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Tag: pseudoscience

Core Themes of 2012: Challenging the Conventional Narrative

Posted on January 25, 2012January 25, 2012 By Bluegrass Blue Crab 3 Comments on Core Themes of 2012: Challenging the Conventional Narrative
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Isaac Newton, after experiencing the bottom end of a falling apple, used that experience to formulate the theory of gravity. The inductive process Newton used is common to the goals of most scientific endeavors and a deeply ingrained part of the human psyche. As humans, we love to generalize. It helps us understand the world around us by categorizing parts of it and explaining natural dynamics by the “laws of nature”. We also stereotype each other by race, hometown, or favorite basketball team. Some would say these tendencies help us prepare – to predict and expect the logical outcome of the set of clues presented in our everyday lives. But just like the reasons your mother told you not to stereotype, sometimes nature has its own surprises that defy prediction, categorization, or law-following. Especially if you don’t quite know what the law is yet.

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Welcome to a Week of Ocean Pseudoscience!

Posted on October 3, 2011October 3, 2011 By Andrew Thaler 3 Comments on Welcome to a Week of Ocean Pseudoscience!
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Few things have inspired the human imagination quite like the ocean. The vast, mysterious deep is the stuff of poets, artists, explorers, and scientists. A natural result of this seemingly endless, unfathomable world-beneath-the-waves is the emergence of a broad and persistent ocean mythology, ranging from tales of sea monsters, to near magical healing powers, to … Read More “Welcome to a Week of Ocean Pseudoscience!” »

An Ocean of Pseudoscience Week Recap

Posted on September 11, 2010September 23, 2011 By Andrew Thaler 4 Comments on An Ocean of Pseudoscience Week Recap
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Over the last week we’ve explored dozens of maritime mysteries, ocean pseudoscience, and plain old non-sense. Many have been goofy and fun – the green flash, the bloop, Atlantis, the Montauk Monster. Some have been practical – can methane bubbles sink ships, cures for seasickness, chemosynthesis and photosynthesis, sharks and cancer. Others have been thought … Read More “An Ocean of Pseudoscience Week Recap” »

365 days of Darwin: September 11, 2010 (7/7)

Posted on September 11, 2010August 31, 2010 By Andrew Thaler
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After a week of pseudoscience, Charlie relaxes with some real creatures of the abyss.

Atlantis

Posted on September 10, 2010August 31, 2010 By David Shiffman 1 Comment on Atlantis
Popular Culture

The legend of Atlantis, a once-great civilization that sank into the ocean, has captivated humanity’s imagination for over 2,000 years. The earliest mention of Atlantis came from Plato’s Timaeus in 360 B.C., and the idea has spawned countless campfire stories, books, movies, and even one of my favorite TV shows. Plato’s original description mentions an island nation with a mighty military, and claims that the whole island sank after a failed invasion of Athens. Later interpretations of the story have elaborated, giving ancient Atlanteans technology that puts what we have today to shame. Some legends claim that a few Atlanteans escaped the sinking of their city, dispersed around the world, and founded our world’s known ancient civilizations. This fantastical story has wide-ranging implications for human history… but is any of it true?

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The Ocean Is Infinite

Posted on September 10, 2010September 7, 2010 By Bluegrass Blue Crab
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People used to think that the sea’s bounty was infinite. Looking across the vast ocean, it was hard for any single fisherman to believe they could be contributing to the loss of species.

Hugo Grotius, commonly referred to as the founder of natural resources law, described the inexhaustible nature of the ocean:

“The sea is common to all, because it is so limitless that it cannot become a possession of any one, and because it is adapted for the use of all, whether we consider it from the point of view of navigation or of fisheries” (Grotius 1916)

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Ocean of Pseudoscience Shorty – Banker Horses and Spanish Galleons

Posted on September 10, 2010September 5, 2010 By Andrew Thaler
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Banker Horses are a breed of horses found on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. These feral horses grace one of our rotating banners. Legend goes that 16th century Spanish Galleons, heavy with treasure, were wrecked off the coast of North Carolina. The horses escaped from the wreck, settled on the Outer Banks, and thrived … Read More “Ocean of Pseudoscience Shorty – Banker Horses and Spanish Galleons” »

Ocean of Pseudoscience Shorty – Iron Fertilization: The Cure for Global Warming

Posted on September 10, 2010September 2, 2010 By Bluegrass Blue Crab 1 Comment on Ocean of Pseudoscience Shorty – Iron Fertilization: The Cure for Global Warming
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If the marine productivity is iron limited, then adding iron should increase phytoplankton growth. This growth will absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in order to fuel photosynthesis and on a global scale, has the potential to mitigate global warming by absorbing the extra carbon dioxide emitted by human activities. But is it really that … Read More “Ocean of Pseudoscience Shorty – Iron Fertilization: The Cure for Global Warming” »

Ocean of Pseudoscience Linkfest, Round 6

Posted on September 10, 2010September 10, 2010 By Andrew Thaler
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It’s the final day for Ocean of Pseudoscience, and our favorite observant nerd has weighed in on Shark Diver’s challenge. On Wednesday, Underwater Thrills broached the question “Do bull sharks have high enough testosterone levels that you can juice off bull shark blood?” We cried bull, but Christie did the leg-work to smash this video-game … Read More “Ocean of Pseudoscience Linkfest, Round 6” »

365 days of Darwin: September 10, 2010 (6/7)

Posted on September 10, 2010August 31, 2010 By Andrew Thaler
Uncategorized

Charlie squares off against the mighty Kraken!

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