By Brian Thompson I. The Setup There’s a machine nearing the final stages of construction which, when activated, will destroy our planet. No, Lex Luthor has nothing to do with it. Gorilla Grodd’s involvement hasn’t been confirmed, but there have been several unexplained banana peels spotted around the construction site. You’d think that a doomsday [...]
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By Brian Thompson I do, in fact, live in a home, though I do not maintain a garden. Even if I wanted to, there wouldn’t be much point. The dilapidated crack den I’m proud to call my neighbor sends all sorts of toxic curiosities flying over my backyard fence, so any tomatoes or rutabagas I [...]
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I. The Setup As a young amateur scientist lying alone in his darkened bedroom staring into the black and white abyss of Nick at Nite on my analog television set, I existed in a near constant state of terror. For one thing, I was just a jittery kid. Instead of receiving a congratulatory letter from [...]
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I. The Setup Yes, Valentine’s Day is upon us. A time of love and money when the Hallmark corporation rakes in the cash and the ingenious spirit of whoever invented that green stuff that keeps flowers fresh in the mail is rightly celebrated. There’s a lot for an amateur scientist to dissect about Valentine’s Day. [...]
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I. The Setup It’s amazing what a few illegal substances, a penchant for the sitar, and a severe case of Beach Boys envy can do to a band. Case in point: the Beatles. After Brian Wilson released “Pet Sounds” and wandered back to his bed for another few years, the Beatles felt a little put [...]
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I. The Setup Will there ever again be music as simultaneously thoughtful, catchy, and danceable as Ace of Base’s? You could tell I didn’t want to be there at first. My second-hand flannels and scuffed Doc Martens stuck out like a black guy at a Mitt Romney rally among the first-hand flannels and shiny new [...]
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I. The Setup I remember the afternoon clearly. Summer camp. Between my fourth and fifth grade years. I’d just been told of the visual booty plundered by those cabin mates of mine brave enough to duck out of the previous evening’s communal shower hygiene lecture and sneak off to the lake, where some of the [...]
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I. The Setup Our nation’s capital has always been a hotspot for odd sightings. Residents have been known to bear witness to roving bands of congressionally hired prostitutes. Paper currency literally seeps from the pores in lobbyists’ skin. Joggers along the Potomac have snapped blurry photos of a mysterious creature known only as Ted Kennedy. [...]
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This holiday season, I thought I’d do something a little different from the weekly myth bashing (unfortunately, myth busting is copyrighted) and recount a true Christmas story in which the scientific method served me well. Related Stuff:
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I. The Setup Because he has an obscene amount of disposable income, my Amateur Scientist Podcast co-host Richard Peacock, editor of SkepticalDigest.com, is currently traipsing about the crystal clear tropical waters of the Caribbean Sea on a Carnival cruise ship. No, I’m not jealous. He’s missing out on the preternaturally humid Louisiana air that just [...]
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I. The Setup Earlier this year, Texas rancher Phylis Canion discovered the carcasses (carcassi?) of a few unusual looking creatures on the road outside her house. Although they were not covered in fur like a typical coyote would be, they shared a similar shape with the common coyote, a similar ear structure, a similar snout [...]
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I. The Setup As an avowed amateur scientist, I sometimes face a heavier burden than others when it comes to my seemingly less than rational beliefs. For instance, while there may be no actual evidence that Saved by the Bell has been replaying on a continuous loop via any of the world’s myriad cable channels [...]
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I. The Setup When my friend Baxter told me he was on his way to the chiropractor, I nearly sprayed my chocolate milk through my nose. This would have been a bad thing, both for the curtains on my kitchen window and for my taste buds. You see, I’ve been experimenting with the perfect ratio [...]
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