Diane Ackerman begins her “A Natural History of the Senses” with this bold assertion: “Nothing is more memorable than a smell.”
Articles from May 2022
Photo by Дмитрий Хрусталев-Григорьев on Unsplash
Photo by Thomas Park on Unsplash
ERROR: Too old for new device
As a public service, Science Musings offers an all-purpose Troubleshooting Guide for your newest electronic device.
Photo by Francesco Ungaro on Unsplash
Book celebrates the tree of life
Like all kids, my 18-month-old grandchild, Kate, is a fine taxonomist (one who classifies organisms into categories that reflect natural relationships).
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Bush is not looking at the big world
I own a house on a beach in the Bahamas. It’s a great place to hole up and write. No heat, no air conditioning, no television. Warmed by the sun, cooled by breezes, entertained by sunrises and sunsets.
Photo by Stefan Widua on Unsplash
The word yet hinges existential debate
Yet. Such a little word. Such a feisty little word.
The famed Hooker telescope at Mount Wilson Observatory • Photo by Doc Searls (CC BY 2.0)
Our age? It’s now an educated guess
How old is the universe? The amazing thing is not the answer — approximately 15 billion years — but the fact that there is an answer.
Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on Unsplash
Putting a new twist on genetics theories
Last week I visited the Queen Conch, a large and common shellfish of the Caribbean. Let’s give that subject another whirl.
The shell of a Queen conch • Photo by cheesy42 (CC BY 2.0)
Our cousins in name and life
Have you ever seen a pair of Queen Conchs making love? Neither have I.
Photo by José León on Unsplash
Cloning and the human self
I started writing this column on cloning six months ago, then put it aside.
Photo by Cross Duck (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
A poet’s kiss touches science
“The way bees on a drowsy day suck honey from fuchsia.” At least once each year I fly back and forth to Ireland on Aer Lingus, the Irish national airline. These words are woven into the fabric that covers the airplane seats, with other brief excerpts from Irish writers.