The Biota Project

The Biota Project is a mixed-media science communication and outreach organization taking a grass roots approach for connecting underrepresented communities to symbiotic relationships in nature and society since 2013. This nonpartisan educational community empowerment organization bridges connections between science and research with community leaders and grassroots activists to promote mutual understanding, collaboration, and social change. They empower communities to ensure that research and education are accessible and equitable through research development, original content creation, communication strategies, and community outreach. The Biota Project affiliation with Science Connected is led by Dr. Sabah Ul-Hasan. To learn more, visit www.thebiotaproject.org.

white concrete building under blue sky during daytime with demolition in progress

Does Old Concrete Get Recycled?

If we tear down concrete buildings, can the material be reused? Read on to find out why recycling concrete is not so easy. By Reshmi Thampy Concrete is the most used material globally, second only to water, and aggregates comprise 60–70 percent of its volume ...
SuperbOwl: Image credit: Alexas_Fotos via Pixabay

Five Ways to Prepare for SuperbOwl Sunday

What is SuperbOwl Sunday? A great time to get involved in citizen science with this roundup of great data collection projects! By Bob Hirshon SuperbOwl Sunday is the most exciting day of the year for owl-lovers all over the world! This is the day when ...
SciStarter logo with snowflakes on a blue background.

Indoorsy Citizen Science Projects

It's cold outside! Stay in with some fun citizen science projects you can do from your living room. The SciStarter Blog Even if cold, cloudy weather has you avoiding the outdoors, that doesn’t mean you need to resign yourself to boredom (or Netflix). Hundreds of ...
structural sexism and memory decline pictured as a woman holding papers and reaching out to comfort another woman

Structural Sexism and Memory Decline in Women

Structural sexism is linked to women’s higher rates of Alzheimer’s, among other negative health outcomes identified in recent study. By Antarjot Kaur New research highlights a hidden risk factor—structural sexism—that may contribute to memory decline in later life, disproportionately affecting women. Structural sexism as a ...
Comb jellies like this one have rows of cilia or comb-like hairs around its body

Is It a Monster? Alien? Nope, It’s Fused Comb Jellies

Scientists have discovered that comb jellies can fuse with other individuals of the same species as a way of healing from injury. This suggests these animals cannot recognize their own body from that of their comb jelly neighbors. What makes this evolutionarily possible? By Sofia ...
Dark energy and gravity at play in Hubble image of constellation.

Dark Energy Does Not Exist

Dark energy was proposed to explain why we have accelerated expansion of the universe, but new research suggests an alternate explanation. By Helen Petre Dark energy is a proposed form of energy that is supposed to be responsible for the acceleration of the expansion of ...
Green triangles and blue ovals on a black background shows the antibody and measles fusion glycoprotein used in new measles treatment

Measles Treatment Beyond Vaccines – A New Therapeutic Path

With a rising need for measles treatment worldwide, scientists have uncovered a new way to protect those who can’t be vaccinated for it. By Tanja Eisemann A team of scientists from the La Jolla Institute for Immunology and Columbia University discovered a novel treatment approach ...
grapes in a vineyard to signify that alcohol consumption can be sourced by non-human animals from fermenting fruit

Alcohol Consumption Found in Nature: Ethanol and Non-Human Animals

By Helen Petre People drink alcohol to have fun, be social, feel less pain, and other reasons not usually related to nutrition. People make alcohol out of sugar and yeast, for these purposes. Fruit has lots of sugar. Ripe fruit starts to ferment when naturally ...
open hand holding pills of different colors and sizes, representing changes to antipsychotics drugs

New Chapter in Antipsychotics and Schizophrenia Treatment

Antipsychotics haven’t had a straight-forward path in research, but recent efforts yielded a new FDA-approved drug to treat schizophrenia. By Rebecca DeGiosio Schizophrenia can be a challenging diagnosis, both to live with and to treat. Given its range of symptoms—including psychosis, depression-like symptoms, and cognitive ...
Photo by Lisa Brown via Flickr

Citizen Science Informs Bird Feeder Dilemma

Do you have a bird feeder at home? Fifty percent of Americans do. Learn how to feed the birds without causing them to crash into your window. By Jonathan Trinastic @jptrinastic If you enjoy turkey this Thanksgiving, take a moment to think not about the ...
T-cells attack a cancer cell, playing a big role in immunotherapy

How Databases Signal Successful Immunotherapy

Researchers evaluated the effectiveness of an immunotherapy method for treating cancer called CPI, using a trove of patient data. They set out to identify the variables that distinguish patients with favorable outcomes using data from a public database, finding 5 key factors to CPI response ...
Round yellowish-brown blobs mixed with a web-like orange structure indicating a micrograph of MRSA, the antibiotic-resistant bacteria

A New Way to Treat Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria

Infections from antibiotic resistant bacteria can be treated with small proteins found in the microbiome according to a new study. By Swetha Kasetty Ramakrishnan “Superbugs” are bacteria that are getting harder to kill because they resist multiple currently used antibiotics. Imagine if proteins found in ...
Farming vehicle rakes through a field of dirt, where soil carbon may be stored

Soil Carbon in a Warming World

Soils can be allies in the fight against climate change, storing huge amounts of carbon. But the soil carbon sink is itself vulnerable to climate change, as rising temperatures could lead to more of that carbon being lost. A better understanding of how warming affects ...
Close-up of a pencil drawing of a woman's eye

Yellow Food Dye Makes for Transparent Skin

Mice got transparent skin from exposure to yellow food dye, opening up more questions in physics and medicine. By Helen Petre A common yellow food dye, tartrazine, or FD&C (Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics) Yellow #5, is used in snack chips (specifically Doritos), candy, soda, and ...
Female scientist with safety goggles holds a pipette over a row of small vials of blood

Can Young Blood Reverse Aging? New Study

A new study shows that tiny particles extracted from the blood of young mice can reverse aging in older mice. The study demonstrated improvements in lifespan, physical condition, and cognitive function in the treated mice, suggesting the potential for young blood to be used in ...
A mix of blue, purple, and yellow pixel-like cells indicating dengue virus particles, with a mosquito in foreground

New Clues Into How Aedes Mosquitoes Detect Human Targets

Aedes mosquitoes use thermal infrared radiation (IR) along with a combination of other signals to detect their human targets. By Vaishnavi Sridhar The sound of buzzing mosquitoes may be enough to send shivers down your body. Especially so in tropical countries, where mosquitoes are synonymous ...
Fabulous Fat: Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements Combat Malnutrition

Fabulous Fat: Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements Combat Malnutrition

Malnutrition affects hundreds of millions of children around the world. Scientists think lipid-based nutrient supplements might help. By Shayna Keyles Malnutrition affects hundreds of millions of children around the world. As of 2017, about 23 percent of children younger than five suffer from stunted growth ...
a blank nametag is stuck to a gray outdoor wall

Which Comes First: A Face or a Name?

As you grow, your face may change to resemble stereotypes related to your name. Scientists find that adults fit their names more than kids. By William Harley  Parents have to make many decisions when raising a child. They have to decide how to discipline their ...
periodic table of elements

Improving the Periodic Table

Find out why the Periodic Table of Elements is systematically brilliant. Also, get two free periodic tables that you can download and print for your classroom or dining room wall. By Steven Spence Series: The Periodic Table and Sorting Elements – Part 3 Sorting Hat: ...
side view of blind cavefish, a fish with taste buds on head and chin

Blind Cavefish Evolved to Have More External Taste Buds

Taste buds evolved on the head and chin of blind cavefish to help them locate food in their dark environment. By Helen Petre Since they live in completely dark caves for their entire lives, blind cavefish, Astyanax mexicanus, have no eyes. In order to find ...
A team of 4 doctors stack hands to pursue An Added Boost for Last-Ditch Cancer Treatment

An Added Boost for Last-Ditch Cancer Treatment

Cancer treatment scientists have developed an add-on therapy that could help patients’ own immune systems tackle resilient cancers. By Rebecca DeGiosio Cancer can be many things—debilitating, frustrating, traumatic—and at its worst, stubborn. It can sometimes relapse years after initial treatment and require multiple rounds of ...
heart failure and obesity: a heart-shaped stethoscope sits on a pulse chart

Heart Failure (HFpEF) and Obesity

The most common type of heart failure, HFpEF, is associated with diabetes and obesity. This influences what makes effective treatment. By Helen Petre Heart failure is a condition where the heartbeat is weak and where fluid builds up around the heart in the lungs, causing ...

Why Can’t Male Mammals Breastfeed?

The Dayak fruit bat is the only known male mammal that produces milk. Since two parents producing milk are better than one, why can’t males produce milk to breastfeed?  By Helen Petre What is the evolutionary advantage of only having one parent provide nutrition for ...
Neatly placed collection of survival items needed for human migration, such as rope, gloves, shirt, and water bottle.

What Conditioned First Human Migrations?

Environmental conditions influenced the time and space of the first human migrations according to archaeological, genetic, and climatic data. By Elisa Huertas Ciorraga How can we know what led our ancestors to travel throughout our planet? Researchers from the US, Australia, Austria, and France have ...
Peanut Allergy Protection

Eating Peanuts for Peanut Allergy Protection: A New Study

Can you prevent a peanut allergy? Scientists found that introducing peanuts into the diet during infancy protected from allergic reactions well into adolescence. By Vaishnavi Sridhar Many foods are labeled as “made in a peanut-free facility” or “nut-free.” This is especially common in Western countries ...
surfrider volunteers

Surfrider Volunteers Protect Public Health at the Beach

Surfrider Foundation volunteers working hard to protect clean water at their local beaches. The SciStarter Blog By Michelle Pena-Ortiz The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s oceans, waves and beaches, for all people, through a powerful ...
layer of cells split to show white crystals moving through a channel on left but blocked from passing through channel on right

New Study on Lowering Risk of Diabetes from Antipsychotic Drugs

Antipsychotic drugs can increase the risk of diabetes, but dopamine receptors in the brain and body may be the key to a solution. By Kyle Hewitt Antipsychotic drugs are widely prescribed to manage mental health conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Unfortunately, these drugs ...
matching up enzymes in Alzheimer’s Research is symbolically represented here by two people linking arms while they each use their free hand to lift a leg high up in the air, forming a combined Y shape

How a Molecular Matchmaker Is Furthering Alzheimer’s Research

A new drug helping natural enzymes target a dysregulated protein represents a step forward in Alzheimer’s research. By Rebecca DeGiosio There’s plenty of fish in the sea…and that’s especially true of our cells. Scientists estimate that a single cell contains over 42 million proteins. These ...
A fungi mushroom with white stem and exposed white gills found in grass

Gene Alteration of Mushrooms for Better Plant-Based Meat

Bioengineers produce a plant-based protein with a fraction of the environmental impact of meat by altering mushroom proteins. By Adelaide Levenson The switch from animal products to plant-based alternatives has grown rapidly over the last decade. More and more individuals are becoming vegetarians or vegans, ...
Woman smiling as she chooses fresh produce

Kiwifruit in Diet Is Linked to Improved Mood

Eating kiwifruit could improve mental health for people with low vitamin C, with real fruit showing more benefits than a vitamin supplement. By William Harley An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Eating bananas can relieve muscle cramps. Adding blueberries to your diet can ...
Cluster of adult Ciona intestinalis

Multitasking Sensory Neurons in the Brain of a Marine Invertebrate

Sensory neurons help animals make sense of the world, and these small marine invertebrates can do a lot with only a few neurons. By Sofia Caetano Avritzer As any first-time homeowner will tell you, picking a place to settle down is a big decision. There ...
monocytes white blood cells

Sepsis Survivors Are More Vulnerable to Infection

Read how immune cells are like fighters on the planet Dune, and how this defense system changes for sepsis survivors. By Elisa Huertas Ciorraga Why do people who have survived sepsis get infections more easily? That was the question researchers from the Immunology and Microbial ...
Amanda Coletti science communicator

Get to Know a Scientist: Science Communicator Amanda Coletti

PhD candidate Amanda Coletti shares what being a science communicator has meant to her, and why telling stories about science is important. By Shein Ei Cho Science communicator Amanda Coletti’s Zoom background is a picture of two spotlights centering in the middle of the screen ...

How Do Plants Harness Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria?

Nitrogen-fixing bacteria help plants obtain a usable form of nitrogen. But what’s the science behind it, and how can it benefit crops? By Rachel Calder Just as you need to eat a balanced diet with all the right vitamins and minerals in order to stay ...
Man looks out across waterfront at a foggy cityscape, evoking idea of brain fog

Feeling Brain Fog? It Could Be in Your Blood

Brain fog accompanying long COVID could be the result of breaches in a cellular barrier protecting the brain. By Rebecca DeGiosio We all have our “brain fart” moments. We may forget where we put down our keys, take a bit longer to calculate our tips, ...
a football field flooded with bright lights and a blurry swirl of white light in center

Caught in the Light: Flying Insects

Flying insects seem magnetized by light, but why? New research uncovers the dorsal-light-response mechanism behind this phenomenon. By William Harley In the dark of night, flying bugs can be seen dancing around lights. They erratically swarm and occasionally nosedive to their demise, seemingly driven by ...
Earth Day 2020

Earth Day: Get Informed, Get Involved

Earth Day is celebrated every year on April 22. Learn more and find out how to get involved in an Earth Day celebration near you! A brief history of Earth Day The year 1969 was a tumultuous and exciting year in American history. The famous ...
Two sets of hands hold a yellow ribbon formed in a loop for cancer awareness.

Could Chemotherapy Efficacy Be Better?

