Finding Peters: A Trail In and Out of Science
It is sometimes said that a person is not truly dead until their name is forgotten. If this is true, that one perfect paper has won a thoughtful man a place among the immortals.
The shape of equations and the texture of maths
Working with them every day, equations become almost tactile. Some are as sharp as flints, others as edgeless as a beach pebble worn by waves and sand. In particular, the deepest relationships in nature are often expressed by equations which, at least typographically, are disarmingly smooth.
Follow the Money: The Science of Impact
There is a purely pragmatic issue with targeting the Marsden Fund at economic outcomes: it could hurt more than it helps.
Arm The Disruptors
Last week, Science Twitter was roiled by claims that “disruptive science” was on the wane. The Nature paper that kicked off this storm in our social media teacup is profusely illustrated with graphs and charts. The problem is that it could also be Exhibit A in a demonstration of how data science can generate buzz while remaining largely disconnected from reality.
Birthday Boy
You know those little cartoon atoms that are a graphical shorthand for “science”? The key idea they express – the central nucleus wrapped by a cloud of electrons – is Rutherford’s. The proton? Discovered by Rutherford and his collaborators. Turning the atom of one element into another, fulfilling the dreams of alchemists? Also Rutherford.
Dark Stars
These images will show us the environment of the black hole itself, test Einstein’s understanding of gravity, and give unprecedented proof that black holes truly exist in our universe. Because seeing really is believing. Even for scientists.