Posts by L. E. Carmichael


Madeline Kahn: flames on the side of my face

STEMinism Sunday: Stigmatization of “Women’s Work” in Netflix’s Point Blank

Today we're branching out - rather than talking about a specific woman in science, we're going to talk about the perception of women - and men - in medicine. Specifically, the perception of nurses. Read More  

Triceratops Stomp by Karen Patkau

Cantastic Authorpalooza: Karen Patkau

A plaster cast of an embryo fossil and three eggs circulated around the room. Dr. David Evans, a paleontologist at the Royal Ontario Museum, described his remarkable find: a dinosaur nursery where he found dinosaur eggs! Read More  

Egon Spengler

Mad Science Mondays: Egon Spengler Edition

Ghostbusters (1984) is one of the first movies I remember seeing in the theatre as a kid. I'm pretty sure it was the VERY first movie my little brother saw in the theatre: he was young enough that he ... Read More  

Teach Write: Identifying Your Audience

Last time we talked about why it's important for writers to think about audience - the readers we are writing for. Today, let's dig a little deeper into types of readers, and identify some questions we can use to ... Read More  

Amanda Roe in the field

STEMinism Sunday: Amanda Roe

Today I'd like you to meet Dr. Amanda Roe, of the Great Lakes Forestry Centre (Natural Resources Canada). I wanted to feature Roe because she's not only a dedicated scientist, she's also a talented visual artist, meaning her work ... Read More  

cover of Half Brother

Cantastic Authorpalooza: Kenneth Oppel

Half Brother deals with a lot of the same questions that came up while I was researching Fox Talk. What are the most ethical ways to study and learn from animals? What responsibilities do scientists have towards the animals they include ... Read More  

Fox Talk: How Some Very Special Animals Helped Scientists Understand Communication by LE Carmichael Book Cover

New Technology Revealed Record-Setting Fox Journey, Says Canadian Science Author

News that an arctic fox from Svalbard, Norway, traveled 3,506 km across the sea ice to Ellesmere Island, Canada surprised social media, but not Dr. L. E. Carmichael. The Ontario author of children’s science books is also a scientist ... Read More  

x-ray of a bone spur on the skull

Mad Science Monday: The (Missing) Link Between Smartphones and Horns

OK, yes, it's not technically Monday anymore. I traveled, I was felled by an airplane cold. But then, as I soaked my coughing muscles in a hot bath while listening to old episodes of The Daily Show on Sirius ... Read More  

Teach Write: Who Are You Writing For?

Last time we talked about the 40:20:40 rule of writing, and how the first 40% of the effort that goes into any piece happens in the preparation phase. The very first piece of preparation is to identify your audience: ... Read More  

Innovations in Health by L.E. Carmichael - Front Cover

STEMinism Sunday: STEM Books for Junior Scientists

I'm on the road right now, posting between adventures in Cape Breton (*waves from Nova Scotia*), so it's a quick one today - a list of lists of kids books about fabulous women in science. Head to your local ... Read More  

Ishta Mercurio

Cantastic Authorpalooza: Ishta Mercurio

I wrote the first draft of SMALL WORLD in 2011. When I tell people that, they always pause. I can see the gears working in their minds: am I THAT BAD at this writing thing? Read More  

Flight of the Dragons by Peter Dickson book cover

Mad Science Mondays: Dracarys Edition

Let's talk Game of Thrones. Specifically, Season 8, Episode 5, "The Bells," an episode a lot of people hated for a lot of really good reasons relating to character arcs and storytelling. Those reasons have been discussed in detail ... Read More  

Teach Write: The Three-Step Writing Process

Welcome to Teach Write! This column draws on my 20 years' experience teaching writing to kids, university students, and adult learners. It includes ideas and exercises that teachers can use in the classroom, and creative writers can use to ... Read More  

ML Menten

STEMinism Sunday: Maud Leonora Menten

Have you ever heard of Maud Leonora Menten? I hadn't, until last week, when I read this fascinating post about her life and work. Read More  

Push Back by Karen Spafford-Fitz

Cantastic Authorpalooza: Karen Spafford-Fitz

Even before I sent away my very first query package, I’d heard stories about the long, torturous waits for a response from publishers, and about the demoralizing form-style rejection letters one might expect. So I was not surprised when ... Read More  

The Silence movie poster

Mad Science In Netflix’s The Silence

Let's talk about The Silence. When The Silence popped up on my Netflix browser, I admit I was a bit skeptical (Bird Box knockoff, anyone?). But I watched it because, quite frankly, I consider anything with Stanley Tucci in ... Read More  

scraping snow in spring

April Showers Indeed

It's a grey, rainy Friday and I'm seriously tempted to go back to bed until spring shows up. I'm also feeling very grateful that I live in an area that is not seriously affected by flooding, and a great ... Read More  

Pandemic board game

Pandemic is Life: What a Board Game Taught Me About Success

  Tech Support and I have been playing Pandemic for a couple years now, ever since good friends of ours introduced us to the game. The dreadful diseases we combat include sniffilis, syphilherpetitis, zombiebomb, and gout (don’t ask me, ... Read More