Coronavirus: How Do Pandemics Spread?
Coronavirus COVID-19: Dr. Joe Hanson, from It’s OK to Be Smart gives us a fantastic explanation of the paradox of pandemics and the science of epidemics.
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Megabiota, Largest Life, Vital to Biosphere
By Mackenzie Myers @kenzwrites Large organisms such as whales, elephants, and redwoods are often featured in awe-inspiring nature documentaries, but they’re more than just oohs and ahs. Their existence or extinction could make or break the planet as we know it. Megabiota—the largest plants and animals—are more likely than smaller organisms to go extinct as a result of climate change. And the rest of us could be in big trouble if they do, according to a recent study. The charisma conundrum Think of successful conservation campaigns. Which animals are deemed…
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Diverse Scientific Superstars
Diverse scientific superstars: Chemistry and computer science have historically excluded women and minority groups from their sphere of privilege.
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Transcribing Torrey: Unearthing History with the New York Botanical Garden
Botanist John Torrey helped identify and name thousands of species. Now the New York Botanical Garden wants your help going through thousands of his papers documenting early American field expeditions and plant finds.
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Social Media and Vaccine Misinformation
The type of media people use to inform their health decisions has an effect on vaccine misinformation spread and trust in medical expertise.
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Photographing Starlink Satellites For Science
SpaceX and others plan to launch thousands of new satellites into low-Earth orbit, creating streaks that cut through astronomers’ images. Now educators at NASA are asking citizen scientists to help document the problem.
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Ants’ Love of Pee May Reduce Greenhouse Gas
Ants consume urine for its nitrogen content, and a new study shows that this helps ants thrive in sandy habitats and may even reduce greenhouse gases.
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Diverse Scientific Superstars: A Celebratory Parade
Part 1: Space Travel & Environmental Conservation By Micah Miles (@MC_Miles1), Daniela Zarate (@daniela.x.zarate), Gracia Arellano, & Jessica Monterrosa Mena for The Biota Project (@thebiotaproject) Google the word ‘scientist’ and prepare for a wave of heteronormative white men to inundate your search results. The broad disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics comprise the four branches of the mighty STEM umbrella, covering topics as diverse as squid toxins and artificial intelligence. Unfortunately, the diversity of the scientists conducting the research does not often match the broad diversity of the science…
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Clearing the Air in the Historic West End
Equipped with air quality sensors, an African American neighborhood in Charlotte, North Carolina, is trying to reverse decades of environmental injustice.
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Toxoplasma Infection Makes Mice More Brave
By Mackenzie Myers, @kenzwrites Quiet as a mouse. Timid as a mouse. When’s the last time you heard a mouse described as brave? The scientific community has already established that a parasite carried by cats and their feces, Toxoplasma gondii, causes infected mice to lose their fear of feline predators. But a new study from researchers at the University of Geneva and the University of Toronto points to a decrease in anxiety that may be less specific than previously thought, giving mice a one-size-fits-all fearlessness. What is Toxoplasmosis? T. gondii,…
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