Blog Feed: The Science Bit

“New Study Debunks Prior Belief” is a pretty common format for science news headlines, especially in any area of science that deals with how human beings behave, what they believe, and what values are important to them (psychology, in oth

How to predict the future

Published on 2013-04-13 10:02:25

Well done Ali Razeghi, who’s only just gone and invented a time machine. And what a time machine it is. Despite the near wall-to-wall use of Back to the Future imagery in news coverage, this is not a time travelling... Read More ›

American Psychological Association promotes pseudotherapies. Again.

Published on 2013-04-08 18:07:15

As we all know, the old days were the best. You know. Ye olden days. This is what I thought when I received this tweet alert from @ClaireMcCallion earlier today: http://twitter.com/ClaireMcCallion/status/321298065220833280 It links to an article just

Forthcoming: Master of Delusion

Published on 2013-04-04 16:05:50

Time to reprint those fan t-shirts, folks, as a new date has been added to my world tour. Next Tuesday evening I’m giving the keynote lecture at Psych Fest 2013, the, er, psychology festival at Mary Immaculate College, University of... Read Mor

Web sight

Published on 2013-04-01 05:00:06

Just a quick post today. This one’s especially for the arachnophobes. You know who you are. A popular scientific explanation for arachnophobia has been that it reflects an evolutionarily endowed avoidance of creatures found to be dangerous in o

“Psychology’s Starting Positions”

Published on 2013-03-19 13:00:08

Here are the slides from my lecture from the other week to the Psychological Society at the National University of Ireland, Galway. It’s all about how psychologists — academics in the main — take up biased starting positions in proc

Peurile? Moi?

Published on 2013-03-15 23:53:21

You’ll have to forgive my recent lack of Tweets. I’m in China and Tweeting doesn’t work here. According to the log-in page of my hotel wifi, some websites are inaccessible due to legal restrictions. They mention YouTube in particula

Forthcoming: On value systems, science, and psychology

Published on 2013-02-11 09:46:20

I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are ideally suited to giving another public lecture at the invitation of a student psychological society. This time it’s at the behest of the Psychology Society... Read Mor

Bad things are bad for you. As are good things.

Published on 2013-02-01 14:24:16

It’s all bad news this week, I’m afraid. Literally. Not only does it look bad and sound bad, but it also has bad effects on you. It’s all-round baaaaaaaaad. First of all — and you’re not going to be hugely surprised...

“Psychology’s one-sided coin”

Published on 2013-02-01 14:22:47

Here are the slides from my lecture the other week in University College Cork. Kudos to the UCC Psychology Society for inviting me down, and for turning out en masse (it’s a small society) to witness my ramblings. I think... Read More ›

Correlation? Causation? YOU decide! (It’s as good an approach as any…)

Published on 2013-01-19 10:27:36

So, I’ve concluded that we might as well give up on trying to spread the word about the correlation-causation fallacy. People just don’t seem to be getting it. I do appreciate that there are complexities (after all, causality causes, and

New rules for cosmetics advertising: Must contain science?

Published on 2013-01-16 06:29:08

Well, guess what. Only yet another cosmetics advert has been pulled. A cosmetics advert? Pulled? Honestly? Gee whizz. I am in total shock here. I mean, how could this possibly have happened?! It truly does beggar belief. This time, it’s an ad

Forthcoming: Psychology’s optimistic bias and the undermining of science

Published on 2013-01-16 06:24:31

Continuing my extremely gradual world lecture tour, I’ve been invited to speak at University College Cork next Monday evening, by the university’s honorable Psychology Society. Way hay! Everyone loves Cork. (For the benefit of people out

This picture’s so hilarious, I thought I’d post it to my blog

Published on 2013-01-10 10:17:40

Look. I know that (a) this was meant as a metaphor, and (b) climate change is no laughing matter. But, at the same time, (a) the metaphor doesn’t really work, and (b) HA, HA, HA, HA, HA! I guess the point … Continue reading →

Overweight people have lower death risk…#yesterdaysnewstoday

Published on 2013-01-02 06:39:19

Recipe for a long life: overweight people have lower death risk #tomorrowspaperstoday http://t.co/tk7UxlYJ— The Independent (@Independent) January 01, 2013 I must be getting old. Things are beginning to repeat themselves. It’s feels like

Pseudoscience class. For free!

