What is science?

N.B. If you’re after a quick answer then see here, if you want an in-depth outline see here or if you want to know how science works see here – this blog is more concerned with the broader conceptual framework within which science fits.
Knowledge is an interesting concept – how can we really ”know” anything? How [...]

What is homeopathy?

My first exposure to the word ‘Homœopathic’ was at Hampton House, a hall of residence at Bristol University which was an ex-homœopathic hospital (and is now the student medical centre). All I knew was that it was a magnificent building that used to be a hospital of some sort – but I never really thought about what the [...]

Beware the spinal trap

For anyone who has not been in the sceptical blogosphere much, there has been a rising tide of support for science writer Simon Singh, who is currently being sued for libel by the British Chiropractic Association (BCA). Their grounds for this action was an article published in the Guardian newspaper that highlighted the lack of [...]

Friday mystery object #1 answer

The mystery object I showed you on Friday was this:

and I was looking for an identification of what it is and why does it look like that.

Friday mystery object #1

I’ve decided to share my world with others – at work I get to see some amazing stuff and often I have to work out what it is, because the label has gone missing. So here is the first of my Friday Mystery Objects!

So, what is it and why does it look like that?
Put you [...]

Mail online – ‘Homeopathy works!’ Part II

Right (rolls up sleeves), I said I would try to track down the reference that the Mail Online used in their comment adverse and misleading article by Jenny Hope, so that I could comment further. It has been tracked down – not by me I am ashamed to admit, but by EoR who commented on a [...]

Dumbing down

I work as a museum where we are constantly trying to improve our science communication to get scientific principles across in an accessible and concise yet accurate way. It is not easy.
Science is complicated – as is the world that science attempts to describe and interpret. This makes it difficult to package science in a [...]

Science comment and creationist trolls

Every article that touches upon my fields of interest (biology and palaeontology) seems to be followed by an irritating and distracting cloud of creationist comments, akin to the swarms of biting flies that pester large mammals.

Science – a powerful tool based on what’s real

Science communication is something I consider to be important, because I consider science to be important.