DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in the articles published on this site are the authors personal views and do not reflect those of the editorial staff or the official position of any institution the authors or editors are attatched to.

See science? It’s brilliant. I mean, you probably take the internet for granted these days but I implore you to stop reading this and just sit back for sixty of your precious seconds and think about what the internet actually is…

Finished?

Incredible, isn’t it? And that’s just the most obvious example given the way I’m communicating these words to you right now. But what about living cells? They’re so incredibly tiny that not too long ago, relatively speaking, we didn’t even know what they were. Now we have a pretty good understanding of how they work, and we can reliably measure and study the complex processes that are occurring inside of them, driving all life. It’s awesome. And I mean that in the original literal sense, not in the “that packet of Quavers was awesome” sense.

This has all been possible because of the scientific method: the best way we know of to establish reliable facts about our world and our universe. So next time you’re sitting on a plane at 35,000 feet, or on the international space station, or not dead from smallpox, take a moment to consider how incrediblt it is that we, as a species, have managed to penetrate reality enough to achieve these things.

Unfortunately, due to the success of science, there have never been any shortage of people who feel it their duty to hawk technologies and treatments using all of the grandiose language and theatre of science, but none of the method. Sometimes it’s funny. Sometimes it’s dangerous. But it’s always worth discussing. Knowing where to find flaws in reasoning leaves us better equipped to discover and understand reliable knowledge.

The Twenty-First Floor aims to bring you the best independent scientific and sceptical news and commentary in Scotland. We want to share what we know, and we want our visitors to share what they know with us.

Oh, and we’re always looking for more contributors, so if you want to write or record something for the site, please have a look at the submissions tab!

Anyway, hope you enjoy looking around…

You can contact the team behind the twenty-first floor via the emails below:

lesmondine@thetwentyfirstfloor.com

endless_psych@thetwentyfirstfloor.com