Published on 2013-01-02 06:36:38

As part of my day job, I’ve been offering an elective class for undergraduate Psychology majors called ‘Psychology, Science, & Pseudoscience’. I’ve just gone and dumped the entire content here on the blog for all to see… Check i

Beware the number ‘13’ (Official Government Advice)

Published on 2012-12-31 14:04:55

Earlier this year, I blogged about how an elected parliamentarian proposed that the Irish government make arrangements to move the country three inches to the left in order to avoid hitting a fairy. Well, nearly. He actually proposed that the govern

Christmas: When will the madness end?!

Published on 2012-12-18 15:57:49

Christmas, eh? Let’s all deck the halls with boughs of decorations. After all, it’s technically against the law not to. With this in mind I headed into town at the weekend and found me some decos. In a deco shop … Continue reading &

Keeping it light

Published on 2012-12-15 14:26:41

I had the privilege of visiting India the other week. Seriously, no kidding, I totally did. India is a highly complex and puzzling place, a complete assault on the senses, and so thought-provoking as to leave your brain sore. On the one hand, R

At last: “Science Bit–The MOVIE!”

Published on 2012-11-17 14:20:54

Well, kind of. Here is a video of the keynote lecture I gave as part of the #celt12 ‘Written Word’ conference held last June in Galway, Ireland. Why not set aside 29 minutes or so of your life and watch something … Continue reading

Chief Scientific Advisor gets the chop: Getting DNA backwards not the reason

Published on 2012-11-03 07:01:54

I have been reading a lot recently about the Irish Government’s decision to get rid of its Chief Scientific Adviser. My fellow blogger Maria Delaney has covered this well both on her award-winning Science Calling! blog and on Journal.ie. The s

Obligatory Halloween tie-in: Ghost spotted at football match actually a man

Published on 2012-10-29 15:15:11

Here’s a famous football quote (out of the mouth of Satan himself): “Football, eh? Bloody hell!” Yes. Football and hell. Inextricably linked. So, it was always but a matter of time before intrepid photojournalists would capture occult goings-on at a … Continue reading →

To coin a phrase…

Published on 2012-10-29 15:00:37

It’s a small world. One that requires some joined up thinking. We need to see the contours among the shadows, to extract the signal from the noise, to construct synchrony from the chaos. You know what I mean. We need … Continue reading →

Guess what: Cancer vaccines don’t cause cancer

Published on 2012-09-22 03:57:22

We’ve previously discussed the whole “oh-my-god-vaccines-are-terrible” carry-on that seems to have gripped the popular Luddite imagination since, well, since vaccines were basically invented. Well, they’ve been at it again. This time the controversy has related to the tragically young death … Continue reading →

Todd Akin’s empirical question

Published on 2012-08-22 08:18:13

So, as you may have heard, Mr Akin, the Republican Party Senate candidate in Missouri (hi, Missouri!) has some weird views on rape, conception, and abortion. Basically, this is what the Todd Akin t-shirts are going to be saying this … Continue reading →

Quick media round-up is quick

Published on 2012-08-11 11:25:24

I am totally on holidays right now. I even have a beard. However, I still function at an intellectual level (for all intents and purposes). Here are two minor updates regarding ongoing media coverage of this blog/blogger-with-beard. Yesterday, The Guardian’s … Continue reading →

Be careful where you put that paywall

Published on 2012-07-16 04:56:10

So, lots of people (in the UK at any rate) are pleased at proposals to provide free access to the results of publicly funded research. Here’s George Monbiot’s tweet: This is great news: free access to British scientific research within … Continue reading →

Are conservatives less intelligent? Let’s ask a liberal…

Published on 2012-05-30 07:02:12

Here is an interesting article from Discover Magazine, about some recent research into the association between intelligence and social attitudes. The study was conducted by some psychologists from Canada, and published in the prestigious journal Psychological Science. It represents a … Continue reading →