Researchers further chemotherapy efficacy by identifying antibodies that attack a specific protein in tumor cells. By Elisa Huertas Scientists from the Institute for Research in Biomedicine of Barcelona have found that a protein called PD-L2 in a special type of cells inside tumors, zombie cells, ...
An adult hand reaches out and a newborn baby grasps the adult's index finger

Childbirth Is Both Life-Changing and Brain-Changing

Neuroscientists studying childbirth found different effects on brain cortex volume for those recovering from a natural delivery or C-section. By Katie LamBearing a child unquestionably changes your life, but how does it change your brain? There have been numerous research studies showing brain changes during ...
Red blobs float through a red tunnel

New Data on Protein Structure in Blood Cells

Emerging research on the 3D protein structure of a specific protein in red blood cells leads to greater understanding on how this and similarly shaped proteins work in the body. By Emma Ryan Every protein in the human body has a specific 3D shape that ...
Prototype of sound sensor, which is an electrical board resembling a black square and wires attached to nodes on all four sides

AI Unplugged: New Metamaterial Sensor Classifies Spoken Words

Engineers create a metamaterial that senses spoken words without the need for a battery. So far it can classify which of two words in a pair was spoken. By Setare Hajarolasvadi The electronics we depend on every day, such as phones or laptops, are all ...
Solo videogamer with over-ear headphones sits with back to the camera in front of a lit-up television screen

Video Gaming Disorder May Be Linked to Underlying Mental Health

Depression and anxiety can act as moderators that affect the relationship between gaming time and gaming disorder. By Katie LamGaming disorder can be defined as a pattern of video gaming with characteristics including impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming over other interests ...
Coffee beans pour out of an open scoop onto a table next to a steaming cappuccino cup

Brewing Cell-Derived Coffee in a Lab for More Sustainable Lattes

Cell-derived coffee gets its start in a lab instead of a field, and soon its flavor profile will be comparable enough to meet the rising coffee demand. By Claudia Suzanne Willis An exciting new coffee beverage is on its way, thanks to researchers at the ...
A reimagined world map where the continents are bodies of water and the oceans are instead populated by bright green trees

New in Rainforest Conservation: Seeing the Forest and the Trees

Rainforest conservation gains new focus with the discovery that just 2% of the diverse tree species in the forest account for half the trees. By Sofia Caetano Avritzer When you hear biodiversity, you may think of a green, lush tropical forest filled with thousands of ...
A masked person in white doctor's coat reaches their hand up to touch a holographic image of the human brain with typed data near it

Panic! In the Brain: What Causes Panic Attacks?

Panic attacks aren’t yet fully understood, but researchers have found a new neuronal pathway that may hold some answers. By Rebecca DeGiosio For many, public speaking is the stuff of nightmares. It can give you sweaty palms, a rapid heartbeat, and even make you feel ...
Plastic factory

Reformulate, Reshape, Recycle! The Future of How to Make Plastic

Certain plastics are easier to recycle based on their internal structure. Researchers find a way to change that structure to increase what we can recycle. By Adelaide Levenson We use and dispose of plastics every day. From toothbrushes and water bottles to food wrappers and ...
A Matabele ant tends to the wound of a fellow ant whose legs were bitten off in a fight with termites.

Ant-ibiotics: How Ants Treat Infections

Matabele ants of sub-Saharan Africa are the only other known species to recognize infections and be able to use antibiotics for treatment. By Bryce Larson The world of ants is a medieval one. Tiny kingdoms in life or death conflict. But one ant species makes ...
why we prefer villains who remind us of ourselves

Why People Are Drawn to Fictional Villains

Why do we sometimes love the fictional villain more than the hero? Much like the villains themselves, the answer is complex and, well, interesting. By Jocelyn Solis-Moreira From our early childhood days, we’re taught to love the hero and hate the villain. Through fairy tales ...
Ultrasound is focused to create a hologram in the shape of a virtual sphere (Bristol Interaction and Graphics group, University of Bristol, © 2014)

Holograms You Can Touch and Feel

Holograms that seem to have mass and can be touched have long been the stuff of science fiction. Now, they are science fact. Holograms with haptic feedback Tactile technology that creates haptic feedback has been used for years in entertainment (such as game controllers), rehabilitation ...
nighttime beach wave lit by an electric blue light running through top of wave

Bioluminescence: Why Dazzling Blue Lights Appear in Water

That trip to the beach might come with a show: bioluminescence makes sparks of blue light that sometimes flash in water at night. Read on to learn how it happens. By Vaishnavi Sridhar Many of us enjoy watching twinkling stars in the night sky. We ...
Two loaves of freshly baked bread held out on a wooden baker's paddle, with the baker and commercial oven obscured in background.

Making Antipsychotics with Baker’s Yeast

Researchers used baker’s yeast to produce two compounds important to antipsychotic drugs: alstonine and serpentine. By William Harley When it comes to medicine, plants are key manufacturing partners. Plants are capable of producing a vast range of natural products with medicinal properties. The active ingredient ...
Geometric structure of the outside of a building with repeating concrete triangles

Cells Use mRNA to Fight Disease and Stress

Scientists study the role of mRNA and protein synthesis in overcoming infections. This finding could lead to improved crops and medical treatments. By Rachil Koumproglou DNA contains the code of life. Our genes inform our cells how to make proteins, those biological molecules that are ...
Green plant is sprouting out of dark soil

How Do Soil Microbial Communities Recover from Wildfires?

Scientists examine how soil microbial communities resume ecosystem functioning after a wildfire, with a focus on the effects of dispersal. By Rachel Calder In the aftermath of a wildfire, soil microbial communities might not seem like a top priority. Yet these microscopic critters play vital ...
Three people collaborate on a data-based project by sitting at a table with a laptop and papers in front of them

ChatGPT Chemistry Assistant Speeds Up Data Work

ChatGPT can be used as a chemistry assistant to accelerate chemists’ ability to analyze published research and predict chemical reaction outcomes. By Claudia Suzanne Willis Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley successfully turned ChatGPT into a transformative chemistry assistant. The study, published in the ...
Paleo Diet Dangerous?

Paleo Diet is Dangerous, Expert Warns

Although some people swear by the Paleo diet (short for “Paleolithic”) diet, research suggests that eating a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet can lead to rapid weight gain and health complications in as little as eight weeks. What’s going on? OK, we’ve all seen plenty of fad ...

Citizen Scientists Study Phytoplankton in Antarctica

Travelers with FjordPhyto sample phytoplankton in Antarctica, helping scientists learn how this fertile ocean region is changing. By Allison Cusick and Verena Meraldi Scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography are working with Antarctic tour operators like Hurtigurten to enable vacationers to serve as citizen scientists ...
Sailboat in motion on a sun-soaked body of water

Seasonal Blubber: How Yangtze Finless Porpoises Adapt

Scientists study variations in blubber thickness on Yangtze finless porpoises to see how water temperature affects blubber in different regions of the mammal’s body. By Amelia Hersant Marine mammals demonstrate a startling array of adaptations to their watery environment. Such adaptations are vital as these ...
Can fentanyl vaccines help solve the opioid crisis?

Can Fentanyl Vaccines Help Solve the Opioid Crisis?

New developments in producing a fentanyl vaccine could mean a preventative measure against opioid drug overdose. By Jyoti Kinghorn The National Institutes of Health reported over 100,000 drug overdose deaths in the US in 2021. A majority of these were due to fentanyl and other ...
A person's hands cupping a handful of black dirt over a white background

Microorganisms Boost Levels of Carbon Storage in Soil

Microorganisms are four times more effective in storing carbon in soil than any other natural process, making them key players in addressing global climate change. By Rachil Koumproglou Natural systems like oceans, forests, or soil can capture carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, and keep ...
High fructose diets mean more obesity

Diets High in Fructose Lead to More Weight Gain

Increased fructose intake from processed foods triggers a genetic trait to store fat. This used to help us survive but now it leads to weight gain. By Sneha Bhadti Human beings evolved over millions of years during periods of scarcity. We developed genes that kept ...
Tackling Toxicity: What Do We Know About Cholera?

Tackling Toxicity: What Do We Know About Cholera?

X-rays reveal how cholera bacteria from contaminated food and water effectively survives in the human gut. By Sourav Agrawal Recent work by scientists has shed light on how the bacteria that causes cholera can manage to survive in harsh environments in our stomachs. This has ...
Bipedal Movement Reconfirmed by 3D Models

Bipedal Movement by Ancestors Reconfirmed in 3D Models

Researchers analyzed the likelihood of bipedal movement in hominin ancestors using muscle reconstruction technology. By Roseanne J. Keolakhonevong You may be familiar with “Lucy,” the renowned 3.2 million-year-old Australopithecine fossilized skeleton discovered in Ethiopia in 1974. Being one of the most complete fossils of her ...
Picky Eating and Brain Evolution in Butterflies

Picky Eating and Brain Evolution in Butterflies

Brain evolution in the Heliconius butterfly is linked to their specific feeding preferences and foraging behaviors. By Ella Houlihan Close your eyes and picture your route to the grocery store. As you visualize the curves of the road and the street signs you pass, you ...
Bee Behavior Affected by Pesticides and Temperature

Bee Behavior Affected by Pesticides and Temperature

Climate change and pesticides spell double trouble for bee behavior. Researchers in a recent study find that pesticide risk to bees varies depending on the temperature. By Vaishnavi Sridhar Every spring and throughout the summer, gardens around the world are brimming with colors and buzzing ...
Image showing wheat sprouts, the green one on the right pretreated with ethanol to help survive droughts and the withered one on the left untreated.

Ethanol May Help Crops Survive Droughts

Droughts can wreak havoc on food supply and crop production, but a new study shows that ethanol can help crops survive. By Mackenzie Myers Fowler Ethanol, a simple alcohol made from grain, is known as a tool for combating climate change. While ethanol is generally ...
Brains and Play Behavior in Rats

Brains and Play Behavior in Rats

Play behavior and laughter in rats has a lot to do with their environment and with the part of the brain that controls fight or flight responses. By Rachel McDermod While rats may suffer from a bad reputation in popular media, these little rodents have ...
mosquito eater, or crane fly, by ashleigh290 via Flickr

Do mosquito eaters eat mosquitos?

Are you wondering if the well-known mosquito eaters actually eat mosquitos? Find out the answer to this question and more. Have you seen many of these leggy insects hovering around your windows and doors lately? It’s none other than the humble, light-loving crane fly, also ...
Healthy BMI is no longer one size fits all

Healthy BMI Is No Longer One Size Fits All

New data shows that the healthy BMI range isn’t as narrow as we thought, nor is it where we thought it was. By Jyoti Kinghorn Human beings come in a variety of shapes and sizes. It has long been observed that a healthy weight at ...
Odor Profiles and the Future of Forensic Evidence

Odor Profiles and the Future of Forensic Evidence

Odor profiles are an emerging form of evidence as scientists work to identify and classify individuals based on the chemical compounds naturally released from hands. By Claudia Suzanne Willis It is well-known that dogs have used their uncanny sense of smell to help identify and ...
Bee Phenology: How Are Bees Feeling the Heat?

Bee Phenology: How Are Bees Feeling the Heat?

Rising temperatures in recent decades have been linked to observed shifts in bee phenology. These shifts could impact bees’ vital role in pollinating food crops. By Rachel Calder Bees have been in the news a lot recently. They seem to be under threat from all ...
More Alcohol-Related Hepatitis Following COVID

More Alcohol-Related Hepatitis Following COVID-19

Rates of hospital admissions for alcohol-related hepatitis have increased since 2019, and certain groups are more at risk. By Sneha Bhadti In the time following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become clear that the pandemic has impacted all areas of life. During ...
View of blue sky crowded in by skyscrapers on all sides

Underground Climate Change Is Sinking Our Cities

Climate change means temperatures are slowly rising in the air—and also underground. Different materials in the earth expand or contract in response to underground climate change, affecting the buildings constructed above them. By Paige Castle When hearing about global warming and climate change, what usually ...
Deep-Sea Undiscovered Species

Undiscovered Species of the Deep Sea: Can We Find Them?

Researchers identified over five thousand previously undiscovered species in a sample area of the CCZ region of the ocean, and they predict more are there to be found. By Amelia Hersant There is a well-known saying that we know more about the surface of Mars ...
Kirigami-inspired solar cell courtesy of Lamoureux A et al.

Solar Cell Inspired by 400-Year-Old Art

A long-standing Japanese art form known as kirigami has inspired scientists to design effective solar cell tech four hundred years later. By Jonathan Trinastic Artists in seventeenth-century Japan probably never expected their unique paper-cutting artwork, known as kirigami, to inspire leading-edge technology four hundred years ...
Can a Placebo Help Treat Opioid Use Disorder?

Can a Placebo Help Treat Opioid Use Disorder?

Researchers consider how the placebo effect may actually improve the effectiveness of methadone treatment plans. By Annie Schulman Worldwide, over 16 million individuals suffer from opioid use disorder, or an addiction to opioids. Opioid use disorder is a serious condition that can cause severe emotional ...
Epigenetics of offspring influenced by parents’ diets

Epigenetics of Offspring Influenced by Parents’ Diets

The diets of mothers and fathers affect how their children’s genes work in a process called epigenetics. By Litia Yssel There is growing evidence showing that what mothers and fathers eat before their children are born can influence their children’s health. This is because parents’ ...
New Generators Supply Clean Energy All Day Long

New Generators for All-Day Clean Energy

Thermoelectric generators get a boost—now they can supply enough renewable energy to power small devices both day and night. By Rachil Koumproglou Renewable sources of energy, such as solar, wind, marine, and geothermal, contribute to cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Yet we are unable to extend ...
A wheat field in the Mpika District, Muchinga Province, Zambia, showing symptoms of wheat blast during the outbreak of March 2018. Credit: Batiseba Tembo, Zambia Agriculture Research Institute; license CC by 4.0

Genomics Takes On Crop Disease

Genomics opens the way for scientists to track where and which plants are affected most by rapidly spreading pathogens. By Rachel Calder The COVID-19 pandemic made many of us aware of how genomics can be used for tracking human diseases. Genomics is a field of ...
Blue and Red Light: Exploring Their Potential

Blue and Red Light: Exploring the Potential

Blue and red light are energy sources for microorganisms such as bacteria, and we can harness this energy to control bacteria growth. By Gabrielle Leal Sunlight is both a source of energy for microorganisms and a source of electrical energy. However, there is still more ...
The Newest Brain Food: Vitamin D?

