Lost civilisations make good TV, but archaeology’s real stories hold far more wonder
Flint Dibble
I took on a pseudoscientist because misinformation about history too often goes unchallenged
August 2023
One scientist can be wrong. But deny the scientific consensus at your peril
David Robert Grimes
In sniping at ‘failures’ on Covid, the former MI6 chief is reinforcing a false message
June 2023
The Audio Long Read
Can humans ever understand how animals think? – podcast
A flood of new research is overturning old assumptions about what animal minds are and aren’t capable of – and changing how we think about our own species
May 2023
The long read
Can humans ever understand how animals think?
The long read: A flood of new research is overturning old assumptions about what animal minds are and aren’t capable of – and changing how we think about our own species
June 2022
Pass notes
Eau no! France turns to dowsing as water shortage looms
With most of the country facing drought, a record number of would-be water diviners have begun training in the Burgundy village of Pouilloux
November 2021
Chakras, crystals and conspiracy theories: how the wellness industry turned its back on Covid science
Its gurus increasingly promote vaccine scepticism, conspiracy theories and the myth that ill people have themselves to blame. How did self-care turn so nasty?
October 2021
Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters by Steven Pinker review
Our powers of reason have undoubtedly made the world a better place. So why are we so in thrall to fake news?
July 2021
Extroverted, self-centred men less likely to comply with Covid restrictions, study suggests
Non-compliers more likely to leave home to meet friends, for religious reasons, boredom, or because they want to exercise right to freedom
February 2021
Climatologist Michael E Mann: 'Good people fall victim to doomism. I do too sometimes'
Craig Kelly in trouble in Hughes over support for unproven Covid therapies, poll finds
July 2020
Michael Glickman obituary
Architect who researched and wrote about the mathematical sophistication of crop circles
May 2020
Trust in scientists grows as fake coronavirus news rises, UK poll finds
Poll finds 64% of voters more likely to listen to expert advice as 51% say they have seen fake news about virus
April 2020
Macron calls for clinical trials of controversial coronavirus 'cure'
Didier Raoult-backed drug ‘needs rigorous testing’ but medical specialists sceptical over treatment’s efficacy
November 2019
Australia's science academy attacks 'cherrypicking' of Great Barrier Reef research
Senate inquiry told that misrepresentation and selective use of science is dangerous
January 2019
All aboard the Flat Earth cruise – just don’t tell them about nautical navigation
Flat earthers, who believe the Earth is a large disk, may be shocked to find the ship’s navigation is based on a spherical planet
August 2018
Occam's corner
I was deluded. You can't beat fake news with science communication
Jenny Rohn
Climate change is real. We must not offer credibility to those who deny it
July 2018
Brain flapping
So long and thanks for all the clicks
Dean Burnett
After six years exactly, Dean Burnett’s Brain Flapping blog is coming to an end. It’s been emotional
May 2018
Brain flapping
The true secret of happiness? Accepting that there isn’t one
Notes & Theories
The universe is an egg and the moon isn't real: notes from a Flat Earth conference