Science in real-world culture and claims: open access, opinion, “voodoo science,” science in movies/TV, reality checks, and social implications of science.
You open your feed between errands and find a warning: something in your water, food, or neighborhood may be harming your family. There is a screenshot, a scientific-sounding explanation, and an urgent instruction to share it. Being frightened by a claim does not make it true. Wanting it to be false does not make it …
You fill water bottles, cook pasta, make coffee, and trust that the tap is doing its ordinary job. Then a post suggests that something is being added to the water supply to affect how people think. Even after the post is gone, it can leave behind a hard question: Do I need to worry? And …
Every winter snow brings snow drifts. Silent, soft snow drifts that wait for the playful spring of a puppy or child to send flakes flying. They can be a few minutes of joy until the play is worn down from exhaustion or a disaster lurking on the roads. The reality is we overlook a simple, …
Pesticides are chemicals generally used in agriculture, in order to prevent diseases, pests, weeds and other kinds of plant pathogens. The final aim of pesticides is to maintain high quality in agricultural production and yield and also improve the external appeal of fruits and vegetables. Despite sometimes not being noticed by the public, there some …
Legends from antiquity talk of two different weapons used in warfare, Greek fire and the Archimedes death ray. In fact, both of these weapons have been mentioned in some of the popular medieval fantasy books, movies, and television series, like Game of Thrones. But what exactly were these two cool-sounding ancient weapons and could they …
It’s not a surprise that the apiary field, and honey, has a pretty decent economic impact. After all, without bees to pollinate many foods, we’d be in terrible shape. That’s why when the bees started to decline, the CDC opened a dialogue between a variety of academic fields to get a full scope on what …
Many people associate dementia — the degenerative brain disease that causes memory loss, confusion and speech problems — with the elderly. However, the fact of the matter is that the disease does not discriminate according to age. This is at least what doctors are seeing in the UK. According to the Alzheimer’s Society, about 850,000 …
Born into slavery in 1864, George Washington Carver used his natural scientific curiosity and the power of education to become one of the leading agricultural scientists of his day. He advocated that southern farmers rotate their crops between cotton, which quickly depletes the soil, and peanuts, which added nitrogen to the soil. His concept of …
Before you run your next mile, think about what it might be doing to your brain. As it turns out, physical activity may be benefiting your overall cognitive ability, according to new research. A group of scientists recently reviewed data from dozens of studies on older adults. They discovered that those who exercised an average …
What is the hottest chili pepper in the world? According to Guinness World Records, as of 2013, it is the Carolina Reaper, and it’s no joke. In terms of Scoville Heat Units (SHU), the Carolina Reaper scores about 1,569,300. The average jalapeno pepper hovers between 2,500 and 8,000 SHU, signifying the intensity of the Reaper. …