Vitamin D: Is It the Newest Brain Food?

A new study on brain health has made a connection between individuals getting more Vitamin D and a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease. By Annie Schulman What do eating cheese and napping in the sun have in common? Not only are they both enjoyable ...
SciStarter Citizen Science Month logo

April Is Citizen Science Month!

Citizen Science Month on the SciStarter Blog features projects and events to all month long during April. Here's how to get involved! The SciStarter Blog The year’s biggest citizen science celebration is just around the corner! April 1 marks the start of Citizen Science Month, ...

How the Placebo Effect “Tricks” the Brain

You have probably heard of the placebo effect, but what is it and how does it work? Can something that is all in our heads actually provide relief? By Li Tong Low We often feel better after seeing a doctor. While treatment (e.g., medication) helps ...
A wide shot of a farm field on a summer's day. Digital agriculture uses emerging technologies to collect crop data that can be used to enhance agricultural outcomes.

Biotech & Digital Agriculture: The Smart Farming Revolution

Digital agriculture uses emerging technologies—including sensors, drones, and artificial intelligence—to collect crop data that can be used to enhance agricultural outcomes. By Gabrielle Leal Still relatively unknown to the general public, digital agriculture is becoming increasingly important in the global agriculture sector. This novel approach ...

How Children Learn Language

Children learn language for the first time in a cool way, and the good news is that adults can, too. Find out how. By Angie Lo For a parent, few things spark as much joy as when their child utters their first words and sentences ...

Water Quality Monitoring by Bacterial Biosensors

Water quality may be headed for a rise as scientists work to develop new technology that uses bacteria to detect harmful heavy metals in water. By Rachel Calder The idea of interpreting the responses of other living organisms to detect threats in the environment is ...
Art therapy graphic by Sayan Roy.

Magic Makers: Art Therapy for Neuropsychiatric Patients

Art therapy may help adults with mild cognitive impairment feel happier and more empowered—and slow the progress of cognitive decline. By Sayan Roy Cognitive decline is a serious risk faced by older adults around the world. A myriad of neuropsychiatric conditions such as dementia, Alzeihmer’s ...
People putting plastic bottles in recycling bin.

Bacteria Has Natural Capacity to Recycle Plastics

A common bacterium, Comamonas testosteroni, might hold the key to breaking down and recycling plastic waste on a large scale. By Rachil Koumproglou Currently, we recycle plastic waste by mechanical processing, but, globally, we succeed in transforming only 9% of it into useful material. With ...

Let’s talk about trees!

The Girl Scouts and SciStarter have teamed up to put the spotlight on trees in these citizen science projects. The SciStarter Blog The Girl Scouts have teamed up with SciStarter to invite everyone to plant, protect and honor trees. They conserve water, reduce air pollution, ...
The Art of Scientific Illustration

The Art of Scientific Illustration

A picture is worth a thousand words. Scientific illustration is more than just a cool art form. It conveys technical details about research that other tools cannot. By Shayna Keyles Scientific illustration is more than just cool artwork. It’s a way of conveying technical detail ...
In experiments conducted by scientists at the University of São Paulo, the performance of a bioprinted model obtained in a 3D printer was equivalent to that of the conventional model produced manually. Image credit: FCF-USP

Bioprinting Skin for Cosmetics and Drug Testing

Bioprinting skin models that react on par with actual skin could lead to new possibilities for how labs test cosmetics and drugs. By Naushin Raheema Animals employed in cosmetics testing often experience a variety of unpleasant treatments in laboratories. According to Stefane Kabene and Said ...
Researchers have developed a recycling system that can transform plastic waste and greenhouse gases into sustainable fuels and other valuable products–using just the energy from the sun. Image credit: University of Cambridge

Sunlight Powers Recycling of Carbon Dioxide and Plastic

A new recycling method uses sunlight to simultaneously convert carbon dioxide and plastic waste into sustainable biofuels and useful chemical products. By Rachil Koumproglou In order to create a circular economy—one where man-made materials are fully recycled and reused—humanity needs to reach net zero emissions ...
Brown algae are particularly widespread on rocky shores in temperate and cold latitudes and there absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide from the air worldwide. Credit: Hagen Buck-Wiese/Max Planck Institute For Marine Microbiology

How Brown Algae Mucus Combats Carbon Dioxide

Mucus produced by brown algae may be the key to protecting the ocean, as a new study uncovers how carbon dioxide gets captured and converted. By Vaishnavi Sridhar Years ago when Columbus and his group were on their first voyage, at a stretch in the ...
A field of sorghum. Bioenergy sorghum hybrids can restore carbon levels in soil, improve soil fertility, provide biomass for biofuel production, and combat climate change. Credit: K-State Research and Extension; license CC by 2.0

Bioenergy Sorghum: The Green Crop of the Future

Bioenergy sorghum hybrids can restore carbon levels in soil, improve soil fertility, provide biomass for biofuel production, and combat climate change. By Crystal Wang Bioenergy sorghum hybrids are sustainable crops that are being researched for their ability to restore carbon levels in the soil, improve ...
Yeast grown to spell "Yeast" with a smiley face beneath. Credit: Vaishnavi Sridhar

Yeast, A Poem

Scientist, artist: Science inspires art in this poem about the properties of yeast and its similarities to human cells. By Vaishnavi Sridhar Our bodies are made up of cells. Cells are made of different parts called organelles that communicate with each other. Proteins are required ...
A single family home made of cardboard sits on a red furniture dolly. Human migration trends toward areas affected by wildfires.

Human Migration Trends Toward Wildfire Hot Spots

Research into human migration shows distinct patterns, including the surprising trend toward areas affected by wildfires. By Shelby Nilsen The effects of climate change are growing more frequent and noticeable. In the United States, temperatures have warmed by 1.2 degrees Fahrenheit since the 1960s. Within ...
SciStarter Logo showing people out in the snow. In the center it reads "Play in the snow for science!"

Play in the snow … for science!

These five citizen science projects call on you to observe your local weather and bodies of water, snow or no! The SciStarter Blog Winter weather offers many unique ways to collect and share observations that advance research. If you live in a snowy place, venture ...
Emperor penguins facing each other across a gap in the ice. Credit: Christopher Michel, CC BY 2.0

Emperor Penguins Now a Threatened Species

Emperor penguins officially a threatened species because of projections of population decline from climate change and ineffective conservation. By Julia Kim Another species at risk: emperor penguins have been officially declared a threatened species, owing to climate change, projected population decline, and insufficient conservation measures ...
Skeletonized leaf typical of plots with bats excluded and trophic cascade prevented. Photo by Elizabeth Beilke, University of Illinois

Bats Protect Plants from Insects

Bats play an important role in forest ecosystems because of what's called trophic cascades: they eat insects that eat trees. By Auriane Flottes de Pouzols Bats likely influence the overall structure, health, and composition of vegetation in forest ecosystems. By consuming insects that feed on ...
An overweight woman in a pink t-shirt flexing her muscles while using resistance training gym equipment. Exercise such as resistance training helps diet-resistant women improve their fitness.

Diet-Resistant Women Respond Well to Exercise

Exercise may stimulate changes to the body at a cellular level, leading to new treatment possibilities for diet-resistant women with obesity. By Vaishnavi Sridhar Right from childhood, eating healthy and being active is often emphasized. Similar messages may be repeated in cases of obesity, when ...
Researchers find that drumming in woodpeckers is neurologically similar to singing in songbirds. Credit: Attribution withheld at license-holder's request (CC-BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Is Drumming Like Singing? A Focus on Woodpeckers

Woodpeckers may not sing out melodies, but a new study hones in on how their drumming may be similar to birdsong on a neural level. By Vaishnavi Sridhar Have you experienced the wonderful sounds made by various birds? For example, nightingales sing, parrots mimic, crows ...
photographing snowflakes

Photographing Snowflakes: Sky Crystals

No two snowflakes are exactly alike. Read about the science and art of photographing snowflakes in this article by author and photographer Don Komarechka. By Don Komarechka  Snow: We love it and hate it. I’d rather not count the number of rushed mornings that become ...
cat-specific music reduces stress in cats

Cats Are Calmed by Cat-Specific Music

Cats in a new study showed lower stress responses while listening to a certain type of music, which could help vet visits be less stressful. By Jocelyn Solis-Moreira If you had to paint a picture of a cat’s worst nightmare, it might include dogs, water, ...

Artificial Sweeteners Affect Our Bodies and Environment

Artificial sweeteners may have unintended effects on the body and the biosphere, so it is worth looking into natural sugar alternatives. By Emily Folk Artificial sweeteners are prevalent in many grocery stores, restaurants, and fast-food chains, particularly aspartame (sold as Equal), sucralose (Splenda), saccharin (Sweet’N ...

Pollinators Attracted by Hidden Patterns in Petals

To better attract pollinators, plants change the chemical and physical properties of their petals to produce alluring colors. By Mackenzie Myers Fowler Whether it’s the scarlet warning to would-be consumers of a poisonous mushroom, or the alluring blush of cherry blossoms in spring, nature’s colors ...
Two men of color cuddle on a home's front steps. Favorite Songs Link Up to Attachment Styles.

Favorite Songs Link Up to Attachment Styles

Attachment styles affect relationship dynamics and also, according to a new psychology study, an individual’s music preferences. By Rosanna Chan What does our Spotify playlist tell us about our love lives, friendships, or even family? The lyrics of our favorite songs can tell us a ...

The Wonderful World of Minerals

There are currently 5414 known minerals, from abellaite to zykaite. But what exactly are minerals? And how do we use them? By Nadine Gabriel There are currently 5414 known minerals, from abellaite to zykaite. But what exactly are minerals? And how are they used in ...
Fungi growing on mossy tree. Credit: Jesse Bauer/Unsplash

Fungi Bioblitz Follow-Up

Did you participate in the largest ever fungi bioblitz? Read about the citizen science push cataloging fungi diversity in North America! The SciStarter Blog This fall, between September 15 and October 15, more than 30,000 volunteers combed through forests, fields and even their own backyards ...
Bacteria in plant leaves could one day eliminate the need for nitrogen fertilizers

Hidden Helpers: Bacteria in Leaves

New research shows that bacteria found inside plant leaves can transfer their nitrogen and might eliminate the need for nitrogen fertilizers. By Radhika Desikan Interaction between plants and microbes—such as bacteria and fungi—is an ancient evolutionary process that is thought to have enabled the formation ...

How Does Tissue Regenerate?

By Noeline Subramaniam (@spicy_scientist) Regeneration often sounds like science fiction—Wolverine’s healing superpowers probably spring to mind. But you don’t have to be a mutant to be able to regenerate. In fact, humans have the ability to regenerate in utero until the beginning of the third ...
Bees on partially filled honeycomb. Antioxidant Boost Found in Citrus Honey.

Antioxidant Boost Found in Citrus Honey

Antioxidant levels were tested in different types of honey to pinpoint natural health-boosting compounds that help counteract free radicals. By Mackenzie Myers Fowler A central ingredient of soothing elixirs like homemade cough syrup and hot toddies, honey has been used to heal illness and injury ...
A raccoon crossing a road in a forest. Image credit: Ali Kazal/Unsplash

Save Animals by Tracking Roadkill

Most roadkill goes unreported, meaning governments and scientists don't have the data needed to prevent it. You can help change that! The SciStarter Blog In the United States, it is estimated that more than one million vertebrate animals are killed by vehicle collisions every day ...
Photo of geneticist Michelle T. Juarez

Get to Know a Scientist: Geneticist Michelle T. Juarez

A geneticist is a type of biologist who studies genes. Let's hear from Michelle T. Juarez, who uses her scientific knowledge to help teach the next generation of scientists! Meet Michelle T. Juarez, the Assistant Director of Diversity and Research Readiness at Cold Spring Harbor ...
blind spot

We’ve All Got a Blind Spot, and Can Shrink It

The human eye does have a built-in blind spot. Research suggests that we can shrink it, and maybe even reverse blindness as a result. By Kate Stone The human eye is marvel of evolution, but it includes an unavoidable blind spot. That's because the optic ...
University of Vermont scientists Peter Dodds and Chris Danforth led a new Big Data study confirming that humans use more happy words than sad words.

Preference for Positive, Happy Words

Scientists have used a massive data set of billions of words from actual usage to find that people around the world use more happy words than sad words. In 1969, two psychologists at the University of Illinois proposed what they called the Pollyanna Hypothesis--the idea ...
Rebecca Ewald, Marketing and Customer Insights Network Lead

Get to Know a Scientist: Marketing Lead Rebecca Ewald

An education in STEM can prepare you for many kinds of careers—just ask Marketing and Customer Insights Network Lead Rebecca Ewald! Meet Rebecca Ewald, a Marketing and Customer Insights Network Lead for the Pathology Lab and Oncology at Roche. She has a PhD in biology ...
SciStarter graphic with a yellow tree and blue sky in the background. For the love of trees.

Girl Scouts: Citizen Scientists

The Girl Scouts have made trees a big part of their citizen science efforts. Read on for ways you can participate—scout or not! The SciStarter Blog It’s officially fall—let’s talk trees, please! Trees cool and moisten our air, fill it with oxygen, store carbon and ...
Cover of Flu Finders. Using the influenza virus, Flu Finders explains and reinforces the lessons many young readers were taught about what to do when you get sick.

“Flu Finders” Teaches What to Do When Sick

Using the influenza virus, Flu Finders explains and reinforces the lessons many young readers were taught about what to do when you get sick. Reviewed by Jamie Johnson Flu Finders is the third installment in the Journey to a Better World series. The story focuses ...
Aedes aegyptii mosquito biting a person. Researchers studies the scents these mosquitoes are attracted to. Credit: CDC

Human Scent May Help Manage Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are drawn to a chemical mixture found on the skin, but what these specific compounds are had not been pinpointed until a recent study. By Mackenzie Myers Fowler Chances are, you’ve been bugged by a mosquito at some point in your life. But between ...
Scistarter logo in front of a photo of the moon.

