The One-Ton Turkey: Further Adventures in Slow-Cooked Science

Posted on by Matt Kristoffersen

One smoggy afternoon in the summer of 2010, I took a walk down Xi Zhi Men Wai Avenue in Bejing. The ten-lane thoroughfare was packed with cars, buses, pedalos, and bicycles. But even here, in China’s hyperurbanized core, there were birds to keep me company. Sparrows shot around the roadside trees. Black and white magpies perched in the treetops, issuing their rattling calls. I was walking down Xi Zhi Men Wai Avenue to pay a visit to a museum, where I could take a close look at the fossilized remains of some ancient cousins to the magpies. I was going to see some feathered dinosaurs.

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The Genome Beat, Or Curing My Case of Yet-Another-Genome Syndrome

Posted on by Matt Kristoffersen

On March 20, I delivered a keynote talk at the Joint Genome Institute annual meeting. I talked about my experience of reporting on genomes over the past two decades–from my initial awe at the very first sequenced genomes to weary fatigue as thousands of genomes were published, and to a recognition of what the real news is about genomes today. Here’s the video.

Originally published April 3, 2012. Copyright 2012 Carl Zimmer.

Look Up In The Sky! It’s A Book! It’s An App! It’s a Bat!

Posted on by Carl Zimmer


This post was originally published in “Download the Universe,” a multi-author blog about science ebooks edited by Carl Zimmer.

Bats! Furry Fliers of the Night. By Mary Kay Carson. Published by Bookerella, 2012. 

Reviewed by Carl Zimmer

April 2, 2012

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Tomorrow’s brain debate: simulcast and livestream update #brainbrawl

Posted on by Matt Kristoffersen

Tomorrow (April 2) Robert Krulwich of Radiolab and I will be at Columbia University to moderate a debate about the future of neuroscience. Entitled, “Does the brain’s wiring make us who we are?” it will bring together Sebastian Seung of MIT and Anthony Movshon of NYU.

The auditorium filled up less than two hours after the tickets were made available online a few weeks ago, and a hefty waiting list quickly took shape. Fortunately, the organizers have made it possible for more people to watch the neurological fireworks. If you’d like to see a live simulcast, you can sign up for a free seat in nearby Pupin Hall 301. Here’s the Eventbrite page where you can grab yours.

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