October 31 – November 4, 2016 On Monday, our Tom Hayden reflects on sharing his name with the other Tom Hayden, who died last week. Guest Laura Paskus has been trying to avoid the election. But the kids are asking questions—ones that maybe all of us should have to answer. Say your friend is being […]
Miscellaneous
I’ve written about cephalopod penises before, but the time seems right to approach this subject (with extreme caution) again. You know, because it’s Friday. The octopus and the number eight seem inseparable. We have read children’s counting books that feature this cephalopod prominently between pages 7 and 9; we flip through under-the-sea books that rhyme […]
October 24 – 28, 2016 For signs of fall, you got your turning leaves, your pumpkin spice, your Halloween. But Helen’s got crocuses, flu shots, and delight. LWON is so happy that Emma Marris finally agreed to join it. She’s been watching wolves for a while now, and wonders what will happen now that someone’s […]
The title of this post is not metaphorical nor is it a misleading hook. I’ve got a sound on tape. It could be a ghost. What is a ghost? Science says no such thing exists. But in these thinning days of autumn, even diehards might glance up startled. What was that? If you want to skip this post […]
I open the lab door, flick on the light switch, and watch a herd of cockroaches scuttle for cover. It’s seven in the evening, when most of the university’s workers have left for the night. Even so, after I lift each rat from its cage, I place it in an unmarked black box, its temporary […]
October 17-21, 2016 Craig opened the week with a brave personal and scientific exploration of sexual assault’s effects on the brain and the psyche. Revelations about Trump’s history with women warrants a revisit to Christie’s post on why harassment goes unreported. Michelle plays detective in the extinction of an Australasian rodent. She finds that sometimes […]
October 10 – 14, 2016 With the de-embargoing of Cuba, Cuban and American geologists can finally talk to each other. That’s a good thing, says guest Alex Witze, because Cuba is a crunched-up (and gorgeous) mess between a rock and an ocean. Michelle reminded us of Lady Ada Lovelace, an inventor of computer programming, who died […]
Next week, Ottawa Public Health will table a submission before a Canadian federal task force, recommending that the minimum age for buying legal, recreational marijuana should be 25. Age limits are just one of the myriad decisions we will have to make as the government moves toward fulfilling Justin Trudeau’s campaign promise of legalizing pot. […]
