Archive for the ‘Science & technology’ Category
Where have all the atoms that constitute “you” been since the creation of the Earth?
October 5th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
“All of the atoms that make up your body were once parts of stars – the phrase “we are stardust” is not just poetic fancy. After that, they were part of the sterile planet (later to be called Earth) for some billions of years, and when life appeared, bits that were later to become “us”, […]
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Do you suffer from electrosensitivity?
July 19th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
Someone I know really well suffers exceptionally badly from what he believes to be electrosensitivity. The problem is that the condition is not generally recognised by the medical community. The relevant Wikipedia page states: “Although individuals who report electromagnetic hypersensitivity believe that electromagnetic fields from common electrical devices trigger or exacerbate their symptoms, it has […]
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The fascinating science of mirror neurons
July 11th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
I’ve just started reading a book called “The Social Animal” by David Books. Early on, Brooks introduces the new thinking of neuroscientists about the idea of mirror neurons. One way of trying to understand this notion is to read the relevant Wikipedia page here. Another approach would be to watch this seven-minute video:
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How many texts do you send each day?
June 2nd, 2011 by Roger Darlington
According to this story, a typical UK mobile phone user sends 10 texts a day. It seems that many people use their mobile more to send texts and e-mails than to make calls. I send fewer texts than the average but I’m typical in sending more texts and e-mails from my mobile than making calls […]
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Does science support belief in God?
May 10th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
This evening, I attended a fascinating meeting at the South Place Ethical Society in central London organised by the Centre For Inquiry UK. The title of the event was “Does science support belief in God?”. The meeting was addressed by two of the world’s most powerful and respected thinkers from either side of the theism/atheism […]
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How does homeopathy work?
April 17th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
The short answer here. A longer answer here.
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How much radiation is harmful?
April 14th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
The problems with the Fukushima plant in Japan are causing worry around the world about the risk of increased levels of radiation locally but, of itself, radiation is not necessarily harmful. Radiation is a fact of life and present even in the human body. The level of harm is related to both the dose and […]
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The first man in space
April 12th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
Fifty years ago today, the first man went into space. At the time I was 12 and found the whole thing enormously exciting. The Soviet Union’s Yuri Gagarin became one of the most famous men in history and today we remember his feat. Of course, the space race between the USSR and the USA was […]
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Can dreams predict the future?
February 22nd, 2011 by Roger Darlington
One of my favourite social scientists Richard Wiseman has just written a book on the paranormal which examines this question and explains why many people are convinced by the predictive power of dreams. It is the subject of an article in today’s “Guardian” newspaper.
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Teaching evolution in American schools
February 9th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
In this fascinating blog posting, it is highlighted that: In the United States, only 28% of biology teachers consistently teach the principles of evolution as recommended by the US National Research Council Of 34 advanced nations, only Turkey has a lower proportion than the USA of people who reject the notion of evolution An understanding […]
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