Words

Reconciling 'instinct' with biological reality may require a recasting of evolutionary metaphors.

Caloric, cathode, curium and quark — coinage from the mint of science.

The zoology created by our imagination is far outstripped by that of reality.

Coding large numbers in synthetic words made them easier to memorize.

The Internet promises to revolutionize public engagement with science and technology.

Scientists' professional aims should benefit from embracing the 'what if' mentality of science fiction.

In both science and technology, metaphors direct the way we think, reason and hypothesize.

Could the prosaic vernacular of science benefit from a little enthusiasm for nature's beauty?

By defining ideas precisely, as science does, fiction would deny its readers freedom of interpretation.

Scientists deal with the facts. But they wouldn't get anywhere without dreaming up stories first.

Physics is crowded with evocative phrases, but these alone cannot show the whole picture.

Ideas that cross the border between scientists and non-scientists do not always survive the trip.

Serious treatments of science in fiction can be illuminating for both scientists and non-scientists.

How can scientists use the media to give their side of the story to the public?

Could a change of nomenclature bring peace to biology's warring tribes?

The true message of Frankenstein is about morality, not mad science.

The current state of language can make it difficult to discuss evolution in an accurate way.

The tale of the epic voyage made to establish the metric system is an intriguing and exciting one.

Scientists sometimes use mathematics to give the illusion of certainty.

How do we cope with scientific terms that have two different definitions?