Life Science

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

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.

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

The science behind fighting elephant poaching

I was always dimly aware of elephant poaching for ivory, but it didn't alarm me until I spent a year working as a tropical ecology research assistant in central Africa. I was in Gabon, a heavily forested small country in the heart of the Congo basin on Africa's west coast. Gabon is home to roughly

The Force is Strong with this … Fruit Fly??

Welcome to Star Wars week here at the Athens Science Observer. To help celebrate May the 4th – Star Wars Day –  we wanted to take a look at the real life science of that galaxy far far away. “Midi-chlorians.” For many Star Wars fans, this word alone can set off rage-induced rants. The Prequel

The Antibiotic Resistance Crisis

Alexander Fleming's discovery of penicillin in 1928 has been heralded as one of the most monumental medical discoveries of all time. Amazingly, this discovery was entirely accidental. After returning from a long vacation, Fleming noticed that a culture of Staphylococcus aureus was contaminated with mold. After observing the culture under a microscope, he found that

Open Arms and Stocked Fridge: The Evolutionary Strength of Grandmothers

I don't know where I would be without my abuela. As my mother's mother, she is so much more than just a convenient and free babysitter. Sure, abuela took care of me when mom had to work, but she also sang with me on our walks home after school. She's the one I call when

Zika Virus: The Deadliest Animals on Earth Strike Again

“Zika virus could be bigger global health threat than Ebola, say health experts” – The Guardian “Zika Virus a Global Health Emergency, W.H.O. Says” – The New York Times “Zika virus raises more questions than answers for pregnant women” – Los Angeles Times Mosquito season is about to swing into full force here in the

Science Non-Fiction: Human Genetic Manipulation

In October 1997, the Sci-Fi drama Gattaca was released on the big screen in the United States. The film takes place in a dystopian future where genetically-engineered humans are superior to unaltered ones.  Its protagonist, Ethan Hawk, is born as an “invalid” (someone without genetic engineering) and has to assume the identity of a “valid”

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