Observe the Moon Night On October 1!

From surveying the Moon to listening in on Jupiter's radio waves, these celestial citizen science projects will take you out of this world. The SciStarter Blog October 1st is International Observe the Moon Night! Come together with fellow Moon enthusiasts and curious people worldwide to ...
renewable energy sources

Renewable Energy Sources FAQ

Renewable energy sources include wind, solar, geothermal, and hydroelectric power. In the battle for renewable energy, which will come out on top? Which do you want? Here are the top nine renewable energy questions asked of Science Connected and the answers from the renewable energy ...
Cover of Bully Blues. This book in the Journey to a Better World series deals with xenophobia and bullying.

“Bully Blues” and Unlearning Xenophobia

In Bully Blues, the main character, Seth, unlearns the xenophobia behind his bullying behavior and becomes an advocate for multiculturalism. Reviewed by Jamie Johnson The next book in the Journey to a Better World series is Bully Blues. This book follows Seth, a bully who ...
Journey to a Better World: Worrisome Waters teaches about water pollution.

“Worrisome Waters” Tackles Water Pollution

The first book in the Journey to a Better World series teaches kids about the causes and effects of water pollution and what people can do to help. Reviewed by Jamie Johnson The VISTA Center of Louisiana Tech University in collaboration with The Inspire Project ...
Back-to-School Citizen Science Graphic

Five A+ Back-to-School Citizen Science Projects

Fall means back to school—check out these five citizen science projects on a variety of topics to bring the classroom to your living room! The SciStarter Blog As another school year starts, dare we say that learning is in the air? To help jump back ...
Biologist Dr. Jamie Newman

Get to Know a Scientist: Biologist Dr. Jamie Newman

A biologist studies living things: how their internal processes work, how they evolved, how they relate to their environment, and more! Introducing Dr. Jamie Newman, who tells us about herself and her career. Meet Jamie Newman, an Associate Professor of Biology and Associate Dean for ...
Journey to a Better World: Worrisome Waters teaches about water pollution.

VISTA Center students illustrate first book of “Journey to a Better World” series

Start your collection of the "Journey to a Better World" series, now available from VISTA and the Inspire Project. Teach children about making a positive impact. Even before graduating with their Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees from Louisiana Tech, two School of Design students have ...
North American FungiQuest. Image credit: thinkfungi.org/(C BY-NC-ND 2.0

The Largest-Ever Fungi Bioblitz Is Here

Participate in the Great North American FungiQuest September 15 to October 15 by taking photos of local fungi on your phone! The SciStarter Blog By Robert Courteau Fungi serve an invaluable role in our ecosystem. They provide humans and a huge variety of insects and ...
In their study of moth migration, the researchers focused on the death’s-head hawkmoth—a large, nocturnal migrant that travels up to 4,000 kilometers between Europe and Africa every year. Image credit: Christian Ziegler / Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior

Moths Know Where to Go: A Look at Moth Migration

Moth migration may be guided by an internal compass to find the way, according to a new study that tracked flight paths of individual moths. By Vaishnavi Sridhar Just like we may take an annual vacation, every year countless animals, birds, and insects migrate seasonally ...
Dog and human high fiving for citizen science.

Let’s Do Some Doggone Science With Your Pup!

Check out these five citizen science projects to do at home or on a walk with your dog to celebrate National Dog Day on August 26! The SciStarter Blog National Dog Day is August 26. In honor of your furry best friend, participate in these ...
Graphic representation of Beta-Amyloid Plaques and Tau in the brain

Using AI to Detect Neurological Disorders

Neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, and autism spectrum disorder can be detected using artificial intelligence. By Risha Banerjee The diagnosis and treatment of cognitive conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, and autism spectrum disorder are difficult and tedious; early detection is key, but this requires analysis ...
Image of delighted woman playing video game on mobile phone while sitting on sofa at home

How Video Games Are Making Research Fun

Gamification and citizen science meet when research projects create video games to make data collection and analysis fun. The SciStarter Blog By Nathaniel Scharping While we might imagine a scientist as a chemist concocting substances in a lab, or a biologist diving with sea creatures, ...
Man running up a steep hill with a bridge in the background.

New Wearable Technology Reveals Secrets in Sweat

Technology may be able to sense health information like blood sugar levels anytime a user breaks a sweat, thanks to innovative engineering. By Mackenzie Myers Fowler Like something out of a sci-fi movie, researchers have developed a new piece of wearable biotechnology that could help ...
Isabela surfacing to breathe in the waters of Chile's Gulf of Corcovado (Courtesy of Rodrigo Hucke-Gaete/Blue Whale Center)

Where Do Blue Whales Go to Breed?

Blue whales are the largest animal on Earth, yet the breeding grounds of these elusive creatures remained a mystery for a long time...until now. By Kate Stone Scientists studying blue whales in the waters of Chile through DNA profiling and photo-identification may have solved the ...
Illustration of sleeping person with brain floating above them, holding out shields against pointing shadow fingers. Sleep protects against stress.

Stress-Induced Sleep: A Built-In Snooze Button

Scientists explored how stress can induce sleep in mice and uncovered the brain cells involved in the process. By Vaishnavi Sridhar From an early age, we hear about the importance of adequate sleep; we are told that we must sleep well to function well. Studies ...
Many fishes swimming above corals. Photo credit: NOAA's Coral Kingdom Collection, Bonaire 2008: Exploring Coral Reef Sustainability with New Technologies.; NOAA/OAR/OER

Can Coral Reefs Escape to the Deep?

Many of the harms done by climate change and overfishing are worst near the surface. Could coral reefs relocate deeper to escape them? By Dr. Klaus M. Stiefel Every informed citizen of planet Earth knows that our oceans are facing a number of problems caused ...
Underwater Gardening: Coral Reefs and Aquaculture

Coral Reefs Versus Climate Change

Are you wondering how climate change is impacting coral reefs around the world? This roundup of articles will answer your questions. Photo of pink sea fan, sawa utara, wakatobi, 2018 courtesy of q phia via Flickr A Rosy Future for Pink Sea Fan Coral? - ...
Smoke plume from the Riverside Fire on Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon, in September 2020

Severe Wildfires Rare, but Normal, for Cascades

Although the Labor Day wildfires of the Cascade Mountains in 2020 were devastating, they actually fit into the ecosystem's long-term patterns. By Mackenzie Myers Fowler Forests of the westside—the western face of the Cascade Mountains, stretching from Washington’s Olympic Peninsula south through Oregon—are temperate rainforests, ...
A fly warms up in the morning sun

A Fly Cruises the Smell Arena  for Science

Have you ever wondered how you brain interprets smells? How about how the the brain of a tiny fruit fly interprets smells? Wonder no longer! By Amanda Alvarez Banana essence. Apple cider vinegar. Almond jelly dessert. Mentsuyu. These are just some of the smells tested ...

The neurobiology of anorexia

Anorexia’s connection to dopamine and serotonin is the focus of a new study on how brain signals affect eating behaviors. By Pernille Bülow Anorexia is an eating disorder that typically involves food restriction (i.e., not eating or under-eating), weight loss, and body dysmorphia (meaning: perceiving ...

Can COVID-19 Cause Parkinson’s Disease Later?

Research on mice suggests people infected with COVID-19 may be at increased risk of Parkinson's disease long after the infection has cleared. By Emery Haley As everyone who has suffered through a cold or the flu understands, viral infections are miserable to experience. Recovering is ...
Pikas spend the summer gathering grasses and wildflowers to store for winter food. When summer temperatures are too high, the pikas can’t forage. (Photo by Chris Ray)

Climate Change Threatens California Pikas

The beloved American pika is losing its habitat. These little animals are loosing 75 percent of their habitat to climate change. By Kate Stone The American pika is a small animal with a big personality that has long delighted hikers and backpackers. Sadly, pikas are ...
pink sea fan coral

A Rosy Future for Pink Sea Fan Coral?

Coral reefs are in trouble around the world with one possible exception. One coral species appears to be making the best of a bad situation. By Mackenzie Myers Fowler In many respects, coral reefs and climate change do not go together. The news – both ...

Invite Ants to Your Picnic… for Science!

Warming weather and longer days mean more time for citizen science! Check out our editor’s list of fun and easy projects to do this month, benefiting humans, ants, and more. The SciStarter Blog Image credit: Project Sidewalk Project Sidewalk Let’s create a path for everyone ...
Chemistry on EH Science

Can You Smell Handshakes?

The COVID-19 pandemic has done away with handshakes for many people, at least temporarily. Handshakes predate written history a gesture of goodwill and commitment. Archaeologists have dated an image of two soldiers shaking hands in ancient Greece to the fifth century BC. But why do ...
garden

Make Your Garden a Powerhouse for Pollinators

Your urban home garden is by far the biggest and best source of food for pollinating insects, including bees and wasps. By Kate Stone Whether you have a backyard in the suburbs or a container garden on your city high rise balcony, your garden can ...
lavender

Genetics Behind Lavender’s Popular Scent

The scent of lavender is loved by humans and insects alike, but what makes lavender scent so attractive? A group of scientists decided to find out. By Mackenzie Myers Fowler The relaxing scent of lavender graces all sorts of candles, tea, lotions and potions worldwide ...

Battling Invasive Species with Virtual Ecology

New research from Tokyo Metropolitan University provides a sliver of hope when it comes to keeping invasive species at bay with simulations. By Mackenzie Myers Fowler Imagine how different the world might be if humans had a crystal ball that could detect invasive species’ eventual ...
Hummingbird

Citizen Science Projects for the Birds

These five citizen science projects invite you to discover feathered friends in your area. Help scientists collect data and protect bird habitats. The SciStarter Blog Whether you live in the city or the country, we can guarantee there are birds around you. These feathered creatures ...
A female great spotted woodpecker, photographed in Germany, April 2015

Drumming with the Great Spotted Woodpecker

Meet the great spotted woodpecker. Learn where and how to spot them, and what they sound like. Photos and audio included. By Steven Spence Drumroll, Please! May is family time for the great spotted woodpecker. Woodpecker pairs will have begun their courtship at the end ...
Bee Friendly Garden

Urban Gardens a Haven for Pollinators

Insect-friendly urban gardens show great promise to be havens for bees and other pollinators, securing their future and allowing them to thrive. By Mackenzie Myers A pollinator-friendly habitat may conjure up images of wide-open meadows bursting with wildflowers, far from the hustle and bustle of ...
Brain Circuits Map out Depression and Anxiety

Brain Circuits Map out Depression and Anxiety

Researchers are studying the brain circuits affected by depression and anxiety, opening the way for more effective treatments. By Pernille Bülow Scientists have recently identified how changes in neuronal activity in one specific brain region can trigger the onset of depression. However, while specific brain ...
Oreo Cookie

How Oreos Could Impact 3D Printing

Have you ever wondered why, when you separate an Oreo, the filling usually sticks to one side? The reason might be the future of 3D printing. By Mackenzie Myers Fowler If you’re the type of person who splits an Oreo cookie in half before eating ...
The Secret Lives of the Elements, Review

The Secret Lives of the Elements

The Secret Lives of the Elements by Dr. Kathryn Harkup was released in the UK in October 2021. The reviewed copy from Mobius Books is from the US release in March 2022.  Reviewed by Steven Spence @TheStevenSpence I immediately noticed the distinctive cover by Luke ...

Why Are Eggshells So Strong?

For millions of years, birds have been evolving to make the perfect eggshell. But how are eggshells so strong? By Kate Stone Anyone who has a tried to squeeze a chicken egg from end to end knows that it is almost impossible to break that ...
All of Us project addresses the problem of lack of diversity in medicine

All of Us: A Lack of Diversity in Medicine

With the release of its first 100,000 genomes this project is solving a dangerous problem: a startling lack of diversity in medicine. SciStarter Blog By Nathaniel Scharping With the release of its first 100,000 genomes, all from volunteers, the All of Us project is on ...
Gardening Alternatives to Pesticides

Organic Gardening and Alternatives to Pesticides

Gardens inevitably attract insect pests. How can you use organic gardening techniques to protect your plants from pests and maintain a garden that is safe for pollinators and other animals? By Steven Spence Gardens are a delight Sadly, it’s not just gardeners, bees, butterflies, and ...

How Does Your Brain Work?

Have you ever wondered how eating chocolate affects your brain? Or do you wonder how your brain can distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar things? Do you want to know how your brain learned to use tools, how brain games might help with car sickness, or ...
Stalks of wheat silhouetted against blue sky, July 1978.

Wild Relative of Wheat Could Help Curb Disease

Stem rust might be the bane of a wheat crop, but researchers may have found a solution that could protect the popular grain. By Mackenzie Myers Fowler If the wheat used in breads across the world had an archnemesis, it could very well be stem ...
Martin Dohrn filming a bumble bee hovering over a dandelion. (Image credit: Martin Dohrn/Passion Planet)

Inspire Your Community to Protect Local Pollinators

During the pandemic, acclaimed wildlife filmmaker Martin Dohrn got to know the local pollinators in his garden. Find out what happened. SciStarter Blog When the global pandemic hit, acclaimed wildlife filmmaker Martin Dohrn, locked down in his small city garden in Bristol, England, decided to ...
Plant Bacteria Thrive in Wet Weather

Plant Bacteria Thrive in Wet Weather

Plants need water to grow, but too much water creates a perfect environment for plant bacteria, viruses, and fungi to thrive. How does this work, exactly? By Neha Jain Plants need water to grow. But too much water isn’t good for them either. Scientists have ...

Brain Pathways and Depression: What’s the Connection?

