by Stephanie M. Halmo When and where the world's first domesticated species of dogs originated is a hotly debated topic by geneticists. A recent study places the origin of human's best friend in Central Asia or modern day Mongolia and Nepal. These results, published last week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Everyone loves a good superhero, and while the mythical abilities of our favorite crime-fighting defenders have captured imaginations for decades, our own humble planet has produced organisms that make the fictional feats of Iron Man or Captain America pale in comparison. In fact, one of the most impressive real-life superheros can be found right under
This is the second part of a three-part series on climate change. For information concerning whether or not the climate is changing, see part one. Part three will deal with the consequences we face from climate change. We can agree that the global climate is actually warming, so who or what do we have to blame
This is the first of a three-part series on common questions about climate change: This first article will address the question of whether the climate really changing. Subsequent articles will look more closely at human's role in climate change and the effects can we expect from climate change. It's no secret that there's a crisis
by Stephanie M. Halmo Announced on Wednesday, October 7th, the 2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Tomas Lindahl, Paul Modrich, and Aziz Sancar for their studies on DNA self-repair. These scientists each discovered a different mechanism by which DNA—usually thought of as a stable molecule—can be repaired. These scientists each discovered a different
By Anna Lau, PhD In 2011, academic institutions in the US awarded a total of 49,010 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees, including 28,149 PhDs in Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Engineering combined. Notably, the majority of PhDs in Life Sciences were awarded specifically in Biological/Biomedical Sciences (71%) [see footnote a], making this the most common
They smell, they're muddy and hard to cross, and let's be honest, they just don't have the charm of a nice sandy beach. Wetlands certainly do not rank very high in the aesthetics category, but the value of an ecosystem cannot be measured in beauty alone. For one thing, many ecosystems offer what are called
Water availability has come up in recent news cycles as we face record droughts in the American west, depletion of aquifers in the Great Plains, and increasing flooding across the US due to climate change. When we face these issues, we turn to either technology to find a solution, or our mobility to remove or
As you read this, your computer or phone is processing tons of information at very high speeds, and this process is simpler than you may think. Consider this: the human brain makes simple comparisons that usually come in the form of “yes†and “no.†Similarly, computers “think†in these basic terms. Inside your computer, microscopic
So you heard about the health and sustainability benefits of eating insects and want to try entomophagy, huh? I had thought about doing this for years, so I embarked on an adventure to raise mealworms and make recipes from six different continents: Mealworm Tacos, Mealworm Lettuce Wraps, Mealworm-Meat Pie, and Cricket Flour Crepes. Not included
It's 1974: the first published peer-reviewed article claiming that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are damaging the stratospheric ozone layer hits the news. CFCs, once used commonly in aerosol cans, fire extinguishers, refrigerators, and air conditioners, were responsible for causing depletion of the ozone layer. The paper created such a national stir that ozone depletion is still a
In the Disney classic, The Lion King, Simba finds out that Timon and Pumba eat nothing by way of mammalian meat. When he asks what they do eat, they produce a bounty of wriggling beetles and grubs arranged on a leaf. Is this gross, or is it smart-eating? Entomophagy, or eating insects, has cropped up
