Confirmation bias
Professor Aardvark has a theory. His theory predicts X. So he does some experiments and presents a tentative scientific result, suggesting that X might be true. Dr Bloggs decides to investigate it....
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Herschel Space Observatory
PhD now submitted, I've just started a six-month contract working at Sussex on some software for the Herschel Space Observatory, which is due to be launched in 2009. Here it is: Artist's impression of...
View Article2009: International Year of Astronomy
Stand by for the countdown ... 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 - 1 ...
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Simulating the Universe
Astronomers spend a lot of time making computer simulations of the Universe. Some discussion on The e-Astronomer's blog has set me thinking about why... To help us work out whether the stars and...
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Are we alone in the Universe?
After "Do you want to be the next Patrick Moore?" and "I'm a Capricorn", the most common response I get when I tell people I work in astronomy is, "Do you think there is life on other planets?"...
View ArticleJohn Cleese explains the God gene
John Cleese - The Scientists - 2008 Hat tip: Paul Garner
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Six days and counting
Herschel (on the left) and Planck (on the right) are scheduled for launch at 2.12pm UK time this coming Thursday... Credit: ESA At Sussex we're busy getting ready for data from both Herschel and...
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Simon Singh sued
Chiropractic is all about manipulating the spine to cure various ailments. It's all over the news at the moment because of something Simon Singh wrote in the Guardian last April: You might think that...
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Stand up for research
The UK government appears to be under the impression that it should preferentially fund scientific research that has direct economic value. This, of course, is rubbish. Industry should preferentially...
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Off to Madrid
Just back from a week at RAL developing software related to the Herschel Space Observatory. I'll be off again tomorrow, this time to Madrid for a big Herschel conference hosted by ESA(C), where a bunch...
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Buenos días from Madrid!
Day 1 of the Herschel Science Demonstration Phase Data Processing Workshop. Until Wednesday we will be based at ESAC, some 20 miles or so outside Madrid (map here). In the photo (click to enlarge) you...
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Initial results from Herschel
A bigger venue now, for the first scientific results from the Herschel Space Observatory. Not sure how much I can reveal right now (the presentations will be uploaded after the conference, and I think...
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On the shoulders of (medieval) giants
What did the Middle Ages ever do for us—for science in particular? Not a lot, I hear you say? The Greeks laid the foundations, and then, after the fall of Rome, a great darkness descended on the...
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#NAM2010 opening
Flew over most of GB today to Glasgow University for the National Astronomy Meeting (NAM) 2010. The opening speeches are taking place now (suppose that means I'm "live blogging" - not sure how long...
View ArticleHappy first birthday, Herschel and Planck!
It's one year ago today that Herschel and Planck were propelled up into space to survey the Universe—the "cool" Universe, to be more specific—on behalf of humanity. (Of course, it wasn't William...
View ArticleYou might be my sixth cousin
I'm a bit behind on my Guardian Science Weekly Podcasts, but I learned this evening that you might well be my sixth cousin (according to Steve Jones). Yes, you - If you're British that is (I'm probably...
View ArticleKepler on the value of blue-skies research
Is scientific research worth doing only if it serves an obviously "useful" purpose? Kepler thought not: For has not the all-merciful Creator ... given every creature all it needs, and beauty and...
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Physics and astronomy: worth billions?
Credit: CERN As folk at CERN prepare not to announce the discovery of the Higgs boson (apparently), other folk have been discussing whether it's worth the money. On the Today Programme, Lucie Green and...
View ArticleKrauss got plenty of nothing
The title of Lawrence Krauss's book, A Universe from Nothing: Why There Is Something Rather than Nothing, might have led you to believe that the theoretical physicist had attempted to answer the...
View ArticleGlobal warming sceptics convinced
The Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature (BEST) project published some new results a couple of days ago. Here's what they said: According to a new Berkeley Earth study released today, the average...
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