Category Archives: lay science

An introduction to molecular cancer biology

This is something I wrote years and years ago, but which slipped through the great blog reorganisation a couple of years ago, back when I thought I’d be able to find the time for a whole blog about cancer biology. … Continue reading

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Lies, Damned Lies, and Tissue Culture

I originally wrote this in Feb 2008, and later updated it for the old Lay Science. While making sure that this website was up-to-date, it occurred to me that this post would have disappeared with the rest of the Lay … Continue reading

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Genesis on genetics

This is another archival report, originally written for the old blog in 2008. Here’s an interesting one: Genesis chapter 30. If you think Darwin got inheritance wrong, try the Bible. 30:28 And he [Laban] said, Appoint me thy wages, and … Continue reading

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Scientists bend observation to fit evolution

This is another archival repost, originally posted on the old blog in feb 2009, during the Darwin 200 celebrations. I wrote the majority of this post a couple of years ago, when I had the intention to do a regular … Continue reading

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Creationism: not such a big deal in the UK after all

This is another archival repost, originally written on the old blog in feb 2009, during the Darwin 200 celebrations. For eight years, the United States was the brawling village idiot of the developed world, so far as Europe seemed to … Continue reading

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Simple rules

This is another archival repost, originally written for the old blog in november 2007. The main driving force for creationists is not science, but ethics. Their trump card is that “evolution is immoral”: they cite “might makes right” and eugenics, … Continue reading

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Bisphenol A might make you fat

(This is another archival repost, written for the old blog in 2009.) If you’ll excuse my tabloid headline writer… A year ago, I wrote Lies, damn lies, and tissue culture, describing some of the reasons why caution and healthy skepticism … Continue reading

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Lay Science: Suspending Disbelief

I was listening to an old episode of the SETI institute’s podcast Are We Alone, in which they talked to a CSICOP (or whatever it is they call themselves these days) investigator. He described how he approached claims of the … Continue reading

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Lay Science: The Selfish Genius

This was originally written a year ago on a now disused blog. I’m reposting it here because I enjoyed writing it so much that I wouldn’t want it to disappear. People love a good argument with Richard Dawkins. So many … Continue reading

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Lay Science: Society of Homeopaths launch photography rights grab

Several my usual topics collide as pseudoscience exploits photography for some bad marketing.  The Society of Homeopaths, an organisation representing British homeopaths (including many who advocate the use of their failed medicine as malaria and HIV/AIDS treatment), are employing the … Continue reading

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Lay Science: On Gillian McKeith

After renewed fighting between Bad Science’s Ben Goldacre and make-believe scientist Gillian McKeith, the skeptical blogosphere has been taking a look at itself and wondering whether it’s being a bit too mean, and putting people off.  My contribution at Lay … Continue reading

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Lay Science: The Way The World Is

I’ve posted a quick review of The Way The World Is, physicist-vicar John Polkinghorne’s attempt at explaining to other scientists why he is a Christian.  It’s a tedious and embarrassing piece of work.  The book, that is.  The post, I … Continue reading

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Lay Science: Further research is necessary

The paper that initiated the great MMR hoax has been thoroughly discredited and retracted by the journal that published it, but the anti-vaxxers still claim — and hoodwink some parents — that more research is required to establish whether or … Continue reading

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Lay Science: Lies, damned lies, and tissue culture

Skepticism is about critical thinking and knowing how to avoid being fooled by charlatans and the honest but mistaken.  Over at Lay Science I explain one way that you can get fooled: by people citing the activities of cells in … Continue reading

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New blog: Lay Science

I have just started blogging at Lay Science, a group blog about science, the nature of science, and the abuse of science.  I’ve been a long-time subscriber as there’s a whole bunch of great bloggers there. My first post, SciDebtate: … Continue reading

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