Science Communication

Food for thought: fear or facts?

Words hold a lot of power, especially when specific words mean different things to different people. Recently, there have been a lot of articles with headlines saying, “There are cancer-causing chemicals in food!” with little to no scientific explanation. How is the general public supposed to understand what the real data says or what that

Laying the Next Stone: Research into a Rare Disease

Imagine yourself in this scenario: in a village, each person is given a stone to build a pathway for their community. The first stone was set by your ancestors, and their only instructions are to place the next stone, including yours, adjacent to another stone. Each stone has its own shape and size. Some are

Troubled waters: A looming threat facing the Okefenokee Swamp

Stretching over 438,000 acres, the Okefenokee Swamp is the largest blackwater wetland ecosystem on the North American continent. It is protected by the largest national wildlife refuge and the third largest wilderness area, respectively, east of the Mississippi River. The swamp is home to over 850 plant species and over 400 vertebrate species, many of

The U.S. Blood Shortage: Why This Crisis Matters

The American Red Cross, which is responsible for nearly half of the U.S. blood donation, has declared an emergency blood shortage as of December 2024. A stocked blood supply is essential, often meaning the difference between life and death for patients undergoing surgeries, suffering traumatic injuries from car accidents, experiencing childbirth complications, or battling chronic

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Who gives a hoot? A wildlife management tale of two owls

If you’ve spent a significant amount of time on the South campus of the University of Georgia, you’ve probably heard talk of the “Warnowl,” and maybe even seen it once or twice. Students have affectionately awarded this name to the barred owl that frequents the trees surrounding the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources

Two Steps to Better Communicate Science With Clarity

I remember when I fell in love with science. It was when I saw the T. Rex for the first time in Jurassic Park. This book and movie, despite their flaws in technical science, made a career in molecular biology seem easy, especially because they recreated dinosaurs. The author and director of the movie took

The U.S. Courthouse built in 1930 by architect James A. Wetmore. First floor WPA Mural.

The Hoof or the Boot? Phylogenetics as Historical Evidence

“Pueblo Revolt 1680” by Loren Mozley. Public Domain. The horse is thought of as a symbol of the American West, but when and how domesticated horses arrived has been a matter of controversy. Lakota oral histories described the arrival of the horse occurring prior to the arrival of the Spanish colonizers. However, the Spanish (and

An ode to herbalism, seeking help outside of disparities

A brief history of herbalism Herbalism began to grow its roots many years ago through African and Indigenous American culture and practices. It seeks to combine the knowledge of plants and plant extracts for healing purposes, whether that is mental, physical, or spiritual healing. Specific herbs are utilized for their ability to treat specific ailments.

Peanut Evolution: From Mini to Jumbo

While I was at my uncle's house this summer, I was looking after my 10-year-old cousin. He was enjoying his peanut butter and jelly sandwich and at a certain point he asked me:  “Where does peanut butter come from?”  “From peanuts.”  “Where do peanuts come from?”  “From a peanut plant.”  While he was satisfied and

The rift between us: how jargon isolates scientists

“Therefore, the overall objective of this project is to characterize the changes in mitochondrial metabolism in early VML injury and determine how these contribute to the total decline of muscle contractile and oxidative function.” This was the sentence I used to describe the purpose of my dissertation project to my advisory committee. To them, it

Universal Flu Vaccines: Beyond the Seasonal Jab

Sore throat? Stuffy nose? Influenza, or flu, is a nuisance for many every year, causing unwelcome respiratory discomfort that goes away after a few days for most. In some, it can cause more severe disease and even death. Every year, we can get a seasonal flu vaccine to protect ourselves against the virus. But there

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