Technology

Hey Doc, U up?

Ever since the new iPhones were announced, millions of people have been pondering one of life's most important questions: to upgrade or not to upgrade? For me, the newly improved camera could take my Instagram game to a whole new level. For others, retinal scanning could help secure important business emails. Whether you use your phone to post pictures of your vacation, respond to important emails, or stalk an ex-boyfriend, there's no denying that phones have become integral parts of our lives. For people without access to healthcare, cell phones can help save their lives. Even in Africa, 93% of people have access to cell phone service. This has spurred scientists to find ways to make diagnosing, treating, or tracking diseases as easy as using an app on your phone.

athenssciencecafe November 2, 2017

Computers Detecting Sarcasm? Great!

Ahh sarcasm. Whether you love it or hate it, sarcastic comments have become quite common on the Internet. This is especially true on sites where people are more likely to express their opinions, such as blog posts, product reviews, social media, message boards, etc. By its very nature, sarcasm can be pretty ambiguous which makes

athenssciencecafe October 25, 2017

The Structure of Color

When I was young I learned that the colors I saw in the world were due to materials absorbing certain wavelengths of light and reflecting others. Leaves appear green because the chlorophyll in plant cells absorbs blue and red light and reflects green. While this holds true for most natural materials, it turns out that nature has more than one way of making color. Many of the most striking colors found in nature often occur through the development of structural coloration. For instance, the absurdly bright colors of butterfly wings, beetle scales, day gecko skin, bird feathers and even certain berries all come from structural color.

athenssciencecafe September 28, 2017

Mo’ Data, Mo’ Problems

Anyone who has read my previous post on “Why Computers Can't do Everything” knows the Information Technology industry has an uncanny ability to generate a variety of buzzwords to try to convince the public that their computing capability has no limits. In fact, these “buzzwords” have generated so much public interest that Gartner, Inc., a

athenssciencecafe July 11, 2017

I Shall Call Him Squishy: The Rise of Soft Robotics

In popular culture, biologically-inspired robots play a sinister role. Movies like Blade Runner and The Terminator depict scenes of a humanoid faces split open to reveal violently grinning machines underneath. Such stories often portray machines in a dire “us vs. them” scenario. However, real life robots can have a much softer side. Taking inspiration from creatures such as jellyfish, rays, and octopuses, scientists are developing soft robots that can respond to different environments and can augment human capabilities.

athenssciencecafe June 1, 2017

Out There With the Old, In with New: The James Webb Space Telescope

What is the fate of the universe? Will it keep expanding forever? What did some of the first galaxies look like? Why are we here? The Hubble Space Telescope was commissioned to answer just these sorts of queries – well, except for that last one, you're on your own there. Indeed, Hubble has shed clarity

athenssciencecafe April 5, 2017

Vaccine 101: What's in there?

As we continue Vaccine 101 we move from history to the recipe for a vaccine. Throughout our lives we eat food, drink beverages, and use products on our bodies and around our homes. We do not always know what these things are made of, but we ingest them and use them anyways. Of these foods and products, many people have expressed concerns about what is being injected into their bodies when they get a vaccination. Much like a recipe for brownies, the ingredients that go into a vaccine all serve a specific purpose. But what exactly are these ingredients? What is their purpose?

athenssciencecafe March 29, 2017

Vaccine 101: A History Lesson

Today vaccination is considered a normal part of childhood and life for many. But do you know the origins of this life saving scientific discovery? Who were the big players and when? Hop in your TARDIS, DeLorean, or time machine of choice to take a trip back in time with me to visit some of the major milestones in the history of vaccinations.

athenssciencecafe March 18, 2017

Going Bananas Over CRISPR

Americans buy bananas in larger quantities than apples and oranges combined. However, this favorite potassium-filled fruit could soon go extinct. Panama disease, caused by a new strain of fungus called Tropical Race 4 (TR4), is slowly spreading around the world and causing entire crops of bananas to be eradicated.

athenssciencecafe March 9, 2017

Can we SCIENCE! our way out of climate change?

Climate change is happening. What should we do about it? With climate change, we can expect serious consequences, including destruction of coastal communities by sea level rise, increased frequency of deadly heat waves, and worsening of crop-decimating draughts. Many of us have been hearing the same story for years: we need to cut carbon emissions

athenssciencecafe November 4, 2016

The Origins of Rocketry

Curious about how rockets get into the sky? Join Graham as he discusses the origins of rocket engines and the history behind the technology that is still in use today. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/289960354″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /] Sources: Robert Goddard, Goddard's Experiments, Scott Manley's Rocket Plumbing Image Credit: RS-25 engine test (for NASA’s New Rocket) By NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center Flickr: https://flic.kr/p/qsyGca (No

athenssciencecafe October 25, 2016

Stay Connected

Twitter Instagram Facebook-f

Subscribe

Scroll to Top