science saturday

Remember “Climate-Gate”? Your perception of it is no doubt shaded by your understanding (or lack thereof) of the science supporting global climate change. Unfortunately, that understanding is often screwed with by people with an agenda and a press that’s either…

When I saw the headline “Goodbye, Wired Science,” I nearly freaked, since I get so many of my Science Saturday stories from that blog, and I didn’t want to see it disappear. Fortunately, the goodbye is coming from Alexis Madrigal,…

A Japanese spacecraft has deployed the first ever solar sail. Confirmation of the discovery of the youngest planet outside our solar system. Algae-powered flight. Yet another reason to be terrified of sharks: they smell in stereo. Have you signed up…

That giant sinkhole in Guatemala? Humans did it. It’s also not technically a sinkhole. SpaceX, the private company who will be taking over for the Space Shuttle, had a successful test launch yesterday. Cricket sex is kind of interesting to…

How do oil dispersants work? Popular Science breaks it down for the layperson. Congress is suddenly interested in synthetic biology. Hilarity is sure to ensue, given the level of scientific education and understanding possessed by the average Congressperson. On the…

If you want to follow the oil-cano story, The New Orleans Times-Picayune is a good place to start. Mac McClelland is also on the ground and tweeting about it. Mount St. Helens, 30 years later. The Space Shuttle program is…

Take a look at the next-generation supercars competing for the $10 million Progressive Automotive X Prize. Every thing that has ever lived on this planet probably evolved from a single-celled organism that lived about 3.5 billion years ago. Sticking with…

Eyjafjallajökull–remember that?–is erupting again. Wonder what the US space program has in mind? Here’s one look at it. Have you ever wanted to hunt Burmese Pythons? Come to Florida. I can’t top this headline: “City of Gonads” Jellyfish Discovered. We…

So there’s a volcano erupting in Iceland. Good luck getting into or out of or around northern Europe by air. Might be time to look into that luxury zeppelin technology again, because this might last for a while. Scientists have…

Late start today, so no morning links, but here’s some science for you. In the great paper book/e-book debate, some dyslexics have a firm preference for e-books. Scientists in Japan have been bombarding mushrooms with artificially-induced lightning to spark (sorry)…

Most of the time in this space, I link to stories about new discoveries or great photos or cool gadgets, but this story might be more important. Simon Singh is a British science writer who criticized chiropractic medicine and was…