You probably don’t usually think of particle physics and the Great Pyramid of Giza as having much in common. In some ways, the two seem diametrically opposed: the Giza Pyramid…
Continue ReadingDrug addiction is notoriously difficult to treat. Limited treatment options are available for those suffering from addiction, including behavioral therapy, rehabilitation programs, and medication. However, current drug addiction medications are…
Continue ReadingThe recent forest fires have been wreaking havoc across California since early October. In fact, destructive wildfires are a frequent occurrence in the dry, western state. Such fires are generally bad…
Continue ReadingThe best models of how our world works are incomplete. Though they accurately describe much of what Mother Nature has thrown at us, models represent just the tip of the full…
Continue ReadingAlexandra Elbakyan will go down in history as the mastermind of Sci-Hub and perhaps as a champion for open access research. Sci-Hub is an online repository of pirated research…
Continue ReadingGot the flu? Time to start looking for your frog prince. Researchers at Emory University have identified a substance that kills influenza, the virus that causes seasonal flu. The…
Continue ReadingEarlier this year, scientists from the Belmonte lab at the Salk Institute (La Jolla, CA) reported the first successful grafting of human stem cells into pig embryos. In other words, they were…
Continue ReadingThe March for Science has drawn widespread support from a community anxious about the state of science under the new Trump administration. But while many are strongly in favor of…
Continue ReadingWho I am today is a reflection of all the sacrifices my immigrant parents made to achieve the American Dream. In the late 1970s, my parents fled the Communist takeover of…
Continue Reading“Did you hear that such-and-such causes cancer?” Every time you turn around, there is a new report about a study supposedly linking a food or ingredient to some form of…
Continue ReadingWhat happens when scientists get their hands on the remains of a dinosaur encased in ancient amber? Fortunately, life doesn’t imitate art to the extent to which we should be…
Continue ReadingIt can be tempting in science, and in life, to believe that every stone has already been turned, that the most impactful steps in your field have already been made,…
Continue ReadingBeverly Crusher. Roy Hinkley. Emmett Brown. Samantha Carter. Sheldon Cooper. The Doctor. Abby Sciuto. Temperance Brennan. What do each of these scientists have in common? From creating a Geiger counter…
Continue ReadingImage a researcher has been tasked with studying how hibernation affects a bear’s microbiota, or the collection of microorganisms residing on and in an organism. The researcher begins his day…
Continue ReadingDo you want to learn about how the material of pants affects the sex life of rats? Or about the different personalities of rocks? How about someone who invented prosthetic…
Continue ReadingHalloween is a time of year when we hanker for the horrific, ogle at the ugly, and revel in the rotten. And in this election year, we’re just as likely…
Continue ReadingThe Perseids are here! This annual meteor shower is one of the best and brightest, but this year it’s predicted to be even more spectacular. So, if you’re in a…
Continue ReadingCould you live in a world without beer? For at least 2 billion people, the answer would be a resounding “NO!” Many alcohols, like beer, exist because of a microorganism…
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