In recent years, geologists have made spectacular progress discovering the Earth’s past climate. In particular, they have established a reliable chronology for the ice ages.
Articles from September 2019
Microscopic marine animals • Gordon T. Taylor, Stony Brook University (Public Domain)
The Ivory-billed woodpecker • By John James Audubon (1785–1851) (Public Domain)
Reports of this bird’s demise exaggerated
The ivory-billed woodpecker lives! That is the announcement made several weeks ago by ornithologist Lester Short of the American Museum of Natural History.
Model of a DNA molecule • Photo by CGP Grey (CC BY 2.0)
Designer genes — a joke no more
Ever since bioengineers learned how to tinker with DNA and turn out tailor-made living organisms we have been hearing jokes about “designer genes.”
Image by parameter_bond (Public Domain)
Everything theory
Let’s talk fashion in science. Let’s talk bandwagons. Let’s talk string.
The Red Queen addresses Alice • John Tenniel
The Red Queen and cosmic strings
“One can’t believe impossible things,” says Alice in Through the Looking-Glass. “I daresay you haven’t had much practice,” the Red Queen replies.
Artist's concept of a Space Laser Satellite Defense System • U.S.A.F. (Public Domain)
Star Wars — Is it science or fantasy?
The idea that science can confer invincibility is a stock theme of science fiction. It is also the theme of President Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), a space-based anti-missile weapons system often called “Star Wars.” Supporters of SDI are determined to turn science fiction into science fact.
A seminar at CSICon 2018 • Photo by Brian D. Engler (CC BY-SA 4.0)
A skeptical look
Ten years ago [in 1976] a group of distinguished philosophers and scientists, disturbed by what they saw as a rising tide of interest in astrology and other pseudo-sciences, established the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal.
Modern stromatolites in Shark Bay, Western Australia • Paul Harrison (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Stromatolites and sun-lovers
Some 19th century geologists assigned the origin of life to the Cambrian Period of geologic history. Rocks younger than the Cambrian contain fossil evidence for life that is striking and abundant. Older formations seemed not to contain fossils of living organisms.
Artist's conception of comet bombardment • NASA/JPL-Caltech
A constant rain of comets
This week in Baltimore, three Iowa scientists will confront skeptical colleagues with evidence for a radical new theory: that the Earth’s upper atmosphere is continually bombarded by small comets, thousands of them every day, plashing like raindrops into a pond.
Uluru, or Ayers Rock • Photo by Vvfilippov ((CC BY-SA 4.0)
Comets, bandicoots and Dreamland
I recently returned from Australia, where I went to view Halley’s Comet. Every night we watched the comet move among the brilliant stars of the Southern Milky Way. We also experienced a wealth of terrestrial natural history.