The strange endurance of obsolescence
Why do some things keep on being used when an up-to-date replacement is clearly much better?
The radio and the epee tip
Thinking in stories
The limits of doing your science in metaphors
It’s vital not to confuse an illuminating explanation of science with the science itself.
Business books
A different form of literature
Our consultants encounter a type of writing that seems terribly strange, until they realize what it’s for.
Life is nonlinear
Changing something changes everything
Tomorrow is a lot like today, but not always. Beware the law of unintended consequences.
For the long run
One of our consultants has been working on a genealogical project this past week. It prompts some thoughts on the difference between science and scholarship as well as the longevity of documents.
Not dangerous enough
Probable perils of new technology
Using mobile phones, especially smartphones, while driving is dangerous. Yet our chief consultant concludes it’s not dangerous enough!
Scientists and doublethink
Using different theories at the same time
Scientists, especially astronomers, use several incompatible theories in their calculations. How? And why?
Simplified lightning
The rise and fall of the flashbulb
Our photographer illustrates the evolution of technology through something once ubiquitous, now obsolete.
Making it easy makes it hard
Simplicity is good, but not always
Photography can seem very complicated, so cameras made for non-experts are often highly simplified. This can make them difficult to use.
When science is an art
The experimentalist’s skill
Some scientists have an unusual skill for extracting precise data from their instruments. Sometimes this leads others to question their results.