bit of a legend here. I foresee these visuals […]




