We often hear of new scientific results that promise great things, especially in the health field, but then hear no more of them. Most scientific ideas don’t work out. Why, then, do we still hear the hype?
Our astronomer spent a few years in England, where he learned something of the arcane art of ringing church bells. In the belfries of that country are wonderful examples of essentially Medieval technology that also demonstrate advanced mathematical and physical ideas.
Much about automobiles has changed greatly over the past decade or two. Part of it comes from different ideas of what the driver should be doing.
Our astronomer ponders the state of the science in the middle of the last century, when things were so different and difficult.
One of our consultants has begun tutoring, which has brought him into contact with the world of standardized tests after many years away.
Our astronomer points out that that pictures of outer space don’t actually show what you’d see if you went there.
An enormous apparatus for scientific research is finding only what was expected. This bothers scientists.
Our chief consultant explores an unexpected feature of scientific magazines.
Having mentioned the difficulty of finding the distances to stars last week, our astronomer tries to put some unfamiliar numbers within your grasp.
Our astronomer describes how an assumption widely made in his science in past years turned out to be completely erroneous.