The birds were once one of the largest population of seabirds seen along the Atlantic coast. Then, in the early 18th century, they rapidly disappeared. Dr. Scott Melvin, who discovered the crane’s breeding ground in 2000 and monitored the birds for a decade, never discovered their migratory route. This past year, professional ornithologist, Matthew Halley, noticed the …
Fixing Science Communication with Viputheshwar Sitaraman
Science communication is broken. The media doesn’t know how to read it well, the general public gets lost, and eyes glaze over at a prodigious rate. There is a widening gap between scientists and the general public. While this gap widens, the ridicule about why scientists are studying what they study increases. I had a …
Jokes Aside, Buzz Aldrin Sheds Light on the ‘Need’ to Explore Mars
We all know Buzz Aldrin is a brave man, but bold may also be suitable word to describe him. Recently, Aldrin posted a photo to Twitter (Yes, he has one!) depicting him with a “Get Your Ass to Mars” T-shirt in front of the famous Stonehenge. The tweet itself reads, “While at @EH_Stonehenge yesterday I …
Bill Gates Says We Aren’t Ready Prepared for a Global Epidemic
Microsoft Founder Bill Gates wrote an opinion piece for the New York Times that went live on March 18, and it provided plenty of food for thought on the recent Ebola crisis. Stemming from the health crisis, which took thousands of lives in West Africa, Gates proclaimed that the world is simply not ready to deal with …
Stressed and Depressed? You May Be More Likely to Have a Heart Attack
Feeling stressed or depressed? Keep an eye on your heart health. A new study published in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes shows that people who have high levels of stress and depression are 48 percent more likely to die of a heart attack. This was compared to a group of people with low levels of …
Mysterious Siberian Craters Could Pose a Threat to the Lives of Locals
What if you had to constantly live in fear of an explosion right beneath your feet? This is what some locals near the Yamal Peninsula of Russia are facing. Giant craters have been discovered across Siberia, and now scientists are speculating that they may have been caused by natural explosions. Initially, the craters were revealed …
You Might Look Better to Your Date After 1 Drink, But Not After 2
You and your friends might joke about a man or a woman at the bar “looking better” after a couple of drinks but did you know that there is some science behind these claims? A new study published in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism decided to take a look at how alcohol impacts perception. Forty students at …
Sea Levels Along the Northeast Coast Rise 4 Inches in Just 2 Years
What if you were told that your house would be completely under water within the next 50 years? Could you imagine all of your belongings under the sea? The hypothetical scenario is starting to scare people along the Northeast coast of the U.S., who saw their sea levels rise almost four inches between 2009 and …
The magic and wonders of blue coral
Editor’s note: This post has been updated and broken links removed. Please see our policy on broken hyperlinks for more. In honour of “Jewel Day“, a quirky national holiday that is hidden among other random holidays in the US, I wanted to write about a material that Florence of Florence’s Jewel Shop uses in several …
Wake Up! Sleeping In May Be Increasing Your Risk of a Stroke
It always seems like there isn’t enough time in a day to get everything done, and when it comes down to the wire, sleep is often the first thing to go. This much-needed period of rest is essential to keeping you going during the day, but what happens when you get too much? A new …