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Why Computers Can't Do Everything

In the modern computing world, many tech companies want you to believe that the limitations of computing do not exist. In this idealized world, computers seem to have the ability to do everything, and all your tech giants (Google, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, etc.) are working tirelessly to reach this reality. They will throw out buzzwords,

The Amazing Spider-Man: Fiction or A Transgenic Reality?

Spider-Man is one of comic's most recognizable characters. As one of the most tragic superheros in the Marvel universe, Peter Parker has endured it all – high school bullying, awkward romance, and even the death of his Uncle Ben. No matter what the Marvel universe throws at him, Peter takes it in stride, allowing readers

The Cutting Edge of Ant Civilization

We're familiar with ants as picnic-skimming and foot-biting pests, but just below the soil's surface, ants live surprisingly complex and intricate lives. The leaf cutting ants, or leaf cutters, live in a way that's particularly alien to us, as the dominant herbivore (or perhaps “fungivore”) of South American rainforests. Ant colonies as superorganisms Rather than

You used to call me on my cell phone…

My baby brother is 16, a rising high school junior. As much as I love him, he can really be a pain. He's too smart to take advice, too cool to be silly, too busy to bother. “You were just like him”, my parents tell me. Obviously the 10 year gap between my adolescence and

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

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