A genius who took the alchemy out of chemistryROBERT BOYLE (1627-1691), the “Father of Chemistry”, was the most influential scientist born in IrelandThu Oct 08 2009 - 01:00
Mysterious moisture hints at extraterrestrial lifeUNDER THE MICROSCOPE: ON SEPTEMBER 25th, the journal Science published two landmark papers on the presence of water on Mars …Thu Oct 01 2009 - 01:00
How we won out over the 'cavemen'THE NEANDERTHALS were a type of primitive man who lived throughout much of Europe and western Asia for more than 200,000 years…Thu Sept 24 2009 - 01:00
Working out won't cut it for the joulesUNDER THE MICROSCOPE: IT IS WIDELY believed that regular aerobic exercise is a good way to lose weightThu Sept 17 2009 - 01:00
When it comes to aliens, Yeti and God, forget sciencePETER MEDAWAR, the British immunologist and 1960 Nobel Laureate, described science as “incomparably the most successful enterprise…Thu Sept 03 2009 - 01:00
Irrational fear of risk lessens our enjoyment of lifeLiving fully means taking risks, and it’s pointless trying to hide away from themThu Aug 27 2009 - 01:00
How to win over climate scepticsUNDER THE MICROSCOPE: DESPITE REPEATED warnings from the scientific establishment of the disastrous consequences if we don’t…Thu Aug 20 2009 - 01:00
Of moving statues, dancing mania and convent hysteriaUNDER THE MICROSCOPE: THE SKIN-COVERING ordinarily reserved for rational social behaviour is surprisingly thin – remember the…Thu Aug 13 2009 - 01:00
Why is it so difficult for women to become professors?UNDER THE MICROSCOPE: MY ATTENTION was recently caught by a publication from the European Molecular Biology Organisation (Embo…Thu Aug 06 2009 - 01:00
A century of transistors, nuclear weapons and spaceUNDER THE MICROSCOPE: TODAY I LIST 10 scientific discoveries of the 20th century that, in my opinion, have had the biggest effects…Thu Jul 30 2009 - 01:00
Quotes of the sages down through the agesUNDER THE MICROSCOPE: THIS WEEK, for your summer entertainment, I hand over this column to the words of some famous thinkers…Thu Jul 23 2009 - 01:00
Evidence suggests it was cats who chose humansUNDER THE MICROSCOPE: THE DOMESTIC cat may be the most popular pet, with more than 600 million in homes worldwideThu Jul 16 2009 - 01:00
The man on the moon is one of the facts of lunar lifeUNDER THE MICROSCOPE: IT SEEMS that the young Earth had no moon, but soon after the Earth formed, a Mars-sized rogue planet …Thu Jul 09 2009 - 01:00
What autism tells us about development of savant skillsUNDER THE MICROSCOPE: ALTHOUGH SAVANT syndrome is not an officially recognised medical diagnosis, Darold Treffert, an American…Thu Jul 02 2009 - 01:00
Sequencing of the potato genome will mean better spudsUNDER THE MICROSCOPE: THE GENOME OF an organism is all the genetic information in the chromosomes of the organismThu Jun 25 2009 - 01:00
To attract future scientists, more than perceptions must changeUNDER THE MICROSCOPE: MY COLUMN OF June 4th on the difficulty of attracting the brightest students into careers in science, …Thu Jun 18 2009 - 01:00
Power of the 'God Particle'UNDER THE MICROSCOPE: MATTER IS MADE of fundamental building block particles and the theoretical framework describing their …Thu Jun 11 2009 - 01:00
To attract more science students we must look at rewardsUNDER THE MICROSCOPE: DISCOVER Science and Engineering (DSE) is Ireland’s national science awareness programme and Forfás has…Thu Jun 04 2009 - 01:00
Mystery of the universe confounds our understandingUNDER THE MICROSCOPE: THE FUNCTION of science is to explain the natural worldThu May 21 2009 - 01:00
Bad buzz for dwindling colonies of honeybeesUNDER THE MICROSCOPE: ONE THIRD of global agricultural production depends on pollination by the European honeybee, Apis mellifera…Thu May 14 2009 - 01:00
Is the Pope right on condom use and Aids in Africa?UNDER THE MICROSCOPE: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Aids), caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), continues…Thu May 07 2009 - 01:00
A cure for illness and an early warning for onset of diseaseUNDER THE MICROSCOPE: STEM-CELL RESEARCH, currently the hottest topic in biology, is developing at lightening speedThu Apr 30 2009 - 01:00
Is this woman 130 years old? She doesn't look a day over 120UNDER THE MICROSCOPE: THE HUMAN LONGEVITY record held by Jeanne Calment, who died in 1997 in Arles, France at the age of 122…Thu Apr 23 2009 - 01:00
Why Everest's 'death zone' claims so many livesUNDER THE MICROSCOPE: THE SUMMIT OF Mount Everest is the highest point above sea level on earth and, consequently, climbing …Thu Apr 16 2009 - 01:00
Closing the salary gap is the way to give science the wow factorUNDER THE MICROSCOPE: A NEW CAMPAIGN is underway in the UK to show people how science benefits their everyday lives and how …Thu Apr 09 2009 - 01:00