Forthcoming: On ‘The Written Word’

Published on 2012-05-29 05:00:01

I’ve been invited to speak at this conference next week – The Written Word: Writing, Publishing, and Communication in Higher Education – organised by the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching at NUI Galway. There’s quite an eclectic line-up of speakers with … Continue reading →

Remember, there are no right answers…

Published on 2012-05-28 07:43:26

For college students enrolled in science-based courses, ‘Research Methods’ classes can often be something of a mixed bag. The same is true for Research Methods textbooks. And I feel I should know. As I work professionally (so to speak) in … Continue reading →

Working the crowd

Published on 2012-05-21 07:47:06

As part of my day job, I’m involved in psychology research examining the effects of having other people around when you’re trying to cope with mental stress. Here’s the summary of our findings to date: it’s complicated. But not to … Continue reading →

Galway nuked, radiation fireball blasts Athlone :(

Published on 2012-05-12 10:55:28

The other day, a live World War II hand grenade was found in a garden just down the street from my house. Thirty families were evacuated from their homes in the middle of the night while the army bomb disposal … Continue reading →

Headline-spectrum of the day: Dino-apocalypse by ‘wind’

Published on 2012-05-07 16:11:39

So apparently, the dinosaurs are extinct. That’s not really news of course (time to let it go, Nessie fans). But what is making the news is some new research about how those terrible lizards ended up shuffling off this mortal coil en … Continue reading →

Is there evidence for anti-ageing creams?

Published on 2012-05-03 04:00:44

Here is a short piece I wrote for Tuesday’s Irish Independent. It was part of their ‘Science For Life’ supplement (not available online), in which scientists provide answers to “some of life’s big questions“. I was asked to respond to a … Continue reading →

Once more, with feeling: ‘Weather’ is NOT ‘climate’

Published on 2012-05-01 03:00:56

What is it with some media outlets and their tendency to gloss over the difference between ‘weather‘ and ‘climate‘? Let me give you the basics. Here’s the Wikipedia* explanation of the term ‘weather‘: …the state of the atmosphere, to the … Continue reading →

Euphemistic congress

Published on 2012-04-27 15:34:40

Everybody knows that it is perfectly acceptable to say anything you like about religion. Anything. Go on, try it. Nobody will care one way or the other. After all, for as long as the history of human civilization has been recorded, … Continue reading →

Aside: More on the science of college exams

Published on 2012-04-24 06:53:21

Yesterday I drew attention to a study claiming that students who bring water into exams get better grades. I made the point that at this time of year the media are often keen to report ‘science news’ that can be … Continue reading →

Water on the brain

Published on 2012-04-23 08:24:33

It’s coming up to that time of year again (in the Northern Hemisphere, at least). The daylight creeps longer into the evening hours, leaves on tree and shrub begin to glow in clouds of verdant splendour, migrating birds return to … Continue reading →

If it smells right, do it/him/her

Published on 2012-04-20 14:51:46

Smell anyone nice lately? Did it make you feel a little, you know, frisky? (That’s another word for romantic, kids.) Well, you are not alone. In fact, the entire rest of the human race is with you on that one. And what’s … Continue reading →

Homeopathy, vaccination, autism: Together again

Published on 2012-04-13 06:55:25

As you can see above, this here blog caught the attention of the Irish Times yesterday, with founder skeptic Paul O’Donoghue using it as the hook for his latest column in the science section. [Greetings, Irish Times readers! By the way, here's … Continue reading →

Cancer: Misinformation is a risk factor too

Published on 2012-04-07 13:17:50

People who know me personally will know that I don’t take cancer lightly (for various reasons I won’t go into here). So I am always a bit reluctant to criticize people who make the fight against cancer their life’s mission. After … Continue reading →

Happy Meals make you unhappy? Not so fast…

Published on 2012-04-02 11:41:53

So here is even more scientific research into the non-obvious consequences of eating junk food. As regular readers will know, we’ve recently heard of a couple of studies claiming that eating chocolate either (a) helps you lose weight or (b) helps you … Continue reading →

Chocolate keeps you thin? Fat chance!

