Crazy over coral. Passionate about polyps. Eliot Barford tells us why Darwin was right to call coral reefs the ‘oases of the ocean’. Read more

Do giant clams really eat people? (Spoiler: No) … Read more

Last week I introduced the nudibranchs, a group of beautiful and surprising sea slugs. In this post, I’ll be talking about how nudibranchs steal weapons from their prey and use … Read more

On land, “slug” means slow, slimy, green and fond of cabbage, but it doesn’t have to be that way. From today, “slug” should make you think of beauty, carnivorous appetites … Read more

Hello all and welcome to the inauguration of Sea Snacks, my blog about marine biology and the science of the seas! I’m starting with what will, unless I forget, become … Read more

The placebo effect is like a slightly embarrassing trick you play on someone who’s never heard it before. There’s no deception that makes a person look so gullible or so … Read more

The Summer 2012 issue of I, Science took a look at perception, discussing senses and their limitations. However, one sense that was not touched upon was that of magnetism, called … Read more