It’s back! I had hoped to have a double issue today but technology (looking at you IFTTT) has failed me. Still, there’s some good stuff in this short list, personal favourite – who will debunk the debunkers, everything you thought you knew debunk but not for the reasons you think!?
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How Information Graphics Reveal Your Brain’s Blind Spots
Welcome to Visual Evidence, a new regular series about visualization in the real world! We’ll take a look at unexpected datasets, cool design solutions or insightful graphics. -
Mourning Prince and David Bowie, who showed there’s no one right way to be a man
When the news came this afternoon that Prince had died at 57 at his home in Minnesota, a chorus went up that it was the latest cruelty of 2016, a year that already feels merciless in those it’s claimed, four months along. -
No alcohol, no coffee for 15 months. This is what happened.
Exactly today I haven’t had a single drop of alcohol or coffee in 15 months.A couple of my friends on Facebook & Twitter asked me to write about my experience, so here it is, in a nutshell. With over a year of no alcohol & coffee, I did notice some side effects.Here is what I learned. -
How Scotland Became the Most LGBT Friendly Country in the World
When Scottish Labour leader, Kezia Dugdale, revealed this month that she was in a relationship with a woman, a nation shrugged its shoulders. -
In a real lightsaber duel, your body would be vaporized
Research is an unpredictable process. Sometimes you end up making a really cool discovery that you didn’t see coming. I recently uncovered a fundamental property of lightsabers (that’s right—the awesome weapons from Star Wars) while doing my regular plasma physics research. -
Dyson’s First-Ever Hair Dryer Will Make All Others Look Weak
Dyson is unveiling its first-ever hair dryer today. The Supersonic is a $400, technology-laden device. It’s the company’s first foray into the beauty market. -
Feminist, entrepreneur, Twitter phenom, troll-slayer, woman of the year: Trevor Beattie meets Holly Brockwell
Trouble may not exactly follow Holly Brockwell around, but it certainly knows where she lives. And as she lives almost entirely on Twitter, it’s also probably one of her 20,000 followers (I know I am). Over the last few years Holly Brockwell has become a hugely influential voice for women online. -
Who Will Debunk The Debunkers?
In 2012, network scientist and data theorist Samuel Arbesman published a disturbing thesis: What we think of as established knowledge decays over time. -
Leicester City: Dirty Dozen or Harvard Case Study?
This column should begin with a financial disclosure — of the writer’s own ineptitude. For around 20 years, every August I have bet 20 pounds on Leicester City to win their league. -
Your Dog Hates Hugs
I never met a dog I didn’t want to hug. The feeling, alas, is likely not mutual.