Science 2.0
Halloween Science Is Now In Its 2nd Edition
Halloween is the most rumor-prone of holidays. If you read the folklore that passes as social media, Halloween has its own holiday character, like Santa, but he's named Secret Sadist and putting razor blades in candy bars. Or LSD in...candy bars again.
Hank Campbell Mon, 08/17/2026 - 19:18 Categories Random ThoughtsAntonio Rosino, a Life for Chess
It is with quite a bit of sadness that I received this evening the news of the passing of Antonio Rosino.
Tommaso Dorigo Mon, 08/17/2026 - 15:22 Categories CultureCan Fully Electric Homes Be Affordable And Efficient?
A heat pump gathers warmth from the outside for the winter. It can cool your home also. The reason more people don't use them is cost; in Europe it can be 10X the price of a natural gas boiler. Here's what needs to happen for all-electric to be viable.
The Conversation Fri, 08/14/2026 - 20:18 Categories Applied PhysicsLord Lytton, Psychological Genius
Elites say his work is cliché but that only happens when everyone quotes you. His psychological insights also deserve a modern rethink.
Hank Campbell Wed, 08/12/2026 - 15:41 Categories Random ThoughtsNathan Straus: How Macy’s Jewish Magnate Helped The Poor With Science
Wealthy elites giving out $500 solar-powered juice presses are the problem with modern virtue-signaling masquerading as philanthropy. Nathan Straus was far more beneficial.
The Conversation Tue, 08/11/2026 - 18:01 Categories Science & SocietyMajor Genetic Weakness For Hybrid Breeding Revealed
Legacy hybrid corn breeding may be about to hit a crippling genetic roadblock.
News Account Tue, 08/11/2026 - 11:10 Categories Genetics & Molecular BiologyFrom Inspiration to Impact: 10 Years of Research on AI for Physics
A graph tells a thousand words - in this one, I present a summary of my past 10 years of research, trying to exploit the new AI technologies to improve the way we do research in fundamental science.
Tommaso Dorigo Tue, 08/11/2026 - 07:05 Categories PhysicsMath Is Just The Tip Of The Generative AI Iceberg
A little over a week ago, artificial intelligence company OpenAI announced ten advances in mathematics and computer science made with their as-yet unreleased model Astra. The discoveries cover a wide range of mathematical fields, including geometry, cryptography and coding theory.
The Conversation Sun, 08/09/2026 - 20:54 Categories MathematicsThe Corny Idea To Replace Food Coloring
No one wants food coloring that dissipates after an hour, a problem for natural alternatives to Red Dye No. 40 and No. 3, and a more natural solution is at hand. But it still requires more of the science activists distrust.
Hank Campbell Sat, 08/08/2026 - 04:29 Categories ChemistrySynthetic Ingredients Government Allows Inside Certified Organic Food
The USDA Organic certification was a mandate from the Clinton administration to create a way for his constituents in the organic food space to market their product as distinct from conventional food.
News Account Fri, 08/07/2026 - 11:16 Categories TechnologyFrankenKetchup: Condiments Get A Science Boost
Protein-maxxing is the latest rage in people who learn just enough science to be wrong about nutrition health, but if you adopted a gluten-free diet despite not being celiac, that vaccines cause autism, or swore off carbs, or believe a class 1 carcinogen like wine prevents cancer, there is good news in the condiment space.
Hank Campbell Fri, 08/07/2026 - 09:56 Categories Genetics & Molecular BiologyThe Tennessee Girls Who Won World War II
On this day in 1945, an atomic bomb on Hiroshima began the countdown to the end of World War II. Of the Axis Powers, Italy had surrendered in 1943 and Germany in April of 1945. Only Japan remained, but it was an island.
Hank Campbell Thu, 08/06/2026 - 10:53 Categories Science HistoryHappy Birthday To The World Wide Web, Born On This Day In 1991
Happy birthday to the World Wide Web, born on this day in 1991 with absolutely no attention.
Hank Campbell Thu, 08/06/2026 - 10:19 Categories TechnologyMarek’s Disease: How Chicken Herpes Mutates
Marek’s disease, a deadly illness that infects chickens is causes by the herpes virus but was never given gain of function funding to try and see how it would infect mammals the way H5N1 and coronavirus were and does not make people sick.
Hank Campbell Wed, 08/05/2026 - 08:53 Categories Genetics & Molecular BiologyLike Blockbuster Movies? Thank Air Conditioning of 100 Years Ago
After yet another strike by highly-paid union members demanding even more money in 2024, and celebrity fatigue due to tedious political posturing, the movie industry has fallen so far California government began adding on to its $1.6 trillion debt by propping up anyone willing to film in the state.(1) Then along came a heat wave.
Hank Campbell Tue, 08/04/2026 - 11:07 Categories AnthropologySolitude Isn't Bad For Your Health But Loneliness Is
You can spend every day surrounded by other people and still feel lonely. You can also spend long periods alone without finding the experience distressing. That difference may help explain why loneliness affects health differently from social isolation.
The Conversation Tue, 08/04/2026 - 09:16 Categories PsychologyYou Can Love AI But Can AI Love You Back?
AI love is on the rise. It can provide joy and comfort. It can dissipate loneliness. Can AI love you back?
The Conversation Mon, 08/03/2026 - 11:09 Categories Philosophy & EthicsSeance Spiritualism Of The Victorian Era Makes A 2020s Comeback
Modern spiritualism began as a religious movement in the 19th century. It promised to bring the living and dead together in conversation, usually through a medium – a person who claimed an ability to directly contact the deceased.
The Conversation Sat, 08/01/2026 - 12:49 Categories TechnologyData Centers Are Created Right Where Environmentalists Want Them To Be
A populist campaign has built up around data centers and their impact on rural areas but, like with claims that natural gas and coffee cause cancer, they are lawyer-driven rather than scientific.
Hank Campbell Sat, 08/01/2026 - 11:24 Categories TechnologyHospitals Should Stop Doing 3 Things To New Moms About Breastfeeding
In modern times, breastfeeding has become more culture war than health epidemiology. Activists have created nearly as much disinformation around infant formula as they have weedkillers and food coloring.
Hank Campbell Sat, 08/01/2026 - 08:48 Categories Public Health