For me, Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon represents more than just “music”; it is Burke’s subliminal incarnate – only in musical form. Undoubtedly borne out of the daring experimentalist leap produced by the Beatles in their Sgt. …
Sébastien Laymond is the Editor of the 'SciTech' column for Trinity News, and is currently in his Junior Sophister Year reading law.
Plastic Free Cycles
The Trinity team tackling microplastics in period products
Blame it on our upbringing, media exposure, or the stigma hanging over open menstruation discourse, but people who menstruate often don’t think twice about the products they use. You buy one box of Tampax and you’re committed for life. Single-use …
Long live the peat
Are peatlands really as useless as they seem?
As I was hiking the resplendent path of Wicklow’s Great Sugar Loaf, I stumbled upon a small bog. Hazel, a Geography student and friend of mine, attempted to spark an interesting discussion as to their value and their utility. I, …
Ents race: Peadar Walsh headed for a guaranteed win in uncontested race
The variety and optimism of Peadar Walsh’s aims have made him a favourite across the board
Analysis of Statistics
Though the only candidate to present themselves in this year’s race to be the next Trinity College Dublin Students Union (TCDSU) Entertainment (Ents) Officer, Peadar Walsh’s campaign is by no means lacking in its variety of aims. …
Why does Santa like cookies & milk?
A scientific inquiry into what makes Santa’s favourite night-time snack so appealing to most
In an oft-quoted passage of Pinker’s How the Mind Works, we are informed that:—
‘[W]e enjoy strawberry cheesecake […] not because we evolved a taste for it. We evolved circuits that gave us trickles of enjoyment from the sweet …
Synge, talking about relativity: 50 years on
A Review of Synge’s Talking About Relativity – is it still as relevant as it was 50 years ago?
It is an oft-cited aphorism that intelligence is best displayed in the process of aptly simplifying the complex for general understanding. Though a passionate and rather frequent reader of physics-related literature, I frequently find my desire to (though verily only …
Book Review: Shane O’Mara, Talking Heads: The New Science of How Conversation Shapes Our Worlds (Random House 2023)
A simple ‘enjoyable read’ may be the best review this book could get.
Forlornly, the book’s title is misleading. With all due respect to Shane O’Mara, if my interpretation of the title stands correct, the book hardly discusses a novel science. Consequently, I find the reviews of the Irish Times and The Scientist…
Storm Betty: Another Hint at the Potency of Climate Change?
Storm’s aren’t just a product of ‘Irish misfortune’, writes Sébastien – but rather a sign of something much more baleful
After the wettest July on record, Met Éireann, on the 18th of August 2023, formally gave a name to a storm that had subsequently begun ravaging parts of southern Ireland, south-west England and Wales, and the easternmost coast of Northern …
A Brief Note on Browning
An examination of the science behind the autumnal transformation of trees.
As we prepare to head back onto campus, we are reminded of sights that bring us nothing but the purest joy. For some, the mere thought of meeting friends long unseen may do just the trick; for others, the picture …
Poolbeg Chimneys: A Scientific and Cultural Landmark
The iconic stacks have become an iconic Dublin sight, with an impressive legacy as a landmark feat of engineering.
The Poolbeg Chimneys are almost synonymous with the idea of Dublin itself. Situated east of Ringsend, they are commonly used as a reference point for beach-joggers and tourists alike. Whilst perhaps not as famous as the odd-looking Spire or the …