Feel depressed? You aren't alone. Cases of depression are on the rise. Now, scientists are busy uncovering new neuroscience mechanisms underlying the cause of depression. By Pernille Bülow Depression is a difficult, and sometimes chronic, mental health disorder that is associated with deep sadness, hopelessness, ...
Satellite image of the McMurdo Dry Valleys (NASA)

Exploring Antarctica with Photography

At a remote Antarctic outpost, cameras capture time-lapse images of the McMurdo Dry Valleys. Antarctica shows climate change. At a remote Antarctic outpost, cameras have been installed to capture time-lapse images of geological features in the McMurdo Dry Valleys. The images are giving scientists from ...
Dr. Dinesh Medipally, Biophysicist

Meet a Biophysicist: Dr. Dinesh Medipally

A biophysicist studies chemical and physical principles of living things and of biological processes, such as cell development, growth, heredity, and disease. Get to Know a Scientist It's our pleasure to introduce you to Dr. Dinesh Medipally, a biophysicist and a Government of Ireland Postdoctoral ...

Rain or Snow: How do you know?

How can it snow when temperatures are above freezing? Mountain Rain or Snow has the answer — and wants your help studying it. The SciStarter Blog A glimpse at the temperature during the next snowfall might surprise you: It may not actually be below freezing ...
Modern-day ground hog, photographed in Shenandoah National Park (Evolution of Mammals)

Meet the Very First Mammals

Scientists have used new technology to analyze a fossil of one of the first mammals. The fossil reveals how the ancient animal lived and gives us clues into the evolution of mammals. About 70 million years ago, in the heyday of the dinosaurs, a groundhog-like ...
Mountains form between earthquakes, not during them

Mountains Form Between, Not During, Earthquakes

Turning conventional wisdom on its head, geologists at Stanford find mountains aren't formed during earthquakes but between them. By Mackenzie Myers Fowler Anyone who’s witnessed a major earthquake—or even has seen photos of one—can tell you that the landscape doesn’t look quite the same afterward ...
Gold jewelry from Senuna Roman Britain (Photo courtesy of Elizabethe via Flickr)

Archaeologists at Ancient Roman Gold Mines

Archaeologists in Spain studying Las Médulas, the largest known ancient Roman gold mine, found a much larger operation than previously thought. Archaeologists and geologists in Spain studying Las Médulas, the largest known open-cast gold mine of the Roman Empire, have discovered it was a much ...
Chamois Goat Juvenile (Tom Mason)

Goats in the Italian Alps Are Shrinking

These goats that live in the Italian Alps appear to be shrinking in size, according to research from Durham University. The researchers studied the body size of Alpine Chamois, a species of mountain goat, over the past 30 years. To their surprise, they discovered that ...
Red Fox Kit Credit: Charlie Lister/USFWS

Get to Know the Red Fox Genome

The red fox is the world's most widely distributed land carnivore. Some surprising findings about the origins, journey and evolution of the red fox have come to light. Genetic research suggests that the first red foxes originated in the Middle East before beginning their long ...
Greek technical diver Alexandros Sotiriou discovers an intact ceramic table jug and a bronze rigging ring on the Antikythera Shipwreck. (Brett Seymour, Return to Antikythera 2014)

Underwater Archaeology, Ancient Shipwreck

An underwater archaeology team has retrieved new finds from an ancient Greek ship that sank over 2,000 years ago. An international team of divers and archaeologists has retrieved amazing new finds from an ancient Greek ship that sank more than 2,000 years ago. Because of ...
ancient human ancestors underwater

Prehistoric Human Settlements at the Bottom of the Sea

Researchers are studying the remains of prehistoric human settlements that now lie submerged beneath Europe's coastal seas. More than 2,500 groups of submerged prehistoric artifacts, ranging in age from 5,000 to 300,000 years, have been found in the coastal waters and open sea basins around ...
Berlin Mounted Dinosaur Skeleton: The huge mounted Giraffatitan in the main hall in Berlin, dwarfing the Diplodocus that stands behind it. (Photo by Steven Spence)

Dinosaur Diets at the Jurassic Dinner Table

Sauropods were the largest land animals ever on earth, and many different species of them lived close together, so how did they all find enough food for their dinosaur diets? Fortunately, research from the University of Bristol and the Natural History Museum, London can answer ...
EMDR Therapy

How Does EMDR Therapy Work?

Eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing, or EMDR therapy helps people with PTSD by changing the way their brains remember traumatic events. By Pernille Bülow Traumatic experiences can leave long-lasting impacts on the human mind and body. Some traumatized people develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is ...
college graduation

Grit or Grades: What Drives College Graduation?

Does timely college graduation depend more on a student’s self-regulation or on their admission test scores? Researchers decided to find out. By Pernille Bülow For almost a century, our school system has been structured with the assumption that excelling in school relies on a student’s ...
ancient diets

Nok Culture Pottery Adds Clues to Ancient Diets

Have you ever thought about the ancestry of your food? New research has traced the origins of leafy greens and other plants in some ancient diets back more than 3,500 years. By Mackenzie Myers Fowler When you sit down to eat a meal, do you ...
Oysters, clams, and mussels in Oregon and Washington are showing the effects of ocean acidification (Oregon State University)

Shellfish Threatened by Ocean Acidification

Ocean acidification is killing young oysters, clams, and mussels in U.S. coastal regions that depend on these shellfish. Find out why. By Kate Stone Coastal communities in fifteen U.S. states that depend on the $1 billion shellfish industry (primarily oysters and clams) are in trouble ...
therapy in virtual reality

Do You Want Therapy in Virtual Reality?

Given the choice between seeing a therapist in real life or in virtual reality, which would you choose? By Shelby Nilsen Can virtual reality mirror real life? Research performed at Edith Cowan University and published in Frontiers in Virtual Reality examined whether study participants would ...

Four People, Four Different Paths Into Citizen Science

Anyone can do citizen science -- public engagement in scientific research -- and in a new SciStarter podcast episode, the host chats with four citizen scientists about how they got their start in the community and how they share citizen science with others. SCISTARTER BLOG ...
A perching Anna's hummingbird (© Matthew Shain 2014)

How to Disrupt a Hummingbird’s Hover

A hummingbird’s ability to hover in place can be easily disrupted by tricking the bird’s brain. Our brains can be tricked in a similar way. Watching a hummingbird hover and maneuver can be mesmerizing. Hovering in place, however, isn’t as easy as it might appear, ...

Map the World’s Coral Reefs for NASA with NeMO-Net

Play a fun tablet game, learn about coral reefs and help NASA scientists build an algorithm that will map out the world's coral! SCISTARTER BLOG “Our coral reefs are in danger … we need your help.” When new players log on to NASA’s NeMO-Net, they’re ...
The Science and Spirit of the Winter Solstice

The Science and Spirit of the Winter Solstice

Learn about the winter solstice! Find out what it is and why it has been celebrated by human civilizations since time immemorial. By Jonathan Trinastic If you happen to walk the beautiful slopes of Machu Picchu someday, look for the ruins of a solitary tower ...
grief may make cancerous tumors worse

The Cancerous Relationship Between Tumors and Grief

Grief hurts. Losing a friend, partner, or family member is hard and can cause emotional distress. New research suggests that this loss may make cancerous tumors worse. By Pernille Bülow Can close, happy relationships with family or romantic partners reduce your chances of developing cancer? ...

Four Ways (in One App) to Help NASA Study the Earth

Would you like to help scientists study the Earth and the ways in which our planet is changing? There's an app for that. SciStarter Blog Researchers can accomplish amazing things these days with satellites — they can study clouds and climate, forests and land use ...
Dr. Pernille Bülow: neurophysiology

Neurophysiology Product Specialist Dr. Pernille Bülow

Pernille Bülow has a PhD in Neuroscience and currently works as a Product Specialist on neurophysiology at iMotions. She is passionate about understanding and questioning the mind-body relationship. In her spare time, Pernille practices fencing, horse riding, performing aerial acrobatics and reads lots of fiction ...
How a Special Smell Triggers a Memory

How a Special Smell Triggers a Memory

Does the smell of freshly baked cookies make you think of your grandmother’s house? When smell triggers a memory, neuroscientists call this an associative memory. Find out how it works. By Emery Haley If the smell of baking cookies has ever sent you back to ...
biological impact of humans on marine life

Humans Have Varied Biological Impact on Animals

Why is the biological impact of human activities greater for some marine life populations than others? Scientists investigate. By Crystal Wang Human activities have adversely impacted marine life, causing significant biological impacts on the ecosystem and on animal life in the ocean. Assessing the effects ...
Revegetation in the Oregon Cascades after the 90,000-acre B&B Complex Fires that burned in August and September of 2003 around Three-Fingered Jack peak. (Photo courtesy of University of Nevada, Reno)

Snowpack Critical to Helping Forests Heal

A substantial snowpack helps forests heal after fire season, but what can be done when each year brings higher temperatures, more wildfires, and less snow? By Mackenzie Myers Fowler Each fall, fire season in the western U.S. dominates headlines. It’s no secret that fires are ...
Ebbs and Floes: Watching Melting Ice in the Arctic

Ebbs and Floes: Watching the Arctic Ice Melt

Watching Arctic Ice Melt: Researchers photographed large ponds of meltwater sitting on the Arctic ice to track climate change. By Norman Rusin In July of 2016, a team of NASA scientists succeeded in collecting data about summer melting ice in the Arctic during a first-of-its-kind ...
Meltwater rivers gushing on top of the ice layers in Greenland

Greenland Ice Sheets Losing Ability to Absorb Meltwater

The Greenland ice sheets are losing their ability to retain meltwater, resulting in faster runoff of meltwater into the ocean. By Neha Jain Greenland Ice Sheets Losing Ability to Absorb Meltwater Sea-rise levels caused by a warmer Earth have been higher and more rapid than ...

Touch and Socialization: Researching Connections

People on the autism spectrum can struggle with social interactions. Research suggests this may be connected to hyper-sensitive reactions to touch. By Pernille Bülow Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a set of developmental disorders that affect how a person communicates, behaves, and senses the world ...
Emerging battery technology

Emerging Battery Tech for Energy Industry

Several improvements in emerging battery technology have turned renewable energy into a more affordable and more reliable energy solution. By Emily Folk Advances in battery technology are transforming one of the most promising movements in the modern energy industry: the push toward renewable energy power ...

Researchers Create Flexible, Printable LED

Futuristic LED tech powered by crystalline structures may soon be at our fingertips, on our wrists and in our pockets. By Mackenzie Myers Fowler Mysterious crystals that can do unbelievable things are a common trope in many sci-fi or fantasy stories. Think the Tesseract of ...
EH Science: Hand-Washing, CDC:Kimberly Smith

Tired Healthcare Workers Wash their Hands Less Often

Hand-washing in hospitals is known to reduce patient infections, but a study has found that healthcare workers wash their hands less frequently when tired. The research team, led by Hengchen Dai at the University of Pennsylvania, examined three years of hand-washing data from 4,157 caregivers ...

Plant Combats Addictive Effects of Opioids

Addiction to opioids may be preventable and reversible with the help of a traditional Chinese medicine, according to new research. By Vered Smith A plant used as Chinese herbal therapy has a potent effect when given with opioids: it strengthens pain relief and weakens addiction ...

Are shark personalities real?

Do sharks have social personality traits? According to a study conducted by a team of researchers at the University of Exeter, shark personalities are very real. What comes to mind when you think about sharks? Most people think about sharp, pointed teeth. But there is ...

Warmest Ocean Temperatures Ever Recorded

A study of the variability of the global climate system has revealed that global ocean temperatures are on the rise. "This summer has seen the highest global mean sea surface temperatures ever recorded since their systematic measuring started. Temperatures even exceed those of the record-breaking ...
Volunteers Are Helping with Alzheimer's Research by Playing an Online Game

Volunteers Are Helping with Alzheimer’s Research by Playing an Online Game

Verizon volunteers are helping speed up Alzheimer’s research. Read on to find out how you can help by simply playing an online game. SCISTARTER BLOG Note: Portions of this article came from a description of Stall Catchers previously written by SciStarter. Across the United States, ...
Prehistoric Crocodile: Life reconstruction of the head of Gnatusuchus pebasensis, a 13-million-year-old, short-faced crocodile with rounded teeth that was thought to use its snout to dig for clams and other mollusks. Model by Kevin Montalbán-Rivera. (© Aldo Benites-Palomino)

Prehistoric Crocodiles Ruled Ancient Peru

Today, the Amazon River basin is well known for its biodiversity, but the area also has a long history of abundant life. Thanks to an international team of researchers, we now know that thirteen million years ago at least seven different species of prehistoric crocodile ...

Using a protein to reverse skeletal muscle aging

Scientists have discovered that the over-expression of a protein, NANOG, can lead to the reversal of aging in skeletal muscle cells. By Risha Banerjee Scientists at the University at Buffalo, New York, have discovered that the over-production of a protein, NANOG, can lead to the ...
Working dogs of the Iamal-Nenets reindeer herding peoples from where the Samoyed dog breed originated. Photo courtesy of Robert Losey (LMU).

Working Dogs Traded by Ancient Cultures?

Dog people love their dogs, but did you know that working canines were traded in the Arctic as valuable commodities at least 2,000 years ago? By Mackenzie Myers Fowler During the Covid-19 pandemic, many dog owners have become closer than ever to their canine companions ...
aurora

Photographing the Northern Lights in Iceland

Photographer Steven Spence chased the aurora borealis, or Northern Lights in Iceland and got some fantastic photos. Find out how he did it. By Steven Spence For night's swift dragons cut the clouds full fast,And yonder shines Aurora's harbinger;At whose approach, ghosts, wandering here and ...
Humpback whale breaching off the coast of Baja California. Winter Break 2015-2016

Magnificent Humpback Whales of Los Cabos

Travel to Baja California with wildlife photographer Max Goldberg and see his photos of the humpback whales. The humpback whales migrate to the area to breed. By Max Goldberg Following the adventurous Alaska trip my father and I took last summer, for winter break my ...

WildSpot AR: Augmented Reality Citizen Science Game Is Coming to the National Parks

An augmented reality game, WildSpot AR and the National Park Science Challenge invite you to visit urban National Parks and explore science. SCISTARTER BLOG Gluttonous space tourists from another dimension are creating portals into our world, with the aim of turning Earth into a popular ...
Friends at First Sight? Genetics May Decide

Friends at First Sight? Genetics May Decide

Is there a genetic component to friendship? Mice prefer friends who are genetically similar to them, regardless of other factors. By Emery Haley Have you ever met someone and knew immediately that you liked or disliked them without really knowing why? Chances are, you have, ...
brain cholesterol and Alzheimer's Disease research

Does Brain Cholesterol Control Alzheimer’s?

