A man running naked through the streets shouting “Eureka!” was not a common sight in ancient Syracuse. The story tells us that the man was Archimedes, the greatest scientist of antiquity and probably one of the greatest in all history. Archimedes had just solved a problem that had occupied him…

Updated to include discussion at Academia.edu — It is widely recognized that climate is one of the most complex phenomena known to science. There are variables, interactions, and feedbacks that are known only qualitatively, and there are others that are not known. A great deal of climate research is still going on, with the aim of improving…

We often come upon the word sophistry, to indicate the use of fallacious arguments leading to a false and misleading conclusion. It is usually implied that this is done intentionally. The word is formed from the Greek noun sophia, meaning “wisdom”. …

The Butterfly Effect is commonly known as the thoroughly entertaining idea that a butterfly flapping its wings somewhere in the Amazon valley could cause a tornado in Texas. The idea goes back half a century ago when an MIT meteorology professor named Edward Lorenz made an amazing discovery. Lorenz was…

I saw a small cluster in the night sky as I woke up this morning and didn’t know if it was a real cluster or double vision of my just awaken eyes. I approached the window, and saw one of my favourite sky sights, the Pleiades, also known as Poulia…

Growing up in the port city of Thessaloniki was a blessing, not only for its beauty and culture but also for its spectacular location by the sea. Greeks adore the sea, and their mythology, history, and folklore are full of sea tales, sea creatures, naval battles, poetry, and songs. The…

Gazing at the night sky and talking about stars, constellations, and galaxies, can be an entertaining and learning pastime for many of us, sharpening our curiosities and speculations about the mysteries of nature. In another article of this series titled Billions and Billions of Stars, I wrote that “the travel…

Scientific skepticism is nothing more than the normal attitude in the natural sciences to inquire about the validity of a scientific proposition. It is not possible to present a historical or philosophical analysis of climate change skepticism in this brief essay. I will therefore opt for a few suggestions: John…

There are many factors that affect scientific objectivity. Even the most diligent and bias-free scientists may be influenced by various factors that compromise their impartiality. Like all people, scientists carry their own personal perspectives. These may be ideological, psychological, or other types of attitudes shaped by social influences. Scientific objectivity…