Tag Archives: science

Try Reason, Not “Everything”

Posted on March 5, 2010 by David

Last week Time magazine published “The Autism Debate: Who’s Afraid of Jenny McCarthy?” As much as I’d like to rant about her, as I’ve done before, instead I’ll call your attention to this paragraph, buried halfway into the article: There … Continue reading →

Posted in autism, science, skepticism | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Printing Some Dinner

Posted on February 23, 2010 by David

It is inevitable that 3-D printers will find applications in the kitchen, especially as they become cheaper and more ubiquitous. The geniuses at Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories have already unveiled the CandyFab 4000, a device that prints forms with sugar … Continue reading →

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Being Fergus Henderson

Posted on February 9, 2010 by David

I‘ve written before about chef Fergus Henderson, who has become one of my culinary inspirations. I learned a while ago that the onset and progression of his Parkinson’s disease required him to stop cooking in his own restaurant, taking on … Continue reading →

Posted in food & cooking, science | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Irresponsible and Dishonest

Posted on February 2, 2010 by David

Almost exactly a year ago, I wrote about Andrew Wakefield’s falsification of data linking vaccines and autism, calling his behavior “irresponsible and criminal.” Last week the General Medical Council, the British medical licensing body, arrived at the same conclusion: In … Continue reading →

Posted in science, skepticism | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Whole Lotta Umami

Posted on January 5, 2010 by David

The cooking buzzword last year was umami, the “fifth taste” responsible for our sensing “meatiness.” Before that taste had a name, however, cooks in the know had a pantry full of components they could add to boost a dish’s savory … Continue reading →

Posted in food & cooking, local, science | Tagged , | 2 Comments

The iTerrarium

Posted on November 25, 2009 by David

I thought that my Macquarium was the finest example of what could be done with a Macintosh that had reached the end of its useful life. Then I saw the iTerrarium constructed by Paul Riddell of the Texas Triffid Ranch, … Continue reading →

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The Botany of Desire

Posted on November 3, 2009 by David

The first time I saw the title of Michale Pollan’s novel about “a plant’s-eye view of the world,” I couldn’t help but think of the Either/Orchestra, a local jazz ensemble that had released albums titled The Half-Life of Desire and … Continue reading →

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Chocolate, or Shinola?

Posted on October 21, 2009 by David

Taza Chocolate sent me an email today announcing the availability of this year’s Special Edition Stone Ground Chiapan Chocolate. I’ve tasted last year’s edition (is “edition” really the appropriate description for a short-run foodstuff?), it’s definitely good chocolate, but the … Continue reading →

Posted in food & cooking, science, skepticism | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Science and the Deity

Posted on October 20, 2009 by David

Not the Deity, Mr. Deity. If you haven’t heard of him, visit his web site and get caught up on his doings. Recently he’s been looking for a science advisor, and may have found one in PZ Meyers, biologist and … Continue reading →

Posted in science, skepticism | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Whip It

Posted on October 6, 2009 by David

Jell-O® put me through college. I wasn’t a door-to-door Jell-O® salesman, but I was the son of a General Foods (GF) employee – Dad programed IBM 370 mainframes for the warehouse inventory systems in assembly language – which made me … Continue reading →

Posted in food & cooking, influences | Tagged , , | 3 Comments