Missed the earlier instalments? Check out Part One – Riker’s Race, and Part Two – The Battery Revolution before reading today’s post.  Remember those brick-sized cell phones from movies in the 1980s? Lithium batteries are the reason we’re no longer carrying them. ... Read More  

Very excited to announce that Fox Talk is now available as an enhanced ebook! The ebook preserves the artwork and design of the paper edition, but comes with cool special features: – pop-up glossary definitions in the main text ... Read More  

1) She stands next to your chair crying and tapping you with her paw. For an hour. 2) She does something impossibly cute, then shoots you a glance to see if you noticed. 3) Out of all the pieces ... Read More  

Did you miss Part One – Riker’s Race? Check it out before you read today’s post. Every battery has the same basic components: the anode (negative electrode); the cathode (positive electrode); and the electrolyte. There’s also a separator, which ... Read More  

I love Joss Whedon’s work. I’m one of those people who’s still outraged over the cancelation of Firefly, and laughs hysterically whenever there’s a Malcom Reynolds joke on Castle. I can never be Team Edward, because I will always ... Read More  

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It’s September 7, 1896, at Narragansett Park in Rhode Island. The first car race ever held on a track in North America is about to begin.  These newfangled horseless carriages are the biggest draw of the State Fair, and ... Read More  

How many times has this happened to you? You’re on your way home after a long day when you suddenly realize you need a loaf of bread and a quart of milk and some brussels sprouts and a case ... Read More  

So my Dad has recently moved to the wilds of Vancouver Island, and a couple days ago I called him up for a chat: Dad: How was your weekend? Me: I spent the entire thing sorting out archived emails, ... Read More  

Remember that scene in Jurassic Park where Sam Neill discovers that the female frogosaurs have figured out how to change gender, leading to the production of baby frogosaurs, which will now endanger all of humanity because “Life finds a ... Read More  

The Alberta and British Columbia segments of my Fox Talk book tour are complete, and I’d like to thank everyone who hosted, supported, and came out to meet me. It was a great experience and I can’t wait to ... Read More  

Unfortunately, I did not personally see these whales, although Tech Support (now also known as “Book Tour Roadie”) saw a humpback one morning while I was sleeping in. Next time I visit Vancouver Island, I’ll try to spend less ... Read More  

This is Ares. What do you think is going through his mind right now? Submit your captions in the comments, and I will blatantly pilfer my favorite to create a Facebook meme. Kidding – I will totally give you ... Read More  

For the last 20 years or so, scientists have been studying evolution using a new kind of life form – a digital one. Originally inspired by computer viruses, digital organisms (DOs) are programs designed to replicate their own code. ... Read More  

This is my Uncle Ted. When I was a kid, he gave me a box of his favorite fantasy novels – the first I’d ever read – and can therefore be blamed for my lingering desire to write some ... Read More  

My publisher created this lovely trailer for FOX TALK using video that Brian Dust (also known as “hubby” or, more often, “Tech Support”) shot while we visited Featuring Animals this past February. I’m the one wielding the SLR, but ... Read More  

I’ve been spreading this video around the interwebs since writer-friend Ishta Mercurio first uploaded it to YouTube, because it really is completely perfect. So for this edition of Mad Scientist Monday, here it is again: So what do you ... Read More  

As I’ll be touring with FOX TALK for the next couple of weeks, a couple of announcements: Blog posts will go up as always, but it might take me a little longer to respond to comments. I’d still love ... Read More