L.E. Carmichael's Blog, page 32
February 9, 2017
Brick and Mortar Magic: Titles Are More Than Just Labels
After I got my PhD, I went to work at a bookstore. This was partly because my brain was fried and I wanted to relax with the pretty books. It was also because, as I writer, I wanted to understand how the retail end of the book business actually functioned – and how real humans behave when choosing new books. It was revelatory – and now I share those revelations with you. Titles Are More Than Just Labels “Excuse me, Miss? Can you help me figure out which order these books go in?” I wish I knew what publishers were […]
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February 4, 2017
So I Saw Dr. Strange
And I have thoughts. Thought the first. Benedict Cumberbatch should not be allowed to speak in an American accent. I’m used to seeing him in things like Sherlock and The Imitation Game, and without the British accent, I had a really hard time taking him seriously, despite the fact that the timbre of his voice remains shivery. Thought the second. This is a movie that requires unusually large suspension of disbelief, even compared to other superhero movies. You cannot wear your scientist hat while watching Dr. Strange. You really have to say to yourself, “OK, let’s pretend this makes sense” […]
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February 2, 2017
Because It’s That Kind of Week (Again)
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January 30, 2017
The REAL Scientific Method… And Why It’s AWESOME
Last Monday, I wrote about where facts come from. Since the post focused on the peer-review process used to check scientific data before it’s published, I probably should have called it “How We Know Scientists Aren’t Just Making Stuff Up.” Today, I thought I’d back up and do a quick review of the scientific method – the actual process by which new knowledge is created, before flint-hearted reviewers tear it to pieces and put it back together better. There are a ton of kid’s books out there on the scientific method, but I am partial to the one I wrote (shocking, […]
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January 28, 2017
Should I See the Live Action Pete’s Dragon?
Want to know how to tell when you’ve been friends with someone for too long? Text exchanges like this one, which I swear is 100% true: Her: I’m in the medicentre. Since when is Elliot a girl’s name? Me: Um. Elliot is a dragon’s name, actually. Her: He has, the head of a camel, the neck of a crocodile… Me: It sounds rather strange! Her: He’s both, a fish and a mammal and I hope he’ll never change… Us: ROFL! So has anyone seen the live action Pete’s Dragon yet? I’ve had very mixed feelings towards the Disney remakes. LOVED […]
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January 26, 2017
Having a Rough Week? This Will Help
Because little foxes with big ears make everything better!
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January 23, 2017
Where Do Facts Come From?
The phrase “alternative facts” was floating around the media (social and otherwise) this weekend, and it made my head explode on multiple levels. First, because I work at a university, and I’m pretty sure if you use those on exams, you fail. Second, because I spend untold hours chasing down sources, and additional sources to check those sources with, to ensure that every single piece of information that goes into one of my books is in fact, a fact. Third, because I used to be a scientist. I MADE facts. And those facts, unlike the kind people were discussing on the internets, had to be […]
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January 19, 2017
It’s Popcorn Day!
Mmm…. popcorn. It’s a favourite treat around this house. It has also been dinner on more than one occasion, because we don’t have kids, and therefore don’t have to worry about setting a bad example.
January 16, 2017
Animal Adoptions – Fitness, Altruism, and Feelings
One of my weirdest experiences as a scientist was doing a maternity test on an elk. A female elk wearing a Jasper National Park ear tag had been found on an Alberta elk farm. Since it’s illegal to keep wild animals in captivity, that was pretty clear evidence of a crime. What was less clear was whether the calf she was mothering belonged to her. Wildlife officers said yes – the rancher had “kidnapped” two elk. The rancher said no way – that baby had been born to one of his captive elk, and legally belonged to him. A DNA test was […]
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January 14, 2017
Was The Neverending Story Always That Bad, or Did I Just Get Old?
I’m talking about the movie here, not the book, although this may apply to the book too, for all I know. I loved The Neverending Story when I was a kid. LOVED. I sobbed my eyes out when Atreyu’s beautiful white horse sank into the mud, and my brother and I desperately wanted a “puppy dog dragon” of our very own. I had such fond memories of that dragon, I actually named a laptop after him. In the spirit of childhood nostalgia, I tried to watch the movie on DVD this week. It did not go well. Here’s my first problem with the […]
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