Late last night, my friend and fellow blogger Miriam Goldstein sent me an e-mail with the title “please oh please debunk this.” I have to admit that I wasn’t exactly in the debunking mood at the time, ...

Karl Banse, an oceanographer and biologist, is one of the most esteemed scientists in the world. He’s written on everything from the use of satellites to detect phytoplankton concentrations to the ...

Perhaps his most overlooked work however is on mermaids. In 1990 the journal Limnology and Oceanography published Bane’s paper “Mermaids – their biology, culture, and demise” (freely accessible here).

What happens when scientists at sea discover a mermaid? Helen Keeble’s gorgeous short story about this strange meeting has been nominated for a World Fantasy Award, and now you can read it for ...

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Mermaids are not real. I really shouldn’t have to say that. That statement is as evident as “Don’t drink antifreeze!” Yet, for the second time in as many years, the Discovery spawn Animal Planet has ...