Category Archives: Uncategorized

Firestein, Barwich, and How To Spot Good Science

Posted on September 22, 2020 by sciencepolice2010

Stuart Firestein is trying to solve the problem of spotting dodgy scientific advice – urgent today, but always tangled with another vital task: how to choose between scientific theories. In stepping into all this he runs the risk of contradicting … Continue reading →

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The Christmas Vodrom Takes Wing!

Posted on December 31, 2019 by sciencepolice2010

It’s funny how things get started. But how could a thing like this happen.. and what is it?! This episode happened and was written-up around the Christmas of last year, which is why it has to appear today, to avoid … Continue reading →

Posted in Bird evolution, The Secret Dinobird Story, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Human Evolution Nov 2019 The Dismal View From The Shoulder Of Orion

Posted on November 9, 2019 by sciencepolice2010

What would an off-world viewer think of the current state of palaeoanthropology? In just a week, we’ve had two banana skins for the field to slip up on – and show itself up over. First, the over-hyping of the mitochondrial … Continue reading →

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Will Self and James Bond

Posted on September 1, 2018 by sciencepolice2010

In Will Self’s ten-minute A Point Of View yesterday, he related the alarming experiences of a friend of his in, or it seems, ‘at’, the hands of the mental health services: Parity of Esteem. A difficult area. “One Flew Over … Continue reading →

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Tom Foale’s “QuantumChoices” twitter thread on economics of “Brexit – Whose Interests?”

Posted on August 7, 2018 by sciencepolice2010

[This post also available as a pdf: https://sciencepolice2010.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/quantumchoices-tweets-to-adam-asking-whose-interests-using-comparative-economics-04.pdf ] On August 3rd 2018, Tom Foale Twitterering as @tfoale : “QuantumChoices”, gave a vivid economics-graphics-based series of tweets, replying to “Adam”. I have not been able to locate the tweets in … Continue reading →

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Hey! A May Hay Holiday! Kiri Bloom Walden and Helen Castor

Posted on May 30, 2018 by sciencepolice2010

Perhaps an hour spent laughing at badstockphotosofmyjob late on Monday night prepared me for a bit of frivolity, so when I noticed Helen Castor was talking at the Hay festival the next day, I checked out the programme of speakers. … Continue reading →

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Sabine hasn’t killed Popper

Posted on November 15, 2017 by sciencepolice2010

Sabine Hossenfelder – the phenomenology of quantum gravity – has I’m glad to say an interest in philosophy of science… and a popular blog called Backreaction. In her areas of interest, as in mine, there are problems, but in hers … Continue reading →

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Isn’t Nature Wonderful!? #001 Praying Mantis and Hummingbird

Posted on October 14, 2017 by sciencepolice2010

Put together from the New York Times online article about Tom Vaughan’s pictures:

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Brussatte’s Pseudoscience in Science 2017

Posted on February 25, 2017 by sciencepolice2010

Brussatte continues to occupy a position supposed to be used by a scientist, and has been allowed to write yet another piece of rubbish in Science. He’s commented further on it in Phys.org. What a mess. To understand the evolution … Continue reading →

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Ed Yong is not a skeptical reporter

Posted on November 4, 2016 by sciencepolice2010

Andrew Gelman continues to investigate science quality: How to improve science reporting? Dan Vergano sez: It’s not about reality, it’s all about a salary …this time focusing on science journalism. But the situation is worse than this. Gelman quotes science … Continue reading →

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