Author Archives: Ron Miksha

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About Ron Miksha

Ron Miksha is a bee ecologist working at the University of Calgary. He is also a geophysicist and does a bit of science writing and blogging. Ron has worked as a radio broadcaster, a beekeeper, and Earth scientist. (Ask him about seismic waves.) He's based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Let’s Be Brief

Posted on December 5, 2015 by Ron Miksha

You’ve seen barrels of oil listed as bbl (and sometimes bbls) of oil. And pounds as lbs.  And you’ve thought it’s just not right. Meanwhile, ounces are oz. while the shorthand for the plural of species, spp., somewhat resembles the … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, History | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

From Stars to Stalagmites

Posted on November 26, 2015 by Ron Miksha

I am a terribly slow reader.  Maybe it’s because I try to understand, remember, and absorb as much as possible from every word. Every single word. I watched a TED Talk performed by a gentleman who told me to do … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Review, Culture, Philosophy, Science Education | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Made of Stardust

Posted on November 9, 2015 by Ron Miksha

Today, I am remembering a childhood hero, astrophysicist/author Carl Sagan. I was 12 when I bought his first book, Planets, from the Life Science Series. I paid for it from money I earned picking potatoes on the family farm in … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, People, Philosophy | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

50 Years Ago: How the Continents Fit Together

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Ron Miksha

50 years ago, on October 28, 1965, an unlikely British geophysicist made a map that set the record straight on how the world’s tectonic plates fit together. As a child, Edward Bullard was such a slow learner that his family … Continue reading →

Posted in Biography, History, Plate Tectonics | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Canadian scientists hopeful under Trudeau administration

Posted on October 21, 2015 by Ron Miksha

I will write about the change of government here in Canada (and its likely impact on science) in a future blog post. But meanwhile, here is a fine summary of what Monday’s election may mean for Canadian science. Why Evolution … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Reblogs, Science Education | 5 Comments

Spocking Canada

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Ron Miksha

The popular Canadian parlor pastime, Spocking the Five, has come under fire from the Bank of Canada.  The fact that Spocking has been going on for years and has become part of our heritage should make the Bank back off. … Continue reading →

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The Morning After

Posted on October 8, 2015 by Ron Miksha

Looks like we missed Armageddon. Again. The world did not end in conflagration, though thousands of people insisted it would. Doomsday 2015 was scheduled for yesterday, October 7, but we seem to still be alive. If you missed the news … Continue reading →

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Water on Mars

Posted on October 5, 2015 by Ron Miksha

Not since Schiaparelli published his drawings of Martian “canals” has the popular press been so excited about water on Mars. Giovanni Schiaparelli, an Italian astronomer, science historian, and senator, had a good clear view of Mars through his scope back … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Exploration, Geology, Space | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Four-Legged Snake and the Bible

Posted on September 27, 2015 by Ron Miksha

Martin Luther said that snakes were once four-legged cuddly creatures of the field. It’s in the Works of Luther, should you wish to read his theory. This summer’s news that a fossil was identified as a “four-legged snake” has a … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Geology, Religion | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Break-up of the Animals

Posted on September 16, 2015 by Ron Miksha

I just saw this in The Onion. When I lived in Wisconsin some years ago, we considered The Onion to be the state’s finest newspaper. Since then, they got into the digital age and I suppose they dropped the pulp … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Geology, Non-drift Theories | Tagged , | Leave a comment