Intrepid Science Blog

Why remote Antarctica is so important in a warming world Chris Fogwill , Keele University ; Chris Turney , UNSW , and Zoe Robinson , Keele University Ever since the ancient Greeks speculated a continent must exist in the south polar regions to balance those in the north , Antarctica has been popularly described as remote and extreme. Over the past two centuries, these factors have combined to create, in the human psyche, an almost mythical land – an idea reinforced by tales of heroism and adventure from the Edwardian golden age of “heroic exploration” and pioneers such as Robert Falcon Scott , Roald Amundsen and Ernest Shackleton . Recent research , however, is casting new light on the importance of the southernmost continent, overturning centuries of misunderstanding and highlighting the role of Antarctica in how our planet works and the role it may play in a future, warmer world. Heroic exploration, 1913. wiki ...

The great American scientist Carl Sagan once remarked ‘ If we teach only the findings and products of science — no matter how useful and inspiring they may be — without communicating its critical method , how can the average person possibly distinguish science from pseudoscience ? ’ Forty years after these words were penned , Sagan ’ s concern could not be more prescient . We live in an age where ‘ alternative facts ’ are fast becoming a defendable point of view , where expert opinion is now routinely considered as just one point of view . There is clearly a need for a more scientifically literate society, one better versed in critical thinking. But the prognosis is not positive. Across the Western World, countries like the USA ,   UK and Australia , report an alarming fall in the number of students taking science, technology, engineering and mathematics – the so-called STEM subjects. Sadly, multibillion dollar budget ...