Musings on science, mathematics, the natural world and occasionally on other issues of general interest
The colour of the sea is ever changing. Those colours have influenced art, literature and music but require explanation. How does science and in particular physics, chemistry and biology help us understand those colours have influenced? Continue reading The colour of water. Why does the sea have such a range of colours?
What’s the best way of running an Order of Merit for season long golf competitions. There are lots of ways and it’s crucial to have a clear idea of what the goal is! Continue reading The Order of Merit: Consistency, Competition, and the Subtle Art of Ranking Golfers
Understanding that carbon dioxide can influence Earth’s climate emerged gradually over nearly two centuries. This is that story. Continue reading The Greenhouse Effect: From Early Chemistry to the Keeling Curve
There’s controversy regarding the discovery of Dark Matter. Who did what and when? Continue reading The Discovery of Dark Matter
Simple visualisations that carry important ideas are very valuable. Here I highlight Hawkins’ dramatic climate stripes that simply and effectively show the dramatic warming that planet is experiencing! It’s a sobering and worrying image. Continue reading The stripes of climate change
The subject of screening for prostate cancer has received a lot of attention recently. Lots of people have weighed in! Feelings are running high. Why is it so controversial? To understand we need to think about the complexity of prostate cancer biology, the failings of the PSA test, Bayes’ Theorem that ties everything together and the clinical trials that inform the discussion. Continue reading Why is population screening for prostate cancer so controversial?
Every four years the sport of Curling is seen at the Winter Olympics. It suddenly stops being niche and becomes an exciting spectacle. Players push blocks of granite on a 40 metre ice rink. But the stones curve: they curl! Just how does that happen? What’s the underlying physics Continue reading Curling: A Stone, a Sheet of Ice and the Subtlety of Friction
Light is something we take for granted: we switch on a lamp, and the room instantly brightens. We see the … Continue reading How do we even know that light has a speed, let alone what it is?
3I/ATLAS is the third extrasolar visitor so far discovered. Loeb has made extreme claims about its nature. Are these reasonable? What does the philosophy of science tell us? Continue reading 3I/ATLAS, “Rendevous with Rama” & the philosophy of science
The Ulsterman William Mulholland was the central figure in bringing water to the growing city of Los Angeles. Without him the history of Southern California would have been very different! Continue reading Southern California: the Ulster connection
Craigavad miscellany 