So I was in a well-known Canadian drug store a week or two ago, and I decided to take a skeptical wander down some of their aisles. Alongside copious cosmetic products (which require a post on their own), I came across what I suppose was the “seasonal remedies” section. This aisle contained remedies for ‘flu and hayfever. What interested me was the juxtaposition of the different treatments and the lack of information provided on the display about the nature of each of the products. Read More »
Caterpillar eyespots
For the past 18-or-so months, Tom Hossie, a PhD student working in the same lab as me, has been carrying out research into caterpillar eyespots. This is an absolutely fascinating area of research, not only because it involves looking at pretty animals, but because there are so many unanswered questions to investigate. Here’s an example of the kind of caterpillar that sparked his interest in this topic:
The little guy even looks like he has eyelids! Tom is seeking to answer as many questions as possible during his 3-4 year PhD and has made a roaring start with an extensive field study that will hopefully be published soon (I’ll blog about that once it is in print!). I’d highly recommend checking out his blog (http://caterpillar-eyespots.blogspot.com) for more details about the project and eyespots in general! He has lots of excellent photos from his current trip to Costa Rica.
Negative ions and health (a review)
So I mentioned a few new expensive rubber band scams in a previous post and have been promising a review of negative ions for a week or two. Well, here it is (and it’s a bit of a monster…)!
More expensive rubber bands
I was taking a week off blogging to catch up on other projects, but I couldn’t help but highlight two “new” scams…
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How cryptozoology could actually do some good
I have posted a few times about “cryptids” and mentioned that the study of cryptids is called “cryptozoology”. This has been very much a fringe science ever since its inception in the 1940s. The disparagement has resulted from an over-reliance on anecdotal evidence and what some would call an “overabundance of credulity”. What I am going to discuss here is not so much pure cryptozoology as the concepts that underpin it.
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Odonate of the week: Libellula pulchella
This week’s odonate of the week is Libellula pulchella, the twelve-spotted skimmer.
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Homeopathic elephants…
People who know about me within the skeptical community know that I am no friend of homeopathy. However, there are some cases where the sheer stupidity of an idea can limit the damage that it can cause.
“Harmony bands”, bovine excrement on Groupon…
I subscribe to Groupon which often has some fairly interesting and cheap deals. Companies offer discounts so long as a certain number of people order the deal. Often it features beauty treatments, yoga, massage, restaurant deals or shopping discounts. Today, however, they decided to go all-out woo…
Dragonflies vs. damselflies
So, I get asked all the time “what’s the difference between dragonflies and damselflies?” Here is my response:
The weird and wonderful world of katydids
The katydids (or, as my compatriots and I know them better, the bush-crickets) can probably lay claim to a number of titles in the animal world. Here are just a few:
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Katatrepsis 