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The Simpsons and their Mathematical Secrets: Simon Singh
Get your FREE tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-simpsons-and-their-mathematical-secrets-tickets-36925903371 Glasgow Skeptics are proud to host this special event in association with European Researchers' Night: Simon Singh, author of Fermat’s Last Theorem and Big Bang, delves into mathematical themes hidden in The Simpsons. Everyone knows that The Simpsons is the most successful show in television history, but very few people realise that its team of mathematically gifted writers have used the show to explore everything from calculus to geometry, from pi to game theory, and…
Find out more »Glasgow Skeptics visit Cafe Scientifique: The Operatic Castrati
So we don't have an official Glasgow Skeptics event on this date ... but our friends over in Cafe Scientifique have got something to tickle your fancy instead. This month's topic: The Operatic Castrato and his Anatomical Abnormalities The operatic castrato was one of the most popular and sought after voice types throughout 18th century Europe. Yet, the voice could only exist after a heinous operation carried out on pre-pubescent boys to ensure they maintained their soprano voice. As a…
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Crowd Sourcing Evidence Hunters: Sense About Science
Every day, we hear claims about what is good for our health, bad for the environment, how to improve education, cut crime, and treat disease. Some of these claims are based on reliable evidence and scientific rigour. Many are not. These claims can't be regulated; every time one is debunked another pops up – like a game of whack-a-mole. So how can we make companies, politicians, commentators and official bodies accountable for the claims they make? If they want us…
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Why the Compass Needle Points North
Magnetic compasses may have been used by the Chinese as early as the first century AD, and natural magnets were known to the Greeks in classical times. The first scientific treatise ever written is generally recognised as being Petrius Peregrinus’ geomagnetic text ‘Epistola de Magnete’ in 1269. This was followed in 1600 by ‘De Magnete’ by William Gilbert, physician to Queen Elizabeth I, who wrote (in Latin!) that ‘the Earth globe itself is a great magnet’. Among other famous names…
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