For the remaining Saturdays in the blogathon, I’m featuring creative and fun science videos. This one made the online rounds a few years ago, but it’s still one of the best general explanations of the Large Hadron Collider that I’ve seen. And, it’s catchy, too. Check out the rapper, alpinekat, also known as Kate McAlpine.
No, I’m not riffing on 10 squared, or even the the discovery that DNA sequences called genes are combined into packets called chromosomes (100 years ago). No, today marks this blog’s 100th post. I’ve offered my own version of how to become a science writer (in 10 not-so-easy guidelines) and the cultural divide between my…
I tend to think of bees in hives, but three out of four species of these pollinators strike out on their own. A newly discovered species, O. avosetta, lines its underground nests with flower petals. Two teams of researchers found these unusual nests in Turkey and in Iran. From the American Museum of Natural History…
I can’t imagine not being awed by massive air-breathing creatures that move through the water. Whales are smart creatures that live in a dark, alternative Earth-world, where sound is the dominant sense. This weekend I got a chance to see this wonderful exhibition from New Zealand— complete with two sperm whale skeletons and a life-size model…
Mars, the many missions to study the planet, and the question: is there or was there some kind of life on the planet? When I was working on a Mars-related story recently, a researcher pointed me to this hilarious Dutch commercial. Not a bad way to pass the time while we wait.
Webb of Science has been on the road this weekend, celebrating a Ph.D. commencement in the family. Congratulations to my sister, the most recent Dr. Webb. To get to the commencement ceremony, we’re having to dodge the marathon (scheduled for the same day?). But outside of the inconvenience, it’s actually pretty symbolic. I often characterize…
It depends on where you visit, but maybe a little of both. This NY Times article from last week tries to distill apart the complex reaction of visitors within the vessel of a science museum and sniff the ether of what’s to come. A science museum is a kind of experiment. It demands the most elaborate equipment: Imax…
From a science perspective, the great frozen stuff is the unsung hero in all these sports. Its slick surface (and low friction) allow skates, skis, snowboards, sleds, and curling stones to slide smoothly, with a lot of help from some talented athletes, who have trained for years. Of course, it also creates all kinds of…
It’s the end of an era. The rover team has decided to leave Spirit where she is. Other than getting the solar panels in better position to catch sunlight, the rover will become a stationary science center. This morning, the NY Times had a story that didn’t sound particularly optimistic. But this afternoon, the rover…
Back to my favorite space topic– the Spirit rover. I’m fascinated by the meticulous science and engineering effort going into an obvious obstacle: a robot stuck in the sand. The only problem? The robot and the sand are millions of miles away. So far, even though it’s been 8 months, Spirit’s still stuck. But scientists…