Published on 2012-03-27 08:13:46

It seems like only yesterday I was writing about the idea that scoffing mounds of chocolicious contraband might actually be — bear with me — bad for your physical health. That’s right. Call me Doctor Bigbrains and give me my … Continue reading →

I’ve decided to do my bit for homeopathy awareness…

Published on 2012-03-23 09:54:21

I recently came across this campaign for homeopathy awareness. Sounds good to me, we could certainly do with a helluva lot more awareness in this area. In fact, one of the more surprising reactions I encounter when I discuss homeopathy … Continue reading →

Personality goes a long way…toward making you sick

Published on 2012-02-19 09:42:04

This is dangerously close to “day job” territory, but yesterday evening I was on the wireless talking about the relationship between psychological traits and physical health. This was part of the excellent Futureproof show on Newstalk 106-108 fm, hosted by … Continue reading →

One year in: The Science Bit’s greatest hits

Published on 2012-02-17 03:30:37

I am generally nonplussed by birthdays. And I realise that blog posts about blog posts can sometimes be boring. However, as I’m an obsessive hoarder and a data geek, in this case I am going to make an exception. You … Continue reading →

Want to lose weight? Hint: Do NOT eat chocolate cake

Published on 2012-02-13 03:00:31

Mmmmm. Chocolate cake. As in “cake” with “chocolate” in it. It’s a straightforward, yet somehow radical, concept. Except it’s not that radical. It’s just everyday, common-or-garden, run-of-the-mill chocolate cake. Tastes nice, but is not good for you; eating lots of … Continue reading →

How to argue illogically: Tony’s ten top tips

Published on 2012-02-08 07:51:02

Last Friday, the Irish Examiner published an opinion piece by pop psychologist Tony Humphreys, presenting a re-hash of the now anachronistic view that autism is caused by poor parenting (the so-called “refridgerator mom” theory). Oh, and despite claiming to explain … Continue reading →

Scientific literacy on the rise (Must put a stop to that then…)

Published on 2012-02-06 04:38:52

Late last year, I posted a piece on a hoax news story then doing the rounds online, concerning a local councillor in Ireland who claimed that his area was especially suitable for cloud computing because of all the clouds. The … Continue reading →

The costs of complementary medicine

Published on 2012-02-03 09:01:17

Here is an opinion piece I wrote for in this week’s Modern Medicine magazine. The version below is the final draft prior to some very minor typographical edits. The article also appears online at irishhealth.com, where you can also read a companion … Continue reading →

L’Oréal are at it again

Published on 2012-02-01 06:41:52

L’Oréal are at it again. Today the UK Advertising Standards Authority have once more come down hard on one of their advertisements, which has now been banned. The ad was deemed flawed in one pretty critical respect. It was flagrantly … Continue reading →

EXCLUSIVE: Britain facing boom in dodgy surveys

Published on 2012-01-25 11:09:42

The scientific method is truly amazing. Not only can it be applied to such clichéd domains as physics, chemistry, biology, flying people to the moon, curing cancer, adding ears to the backs of mice, cloning sheep, and running tarantulas through … Continue reading →

It’s official! Internet overuse causes brain damage! Oh wait…no, it doesn’t…

Published on 2012-01-21 11:52:05

Either overusing the internet destroys your brain, or it doesn’t. If it does then I apologize (I’m assuming that as you’re reading this humble blog instead of, say, Art Project, the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, or Celebrity Bitch Fest [Scarlett Johansson … Continue reading →

“Atheists die first”?

Published on 2012-01-13 05:34:50

My post on Dr Wendy Walsh — “Atheists die first”: CNN’s “expert” fights back — has been experiencing a spike in hits over the past day or so. It deals with the research evidence surrounding claims that religious belief (and … Continue reading →

That sensational Kindle bargain: UPDATE (includes rant)

Published on 2012-01-07 12:06:08

Last September I blogged about this very exciting discount available from Amazon.com. Now, please restrain yourselves…I’m only talking about a mere $467 price reduction on a single-volume book! I guess the downside was the remaining outlay. A lot of people felt the tag … Continue reading →

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