Monthly Archives: July 2010
I’m Off to SciFoo
Well, SciFoo has come round again and I have the privilege to be asked back this year. For those of you who do not know anything about SciFoo, watch the video of last year – though for some unimaginable reason … Continue reading
Filed under General Thoughts
Alton Towers Suspends Superstitious Ride on Friday 13th
It would appear that the superstitious fear of Friday 13th has pushed the managers at Alton Towers to temporarily close their recently opened ride, “Thirteen” on this auspicious day. I was contacted by a market research company that conducted a … Continue reading
Filed under General Thoughts
Blood On The Page
Well, I talked about it and I even asked my publisher whether it was possible, but finally someone has got round to publishing a book that contains human blood mixed in with the pulp. According to the BBC, a special … Continue reading
Filed under Essentialism, In the News, supernatural, Weird Story of the Week
Anti-Vaccination Beliefs Spark Epidemic
Did you know that Andrew Wakefield is originally from Bath and went to school in this fine city? That’s the second local person that I have blogged about who has been at the centre of some really dangerous beliefs. As … Continue reading
Filed under General Thoughts, In the News
How Should Scientists A Dress?
As more and more scientists are appearing in the media and addressing events such as TAM or TED, there is some pressure to be more presentable. Here we have two examples that I am happy to share. Yale professor, Laurie … Continue reading
Filed under In the News
The Amazing Meeting Where Amazing Things Happened
It’s the end of my TAM8 experience. I thought I would write a post before heading off. This has been one of the craziest five days that I have experienced. It all started off so well. Bristol airport was empty … Continue reading
Filed under General Thoughts
Unlucky Number Plates Drop In Value During Recession
I have often been asked if there is any evidence that superstitious beliefs increase during economic recession. Last year I blogged about the Whitson & Galinsky study that demonstrated that individuals are more inclined to see structure among ambiguous signals … Continue reading
Filed under Research, supernatural
Let’s Face It
I am preparing for TAM8 in Vegas next week and finalizing what to include in my presentation. I am on after Michael Shermer and I am pretty sure that he will be talking about patternicity which is the subject of … Continue reading
Filed under General Thoughts
