Odds are if you've taken a walk in the woods you've noticed twisted, shaggy vines dipping down from the tree canopy and anchored to the forest floor. As signs of spring appear, these vines will come to life, unfurling new tendrils and ravenously reaching for the sun. Growing upwards of six inches in diameter and
It's 3:30 in the morning. As Lucy Bartholomew's mother braids her hair, she asks, “did you sleep?â€, to which Lucy responds, “a littleâ€. It's a few hours before the start of one of the most grueling races in the world. At 22 years old, Lucy is one of the youngest participants ever. Lucy has competed
Last week, I received an email from Brandless, an online store that specializes in affordable, healthy, and environmentally-conscious products. Their email was advertising their new line of “tree-free†products – paper products that are made from bamboo and sugarcane, rather than trees. I strive to be environmentally conscious, but I am also a person who
What do frog skin, horseshoe crab blood, and a llama named Winter all have in common? All three were part of studies that have been awarded Golden Goose awards, a designation given to strange sounding but ground-breaking federally funded research. Frog skin was used in experiments to determine the mechanism underlying cholera and directly led
What becomes of species that no longer exist, or bygone narratives of human history? Where do scientists go for answers when our questions span continents and centuries? For the answer to these questions and so many more, we need museums. Natural history museums in particular serve as the nexus between research and people, spanning numerous
Although rewriting the code of life seems like a daunting task, scientists have managed to do just that. You've probably heard of CRISPR technology, a burgeoning genetic tool that has seen use in a multitude of applications, from treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy in mice to making crops more sustainable. The technology offers a method of
“I think my career was negatively impacted by being a woman,†said Ellen Neidle, professor of microbiology at the University of Georgia (UGA), who has a doctorate in molecular, developmental, and cellular biology. “I always thought that women could do everything. It was a pretty big shock to me when I first realized that wasn't
In late 2019, astronomers across the U.S. began to notice mysterious streaks of light passing through their images—clusters of the private company SpaceX's Starlink satellites. With 955 of these satellites launched so far, founder Elon Musk aims to create a “mega-constellation†of satellites in the low Earth orbit (LEO), designed to provide global broadband Internet
Trees are all over, above us and below us. They connect soil to the atmosphere. They create forests and confer their beauty on our city. In Athens we have the tree that famously owns itself, a white oak. Maybe you've taken a stroll through Oconee Forest Park or noticed the smell of the woods on
Every holiday season, I've struggled to explain to my family of accountants, firefighters, and lawyers why basic science research is important. They never seem to believe that my work on frog-eating bats is anywhere near as important as applied research aimed at curing disease or addressing world hunger. What they don't seem to understand is
Trees have received a lot of press lately. As wildfires tore through forests worldwide, President Donald Trump blamed the devastation on poor forest management. Meanwhile, the United States formalized a commitment to planting trees to restore our climate. The world's governments and scientists are grappling with how we both protect and manage forests. What should
A text comes in. It reads “Meet me at the abandoned gas station past Lexington and Thomas.†The car starts up and heads down the dimly lit streets. Soon, headlights illuminate the dark gas station. There is already a truck parked behind the shuttered garage. The buyer opens their car door and steps toward the
