Some stuff there wasn’t space for in my Rich Text newsletter No. 29:
- The swashbuckling, philosophical alchemist
A typically well-researched, profusely illustrated piece by my mate science historian Thony Christie on Sir Kenelm Digby, ‘one of the most fascinating figures of the seventeenth century’. - Ancient DNA reveals secrets of Pompeii victims
Researchers studying human remains from Pompeii have extracted genetic information from the bones of a man and a woman who were buried when the Roman city was engulfed in volcanic ash. - How do we solve the paradox of protection in Antarctica?
The most protected place on Earth has become one of the most threatened—and threatening. - Supermassive black hole at centre of Milky Way seen for first time
The Event Horizon telescope has captured an image from the turbulent heart of our galaxy. - Where science meets fiction: the dark history of eugenics
Scientist and author Dr Adam Rutherford looks at how the study of genetics has been warped for political ends. - Tom Scott vs Irving Finkel: The Royal Game of Ur
YouTuber Tom Scott takes on British Museum curator Irvin Finkel in the world’s oldest playable board game. (And what a fantastic game it is!) - Are you eating a credit card of plastic every week?
(Spoiler alert: Nope!) A nice piece of sceptical investigation, showing how genuine scientific studies can be accidentally misrepresented in the re-telling.