Brain cholesterol levels may be the key to understanding and treating Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study. By Elisabeth Moore Most people have heard of cholesterol. Your doctor may have told you that you need to lower your cholesterol, or you may know someone ...

How Do Spiders Weave Perfect Webs?

The webs of spiders come in many shapes and serve many functions, like helping them hunt prey and hide from predators. By Shayna Keyles Are you afraid of spiders? I don’t blame you. The spider “embodies the Terrible Mother’s gruesome mysteries of death and dissolution ...
How Have Snapping Shrimp Evolved to Snap?

How Did Snapping Shrimp Evolve their Snap?

Researchers at the University of Alberta have discovered the evolutionary path that snapping shrimp took to evolve their trademark snap. By Hallie Macdougal By using computer modeling and 3-D printing and mapping evolutionary trees, researchers at the University of Alberta have discovered a possible evolutionary ...
Many fishes swimming above corals. Photo credit: NOAA's Coral Kingdom Collection, Bonaire 2008: Exploring Coral Reef Sustainability with New Technologies.; NOAA/OAR/OER

Zooplankton Make Mini-Migrations All Day Long

Every night, tiny animals called zooplankton migrate from the deep sea to the surface. Just before sunrise, they return to the ocean depths, just beyond the reach of the sun. Let’s find out why. By Mackenzie Myers Fowler It’s almost the time of year where ...

A Canadian Citizen Science Summer

Check out these citizen science projects designed for people living in the north and enjoy a Canadian citizen science summer! THE SCISTARTER BLOG Canada is home to numerous citizen science organizations and opportunities such as Birds Canada (includes the BC Coastal Waterbirds Survey), Nature Watch, ...
Exercise Prevents Disease Through Genes

The Effect of Exercise on Your Genes

Genes can be expressed in different ways, and new research suggests that exercise has a positive impact on gene expression and your health. By Risha Banerjee and Angie Lo It’s a well-known fact that regular exercise improves your health and prevents the onset of complications ...
The body’s community of gut fungi, called the mycobiome, has a big influence on metabolic health, and changes to diet can throw it out of whack.

Gut Fungi Influence Your Metabolism

The body’s community of gut fungi, called the mycobiome, has a big influence on metabolic health, and changes to diet can throw it out of whack. By Tasnim Jackson Our gut microbiota, the community of microbes that exist in our intestines, is a crucial part ...
Becoming a Beekeeper

Bee-coming a Beekeeper: An Interview with Andy Zaayenga

Bees and other pollinators are part of our agricultural processes and, indeed, life on earth. Find out how and why this robotics pro became a beekeeper. By Cathy Seiler Andy Zaayenga was “that guy” who introduced himself to new girlfriends by warning them about the ...
Wildlife Game of Thrones: Wolf versus Crow

Wildlife Game of Thrones: Wolf and Crow

Steven Spence visits the wolves at Wildpark Bad Mergentheim in Germany and photographs a contest for food between the wolves and crows. By Steven Spence “Through the bleak and early morn, Where a stronger will is sworn,Where the moments move so slow,And seem to never ...
Trojan horse cancer treatment

Cancer Treatment from a DNA “Trojan Horse”

Scientists have developed a new kind of cancer treatment. It's a cancer-fighting Trojan horse made from folded DNA and tiny pockets filled with anti-cancer drugs. By Emily Rhode In ancient Greece, a clever disguise and a bit of greed was all it took to defeat ...
The immune system has protective cells to keep our bodies healthy, but what can we do when the cells protect a tumor, and can we use the immune system to treat cancer?

Using the Immune System to Treat Cancer

The immune system has protective cells to keep our bodies healthy, but what can we do when the cells protect a tumor, and can we use the immune system to treat cancer? By Risha Banerjee Scientists at the University of Southampton have discovered a novel ...

A Game Playing App May Have Just Helped Create COVID Vaccines for the Developing World

Thanks to volunteers playing the citizen science game Eterna, researchers have identified better mRNA for vaccines. This discovery may unlock COVID-19 vaccines that have a longer shelf-life and avoid the need for cold-storage freezers, enabling far more efficient delivery of vaccines around the world. THE ...
Aurora Borealis (Photo courtesy of Antti Pietikianen and www.theaurorazone.com)

Learn about the Aurora

A roundup of articles all about the amazing Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights. Find out what causes them and where to get a good view of this beautiful phenomenon! The Science Behind the Aurora Borealis The aurora borealis (the Northern Lights) is much more than ...
Debunking the aurora myth: What actually causes an aurora?

Debunking the aurora myth: What causes an aurora?

Why do we see aurorae at night? Considering only the solar wind is not enough to really understand what causes an aurora. By Kristine Romich, Aurorasaurus intern A common misconception about the aurora is that it’s formed by particles streaming straight from the sun. This ...
Sweet Solution: Taste Protein Guides Drug Design

Sweet Solution: Taste Protein Guides Drug Design

A taste-signaling protein found in the tongue and pancreas provides a way to design healthier sugar substitutes and new diabetes medications. By Emery Haley You take a bite of your favorite food and a soft “mmm” slips out as the complex layers of flavor dance ...
Miss Louisiana Earth Invites You To Volunteer Online and Map Where Vital Wetlands Are Being Lost

Miss Louisiana Earth Invites You To Volunteer Online and Map Where Vital Wetlands Are Being Lost

Participate in Miss Louisiana Earth's online citizen science challenge to help researchers understand climate impacts on wetland loss. THE SCISTARTER BLOG Caroline Nickerson, Miss Louisiana Earth, is hosting an online challenge with SciStarter, Cartoscope, Healthy Gulf and Northeastern University for the general public to volunteer ...
Norwegian Sea Eagles

Norwegian Sea Eagles

Scientifically known as Haliaeetus albicilla, these large raptors are commonly known as sea eagles or white-tailed eagles. By Steven Spence Two Names for One Eagle: Which Is Right? Scientifically known as Haliaeetus albicilla, these large raptors are commonly known as sea eagles or white-tailed eagles ...
Touchscreen Tech Can Sense Tainted Water

Touchscreen Tech Can Sense Tainted Water

The touchscreen on your smartphone now has a new use that can save lives: It can detect toxic elements in a water supply. Find out how it works. By Mackenzie Myers Fowler Have you ever marveled at just how much a smartphone can do? Smaller ...
citizen science lessons

Citizen Science Lessons During the Pandemic

When educators were adapting to new stresses in early 2020, citizen science lessons proved invaluable resources. THE SCISTARTER BLOG When the COVID-19 pandemic shut the world down in the spring of 2020, teachers, librarians, camp counselors, park rangers and more found themselves scrambling to adapt ...
bat

Hotspots of Bat-Human Virus Transmission

Covid-19 is not the first pandemic to strike humanity, and it won't be the last. Scientists are investigating bat-human virus transmission. By Neha Jain Since the turn of the century, we’ve already been gripped by three major outbreaks of new diseases—SARS in China, MERS in ...
Fight the Bat-Killing Fungus—Cool Down Bat Homes

Fight the Bat Killing Fungus

A terrifying bat killing fungus is tearing through North American bat populations—and scientists have finally found a way to fight back. By Vered Smith White-nose syndrome, a disease with a deceptively cute appearance, is killing millions of bats in North America. Encouraging research demonstrates that ...
colleges need vaccine mandates

Colleges need vaccine mandates

H. Holdent Thorp, Editor-in-Chief of AAAS Science journals explains why college communities would benefit from vaccine mandates in the school year to come. OPINION By H. Holden Thorp, Editor-in-Chief, Science journals Finally, in the United States, colleges and universities are ramping up for a relatively ...

Girl Scouts of Southwest Indiana Citizen Science

Through a community effort, more than 80 Girl Scouts of Southwest Indiana and their leaders became citizen scientists in April 2021. The SciStarter Blog By Amanda Scurry Through a community effort, the Girl Scouts of Southwest Indiana got ready to become citizen scientists at six ...

What do you think about when you sleep?

Sleep plays an important role in processing the experiences of the day and forming long-term memories. But how does your brain decide which memories are important enough to keep? By Shelby Nilsen Human beings spend a lot of time asleep. About one-third of our lives, ...
Music Helps Rebuild Language After Stroke

Music Helps Rebuild Language After Stroke

Stroke survivors with aphasia, the loss of language after stroke, are helped in their recovery by listening to music with lyrics. By Risha Banerjee Researchers at the University of Helsinki have found that listening to music with lyrics could help rehabilitate stroke survivors and restore ...
carbon-imbued silver

The Mysteries of Carbon-Imbued Silver

Carbon dioxide is a common greenhouse gas that can be reduced through exposure to green light. Carbon-imbued silver has many possible applications. By Crystal Wang Exploring the possibilities of carbon-imbued silver Recently, there has been considerable global research focused on developing technologies able to transform ...
Ghost Forests

As Ghost Forests Spread, Researchers Ask for Help Keeping Track

Document the formation of ghost forests — stands of dead trees that were recently killed by salt stress — with citizen science. SCISTARTER BLOG Have you seen a ghost forest? As sea levels rise around the world, coastlines are increasingly marked by lingering stands of ...
urban green spaces

Urban green spaces make cities happier

Urban green spaces improve mental health, physical well-being, happiness, and community engagement. So why don't we have more of them? By Shelby Nilsen If you’re a city dweller, take a moment and think about the aesthetic of your city. Do you see lots of green? ...
Lemur

Lemurs: Where Will They Go?

By Kate Stone Climate changes are likely to leave a lot of Madagascar's lemurs looking for new places to live. The results of a new study from Duke University show where lemurs may seek refuge and food as temperatures rise and rainfall patterns change across ...
neurons and images

How Do Neurons Tell the Brain What is Familiar?

Neurons send visual information to the brain, but just how it gets processed is a complexity that researchers are getting closer to understanding. By Elisabeth Moore Does seeing something new have a bigger effect on you than something you have seen many times before? We ...

Citizen Scientists Find Exoplanets with NASA’s TESS Spacecraft

The space agency is asking citizen scientists to help hunt exoplanets in the vast trove of images gathered by TESS, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite. SCISTARTER BLOG NASA is recruiting citizen science volunteers to help astronomers discover exoplanets hidden in observations from one of its ...
Plastic Pollution: An Emerging Threat Beneath Our Feet

Plastic Pollution: Microplastics in the Environment

Tiny plastic particles, or microplastics, have made their way from our soil, oceans, and bodies. Plastic pollution on the nanoscale can have dangerous new properties. By Emily Rhode Tiny plastic particles that can barely be seen by the human eye have made their way from ...

STEM Summer Reading: Citizen Science Tails and Summer Tales

For many of us, summertime isn’t just for outdoor activities. The long days are a chance to explore new worlds through books. And one of the best ways to engage is by joining a summer reading program, like the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP), through ...
Hiddlen value of fool's gold: Macro photo of three Iron pyrite cubes by Stuart Rankin

Scientists Discover Hidden Value of Fool’s Gold

Iron pyrite, also known as fool’s gold, has been fooling people for years, but it might have more value than previously thought. By Mackenzie Myers Fowler Pyrite, a shiny, brassy mineral also known as fool’s gold, thwarted miners time and time again during the Gold ...
the periodic table of the elements

The Periodic Table of Elements

Pull up a chair and sit down to the Periodic Table and Sorting Elements, a series from Steven Spence. Part One: The Difference Between Chemical and Nuclear Reactions In a previous series, (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), we examined the origin of elements. All ...
View towards Khumbu and Cholatse from below Ama Dablam at about 4,900 m showing typical subnival vegetation in the foreground. Photo credit: Karen Anderson

Plants Climb Himalayas as Snow Line Recedes

It's hot outside! Climate change is heating up the planet, including the Himalayas, changing vegetation patterns and affecting the flow of water to people living at the base. By Emily Rhode Humans aren’t the only ones climbing the highest peaks in the world these days ...

Wicked High Tides: Citizen Scientists Plan for Sea Level Rise

King tides happen when the Earth, Sun and moon align, sometimes creating "sunny day flooding." To understand how sea level rise will change future flood patterns, researchers and citizen scientists are teaming up to map areas that are already impacted. SCISTARTER BLOG Wicked high tides, ...
chemical reactions

Chemical Reactions: Periodic Genius

Chemical reactions are essential. They put oxygen in our blood, salt in our food, and batteries in our phones. Find out why the periodical table is so brilliant. By Steven Spence Series: The Periodic Table and Sorting Elements – Part 2 Chemistry Happens In Part ...
Chemical vs nuclear reactions

The Difference Between Chemical and Nuclear Reactions

Pull up a chair and sit down to the Periodic Table and Sorting Elements – Part 1: The Difference Between Chemical and Nuclear Reactions By Steven Spence Chemical vs. Nuclear Reactions In my first series of blog posts (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), we ...
Sea Turtles: Josephine the Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta). Fish Rock Cave, South West Rocks, NSW. Photo by Richard Ling.

Sea Turtles Fooled by Trash Resembling Their Food

Sea turtles that mistake trash for food are in for a world of hurt. Green sea turtles and loggerhead turtles often mistake plastic bags for jellies. By Emily Rhode With an estimated 5 trillion pieces of plastic debris floating in the world’s oceans, marine animals ...

Uncovering the Secrets of the Egyptian Geniza With Citizen Science

Classify and transcribe fragments of medieval manuscripts with the Scribes of the Cairo Geniza documents citizen science project. SCISTARTER BLOG For nearly a thousand years, Jews at the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Old Cairo stored their worn-out, torn, or otherwise unusable manuscript fragments — everything ...
Seahorses give new meaning to dad bod

Seahorses Give a Whole New Meaning to “Dad Bod”

Seahorses give a whole new meaning to the term “dad bod.” You see, they are one of the only animals species in which the males get pregnant and give birth. By Ive Velikova Seahorses give a whole new meaning to the term “dad bod.” You ...
Structural Coloration in Bird Feathers

Structural Coloration in Bird Feathers

Peacocks are known for their bright colors, but those bright colors aren’t a result of pigmentation. It's called structural coloration. By Steven Spence Pimping Your Ride, the Natural Way If you are familiar with Pimp My Ride, a TV show about customizing old cars, you ...
Why Don’t We Have Memories of Early Childhood?

