Category Archives: Science

Back to Haunt Me

Posted on October 29, 2015 by thevenerablecorvex

So apparently, after years of sitting inert, one of my old April Fool’s Day posts is suddenly getting heavy traffic because a commentator on a skeptical website is apparently citing it as serious evidence in favour of quantum immortality. This being … Continue reading →

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In Which The Author Polishes a Turd

Posted on February 17, 2015 by thevenerablecorvex

I enjoy my job; it doesn’t pay as much as I would like, and I could do with a more regular set of hours, but it pays the bills, I’m good at it, and I get to work in my … Continue reading →

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Fighting Back

Posted on November 8, 2014 by thevenerablecorvex

It’s been a long time coming, but it still managed to take me by surprise: the union that represents the scientists working for the federal government has finally ditched its official position of political neutrality, and is vowing to “take … Continue reading →

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Who Owns the Future?

Posted on October 27, 2014 by thevenerablecorvex

I attended my friend’s wedding in Toronto this weekend, which means that I have spent a significantly larger percentage of the last three days sitting in various airports than I would care to admit. And if you have been through … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Personal Stuff, Science | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

An Heretical Question

Posted on October 3, 2014 by thevenerablecorvex

For the last several weeks I’ve been thinking about a question which I’m almost afraid to ask, because if taken too literally, it could sound like I’m advocating restrictions on freedom of inquiry. Nevertheless, I think it’s an interesting question, … Continue reading →

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Prediction

Posted on June 6, 2014 by thevenerablecorvex

One reason for which I love the new Cosmos series is that it really doesn’t pussyfoot around those issues upon which the science is “settled” but the politics are really not. Already, this has led to criticisms of the series from creationists … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Science | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Losing the Faith

Posted on May 24, 2014 by thevenerablecorvex

Let us suppose that there exists a field of study in which people take established facts about the world and extrapolate upon them wildly; where bizarre–though interesting–ideas are routinely advanced with no more basis than the fact that they could conceivably … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Physics, Science | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

I Get E-Mail

Posted on May 10, 2014 by thevenerablecorvex

I haven’t been a grad student in physics in about a year. As far as I know, my name no longer appears on any University mailing lists. So I guess my question is: how do cranks still manage to spam … Continue reading →

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It Finally Happened

Posted on April 18, 2014 by thevenerablecorvex

The above is an artist’s conception* of the planet Kepler-186f, the first known Earth-sized planet to be located within its parent star’s habitable zone…other than the Earth itself, of course. The planet is located approximately 500 light years away. I … Continue reading →

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Why Are There No “Sociopolitical Popularizers?”

Posted on April 14, 2014 by thevenerablecorvex

I recently had an intense discussion with a friend of mine in the social sciences, who was incensed that scientists were so ignorant of, and reflexively hostile towards sociopolitical critiques of science. I think this person had a fair point … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Science | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments