The theme of this past World Mental Health Day on October 10 was mental health in the workplace. We’ve all heard of taking a sick day for the sake of a physical ailment, such as a cold, but what about mental illness? In many cases, people are embarrassed to take a day off for the …
Author: Prentice, the Science Platypus
Prentice is the mascot of Insanitek.
Why a platypus? Well, why not? It's unusual, somewhat crazy, and evolution pretty much smashed a bunch of concepts together and said, "Try that."
Why Leaves Change Color In Fall And When They Will Change
Although the Northeast is a hot spot for leaf peeping, many early travelers have been left disappointed. Warm temperatures and an unusual weather pattern crossing the Midwest and Northeast have delayed leaf peeping in hot spots across the U.S. As Linda Lam explains for The Weather Channel, high and low temperatures have been “well-above average …
Pros and Cons of Hydroponic Produce
Editor’s note: This post has been updated and broken links removed. Please see our policy on broken hyperlinks for more. A few years ago the term “hydroponic” may have conjured up a particularly fragrant cloud in your mind, but these days the horticultural subset is becoming a more popular way of growing produce. Most big grocery stores …
Josh Gates Seeks Answers in New Series on Extraterrestrials
What happens when you bring together one of television’s quirkiest, most insightful legend hunters and throw him a supernatural twist? You get “Expedition Unknown: Hunt for Extraterrestrials” on Travel Channel. But let’s back up for a moment and take a look at the premise behind “Expedition Unknown” and how it’s contributing to both history and …
Are Hurricanes Playing a Role in Seismic Activity? [Interview]
Several strong hurricanes have made landfall over the past few months, leaving destruction in their wake, but what else are they triggering? Could they be responsible for seismic activity? We wanted to learn more about the data recently captured by seismometers amid some of the season’s strongest storms. For insight, we spoke to Stephen Hicks, …
Study: Tattoo Ink May End Up in Your Lymph Nodes
You might want to think twice before you get inked – at least for the sake of your lymph nodes. Recently, a group of researchers wanted to determine how tattoo ink is being absorbed in the body. Specifically, they honed in on particle distribution, and their results were surprising. As it turned out, many metals …
Could Climate Change Pose a Threat to….Your Morning Coffee?
What would the world look like without coffee? This is what some researchers are wondering now that they’ve looked at the impact of climate change and pollination on coffee bean plants. For a recent study, a group of scientists wanted to examine how climate change caused geographic range shifts in pollinators and major crops (Imbach …
Pumpkin Spice For the Health of It: A PSA on PSL
Weeks before the vernal equinox, hints of impending autumn arrive on the scene…caramel apples, cider, boots, and flannels. We can now add pumpkin spice to that list, thanks to its booming popularity in recent years. In fact, the number and variety of products that now come flavored or scented with pumpkin spice has reached almost …
Don’t Stand So Close to Me: The Phenomenon of Tree Crown Shyness
Most of the time, when you are walking in the woods and you look up, you will see a mass of intermingled tree branches that form a canopy above your head. But in some forests, you will see something strange. You may see a river of sky in a uniform width separating the crowns of …
1 in 3 Sick Notes from Doctors are for Mental Health
When you head to the doctor for an ailment, you might expect to get a sick note for a cold or the flu, but what about your mental health? As it turns out, sick notes for stress are not as uncommon as you might think, at least in the UK. A fit note, as it’s …