Before geologist and oceanographer, Marie Tharp, proved them wrong, most scientists believed the ocean’s floor was a smooth, flat, unimpressive expanse. But in 1952, Tharp, a brilliant geologist who had been relocated to a cramped basement office in New York City, because of the superstition that women bring bad luck at sea, she was not …
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."
Can Vaping Do Damage to Your Lungs? One Study Says Yes
There has been little research done about the harm of electronic cigarettes and vaping thus far, but new data suggests that there could be something to worry about, particularly when it comes to our cells. Researchers from the University of Birmingham recently conducted a study that was published in the journal Thorax, which found that …
Doctors Now Advise Pregnant Women to Steer Clear of Marijuana
There is plenty of information out there about the dangers of smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol during pregnancy, but what about marijuana use? For the first time, the American Academy of Pediatrics has released its guidelines for marijuana use during pregnancy and breast-feeding, and the outlook is relatively bleak. According to the guidelines, women should …
Lacking This Biomarker? It Could Be Responsible for Your Depression
There is still little known about what biologically may predispose individuals to depression, but researchers are getting closer to solving the mystery. As of late, scientists have discovered a biomarker that they believe may be an indicator of depression in adults. A new study conducted by Stanford University and The Rockefeller University discovered that people …
Study Finds that Pushing Picky Eaters Does No Good
Picky eaters are a common challenge for parents, but does it help to force them to eat their vegetables? Researchers at the University of Michigan wanted to answer the question of whether parents should pressure their children into eating food they don’t like. Furthermore, they wanted to find out whether doing so affected the child’s …
Glacier Divers: Studying Glaciers from the Inside Out
Glaciers are vital geographical features, in part because they serve as an indicator for the overall health of the planet. A hot-button environmental issue today is the loss of mass of most of the world’s glacier ice due to global climate change. To get a better idea of the overall health of a glacier, and …
Nature: The Best Medicine for PTSD
What can nature teach us about post-traumatic stress disorder? As it turns out, there is a lot to be said about its impact on people suffering from the condition. Psychologists from UC Berkeley recently wanted to determine how nature plays a role – if any – in the treatment of PTSD (Anwar, 2018). They looked …
Dehydrated? It May Soon Weigh on Your Mental Performance
Are you thirsty? Before you answer yes or no, take a moment to think about how your cognitive abilities have been as of late. Has your mind been feeling sluggish? As it turns out, there may be a link between the two things. Mindy Millard-Stafford, director of the Exercise Physiology Laboratory at Georgia Institute of …
Starbucks Says Good-bye to Plastic Straws
You might not think twice about the plastic straw you use to sip your favorite beverage, but one company is now putting a lot of thought into it – Starbucks. The global coffee chain has announced that it will immediately begin phasing out drinking straws from its 28,000 stores. They will be eliminated almost entirely …
Does Screen Time Increase the Risk of Childhood ADHD?
What does screen time have to do with the development of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? Apparently a lot, according to a new study. Recently, Adam Leventhal of USC’s Health, Emotion and Addiction Laboratory and colleagues decided to take a look at how screen time – if any – played a role in ADHD symptoms …