Science

By Dr Robin Andrews @squigglyvolcano A new non-partisan study reveals that, in the United States, Republicans and Democrats show very distinct neurological activity when presented with risk and opportunity. Full disclosure: I am utterly convinced that the modern-day Republican politician is almost certainly a divisive, hateful, fearful individual. The fact that Donald Trump of all people is leading in the polls at the moment is surely only because selfish, ignorant people believe that just because he’s shouting the loudest –...

By Dr Robin George Andrews @SquigglyVolcano & Dr Alfredo Carpineti  @DrCarpineti    The opposition to genetically modified food is irrational, and when governments who should know better ban it without cause, scientists must speak up. Scotland’s rural secretary has just announced that the growing of genetically modified crops will be banned in the fields of England’s feisty northern neighbour. Unfortunately, like many people on gluten-free diets who aren’t coeliacs, many who approve of this move simply do not understand what they’re eschewing even...

Dr Robin G. Andrews @squigglyvolcano New Horizons probe finds Pluto is more than just an icy ball in space: it’s alive. Well hello there, Pluto. Sorry it took so long. You’re looking great, but I have to be honest with you: we are never ever, ever, getting back together. Despite humanity’s genuinely epic science project finally reaching Pluto, the last outpost of our solar system in the minds of many, we still cannot bring ourselves to welcome back the prodigal...

Dr Robin Andrews No-one’s interested in dinosaurs anymore, the film seems to say. Jurassic World – the zoo for dinosaurs – has been open for two decades, and seeing dinosaurs has become fairly routine by 2015. In a knowing nod to audiences used to seeing enormous CGI spectacles these days, the scientists in the highly-anticipated summer blockbuster have “cooked up” a new dinosaur to give both the kids and adults nightmares: the Indominus Rex, which means “fierce” or “untameable king”....

  By Guy Dorrell @GuyDorrellEsq Many of us dream of stripping away the complications of modern life, its hectic pace, its technologies, the dependency upon a steady income, and returning to how our distant ancestors must have lived. Of course there are complications and contradictions; few of us want to step back from the availability and efficiency of the NHS or the police, law and judicial system. Fewer still have the resources to step back, while retaining what is good...