Science History

Alchemy, which most people have at least heard of, along the lines of 'the quest to turn lead into gold', is getting rehabilitated. In one paper, anyway. Alchemy, like chemistry, had 'chem' at its core. Chem derives from Khem ('bla ...

Article - Hank Campbell - Jan 31 2014 - 10:43am

The Mystery Of The Newly-Discovered Einstein Manuscript: Why Did He Come Back To Lambda?

We all know the story of Albert Einstein’s “ cosmological constant,” or lambda, which he invented, then retracted in shame ("Then away with the cosmological constant!"), and then in 1998, with the discovery of the accelerating expansion of the u ...

Article - Amir D. Aczel - Mar 4 2014 - 7:01pm

A Soldier's Letter Home From The 3rd Century AD Deciphered

In 2011, Rice Religious Studies graduate student Grant Adamson was doing a summer internship at Brigham Young University and tackled something that no one had been able to do in a hundred years- he deciphered 1,800-year-old letter from an Egyptian solider ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 19 2014 - 9:48am

If The Gospel Of Jesus' Wife Is A Forgery, It Isn't A Modern One

Harvard Divinity School Professor Karen L. King believes that an ancient Coptic fragment, the first-known explicit reference to a married Jesus Christ, is authentic, and supports the argument with an article in Harvard Theological Review. The fragment, ann ...

Article - Hank Campbell - Apr 10 2014 - 5:10pm

There Have Been 13 Nuclear Weapon Near-Misses Since 1962

Everyone has heard of the Cuban Missile Crisis, a stand-off over missiles off the shores of America. It's considered a highwater mark during a Cold War culture that was concerned about mutual assured destruction. Outside testing, nuclear weapons have ...

Article - News Staff - May 8 2014 - 8:28pm

William Astbury's Monkeynut Coat: The Forgotten Road To The Double-Helix

While James Watson and Francis Crick are rightfully celebrated for discovery of the double-helical structure of DNA, recognition of others has been inconsistent. Rosalind Franklin has practically been beatified, even though she never pieced together what s ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 17 2014 - 6:43pm

Medieval Bishop's Theory Resembles Modern Concept Of Multiple Universes

A 13th century bishop’s theory about the formation of the universe has intriguing parallels with the theory of multiple universes. This was uncovered by the the Ordered Universe project at Durham University, which has brought together researchers from hum ...

Article - The Conversation - Jun 8 2015 - 9:56am

Was The 'Clash Of Civilizations' Wrong?

By Mark Beeson, Murdoch University Like him or loathe him, the late Samuel Huntington was one of the towering figures in political science and international relations. Even those who disagreed with his ideas were forced to engage with them. He helped shap ...

Article - The Conversation - Aug 18 2014 - 11:23am

Voices From The Old Bailey

Or abandon hope? Credit: chrisdorney By Tim Crook, Goldsmiths, University of London The Old Bailey’s Central Criminal Court is an Edwardian building that bears the inscription “Defend the children of the poor and Punish the wrongdoer.” An Italian visitor ...

Article - The Conversation - Sep 10 2014 - 10:30am

How Richard III Died: Nine Blows To The Head And Then He Was Dead