Merry Christmyths #4: Does Cold Weather Really Lead to Colds?
The Myth:
Cold weather causes colds.
The Reality:
While frosty air itself won't give you the sniffles, you should still bundle up.
athenssciencecafe
December 24, 2017
Science & Pop. Culture
The Science of Tangled Christmas Lights
It just isn't Christmas until you've spent four hours untangling your 250 strands of 25,000 imported Italian twinkle lights.
Christmas lights spend all year in a stationary box. How do they manage to arrange themselves into such spectacular snarls? Evil elves? Christmas dark magic?
athenssciencecafe
December 23, 2017
Merry Christmyths #3: The “Sugar Rushâ€
The Myth:
Sugar makes kids hyper.
The Reality:
The sugar-hyperactivity connection is not supported by science.
athenssciencecafe
December 22, 2017
Finding Your Way Home
They say there's no place like home for the holidays… but how do you get there? If you're a bird, turtle, lobster, or even a bacteria, chances are you'll be relying on the earth's magnetic field.
athenssciencecafe
December 21, 2017
Catchy Carols (Why Holiday Songs Get Stuck in our Heads)
Christmas music: it's hard to escape this time of year. Whether you love it or hate it, you've probably had a holiday tune or two echoing in your head lately. Turns out, psychologists have an official name for this phenomenon: Involuntary Musical Imagery (INMI). While less formal terms range from “sticky music†to “melodymania,†songs that get stuck in our heads are usually referred to as earworms.
athenssciencecafe
December 20, 2017
Frogsicles
Fur coats and thick layers of blubber might be the adaptational standards for icy climates. But when it comes to braving the frosty air, the humble wood frog is simply too cool to be bothered.
athenssciencecafe
December 18, 2017
How Astronauts Celebrate the Holidays
They may not be home for Christmas, but the men and women orbiting hundreds of miles apart from the rest of humanity aren't letting that dampen their holiday spirit.
athenssciencecafe
December 17, 2017
Gift Advice From a Bird Brain
Gift-giving isn't just a human phenomenon. Our feathered friends are some of the most generous (and romantic) members of the animal kingdom, offering choice food, nests, and shiny objects to their beloved mates (or even their favorite humans).
athenssciencecafe
December 16, 2017
Merry Christmyths #1: Does the Tryptophan in Turkey Make You Sleepy?
The Myth:
Turkey's high tryptophan content is responsible for your post-holiday-dinner slump.
The Reality:
Turkey isn't any more sleep-inducing than cheddar cheese or a handful of almonds.
athenssciencecafe
December 15, 2017
A Computer-Generated Christmas Carol
To celebrate the holiday season, ASO is bringing you a science-filled 12 Days of ASO Christmas! This will be a series of ‘mini-blogs’, by Rosemary Wills, centered on the science of some of our most cherished traditions. This is the first in the series. Step aside, Bing Crosby. Computer scientists from the University of Toronto
athenssciencecafe
December 14, 2017
The Art in Science
When I was little, my favorite thing to do was draw pictures. Crisp white printer paper and a mega box of crayons were all I needed for endless hours of entertainment. My love for artistic endeavors remained with me throughout my adolescence in the form of music lessons and sketchbooks, but in elementary school, I
athenssciencecafe
December 13, 2017
This Is What A Scientist Looks Like: STEMinists
Humor me for a moment: Close your eyes and imagine a scientist. Okay, now describe what you saw. If you're artistically inclined, maybe even sketch out what you imagined on a post-it note, coffee sleeve, or napkin. With your physical sketch in hand and mental image at the front of your mind, ask yourself: Was
athenssciencecafe
December 2, 2017