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  

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  

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  

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  

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  

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  

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  

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  

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  

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  

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  

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  

  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  

Of all the dinosaurs in all the world, SUE the T. rex might be the most famous. The most complete T. rex skeleton ever found, SUE is likely also the most well-traveled. Her bones, or at least casts of ... Read More  

Welcome to a new occasional series here on ye olde blog! As a former woman in science, I have a deep and enduring interest in the experiences and representation of women in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math). ... Read More  

  Sometimes there are weeks where you work 8 hours a day every day and feel like you didn’t accomplish a single thing. This was not one of those weeks. This was one of those weeks when the stars ... Read More  

Scene: Lindsey and Tech Support driving home after seeing Aquaman Lindsey: I want my very own angry seahorse. Tech Support: I thought you wanted a bioluminescent octopus to play the drums for you. Lindsey: Yes. To play the drums ... Read More  

  Like most people with a social media account, I’ve been exposed to a lot of Marie Kondo over the last couple of weeks. Since a high proportion of my online friends are either writers or avid readers, a ... Read More