Environment

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

There’s a Fungus Among Us! And Not in a Good Way…

For years a microscopic killer has been sweeping through amphibian populations, taking them down one species at a time. Scientists have been at a loss for how this bite-sized butcher has unleashed a plague of biblical proportions across many ecosystems.  Is there any hope for our four-legged friends?  Or will they simply croak? While some

It’s good to be different

Evolution runs on the principle of “survival of the fittest”- individuals that are better suited to their environment will be able to survive and reproduce more successfully. Following this logic, one would think that only the ‘good' (advantageous) genes are passed on through generations, and the ‘bad' (disadvantageous) genes are eventually eradicated. Thus, it is

The Fungal Connection – They come in peace to all plantkind

The Lorax isn't the only one who speaks for the trees. In the shadow of virtually all earthly plants, an unlikely organism has woven its way into inter-species harmony, and in the process constructed a vast community more cooperative than some human societies. This microscopic diplomat is none other than the humble fungus. Contrary to

Shake a Leg! Or a Branch…The Movement of Trees Under Climate Change

Florida torreya's (Torreya taxifolia) current habitats are threatened by climate change. The Torreya Guardians, a self-organized group of scientists and informed citizens, took it upon themselves in 2008 to move this tree species to new, suitable habitats north of its native range. This was the first assisted migration of an endangered species in the United

The World's Largest Lake is at Stake

Why is the world's largest body of freshwater (by volume), Lake Baikal, currently in danger and why does it matter so much? It is known for its unmatched biodiversity and happens to hold 20% of the world's freshwater. This impressive combination certainly makes it worthy of global attention. To better understand what's at stake, let's

More Than Just a Pretty Song

Birds the world over greet the morning with their songs. Some are hauntingly melodic, like that of the hermit thrush. Others sound liquid and alien, like brown headed cow-birds, who as brood parasites are raised in the nests of other birds. Whether bird songs lighten your spirits or simply wake you from peaceful slumber (blue

Sorry, Peter Parker: Why Radiation Isn't as Cool as You Thought

In the sci-fi world, radiation is synonymous with super powers. Peter Parker became Spider Man thanks to an overzealous radioactive spider, and when a group of scientists were bombarded by radiation in space, they became the Fantastic Four. In the real world, however, radiation is viewed a bit differently. If radiation means “super powers” in

The Beauty Behind Ugly Food

We live in a society that is obsessed with perfection. We expect perfection in our own bodies, faces, jobs and even in our food. We are all guilty of it. Imagine you are in the grocery store faced with the choice of organic or regular apples. Upon closer inspection you find the organic apples are

Inbreeding in the Animal Kingdom: What's the big deal?

  [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/282604981″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /] References: Source 1, Source 2, Source 3, Source 4, Source 5 The music in this podcast was provided by https://soundcloud.com/maverick_xander. About the Author Tyus Williams is an Undergraduate student at UGA studying in Wildlife Biology. He has a passion in Wildlife Conservation with goals to focus on the preservation of

Combating Climate Change with Photosynthesis

Fossil fuels are ingrained in American history. If you have ever driven a car, flown in an airplane, or heated your home, you have used fossil fuels. These fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) account for 85% of fuel use in the United States, and our dependence on them has become an increasingly important issue.

Three's a… Lichen?

Perhaps it's my tendency to root for the underdog, but I love to see researchers challenge long-standing scientific dogma. Some of my favorite underdogs of this variety include Copernicus who determined we live in a heliocentric solar system rather than a geocentric one and Marshall and Warren who discovered that ulcers are caused by Heliobacter

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