Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian of The Young Turks discuss the recent arrest of Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell by the FBI. Cenk reminds us that Epstein died under suspicious circumstances while in FBI custody, potentially to the relief of many rich and powerful people who had close ties with him, like Donald Trump. Cenk…
Stephanie Kelton, author of The Deficit Myth: Modern monetary theory and the birth of the people’s economy, talks with RJ Eskow of The Zero Hour about Modern Monetary Theory (MMT), according to which the real constraint to spending in countries with sovereign currencies is inflation, not deficits. Something to keep in mind when discussing the…
Is there more to you than meets the eye? The majority of Earth’s population believes that there is, and they don’t just mean your gall bladder. They mean that your body is infused with some kind of immaterial vital essence called a “soul” or “spirit” or “life force” or “consciousness” or “qi” or “energy”. Most people believe that this essence makes…
For such a depressing prospect, “people are stupid” is a strangely comforting phrase. It’s a five-syllable explanation for the existence of nearly every problem the world faces, it vindicates my peculiarities, and it expresses the exasperation I feel when I accidentally scroll down to the comments section. But let’s take a closer look at this popular refrain.…
I went and turned one of my blog posts into a Youtube video. Check it out! And any feedback you care to provide is more than welcome!
Less than 1% of Canadians have a disorder called Celiac disease. For these unfortunate people, cutting out gluten—a protein found in certain grains like barley and wheat—makes sense. But there’s no good evidence that gluten is harmful or unhealthy for the remaining 99% of us. Yet gluten-free diets have become trendy even among non-celiacs, many…
Here in British Columbia, acupuncture is a designated health profession. Our provincial medical services plan pays for acupuncture treatments, and because I attend the University of Victoria, I can also get acupuncture covered by my student plan. There’s a centrally-located part time acupuncture clinic right on my university’s campus, and according to Google Maps there are 15 acupuncture clinics within 5 blocks of my downtown apartment. This includes at…
The idea that the full moon changes human behavior is often taken for granted. But is it true? To find out, I sought answers to two simple questions: If the full moon did change people’s behavior, how could it do it? Is there any scientific evidence that the full moon changes people’s behavior? And call me crazy but…
At my local London Drugs store, I noticed two products that appeared to be similar in every way except that one was homeopathic and significantly more expensive than the other. Immediately, I wanted to know three things: Who makes Orajel Teething Gel? What is it for? And most importantly, why is the homeopathic version so much more expensive?
Stretching has been a part of my workout routine for years. It seems like a natural, common-sense activity. I had always assumed it was playing an important role in my health and fitness. So I was irritated to discover that nearly all my reasons for stretching were not very good reasons to stretch.
Not all plants are green, of course. But that’s the color most of us probably think of when we think about plants. And, as you may know, this is because plants contain a green pigment called chlorophyll that they use to capture sunlight. So chlorophyll makes plants green. But why is chlorophyll green? Is green the optimal color for…
nature and urban wildlife portraits
A blog about parasites and their hosts from the Host Parasite Interactions (HPI) Group
by Nathan Harland Bird
Original science news reporting in Plain English
by Nathan Harland Bird
by Nathan Harland Bird
Science and Critical Thinking in Manitoba
by Nathan Harland Bird
Curiosity-Driven Investigations 