The truths and misconceptions behind the Genome Project-write

It wasn't that long ago when scientists discovered the key to what makes us who we are. We're familiar with deoxyribonucleic acid (better known as DNA) as the molecule responsible for inheritance, but it was only discovered 63 years ago. It's astounding that we've come so far in only a few decades. Rapid advances in

The R-Evolution of 3D Printing

Graham talks about the different 3D printing methods and how it is helping scientists and engineers prototype new ideas. 3D printing is even emerging into consumer markets, allowing for 3D models to be made on your desk. Take a listen, and learn about the evolution of 3D printing and how you can get started. [soundcloud

What's the buzz on bees?

Earlier this spring, Buzz the Bee disappeared from Honey Nut Cheerios boxes in Canada. Burt's Bees dropped the letter B from its lip balm products. Are these clever marketing ploys? Perhaps, but they were designed with a more noble purpose in mind: to raise awareness of disappearing honeybees. And, it's not just companies with apian

Them Old Sweet Ones: Remembering and Reintroducing the American Chestnut

“When you turned off Chestnut Grove Road towards the school, you went up another little road, and there were chestnut trees all up that road,” then 87-year-old Margaret Miller tells me while we sit sipping ice tea at her formica kitchen table in Meat Camp, North Carolina. “In the fall, if you got along first

Synesthesia: See What I'm Saying?

Why was six afraid of seven? Because their colors clash, of course. And seven can be a bit of a jerk. We tend to trust our own perceptions, and assume others share the same reality we experience. But for about 1 in 23 people, such things as friendly or specifically-colored numbers are just another aspect

Arctic Camels: An Origin Story

Camels are rightfully known as “the ships of the desert” because of their impressive ability to carry up to 500 lbs on their back! While camels seem to conjure up images of pyramids and arid, desolate seas of sand dunes, they weren't always the quintessential desert-dwelling beasts that they are today. Camels actually originated in

Your Genome is a Jungle

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST. Are you picturing a desperate struggle for life in the depths of the darkest jungle? Two tigers are chasing an antelope, all three of them fighting to survive and reproduce. But only one tiger gets the prize, leaving the other hungry. Natural selection is the most prominent force of evolutionary change.

Wait a Hot Minute!

What if I told you that the flow of time is an illusion due to our limited consciousness and that the only true distinction between the past and the future is the presence of heat? You might call me crazy. However, it turns out that while the flow of time is obviously an essential part

Marvel's Daredevil: can blindness be conquered?

This March, Netflix released its second season of its Marvel superhero drama, Daredevil. Daredevil features Matt Murdock, a lawyer who moonlights as the titular vigilante defender of Hell's Kitchen, who also happens to be blind. Relying on his keen other senses, Murdock easily wipes out his enemies without needing to use his eyes whatsoever. Society

Fatal Attraction: Why mosquitoes find us so attractive

Have you ever walked past a restaurant around lunchtime and found the smell alone was good enough to stop you in your tracks and have you speeding in to buy something to eat? For me, it's the smell of southern barbecue. At first it's the smoke billowing out of the kitchen that tickles your nose

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