Microlog Science & Nature
Microlog entries filed under Science & Nature
Why Some Wild Animals Are Becoming Nicer
Well it’s only one animal really, the bonobo, which has long had a reputation for its peacefulness. But it’s interesting to see how that nature may have developed from something as simple as the habitat their ancestors happened to find themselves in. Permalink ·
Psychologists fear US manual will widen mental illness diagnosis
It’s more than a bit warped that ‘shyness in children’ and ‘being a teenager’ are somehow now diagnosable as mental disorders. I don’t see how that’s helpful to anyone. Permalink ·
The Human Lake
“Instead of being lashed to a lab bench for years, carrying out experiments to illuminate one particular fold in one particular protein, we [science writers] get to play the field. We travel between different departments, different universities, different countries, and—most important of all—different disciplines. And sometimes we see links between different kinds of science that scientists themselves have missed. Which is why… I presented my audience with this photograph of a lake. For the next hour, I tried to convince them that their bodies are a lot like that lake, and that appreciating this fact could help them find new ways to treat diseases ranging from obesity to heart disease to infections of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.” Carl Zimmer’s talk on the importance of the human body’s microbial system. A long read, but fascinating stuff [c/o Kottke]. Permalink ·
Weight Watchers Revamps Its Magic Formula
A profile of WeightWatchers head David Kirchhoff and the changes he’s made to the programme. I’ve been on the new plan (called ProPoints over here) for nine months now, and it’s been working for me; the weekly weigh-ins and the tracking facilitate the small iterations to my eating patterns and general activity levels that are making a world of difference. Permalink ·
Science channels explode onto YouTube
I’ve said it before: these are perfect tools for the classroom. I’m the kid who learned more from TV about maths and science (and appreciating them) than I ever did at school. I’m surely not the only one. Permalink ·
Why can’t I control my individual toes?
In short: because I haven’t practiced. But can neuroscience explain why I can’t click my fingers? Permalink ·
Why Is Carbon Fiber So Expensive?
Turns out the manufacturing process is a massive pain in the arse. Also: I didn’t realise it’s been around since the 1960s. Permalink ·
Q&A: The unappreciated benefits of dyslexia
Makes sense to me. Permalink ·
Pruney fingers for better gripping
Those wrinkles you get in the bath might be an evolutionary adaptation that allow for better gripping in wet conditions? Well I never. Permalink ·
Why Do Limbs ‘Fall Asleep’?
To help us avoid permanent nerve damage, it seems. Now I’m kinda freaked out. Permalink ·
Speed-of-light results under scrutiny at Cern
Neutrinos in faster-than-light shocker: “We want just to be helped by the community in understanding our crazy result — because it is crazy.” That’s an understatement. Permalink ·
The Weather Wheel
Comparing world cities by temperature, precipitation and wind speed. Yep, Dublin’s pretty cold alright [c/o Kottke]. Permalink ·
Why we can’t say HIV is cured
We’re at a stage right now where ‘manageable’ is as good as cured. But more expensive. Permalink ·
Trees cocooned in spiders webs after flooding in Sindh, Pakistan
So creepy. But also awesome. The self-preservation instinct is a powerful one [c/o MetaFilter]. Permalink ·
The Tastes of Drinking Water
So algae made New York’s drinking water taste of fish or cucumbers? Now I’m kind of glad our tap water tastes only mildly soapy sometimes [c/o Kottke]. Permalink ·
The Sunscreen Smokescreen
Is there a reason why sunblock manufacturers don’t provide this kind of detailed information as a matter of course? Even if it was just a URL on the bottle? [c/o Kottke]. Permalink ·
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This is the personal website of MacDara Conroy, a production journalist and mediavore in Dublin, Ireland. Read more »
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This page is a reverse chronology of Microlog entries by MacDara Conroy filed under Science & Nature. You will find many more in the Archives.