How a sweet golf swing could hurt your hearingUNDER THE MICROSCOPE: ALTHOUGH I haven’t played golf for several years, I am preparing to start again and I was looking through…Thu Apr 02 2009 - 01:00
Exploring the seven myths of medicineUNDER THE MICROSCOPE: I RECENTLY CAME across a very entertaining article entitled “Mixed Messages: Medical Myths”, by RC Vreeman…Thu Mar 26 2009 - 00:00
Bellamy wrong on climate changeUNDER THE MICROSCOPE: DAVID BELLAMY, well-known presenter of TV nature programmes over the years, was interviewed about climate…Thu Mar 19 2009 - 00:00
Airport security is a flight of fancyUNDER THE MICROSCOPE: I FLEW BACK to Cork from Heathrow last NovemberThu Mar 12 2009 - 00:00
Carbon footprint solution in dietUNDER THE MICROSCOPE: WE ARE all frequently exhorted to reduce our carbon footprint; that is, the amount of greenhouse gases…Thu Mar 05 2009 - 00:00
No time to waste on going nuclearUNDER THE MICROSCOPE: FEARS ABOUT greenhouse-gas emissions from burning fossil fuels to generate electricity and about security…Thu Feb 26 2009 - 00:00
How survival of the fittest idea fuelled Nazi ideologyUNDER THE MICROSCOPE: LAST WEEK I described the theory of evolution through natural selectionThu Feb 19 2009 - 00:00
Why work will always expand to fill the available timeUNDER THE MICROSCOPE: PARKINSON’S LAW – “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion” – was coined in 1958…Thu Feb 05 2009 - 00:00
Global warming concern offers relief at cusp of new ice ageUNDER THE MICROSCOPE: WE HEAR A lot these days about climate change, all in the context of a perceived man-made forcing of climate…Thu Jan 29 2009 - 00:00
Stem-cell technique rated the top discovery of last yearUNDER THE MICROSCOPE: IN DECEMBER the prestigious international journal, Science, prepared a list of the top 10 scientific breakthroughs…Thu Jan 22 2009 - 00:00
Why dismissing climate change sceptics is bad scienceUNDER THE MICROSCOPE: A FUNDAMENTAL CHARACTERISTIC of science is that everything is revisable in the light of new persuasive…Thu Jan 15 2009 - 00:00
Revealing solar secrets with a swinging pendulumUNDER THE MICROSCOPE: WHEN I WRITE articles explaining biological evolution or criticising attacks on evolution, such as intelligent…Thu Jan 08 2009 - 00:00
No excuse for human embryonic stem-cell researchUNDER THE MICROSCOPE: HUMAN EMBRYONIC STEM-CELL (HESC) research is back in the news in IrelandThu Dec 04 2008 - 00:00
Why science professions need a shot in the armUNDER THE MICROSCOPE: Science is fascinating - so how come people aren't queuing up to study it?Thu Nov 27 2008 - 00:00
Too few births to prop up EU populationPopulation projections indicate our children will inherit big troubleThu Oct 23 2008 - 01:00
Going bananas for the world's most remarkable fruitUNDER THE MICROSCOPE: As well as providing a chunk of our RDA of vitamins, bananas are a staple crop for millions of farmersThu Apr 17 2008 - 01:00
'God Helmet' unveils the secrets of Buddhists and nunsUNDER THE MICROSCOPE: MODERN IMAGING techniques can look at the human brain in real time and see what parts are activated as…Thu Mar 13 2008 - 00:00
How ecology has a huge influence on myth, culture and historyUnder the Microscope: My article this week is, for a change, in the format of an interview I did with Dr Paddy Sleeman, Department…Thu Oct 13 2005 - 01:00
Remarkable contribution made by Parsons family of Birr CastleUntil recently I would have been hard pressed to name a notable feature of Co OffalyThu Jun 23 2005 - 01:00
Our future prosperity depends on an engagement with scienceUnder the Microscope: Our civilisation runs on science-based technology and important public debates regularly arise that have…Thu Jun 16 2005 - 01:00
Ancient flutes show music always soothed the savage breastUnder the Microscope: Music has a biological basis in the brain, where several regions are involved in particular aspects of…Thu Feb 24 2005 - 00:00
Scientists have ways of making you laughUnder the Microscope: This week I am providing some light relief before winter sets inThu Oct 14 2004 - 01:00
So who wants to be a millionaire?Under the Microscope: You will be familiar with the television quiz show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Today I offer you a …Thu Jul 22 2004 - 01:00
Equality of the sexes is revealed in ancient dietUnder the Microscope: Since the 18th century, a tradition has grown in anthropology that pictures women playing a dominant role…Thu Jun 03 2004 - 01:00
Quips and quotes from a few quick thinkersUnder the Microscope: This week, for a little diversion, I have put together a collection of humorous quotations and stories…Thu Aug 28 2003 - 01:00
