Science with a beginner’s mind

Decades ago I learned some things about science at school. I’ve forgotten all I knew, and anyway, the world has changed. These posts aim to restart learning about science and how the world works.

Follow-up: animal immunity

Back in January 2006 I wrote about sending in a question to the Canadian Quirks & Quarks programme. Somehow I didn’t remember to provide a follow-up until now, even though my question was not only accepted, but answered within a week or two: CBC Radio | Quirks & Quarks | Jan. 21, 2006: Question of [...]

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Blood test surprise

I’m participating in a health study and went along this morning for some routine blood tests to see how I’m doing after 12 months of exercise. Last week I visited a nurse who took my blood pressure and had me step up and down for several minutes then took my pulse. While I watched four [...]

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I’m a very common H

My genetic profile is finished and I’m an H: Your mtDNA results identify you as a member of haplogroup H. (See: The story’s in the genes and The story’s in the genes – update.) Like everyone else on the planet my earliest known ancestors lived in Africa. Then over thousands of years their descendants migrated [...]

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Have you ever asked …?

The Quirks and Quarks podcast from the Canadian CBC Radio is science for ordinary folks. I’ve been listening for at least 5 years now and still love finding out new things. If you have any interest in science — and I bet you do — then this one is a pleasing essential.

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