2016

Pipe Dreams

Let's face it, we all love our oil. In fact, “addicted” may be a more appropriate word than “love.” The stuff practically runs through our veins alongside the caffeine and nicotine. We use oil, directly or indirectly, every single day. It heats our homes. It fuels our cars. It is our consumer lifeblood. To the

The United Nations Declares War on Superbugs

With the constant news of terror attacks, devastating civil wars, or even just political debates, our world seems irreconcilably divided. So when there is a problem so large that 193 countries agree to fight it together, you know it must be bad. The giant problem the UN General Assembly addressed this year at a High-Level

Why are Eggplants so Controversial? A Look at the New GM Crop in Bangladesh

Mohammed Hafizur Rahmen is a Bangladeshi eggplant farmer who owns a single acre north of the country's capital Dhaka. Until recently, he spent two days a week every growing season spraying his crops with a toxic pesticide to ward off the “fruit and shoot borer”, a caterpillar-like pest that decimates crops throughout Asia. Despite frequent

Dancing and Humans: Our Historical Mating Call

LET’S DANCE! *cue Footloose music* Now it doesn't take a genius to realize that Michael Jackson was an incredible dancer and probably the best there ever was. While his music is timeless and loved by many, people are immensely captivated by his amazing dance moves like the famous moonwalk! Now I personally am no Chris

What is Quantum Mechanics?

What comes to mind when you think about the word “physics?” You probably see yourself sitting in your high school or college Intro Physics course trying to memorize what seemed to be pointless equations and relationships between variables. For example, the good ole' F=ma. Many of us know these basic physical principles referred to as

Can we SCIENCE! our way out of climate change?

Climate change is happening. What should we do about it? With climate change, we can expect serious consequences, including destruction of coastal communities by sea level rise, increased frequency of deadly heat waves, and worsening of crop-decimating draughts. Many of us have been hearing the same story for years: we need to cut carbon emissions

H(omm)ing in on Happiness: How Meditation Changes the Brain

Chances are that in the past couple of years, you've noticed more and more references to meditation. That guy who works in the office next to yours? He practices. So does the girl who lives down the street. Heck, even my mom is meditating! Ask someone who meditates and he or she is likely to

Don’t Believe Everything You Read

Don't Believe Everything You Read: The Importance of Statistics Education Did you know that approximately 73.6% of statistics are made up on the spot?  Now, I don't actually know the true percentage, but this common phrase conveys the idea that at least some statistics are made up. Often times, reported statistics are incorrect or not

Holy mackerel! Pollution has startling effects on nearby wildlife

If you've ever watched an episode of the X-Files (or you're a self-proclaimed super fan, like myself) you might have been intrigued by the idea of spooky biological abnormalities creeping into cheesy 90's culture. The show often features frightening hybrid creatures born out of profound human error such as the “Flukeman,” a human/worm monster, a

The Origins of Rocketry

Curious about how rockets get into the sky? Join Graham as he discusses the origins of rocket engines and the history behind the technology that is still in use today. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/289960354″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /] Sources: Robert Goddard, Goddard's Experiments, Scott Manley's Rocket Plumbing Image Credit: RS-25 engine test (for NASA’s New Rocket) By NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center Flickr: https://flic.kr/p/qsyGca (No

But First, a Nap

It's Monday morning. About 15 minutes into my 9AM evolution class, I'm starting to nod off. C'mon, wake up, I tell myself. I look down at my notes and they're totally incoherent. I reach for my tea. Ah yes, caffeine. What time is it? Only 9:26? How can that be?! For me, the worst part

Addiction Research Gets Ant-sy

Drugs. Whether or not we like to admit it, drugs play a big role in our everyday lives. For some of us, that drug could be the caffeine in our morning coffee. For others, that drug is the insulin needed to survive. Doctors routinely prescribe drugs to treat everything from cancer to the common cold.

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