Or an Introduction to the Hard Problem of Consciousness Our scientific understanding of the world around us has advanced considerably over the millenia, shrinking our bubble of ignorance dramatically. As that bubble shrinks, we’ve been successfully replacing supernatural explanations for…
Blog Archives
Climate Change Is Happening Right Now
Despite the recent rises in energy prices, I got an email from my energy supplier telling me that, based on my usage, my gas charge is dropping to £20 per month and electricity to £9.90 per month. It’s going to…
Posted in Science
The Burden Of Proof
Whenever there are opposing points of view, the “burden of proof” refers to the responsibility to substantiate ones point of view with evidence. It is extremely common for the opposing parties to each assert that the other has the burden…
Posted in Philosophy, Science
Why Star Trek Transporters and Replicators Remain Science Fiction
Some friends and I were discussing the technology of the “Star Trek” science fiction show, in particular the transporter. Is it actually possible to build a Star Trek style transporter? The Theoretical Principle As Star Trek is science fiction, there’s…
Posted in Science
Hippopotamus milk is NOT pink!
The vast majority of “true stories” and “fascinating facts” I see on the internet (and in particular on places like Facebook) are, in fact, inaccurate or flagrantly wrong. One particularly prevalent internet myth is that hippopotamus milk is pink. No…
Example of One Dimensional DFT of Real Data With FFTW
Here is an example of using the Fast Fourier Transform library FFTW3 along with source code. I personally find it helpful to understand what someone is trying to achieve when looking at examples, so I’m going to explain a bit…
Scientific Test Falsifies Psychic Power Claims
A scientific experiment to verify the existence of psychic powers has failed to prove that such powers exist. I’m no psychic but I could have predicted that outcome! The experiment at Goldsmiths, University of London, was designed by Professor Chris…
Help Decipher The Proto-Elamite Written Language
The proto-Elamite written language is the first indigenous written language we know of in the Iranian area of the Middle East. A large number of tablets bearing proto-Elamite markings has been found, mostly in southwestern Iran. A team at the…
The Physics of the Felix Baumgartner Jump
I was enthralled by the jump video of Felix Baumgartner’s record breaking leap from 39,000 metres above the Earth. Being a sad and lonely nerd, I couldn’t help but start to think about the physics of it too! Well, at…
A Quick Intoduction To Quantum Computing
Ever since quantum mechanics became part of popular science, the term “quantum” has been used a little too liberally. For example, the pseudo-scientific gobbledegook you hear on science fiction shows like Star Trek often uses terms like “annular containment field”…
