Posts by L. E. Carmichael


boy holding a protest sign demanding peer review

Sci/Why = Awesome

The Week of Mayhem is back for round 2, so for this Mad Scientist Monday, I direct you to Sci/Why, a group blog written by an amazing team of Canadian children’s science writers. There’s a really diverse range of ... Read More  

Ross and Rachel in hospital

The One Where Tech Support Watched Friends, and Laughed Hysterically About the Props

So I’ve been re-watching Friends on DVD, which is a thing I do every couple years. I went to high school and university in the 1990s, after all, and I still catch myself using Chandlerisms like “That is so ... Read More  

reflections of tree branches

The Week of Mayhem

I’m on the 18th day of a 19th day work week, and there is very little brain left for blogging. Therefore, cute animals! Enjoy. 🙂 Read More  

Object-choice experiment

Elephants Get the Point, Too

In Fox Talk, I describe experiments done on wolves and dogs and domestic foxes, to test their ability to understand human pointing gestures. Comparisons showed that dogs and foxes are better at using human body language, even without prior ... Read More  

cat stretching

The Cutest Mammals in the World

There are a lot of contenders for world’s cutest mammal. My cats, to begin with, who not only know they are cute, but who will periodically do something cute, then glance over at me to see if I’ve noticed, ... Read More  

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

Fox Talk on TV!

Thanks so much to Crystal Garrett and the Global Morning News for inviting me to talk about foxes on the show! It was a lot of fun and over so quickly I didn’t have time to get nervous, which ... Read More  

Remembering Korea

Science stuff will return for next week’s Mad Scientist Monday – today, in honour of Remembrance Day, I want to talk about my grandpa. This is him – Stan Carmichael, who served with the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry ... Read More  

pool shark

They’re Coming to Get Me

As if Sharknado weren’t bad enough, the actual, real life sharks are headed this way. A great white was caught in the Bay of Fundy in 2011, and a white tagged in Florida was just tracked to the coast ... Read More  

caramel popcorn

Om Nom Nom: Homemade Caramel Popcorn

INGREDIENTS: 1/2 cup butter or margarine 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup corn syrup dash of vanilla pinch of salt 3/4 tsp baking soda DIRECTIONS: Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar and corn syrup, stir well. ... Read More  

Jurassic Park movie poster

The Moment Jurassic Park Lost Me

Are you old enough to remember when Jurassic Park first came out? I’ll never forget seeing it for the first time. It was the summer after 10th grade, and Kelsey and Julie-Ann and I (three of the four Sisters ... Read More  

Sisters of the Traveling Chocolate

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Chocolate

If we’re lucky, we make a friend we can say anything to. A friend who’s seen us at our worst and inexplicably loves us still. A friend who knows where the bodies are buried, because she picked the spot ... Read More  

Dr. Carmichael in scrubs

Happy Halloween!

You win digital candy if you can figure out: – what I’m dressed as – why I think it’s so hilarious, when in fact it’s mostly just sad Bonus points if you can answer the second one in a ... Read More  

arctic fox barking

No Such Thing as a Free Lunch

Domestic foxes would probably argue that in fact, they get free lunches all the time, but their cousins in the wild don’t have it so easy. Foxes in the wild not only have to find their own food, but ... Read More  

Monster Squad poster

Werewolves, Zombies, and Villains, Oh My!

Halloween is just a few days away, and I’ve got to admit, I’m a big-time party pooper this year. I won’t be decorating my house, even though I have access to a mannequin who has previously played witch, corpse, ... Read More  

Zombie survival Army and Navy

In Case World War Z Completely Freaked You Out…

…you can ensure your preparedness for the zombie apocalype at this helpful store I saw in Orlando, Florida. Alternatively, you can bunk with my Dad, whose habit of purchasing cleaning supplies at Costco ensures he’ll have the cleanest toilets ... Read More  

Living with Obesity by L.E. Carmichael - Front Cover

This Hour Takes 22 Minutes – Off Your Life

News.  Sit-Coms.  The Discovery Channel.  The latest “reality” drama.   No matter what you’re tuning in to, you might want to turn it off.  According to a 2011 study, television does more than rot your brain: it shortens your ... Read More  

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

What DOES the Fox Say?

At least three people have sent me this video, and since it’s been a long week full of jet lag and putting out fires, I figured I would share: In case you’re wondering, the fox says whine, pant, cackle, ... Read More  

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

The Internet = Embarrassing Oneself in Public

For everyone who went looking for the ebook edition of Fox Talk and couldn’t find it – first, thank you! Second, I am really sorry. The ebook was scheduled for release on October 5, but at the last minute, ... Read More