Some say it can be seen on stormy nights under full sail, sometimes at night or through the fog, sometimes in the distance, sometimes gliding above the water making great headway even in the lack of wind. Some say the Dutchman refers to the captain of the ship, a man cursed to sail the seas forever and never make land¹.

Some say that, here and now, there are people who choose to taunt fate and dare to start a journey with a similar end. A journey for those audacious enough to seek answers to questions no one knows where they lead. Answers that may turn into new questions, or may reveal themselves as cul-de-sacs. Some say that those who set sail for the quest of knowledge, never return.

Some say scientists are out of their minds. HA! Who am I to deny that? But others wonder with awe, how does that work? How come the TV switches off when I press this button? Why do elephants hardly ever get cancer? Do flies sleep? And why is it that we sleep? And this memory thingy, how does it work?

I have always been one of those who ask why and how. However, a part of me cannot avoid thinking that we are indeed out of our minds. But this just makes things a lot more interesting. And now I want to be one of those who shares his or her point of view with the world. Well, to be honest, I just want to write. About science. About exciting discoveries and interesting curiosities. But also about frustrations and the not-everything-is-fun side of science. And while I am at it, I will post it in a blog. Because I want to. Because I have been postponing it for too long. Because the world is too fascinating to look at without the lens of science. And because science should be a ship every one can navigate.

Welcome to the Flying Neuron.

References

¹ Adapted from Dunning, B. “The Legend of the Flying Dutchman.” Skeptoid Podcast. Skeptoid Media, 12 Aug 2014. Web. 9 Oct 2015. http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4427

Image source – The Flying Dutchman: http://www.jamescarsondesign.com/images/portfolio/pirates2/flying_dutchman.jpg