Blog

Can't We All just get Oolong? Why Different Teas Aren't So Different

I'm a tea person. This is pretty controversial in the land of good ol' hard-workin', coffee-drinkin' Americans, but I suspect there are a few of you who prefer leaf water over bean water, too. One thing that I love about tea is that there are so many different varieties. White, green, black, oolong -there's a

I Shall Call Him Squishy: The Rise of Soft Robotics

In popular culture, biologically-inspired robots play a sinister role. Movies like Blade Runner and The Terminator depict scenes of a humanoid faces split open to reveal violently grinning machines underneath. Such stories often portray machines in a dire “us vs. them” scenario. However, real life robots can have a much softer side. Taking inspiration from creatures such as jellyfish, rays, and octopuses, scientists are developing soft robots that can respond to different environments and can augment human capabilities.

“Happy Accidents:” Your Brain on Mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes. Maybe you left popcorn in the microwave too long, or wrote the wrong date on important paperwork. Maybe you asked a friend what kind of cake he wants for his surprise party, or mistook Miracle Whip for marshmallow fluff (I will never live this one down).

For every age, t, there exists hope for a great accomplishment.

In May 2013, a paper was received by the Annals of Mathematics. There were three things unusual about the event: first the author was completely unknown. Second, it claimed to prove a theorem that no one thought would be amenable to prove within a generation. Lastly, relatively speaking, the paper was pushed through the peer

Vaccine 101: Vaccines and the Law

In previous Vaccine 101 installments, we covered the history, ingredients, importance, and global impact of vaccination. Now, in our last installment, we take a look at which vaccines we receive in the United States and at what age.

Adaptation: a much longer version of Acclimatization

As my avid followers will recall, I ended my previous blog post with a brief discussion on the important distinction between acclimatization and adaptation. That blog post featured an in-depth look at acclimatization using my recent trip to Nepal as an example. For this blog post, I will focus on adaptation. Adaptation has quite a

Angelic Infants: How You've Been Saving Mom's Life Since Infancy

Babies… they go by many descriptions: miracle of life, bundle of joy, little treasure, or the best decision of ‘my' life. Heartwarming announcements of their arrival grace our Facebook pages and are immediately followed by pictures of smiley, gurgling, adorable blobs of miniature humans. Everywhere, Mothers proclaim loudly and enthusiastically that their newly-minted creations are purely angelic.

The elephant in the room: Bovine tuberculosis may be the missing piece to the tuberculosis epidemic

In 2013, an outbreak of tuberculosis occurred in Oregon. The first patient discovered to have the disease was a 20-year-old male. His pale, cold, gray skin could have been a symptom of infection with the potentially deadly tuberculosis bacteria, but for Rama the elephant, it signaled that everything was normal. In fact, if it were not for a routine check-up, Rama's tuberculosis may have never been discovered.

Dogs: Origins, Evolution, and Breed Concerns of Man's Best Friend

  “ A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.” – Josh Billings For thousands of years, dogs have faithfully served by man's side. Along the way, different breeds have emerged with distinctive personalities and skills. German shorthaired pointers are great hunting dogs while Doberman pinschers are loyal

There’s a Mastodon in My Pond

Large, mysterious bones began to emerge amongst the backhoes and mud caked boots. Construction workers were told to continue digging the reservoir. The development finally halted when a massive, warped tusk confirmed that this was no rancher's bovine cemetery. Reputable scientists flocked to the scene, eager to get their hands dirty. Time was of the

All-You-Can-Eat Activism

Sustainable eating has been working its way into the mainstream for decades now, but what does it actually mean to eat sustainably? Wikipedia defines a sustainable diet as “one that promotes food sustainability and ecological well-being.” With that vague of a definition, it's no surprise that people are implementing sustainability in their lives in very

Scroll to Top