Non-fossil / Quantum sentence / Unrelax music / Slime mold watch

This week’s Feedback column (that I write) in New Scientist magazine has four segments. Here are bits of each of them: Fossil or beehive? — … And the snideness? That isn’t unusual, either. Nor is it new. In 1934, the Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences printed a report called “The supposed fossil ear of maize from Cuzco, Peru”. Quantum […]

Discovery: 1st hyena dropping from North Sea

A provocative discovery: the first hyena dropping dredged up from the North Sea. See the announcement & photo (well, you can see the photo reproduced here) from Natuurhistorisch Museum Rotterdam. This humble, yet inspiring fossil is now on display at the museum. BONUS: Further detail and thoughts, from the Wall Street Journal, with a photo […]

Beer: An old story

Our premium beer is brewed with ancient yeast preserved in amber and revived after 45 million years to provide a distinguished and satisfying taste So says the web site of the Fossil Fuels Brewing Company. Beer writer William Brand sampled some in a bar, and wrote about the experience. The description is similar to written […]