Why Don’t We Have Memories of Early Childhood?

The hippocampus helps us form memories, but babies may have a different primary use for it, according to a new research study. By Emery Haley It is a universally recognized phenomenon that, with rare exceptions, human beings are not able to recall specific memories from ...
Giant Virus Evolution and Nanotechnology

Giant Virus Evolution Key to New Medical Nanotechnology

Research into giant virus evolution is helping scientists to understand and harness the viruses for innovative medical nanotechnology. By Litia Yssel Science has found a new explanation for how giant viruses evolved to became so huge. Understanding giant virus evolution could aid in further developing ...
jellyfish

Jellyfish Do More than Drift

Jellyfish don't just drift. They can detect ocean currents, navigate, and move. In fact, they are more advanced than you might think. By Kate Stone Researchers have found that jellyfish, or jellies, can detect ocean currents and actively swim against them. "Jellyfish are not just ...
What does the ocean sound like? Humans and our ocean noise pollution have drastically changed the ocean soundscape, with negative impacts on marine species.

Noise Pollution in the Ocean

What does the ocean sound like? Humans and our ocean noise pollution have drastically changed the ocean soundscape, with negative impacts on marine species. By Ronan Conlon Many marine species rely on sound for foraging, communication, courtship, and protection. Since the beginning of the Industrial ...
Where do heavy elements come from?

Elements, Heavy Metal, and the Death of Stars

Where do heavy elements come from? Part Three of Baking an Apple Pie from Scratch (figuratively) examines how stars create heavy elements with more Protons than Iron. By Steven Spence In Part One of this three-part series, we introduced fundamental particles, protons, and neutrons. We ...
Mantis Shrimp

How the Mantis Shrimp Packs a Powerful Punch

These little animals kill by punching as hard and fast as a bullet from a gun. Find out why the little mantis shrimp is so tough. By Kate Stone The miniweight boxing title of the animal world belongs to the mantis shrimp, a cigar-sized crustacean ...
violence against women

Can climate change increase violence against women?

Violence against women and girls is a well-known problem. However, do natural disasters exacerbate this as climate change worsens? By Elisabeth Moore Violence against women and girls is a major problem across the globe. The World Health Organization reports that one third of women aged ...
The early universe, forged in the hearts of stars

Forged in the Hearts of Stars

Steven Spence, Part Two of Baking an Apple Pie from Scratch (figuratively). Let's consider the early universe and the elements forged in the hearts of stars. In the preceding post, we examined the very beginnings of our universe. We saw how primordial nucleosynthesis created a ...
The Quark Gluon Plasma Soup: Did a supernova explosion cause this mass extinction?

Neutrons, the Early Universe, and Apple Pie

Steven Spence looks for a recipe and discovers the oven at the beginning of the universe. Welcome to neutrons, the early universe, and apple pie. Due to the COVID-19 lockdowns, I have worked from home for over a year. That also has meant cooking lunches ...
Steven Spence - Science Connected blogger

Why am I writing a science blog?

Steven Spence shares his motivation for writing his science blog entitled There be Dragons Everywhere and the power of asking questions. “Because it’s there.” –George Mallory Mount Everest towered over all other peaks, defiant, unconquered, an ultimate mountaineering goal. George Mallory could not pass up ...
Electric eels deliver Taser-like shocks (Kenneth Catania, Vanderbilt University)

Electric Eel Delivers Taser-like Shocks

The electric eel is an Amazonian fish that can deliver an electrical jolt strong enough to stun a horse, using an electroshock system similar to a Taser. By Kate Stone It may look like an aquatic snake, but this eel is actually a fish that ...
Lasers Shed Light on Photosynthesis

Lasers Shed Light on Photosynthesis

Plants turn sunlight into fuel in a process called photosynthesis, but how exactly does it work? Find out from U. of Michigan physicists. By Mackenzie Myers Fowler The phrase “in the blink of an eye” is used to describe something that happens so quickly we ...
Carbon Isotope Anomaly in the Deep Sea

Carbon Isotope Anomaly in the Deep Sea

Carbon variations in methane found on the ocean floor are giving researchers new insights into ocean microbes and chemical reactions. By Crystal Wang The greenhouse gas methane provides fuel for anaerobically methane-oxidizing archaea (ANME), a type of microorganism located at the bottom of the sea ...

Neuromodulation: How We Manipulate Brain Cells

Neuromodulation to treat illnesses has been limited by being too invasive or too general, but new research on ultrasound shows promise. By Emery Haley Researchers used ultrasound to alter the behavior of a specific type of brain cell. This process of altering the behavior of ...
getting creative with science learning at home

Getting Creative with Remote Science Learning

Field research and collaborative science learning are challenging for students studying from home, but these professors have some ideas! By Angie Lo When schools and universities were transferred online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, science educators faced a unique difficulty—teaching students the practices of research ...
citizen science games

Citizen Science Games Mix Design with Discovery

By Shayna Keyles Citizen science is a collaborative scientific process in which scientists and members of the greater public both participate. This happens in many ways: scientists design an experiment for the greater public to complete, for example, or scientists and the public work side ...
action video games boost sensorimotor skills

Action Video Games Boost Sensorimotor Skills

People who play action video games learn new sensorimotor skills more quickly than non-gamers do, according to a study by psychology researchers at the University of Toronto. By Kate Stone A new sensorimotor skill, such as riding a bike or typing, requires forming a new ...
Science of Skateboarding, Halfpipe Physics

Science of Skateboarding: Half-Pipe Physics

Skateboarding is physics! Find out what principles of physics a skateboarder uses to appear to defy gravity on the half-pipe. By Kate Stone and Dr. Jonathan Trinastic People skateboarding might seem to defy gravity as they soar high above a half-pipe, but they are actually ...
Waves of Physics: The Science of Surfing

Waves of Physics: The Science of Surfing

Surfers seem to be dancing on ocean waves, but what keeps them afloat or moving? Let’s explore the physics at play in surfing. By Jonathan Trinastic Surfers catching the perfect wave rely on years of experience and learned intuition to navigate through a cresting tunnel ...
Pollinators: Honeybee visiting wildflowers

Pollination: Meet the Pollinators

Meet the pollinators! These are the birds, bees, and more that handle pollination so that we can enjoy the fruits of their labors. By Steven Spence Pollination Currently there is significant concern about the decline in honeybee populations. There are various factors behind the decimation ...

Commodity-Driven Deforestation Threatens Forests

The global market for consumer goods has led to a long-term trend of deforestation. Companies, governments, and individuals can reverse this. By Megan Nichols The global economy is at the mercy of its consumers, whose needs often have a negative impact on the environment. A ...
virtual science tours: labs

Take These Virtual Science Tours: Labs

Most in person visits may be off limits due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but these research labs have virtual science tours that you can enjoy from home for free. Do you want to see real science in action? We've compiled a list of our favorite ...
Haotian Wang, Chemical Engineer

Get to Know a Scientist: Chemical Engineer Haotian Wang

An interview with chemical engineer Haotian Wang on his new nanomaterials for clean energy, climate change mitigation, and water treatment. Dr. Haotian Wang is currently a William Marsh Rice Trustee Chair Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Rice University. He ...
stay healthy with HIIT

Stay Healthy with Low-Volume HIIT

Low-volume HIIT exercise is a quicker and easier way to stay healthy by fitting physical activity—and better health—into your day. By Li Tong Low The World Health Organization (WHO) 2020 guidelines recommend adults to engage in regular physical activity, i.e., 150–300 minutes of moderate activity ...
Ladybird on lavender

Ladybirds and Other Natural Pesticides

Aphids in your garden? Ladybirds, or ladybugs in your garden are natural pesticides. Read on for photos and tips about chemical-free gardening. By Steven Spence Sheep and Wolves in your Garden Sheep and wolves in your garden? It’s more likely than you may think. Aphids ...

Osprey: A Bird of Many Names

This bird may be called an osprey, a fish hawk, a river hawk, a sea hawk, or even a fish eagle! Learn more about the osprey. By Steven Spence guān guān jū jiū ‘Fair, fair,’ cry the ospreys 关 关 雎 鸠 zài hé zhī ...
Get to Know a Scientist

Get to Know a Scientist

Do you want to be a scientist some day? In our Get to Know a Scientist series, we introduce you to scientists from a wide array of disciplines. Learn about their career trajectories, research, and dreams. Here at Science Connected, one of our favorite things ...
grizzly bears in Alaska

Wildlife Photography: Grizzly Bears in Alaska

Join Max Goldberg for some wildlife photography in Katmai National Park, photographing wild grizzly bears in Alaska. Attention armchair travelers! In this six part series of photo essays, journey to Katmai National Park from the comfort of home. At the end, the photographer answers reader ...
how our brains learn to use tools

How Our Brains Learn to Use Tools

Scientists in Munich have examined how human brains learn to use tools, and the findings might help stroke victims. How do our brains learn to use everyday tools and utensils, such as car keys or chopsticks? That's exactly what researchers from Technische Universität München (TUM) ...
Forests Alone Can’t Stop Climate Change

Forests Alone Can’t Stop Climate Change

Ecologist Nicolas Medina explains how fossil-fuel use impacts forests and drives climate change. Carbon may run deeper than you think, and forests alone can't stop climate change. By Nicholas L. Medina The US is the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China, and President Obama ...
plastic pollution

Plastic Pollution and the Recyclable Ruse

Plastic pollution is still piling up and has a negative impact on health. Much of that plastic pollution winds up in the world's oceans. In fact, there are around 269,000 tonnes (269,000,000 kg) of plastic in the ocean, and this figure is growing. Put into ...
environmental policy matters

Environmental Policy Matters with Science Debate

Prepare yourself to make informed decisions about environmental policy and other important issues in science that impact your life. Given the many urgent scientific and technological challenges facing America and the rest of the world, the increasing need for accurate scientific information in political decision ...

Anxious After Social Isolation in Lockdown?

Are you a loner or a lonely fish? Social isolation in zebrafish led to anxiety when reintroduced to society, mirroring how many humans feel after lockdown. By Shelby Nilsen Humanity has experienced an unprecedented period of social isolation as we collectively deal with the COVID-19 ...
Hikers: Calculate your best backpack weight

Hikers: Find Your Best Backpack Weight

Hikers are often advised that their best backpack weight is a percentage of their body weight, so smaller individuals must carry lighter loads, right? Wrong. The truth is a little more complicated, but worth the effort. Smaller hikers actually carry heavier loads, so there is ...
Featured image: A laser treats the surface of copper, giving it a texture that would allow the metal to instantly kill bacteria. (Purdue University/Erin Easterling)

Pathogens Perish on Laser-Treated Metal

Pathogens perish on contact with etched copper, according to a new study using the antimicrobial properties of copper and laser technology. By Mackenzie Myers In a world where every doorknob, handle, and gas pump seems suspicious, there’s good news out of Purdue University: a team ...
science policy challenges

Science Policy Challenges in Four Parts

Join Dr. Jonathan Trinastic as he investigates four major science policy challenges facing the public and discusses how the US federal government can work with scientists to find equitable, just, and sustainable solutions. We hope you will enjoy these and stay tuned for more articles ...
My Super Science Heroes: Marie Curie and Alan Turing

My Super Science Heroes: Marie Curie and Alan Turing

My Super Science Heroes, a new series authored by Karla Valenti, introduces children to the world’s most impactful scientists, starting with Marie Curie and Alan Turing. Reviewed by Mackenzie Myers Fowler Reading age: 4-8 years Published by Sourcebooks Hunting for answers to humanity’s most important ...

What was the wild ancestor of cattle?

Cattle were first domesticated around 10,500 years ago, but today there are no wild cows. Why not, and what was the last wild ancestor of cattle? By Kate Stone Cattle are the most common type of large, animals with hooves, also known as ungulates. They ...
Nests, Neurons, and the Evolution of Behavior. How and Why Do Brain Cells Die?

Nests, Neurons, and the Evolution of Behavior

Evolution is a beautiful process. We tend to appreciate its elegance most when looking backward into deep time-- to our distant ancestors, dinosaurs, and the evolution of behavior. By Emily Willoughby Evolution is a beautiful thing. We tend to appreciate its elegance and creative productivity ...
Declining bee populations: A healthy honeybee visiting a backyard apple tree

Ten Fun Facts about Honeybees and Honey

Which countries produce the most honey? How much honey does a bee make? We've compiled our favorite ten facts about honeybees and honey. Honeybees and Honey Honeybees do not exactly make honey. Instead, they concentrate and thus improve the nectar produced by flowers. The honey ...
Narwal tusks reveal climate change

Narwhal tusks expose climate change

What do narwhal tusks, mercury, and climate change have in common? Like rings in a tree trunk, a narwhal's tusk provides a window into the changing Arctic climate. MCGILL UNIVERSITY In the Arctic, climate change and pollution are the biggest threats to top predators like ...
ocean garbage patch

Tracing the Origins of Ocean Garbage Patches

Where do garbage patches come from, what garbage is in them, how do they form, and how can we clean them up once and for all? By Mackenzie Myers Fowler There’s an infamous presence looming far out in the Pacific Ocean. But rather than some ...
revolutionize medicine

One Million Volunteers Could One Day Revolutionize Medicine

A bold NIH program promises groundbreaking insights into the deadliest diseases. Researchers want hundreds of thousands of volunteers to revolutionize medicine. SCISTARTER BLOG The future of individualized medicine may depend on an army of one million volunteers. And scientists want you to get involved. Researchers ...
tissue damage from covid-19

Researchers Find Tissue Damage from Covid-19

Researchers are finding extensive tissue damage from COVID-19, a systemic illness that damages cells and organs throughout the body. More than 828,000 deaths have been attributed to COVID-19 worldwide. More than 24 million cases have been reported to date. Survivors are suffering from many long-term ...
is depression in our genes

Is Depression In Our Genes?

