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So you think you know statistics?
Followers of this blog (both of you) may remember that I've written a couple of articles in the past about Bayes' Theorem and how it helps mathematicians get to grips with slippery statistics, inspired...
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What the drug companies don't tell you
One of the strange new experiences I've had since moving to the US is seeing drug commercials. In the UK you find television adverts only for over-the-counter medicines like athlete's foot cream or...
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The great American car crash
Er, exactly how much street does that house need?If you thought that oil shortages and climate change were the only nasty side effects of America's automobile-led infrastructure, you'd be wrong. Cars...
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New website is online!
For all you Angela Saini fans (surely there's one out there somewhere?), you may be pleased to know that my new website has gone online. I've stripped down a lot from the old site, which was getting a...
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Why aren't science films like other films?
I'm at my first AAAS Annual Meeting this week, and it's been great so far. One of the highlights was on Wednesday night, when the recent winners of the Jackson Hole Science Media Awards were showcased...
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Goodbye, Boston
My wonderful fellowship year at MIT concluded this week, and in fairly dramatic style. I was in Boston when the bombings happened at the marathon and I managed to get back home to London just before...
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Molecular gastronomy
I'm no great foodie, but over the years I've been captivated by 'scientific' chefs like Heston Blumenthal and, more recently, Nathan Myrhvold (a former Microsoft bigwig turned modernist chef). I'm sure...
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Why does human childbirth hurt?
I'm eight months into my pregnancy, so naturally my thoughts are drifting towards my baby's big, painful birthday. I'd like to think that it's no big deal (after all, if horses and cows can do it...
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Can a flood barrier save New York?
As though I wasn't geeky enough for you already, among the day trips I remember most fondly from my childhood is one to the Thames Barrier in London. If you've never seen it in person, it is a mammoth...
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Latest from the London Science Book Club
The London Science Book Club is already more than two years old and ticking along very happily. For this, I have to thank one of the original members, Peter Wrobel (whose name some of you may recognise...
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Inside the head of a bird
The first horror movie I ever saw was Hitchcock's The Birds, in ghoulish 3D at an amusement park in the US. Ever since, I've found it difficult to be interested in birds as anything other than a scary...
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Scientists vs science journalists
The difference between science journalists and communicators? Journalists don't smile.I had a fun evening last night at a debating festival called the Battle of Ideas, as one segment of a roundtable...
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No, you can't approve my copy
Prompted by a comment on the last blogpost, I felt the need to write a quick explanation for scientists of why it is not OK to ask to see articles before they're published.About a year ago, I was on a...
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How smart are babies, really?
The baby scene at the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey. This is what it feels like to be a parent.One thing nobody can explain to you when you're expecting your first child is just how earth-shatteringly...
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Geek Nation, now out in simplified Chinese
Should you ever find yourself wanting to read my book in Chinese, then you now have two options. A Taiwanese publisher translated it a couple of years ago, and now there is a new second version out, in...
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Why do we have the menopause?
When my editor at The Observer suggested I do a story about the menopause, I'll admit, I didn't know what to say. To my shame, it's not something I'd ever thought about. That in itself, I learned, is...
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Events this summer
Last year, my fellowship commitments and impending baby meant that I had to turn down speaking engagements for a while. This was horrible, because I love to talk. Luckily (for me, not you), I am back...
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What killers can tell us about animals
As data journalists will tell you, one of the exciting things about statistics is that occasionally they will throw up unusual and unexpected correlations. One of the strangest I've come across is...
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Nature, nurture and the other thing
It's very often that I will write a story in which one of my interviewees will have a problem with the others. Contrary to what many people believe, scientists disagree with each other a lot. But when...
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Flights of fancy
The Indian Science Congress (if you're not familiar with it) is an annual, general-topic, massive meetup that brings together all sorts of researchers and students across India, often with the Prime...
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What songbirds can tell us about language
When I was doing my Knight fellowship at MIT, I met a fascinating man called Shigeru Miyagawa. I was sitting in on his class on Japanese culture, but I learned later that his day job is actually as a...
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A new book is on its way
Quick, straighten out the living room and put the kettle on. A new book is coming! Actually, hold on, it won't be here until 2017.It's been four years since Geek Nationwas published (for those of you...
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Needless to say, I'm thrilled
The winners of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Kavli Science Journalism awards were announced today, and I'm delighted that myself and my producer at BBC Radio 4, Rami Tzabar,...
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Why the evidence of your eyes isn't good enough
I'm halfway through finishing my new book about scientific research on women and sex differences, and one issue that comes up again and again when I'm telling people about my work is this: "I know you...
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Good times at the AAAS Conference
I'm in Washington DC for the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual conference. It reminds me a bit of the Indian Annual Science Congress. It's open to everyone, every topic under...
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