When a hurricane devastated Britain in October 1987, the British Meteorological Office took a drubbing for not providing sufficient warning.
Science
Detail from “Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee” by Ludolf Bakhuizen
Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash
The invisible drones
Like most social enterprises, science is organized as a pyramid.
Vintage Capsela construction toy from Japan • Photo by Adrian J. Hunter (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Toys the mind can play with
Time to take a look at this year’s science toys, and what better place to see what the elves have been up to than the Boston Science Museum Shop? I’m a long way from childhood, but I found lots of stuff I wouldn’t mind finding under my tree.
Poet Laureate Ted Hughes • Roy.akarshak (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Science and metaphor
Reaching for a book on a high shelf. Down falls “Season Songs” by poet Ted Hughes, attracting attention to itself by delivering a lump on the head. I sit on the floor and read again these nature poems written 20 years ago by Britain’s poet-laureate.
Franklin in 1767 • Painting by David Martin
Franklin, scientist
Tomorrow [Jan. 17] is the birthday of Benjamin Franklin — patriot, diplomat, printer, journalist, author of “Poor Richard’s Almanack,” inventor of the Franklin stove and bifocals, internationally-acclaimed scientist.
Rita Levi-Montalcini in 2008 • Photo by audrey_sel (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Breaking barriers
Among the barriers to equality faced by women in science is the deeply entrenched notion that women are subjective, personal, and emotional, whereas men — like science — are objective, impersonal, and rational.
Scientific American through the years
And many happy renewals
In November 1959 I received in the mail my first issue of Scientific American. I was a graduate student in physics at the time and my new spouse had given me a subscription to the magazine for my birthday.
Richard Feynman, explaining a joke in 1964 (Public Domain)
Science fun, but rarely funny
Thirty years ago when I was a graduate student in physics at UCLA I used to occasionally go over to Caltech to hear Richard Feynman lecture on physics. Feynman, who died this past week at age 69, was famous even then, although his Nobel Prize was still a few years in the future. He was also a very funny man.
An early 20th century Erector Set • Photo by Jim Heaphy (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Dear Santa
I know it’s early to start thinking about next Christmas — this year’s celebrations are barely over — but I thought I should write while my thoughts are still fresh in my mind.
Photo by Inbal Malca on Unsplash
Gifts from a place called Arabia Felix
The gospel tells us that they came from the east, following a star. But if, as tradition insists, they arrived on camels, and if upon opening their treasures they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, then my guess is that they came from the south, from beyond the trackless wastes of the Empty Quarter, from the place called Arabia Felix.