A proposed Anthropocene epoch will be reviewed this month and possibly approved by the end of this year. Find out which sites are contending to be the epoch’s “golden spike” and the prospects of its final approval. I probably first heard about the divisions in the geologic time scale from watching that “modern stone age family,” The Flintstones. I realize that program wasn’t exactly scientifically rigorous. Humans and dinosaurs didn’t live at the same time, for just one example.

Black widow binary stars consist of a neutron star consuming a nearby companion star. Find out how scientists used a new technique to find one of these rare systems, and why their discovery has two other unique characteristics. Like most people in the northern hemisphere, the first constellation I learned to recognize was the Big Dipper. Forgive me, the Big Dipper is technically an asterism, being only part of Ursa Major, the Great Bear.

The diet-size relationship is a universal principle in the animal kingdom that dates back millions of years. Find out how human activity is disturbing that principle’s balance and the implications for species extinction. Spending my summers at our family cottage growing up gave me a profound appreciation for Nature. The diversity of animal life was especially intriguing. One thing that always struck me was that larger animals like deer or coyotes were much harder to spot than smaller creatures like chipmunks and squirrels…

Belief in evolution makes us more tolerant of those who seem different from ourselves. Find out how a new study confirms this and encourages teaching evolution in the classroom. I remember reading the play Inherit the Wind back in high school. It’s a fictionalized version of what took place at the so-called “Scopes Monkey Trial” in 1925. John Scopes was a high school teacher in Dayton, Tennessee. …

The Hubble Telescope has just located a star that’s 12.9 billion light-years away. Find out why this discovery offers new insights into how our Universe began. When I began stargazing with a telescope decades ago, one of the things that struck me was that looking out into space also means looking back in time. …

The UN Human Rights Council adopted a plan of action to combat disinformation last week. Find out why disinformation is more than just a nuisance, it’s a threat to human rights and fundamental freedoms. When I was growing up, we could trust the news. Canadian television journalists like Lloyd Robertson, Peter Kent, Harvey Kirk and Earl Cameron were repected and admired for their honesty and professionalism.

Male dolphins are healthier and live longer when they have a network of male friends. Find out how a new study revealed that this popularity also makes them more likely to find mates. There’s a quote attributed to Charles Darwin that goes, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, not the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” Experts disagree about whether it’s a verbatim quote or more of a paraphrase, but…

The James Webb Space Telescope team has announced that they’ve completed a key stage in deploying its primary mirror. Find out why NASA now confirms that the telescope’s audacious design will deliver on its demanding science goals. I still have the first telescope I bought at the now defunct Efston Science store in Toronto about thirty years ago. The Edmund Scientific Company (also now defunct) produced that basic but easy to use 75mm (3 inch) Newtonian reflector.

The Langmansoren Woman lived 4,000 years ago in Northeastern Sweden. Find out how an archeological artist has reconstructed her face and forged a human connection with her remains. Our family cottage has always been a place to enjoy the outdoors, including archery. Because of that, I remember being fascinated by…