As a science writer, I occasionally get random unsolicited pitches, announcements, and deep thoughts from scientists and science buffs. Most of the time they're either irrelevant or slightly touched by insanity, but I do try to read them. So this email, which just appeared in my inbox, seemed to be one of those at first: Physics is often said to be the "fundamental science" (chemistry is sometimes included), because each of the other sciences (biology, chemistry, geology, material science, engineering,... READ ON

All week long, I'll be dropping hints to my family telling you what I want for Christmas. Here goes.... Yes, it's a book about Bigfoot. No, I haven't lost my mind. I don't believe in the big guy, but as a biological anthropology major, I'm really curious to see what evidence author (and bio-anthro prof) Jeff Meldrum has to offer. He seems to have finagled a positive book-jacket blurb from Jane Goodall, who says the book "brings a much-needed level of scientific... READ ON

Yes, they're medieval; no, they're not instruments of torture (or dentistry). The... things at left are from Epact, "an electronic catalogue of medieval and renaissance scientific instruments from four European museums: the Museum of the History of Science, Oxford, the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza, Florence, the British Museum, London, and the Museum Boerhaave, Leiden." Since I don't often get to Leiden, it's nice to know I can look at all the gadgets and gizmos aplenty from the comfort of my... READ ON

Oh, yeah, baby, gimme some of that sweet, sweet video action. No, really -- apparently, the reason for the incredible panda baby boom of the last two years is, um, porn: "It works," Zhang Zhihe, a leading Chinese expert, said about showing uninitiated males DVDs of fellow pandas mating. It is one of many techniques tried over the decades to get captive pandas -- notoriously poor breeders -- to do it, and do it right. The efforts to understand and simulate conditions for mating have paid off in China,... READ ON