What encouraged some water species to evolve into land-based creatures? This is what some scientists attempted to determine by analyzing the bodies of terrestrial vertebrates that existed about 385 million years ago. (MacIver, Schmitz, Mugan, Murphey, & Mobley, 2017) They found that their eyes – rather than their limbs – may have played a large …
What if you could improve your memory over time? Many of us assume that our memories deteriorate as we age, and while that may be true for some, it doesn’t have to be our ultimate fate. This is what some scientists hypothesize now that they’ve examined others with excellent memories. In a recent study published …
The Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides Marcellus) and the Common Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) are both evolutionary misfits. A cursory glance at both may fail to yield a connection but a closer look shows a complex relationship between the butterfly and the fruit tree that gives us insight into the evolutionary path of both. Let us first examine …
A quick Google search on career prep advice in the sciences is disappointing. The first few hits assume the only thing you want to be is a professor. Industry, independent, and research scientists are all lacking, not to mention any axillary jobs, like lab techs. This post aims to make a more inclusive list of …
A recent worry I’ve heard from some of our homeschoolers and independent scientists alike is how to do research successfully from the comfort of their home. You’d be surprised to know that a great deal of science and research can be done from home provided you pay attention to laws and regulations. I beg you …
Some people speculate that most dinosaurs had feathers, while others still believe it’s up for debate. We may not end the discussion anytime soon, but a new study has revealed additional details to help us draw more accurate conclusions. In a report published in Nature Communications, researchers shared what they found when they used high-powered …
Taking a dip in the pool might feel like relief on a hot summer day, but have you thought about what’s in the water? Long-time readers might remember that we’ve already covered some of the icky bacteria that can be found in the ocean. Now, swimmers could be facing unnerving bacteria in enclosed environments as …
If you were looking for a new place to set up shop in the universe, you may be in luck. Seven new temperate terrestrial planets have been discovered by scientists, as published in a study in Nature (Gillon et al., 2017). It is the first time that scientists have found so many terrestrial planets orbiting …
Do you find yourself getting stressed out over the conversations you see happening on social media? If so, you’re not alone, according to new research from the American Psychological Association (Shanker, 2017). Recently, researchers took a look at how Americans are bearing the brunt of what they see on social media. They conducted the “Stress in …
In most parts of the country, the term “lake-effect” has little meaning. But there are a few places where this hyphenated adjective carries with it a sense of foreboding. That’s because lake-effect snow, particularly robust and prolific snow showers, are capable of dumping several feet of snow on the cities and town in their path. …