Author Archives: Philip Strange

About Philip Strange

After more than 30 years as an experimental scientist, I decided to have a complete change and moved to the West Country. I now write about science for several magazines and web sites and blog at http://philipstrange.wordpress.com/.

Sympathy or schadenfreude? – the ENCODE consortium gets the hatchet job.

Posted on 2 March 2013 by Philip Strange

A paper was published earlier this week making an extraordinary attack on the integrity of the work of the ENCODE consortium, an international group studying the human genome.  Scientists don’t normally go in for this type of public blood letting, … Continue reading →

Posted in Dan Graur, DNA, ENCODE, Guest posts, Hatchet Job of the Year, human genome, Rachel Cusk | Comments Off on Sympathy or schadenfreude? – the ENCODE consortium gets the hatchet job.

The “bute” in horsemeat

Posted on 19 February 2013 by Philip Strange

The horsemeat scandal in Europe continues to surprise and shock.  Henry Gee has written about the controversy for this site and for Occam’s Corner but I wanted to comment on one of the safety issues. It seems that a drug, … Continue reading →

Posted in butazolidine, bute, bute in horsemeat, Guest posts, horsemeat, human consumption of horsemeat, phenylbutazone | Comments Off on The “bute” in horsemeat

Mind your language

Posted on 8 February 2013 by Philip Strange

I enjoy going to art galleries.  I enjoy looking at art and I can recall vividly the thrill of seeing the “Impressionists” in Paris for the first time.  For me, visiting a gallery is still something of an occasion and … Continue reading →

Posted in contemporary art, Guest posts, language, Science policy, understanding of science | Comments Off on Mind your language

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love sent to me, eight waxwings trilling ……

Posted on 1 January 2013 by Philip Strange

I’ve had bird books for many years: pocket-sized books with pictures and descriptions of the common British birds.   Not that I am a bird enthusiast.  I just want to be able to identify the birds around me.  If I am … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, Bohemian Waxwing, Guest posts, Hobbies, waxwings | Comments Off on On the eighth day of Christmas my true love sent to me, eight waxwings trilling ……

The truth about pesticides and bees?

Posted on 17 December 2012 by Philip Strange

Each week Riverford Organic delivers a vegetable box to our door. Nestling among the mosaic of vegetables is a newsletter from the Riverford boss, Guy Watson.  This summer he has moaned, justifiably, about the state of the weather and the … Continue reading →

Posted in agrochemical, bees, buglife, bumblebees, companies, environmental audit committee, friends of the earth, honeybees, insecticides, insects, neonicotinoids, Science policy, soil association | Comments Off on The truth about pesticides and bees?

Let’s hear it for Thomas Newcomen!

Posted on 20 November 2012 by Philip Strange

I first heard of Thomas Newcomen soon after we moved to the West Country. I’d been looking around for the names of famous scientists from Devon and quickly came across Newcomen. I was surprised to find out that a man … Continue reading →

Posted in dartmouth, Guest posts, james watt, newcomen, steam power, thomas newcomen | Comments Off on Let’s hear it for Thomas Newcomen!