There are drawbacks, of course, to doing environmental experiments in a laboratory setting. Small-scale experimentation may not yield the same results as a large-scale, real-world experiment. In a sterile lab, scientists may not be able to predict the impact of other environmental factors. A more accurate way of conducting research would be to experiments in …
Passing The Torch of Knowledge
What happens to your research when you move on to the next great thing in life? If you’re like most scientists, the lab notebooks get relegated to a bookshelf or file cabinet where they collect dust until they are either packed in a box or picked up for a court case. Every time I open …
The Life and Death of Cassini, the Saturn Probe
Cassini has been in the news as of late, and if you know anything about it, you’re likely aware of its ties to Saturn. As the NASA spacecraft ends its mission to the ringed planet, many people are torn over its eventual end – Cassini is expected to plunge itself into Saturn’s atmosphere, essentially self-destructing …
Can Frog Mucus Help Your Body Fight Off the Flu?
They say you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find your prince. Now, you might have to do it to avoid the flu. At least this is what some scientists are hinting with the findings in a new study. According to their research, certain molecules found in frog mucus can potentially combat the …
Study: This is Your Brain on LSD
What happens when your brain is on a hallucinogenic drug like LSD? As it turns out, scientists say it can help you achieve a higher level of consciousness. This comes from scientists at the University of Sussex, The University of Auckland, and Imperial College London. The researchers wanted to measure the consciousness levels of humans …
Less Trans Fats Means Less Hospitalizations, But Why?
A new study recently suggested that there may be a link between hospitalizations in regions where there are few regulations on trans fats, compared to their counterparts. To draw their conclusions, researchers analyzed data on 3.3 million people from 25 counties in New York without trans fats restrictions. To compare, they looked at 8.4 million …
American Chestnut: An American Comeback Story
The story of the American chestnut tree reads a bit like the plot of a good comeback story. The once mighty champion falls on hard times and is nearly defeated until a devoted team of supporters rallies around to stage a triumphant return. In this case, the champion is the American chestnut, once the mighty …
Defeating Ignorance, One Adult At A Time
Is fat bad or good for us? What about eggs? And our precious coffee? Well, it depends. Back in the 90s, I remember my mother clearing all fats out of the house and banning eggs. She had read a study stating that they were bad for the health. Plasticy non-fat cheese, sugar-laden, non-fat yoghurt became …
Record Number of Right Whales Visit Cape Cod
They may be endangered, but that doesn’t mean they’re impossible to spot in the wild. The North Atlantic right whales are in Cape Cod Bay, feeding on plankton and putting on a show for locals. According to an aerial survey team, there are 112 of them swimming between the Cape Cod Canal and Provincetown, Massachusetts. …
Mice Were “Domesticated” About 15,000 Years Ago By Humans
You might say “Eek!” when you think of a mouse potentially residing in your house, but what if you knew that these little creatures were actually domesticated by humans? They might not be your standard household pet, but mice have been groomed over time to live alongside us in our humble abodes. At least this …