Innovative Scientists Talk About Their Childhood (2): Nicole Sharp and the Space Station

Here’s Nicole Sharp talking about the space station that, when she was a child, excited Nicole in a way that led to her eventual unusual career. Nicole created and runs FYFD, the most popular fluid dynamics web site in this part of the universe. ABOUT THIS LITTLE VIDEO SERIES—This is part of a series of […]

Scientists with action-hero names: Hudson Freeze

Another scientist with an action-hero name is Hudson Freeze, Ph.D. Or, phrased alternatively:  Hudson Freeze, Ph.D, is another scientist with an action-hero name. Dr. Freeze says (on his website, and presumably elsewhere): “Getting a cure is pretty difficult, but it starts from doing research. It starts from understanding the basic processes, the scientific processes, the physiological […]

Seeking scientists who have their head in the clouds

Please help us compile a list of scientists who have their head in the clouds. Specifically, we are looking for scientists who choose to picture themselves with their head in the clouds. Here’s an example: Jérôme Hœpffner is an assistant professor at Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris, Institut Jean Le Rond D’Alembert. This photo is on his […]

Facial hair and accused anthrax scientists

A new PBS Frontline documentary looks at the morass of accusations — about anthrax terrorism — aimed at two US government scientists, Bruce Ivins and Steven Hatfill, who worked at Fort Dietrick, Maryland. The case against either man has turned out to be less than clear. In all the media discussion of this case, almost […]

A brief history of naked Russians swimming for science

Russian science has a tradition of observing naked swimmers. Several years ago we documented Yuri Glebovich Aleyev’s project (which he documented in a book called Nekton). He used an electric winch to tow naked women under water at speeds of two to four metres per second, to better understand how dolphins interact with water. (His logic may […]