Scientists suspect there may be a biological basis for depression--it may even be coded for in our DNA. Is depression in our genes? By Mary McMillan World Health Organization estimated that more than 300 million people around the world are currently affected by depression. That’s ...
plankton predict red sea fishing success

Plankton Predict Red Sea Fishing Success

Phytoplankton blooms hold the key to setting sustainable and fair fishing quotas each year—a win-win situation for the economy and the ecosystem. By Jessica Breavington The Red Sea is a key reef ecosystem supporting many marine species, but it is also under pressure from climate ...
women in STEM

Women in STEM: You Don’t Look Like a Scientist

There are many women in STEM professions, yet research shows women who look feminine are STILL perceived as less likely to be scientists. What is being done to overcome this stereotype? By Katherine Lindemann Women in STEM fields have plenty of anecdotal evidence that looking ...
brown dwarf star, an artist's concept

Citizen Scientists Have Found Dozens of Brown Dwarfs Near Earth

Volunteers scanning the night sky for elusive hints of Planet Nine are uncovering the secrets of a strange class of failed stars: brown dwarfs. SCISTARTER BLOG Sometimes the old methods truly are the best methods. When astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto in 1930, it was ...
Arborsculpture (tree-shaping): Nagold Cube (Copyright Ludwig.Schönle)

Tree-Shaping: The Artful Science of Arborsculpture

An ancient practice combines art and science, humanity and nature, to deliver an innovative contemporary creation through tree-shaping: Arborsculpture. By Ansel Oommen Our Earth is hungry for solutions. From climate change and deforestation to overpopulation and pollution, our lives are ever dependent on our delicate ...
ANALYSIS: SOLAR IS THE EQUITABLE ENERGY SOURCE

Analysis: Solar is the Equitable Energy Source

There are potential benefits for everyone when governments support the advancement of solar technology and economic development plans for equitable energy. By Jonathan Trinastic Solar energy is touted for a variety of reasons: it is renewable, clean, and quiet, and can be used as a ...

Could Evolution be Changing your Neighborhood Squirrels?

Black squirrels — a relic of ancient, old-growth forests — are now more common in cities. To understand why, scientists want to track the color of squirrels in your backyard. SCISTARTER BLOG In 1902, an international trade deal was brokered between the U.S. and Canada ...
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

What to Read: Asteroid Hunters

On any given day, about 90,000 kilograms of dust and small rocks hit the Earth. What happens when something larger is on a collision course with Earth? That's what Asteroid Hunters is about. Asteroid Hunters by Carrie Nugent Contributing Bookworm: Steven Spence Published by Simon ...
Astrophysicist Dr. Melinda Soares-Furtado is a NASA Hubble Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has a BS in Physics from the University of California, Santa Cruz and PhD in Astrophysical Science from Princeton University. She works on detecting and characterizing stars in open clusters that have anomalous characteristics brought about by the ingestion of close-orbiting substellar companions.

Get to Know a Scientist: Astrophysicist Dr. Melinda Soares-Furtado

An astrophysicist studies stars, planets, and other things in space. Introducing Dr. Melinda Soares-Furtado, who tells us about herself and her career. Meet Melinda Soares-Furtado, a NASA Hubble Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has a BS in Physics from the University of ...
Lake Erie Dead Zone: A lighthouse on frozen Lake Erie, photo by George Bannister

Study Sheds Light on Lake Erie’s Dead Zone

A dead zone in Lake Erie gives clues to how phosphorus levels change in the water and what this means for future environmental conditions. By Mackenzie Myers Fowler Every year, like clockwork, a “dead zone” crops up in the central basin of Lake Erie. Devoid ...
climate change

Most People Aren’t Climate Scientists. We Should Talk About Climate Change Anyway

Most Americans don’t talk about climate change. But many experts think that getting communities involved in climate science is the best path forward. SCISTARTER BLOG Do you find it hard to talk about climate change? You’re not alone. Surveys indicate that 72 percent of Americans ...
A compound found in green tea stabilizes an anti-cancer protein known as the "guardian of the genome." Photo courtesy of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

How a Green Tea Antioxidant Helps Fight Cancer

Green tea has many health benefits, but how does it work? New research reveals one mechanism behind green tea's anti-cancer properties. By Li Tong Low Green tea—one of the most popular drinks worldwide—has many health benefits, and its potential anti-cancer activity has received increasing research ...

Science Nonfiction Book Top Picks

Here at Science Connected, we spend a lot of time writing about science, but we spend even more time reading books about it! At the moment, we're really excited about environmental science, wildlife preservation, astrophysics, and genetics. These books are our staff's current top picks ...
Sunsets: Sunset seen at the coast in Novigrad, Croatia. Thin clouds turn a normal sunset into a sci-fi worthy sunset. [EOS 7DmkII: 400mm, f5.6, ISO 100, 1/2000 sec]

Sunsets are Illusions

What are sunsets? To human eyes, they are very cool optical illusions. Learn about light scattering, visual perception, and how to photograph sunsets. By Steven Spence “It is sometimes said that scientists are unromantic, that their passion to figure out robs the world of beauty ...
coal vs clean and renewable energy

Covid-19 Pandemic Could End Coal For Good

The Covid-19 pandemic has taken a horrific toll on human lives, there is at least one bright spot: a global drop in carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels like coal and oil. By Mackenzie Myers Fowler Though the Covid-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges, strained ...
human computers, history of women in astronomy

Uncovering the History of Harvard’s ‘Human Computers’

More than a century ago, women called “human computers” changed our understanding of the universe. Now volunteers are making discoveries in their old notebooks. SCISTARTER BLOG More than 100 years ago, Harvard astronomer Edward Charles Pickering decided he was going to take a picture of ...
burn more calories

More Exercise Doesn’t Always Burn More Calories

Are you hoping to shed some weight this year? Research shows that more exercise doesn't always burn more calories. By Neha Jain Are you hoping to shed some weight this year? You may need to plan your exercise regime carefully to ensure that you are ...

Vaccine Misinformation and Social Media

Where do you get your information? Research shows that people who rely on social media for health information are more likely to fall prey to vaccine misinformation. By Shelby Nilsen Surveys of nearly 2,500 Americans found that people who use traditional media are less likely ...
bike lane

Toronto bike lane expansion boosted access to jobs, retail

A study by University of Toronto Engineering researchers found Toronto's temporary bike lane infrastructure increased low-stress road access to jobs and food stores. UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO FACULTY OF APPLIED SCIENCE & ENGINEERING With COVID-19 making it vital for people to keep their distance from one ...
food waste and our problem with ugly produce

Food Waste: The Psychology of Ugly Produce

Food waste is a big problem in the United States, where each household discards an average of one third of the food people buy. By Angie Lo Have you ever reached for an apple from your fruit basket, only to find out they’ve all gone ...

Long-Term Effects of COVID-19 Infection

As the world enters Pandemic Year Two, data is showing that the long-term effects of COVID-19 infection are becoming a long-term problem. By Kate Stone Many individuals who caught and recovered from COVID-19 in 2019 are still suffering from troublesome long-term symptoms that are taking ...
male bias in medicine harms women

Women Still Harmed by Male Bias in Clinical Trials

Medications are still being made for men. Including women would reduce male bias in clinical trials, leading to safer dosages for women. By Emma Bodlund Women face almost double the amount of adverse reaction to medications as men. A new study suggests these excess side ...

Plant DNA shared through horizontal genome transfer

We now know more about plant DNA and how plants share genetic material with one another. And yes, it is cool. By Jacqueline Mattos It has been shown before that plants and animals are able to share their genetic material through organelle transferring, such as ...
humor helps your memory

Humor Helps You Remember

Bringing humor to the news may be a perfect combination for encouraging people to remember information and then share it with people they know. By Li Tong Low Browsing through the internet and finding yourself laughing at the jokes in the news? Still remember the ...
antibiotic-resistant bacteria

We Can Beat Antibiotic-Resistant Microbes

Untreatable no longer! Scientists at the Wistar Institute have discovered a way to combat antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. By Risha Banerjee Scientists at the Wistar Institute have developed a new way to treat a wide range of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Their findings have important consequences for treating ...

Make a Picnic for Ants…For Science!

Create a picnic for ants with the Ant Picnic citizen science project to help scientists understand the dietary preferences of this crucial speices. SCISTARTER BLOG In its 4.5 billion year history, our planet has experienced five mass extinctions. Many scientists believe we are on the ...
International Day Of Women And Girls In Science

Editorial: International Day Of Women And Girls In Science

Today is the International Day Of Women And Girls In Science, so here at Science Connected we are focusing our attention on the hard work of women in the sciences and the sociocultural obstacles they continue to face. By Kate Stone Women have led ground-breaking ...
Covid-19 stay-at-home orders

Your health on COVID-19 stay-at-home orders

COVID-19 stay-at-home orders have had a divided impact on health, and new research finds that the effect is different for people with obesity. By Li Tong Low COVID-19 stay-at-home orders have significantly changed the way we live, including how we eat, exercise, and sleep, which ...
COVID-19 Dark Web Marketplace

Editorial: COVID-19 Dark Web Marketplace

Kate Stone With COVID-19 vaccinations in short supply, consistent government messaging in its infancy, and distribution plans taking stumbling first steps, the so-called dark web marketplace (DWM) is rife with unregulated products and opportunistic medical fraud. Not all information is trustworthy, but nor is it ...
emissions from land use changes

Agricultural Emissions Could Upset Climate Goals

Changes in land use have driven an increase in carbon emissions, which in turn have contributed to climate change. By Mackenzie Myers Fowler Over the centuries, human-driven land use has impacted more than land itself. By transforming natural landscapes, we’ve inadvertently changed biodiversity, nutrient cycles ...
citizen science games

Science Games Advance Genetic Research

By playing citizen science games like Phylo, Colony B and Borderlands Science, people can join scientific research projects by completing simple activities in their free time. SCISTARTER BLOG In today’s world, computers both big and small produce vast volumes of data in record time — ...
Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, receives the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at the HHS/NIH COVID-19 Vaccine Kick-Off event at NIH on 12/22/20. (NIH)

Fact Check: Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine is 94.1% Effective

With concerns swirling around the efficacy and safety of each COVID-19 vaccine, the New England Journal of Medicine published a peer-reviewed report confirming that "the vaccine known as mRNA-1273 was 94.1% efficacious in preventing symptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)." The Moderna CovID-19 vaccine also demonstrated ...
UK Variant of COVID-19

BioNTech-Pfizer mRNA vaccine effective against UK variant of COVID-19

Researchers find that the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine is able to neutralize the UK variant of COVID-19 and provide people with immune protection. By Kate Stone In a recent study evaluating the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine's ability to neutralize the B.1.1.7 or UK variant of COVID-19, researchers found the ...

Making a Difference for Air Quality in Pakistan

Air pollution kills hundreds of thousands of people every year in Pakistan, yet no one was monitoring air quality. Now a group of citizen scientists is prompting change. SCISTARTER BLOG Air quality impacts our health, our quality of life and even the length of our ...
news told with humor more likely to be shared

News Told with Humor More Likely to Be Shared

How often do you share funny news stories? New research suggests news with humor in it is more likely to be both shared and remembered. By Shelby Nilsen A democratic society needs informed voters to be successful. Historically, news media has been an essential tool ...
asbestos in makeup

Asbestos in Makeup Highlights Slack Talc Rules

Unregulated talc sources may expose more consumers to asbestos in makeup, according to a new study pushing for more product safety regulations. By Julia Travers The foundation you massage into your pores, the blush your partner brushes over their skin—it’s easy to assume makeup is ...

Watching Plants with Project Budburst

Join communities across the world in observing plant life cycles – any plant, any place, any time – by participating in Project Budburst. SCISTARTER BLOG I haven’t always loved plants. I loved the animals that took shelter in branches, eating leaves and fruits. I loved ...
cocoa flavanols are good for you

Cocoa Flavanols Could Boost Your Brainpower

Chocolate really is good for you! The flavanols found in cocoa can improve brain oxygenation and performance on complex tasks even in healthy adults. By Mackenzie Myers Chocolate lovers, rejoice! That cup of cocoa or delicious bar could do more than satisfy a craving.  Certain ...

Designing Citizen Science Projects for Everyone

The National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine's report, Learning Through Citizen Science: Enhancing Opportunities by Design, synthesizes previous research on the best practices to increase participant learning through citizen science. SCISTARTER BLOG In 2018, the Committee on Designing Citizen Science to Support Science Learning ...
deep sea life

Abundant Life Found on Deep Sea Mountains

Researchers from the University of Hawaii at Manoa show us what ocean life is like atop a deep sea mountain. By Mackenzie Myers Fowler For all of humanity’s technology and scientific accomplishments, the deep sea still remains one of the most mysterious, unexplored regions on ...

Is Rainwater Safe to Drink?

A citizen science project called Off the Roof tested rainwater runoff collected by volunteers. They found that rainwater can be easily treated, but does often have contaminants similar to what's found in streams and rivers. SciStarter Blog Life on Earth needs water to survive. Yet, ...
biomarkers

Predictive Power of Biomarkers in Pediatric ICU

Biomarkers allow doctors to detect kidney malfunction earlier, and have the potential to change how we test and treat diseases in the future. By Vered Smith Are biomarkers more truthful than crystal balls? Research demonstrates a new method using combined biomarkers that can predict which ...
Migratory birds like this Common Redpoll consume both plants and seeds.

Some Migratory Birds Move as Vegetation Changes

How is climate change affecting migratory birds? A team of researchers offers an explanation. By Mackenzie Myers Fowler In a study of more than 200 migratory bird species, scientists at the University of Cornell have made a yearlong tie between green vegetation and movements of ...

Explore the Cosmos at Home

From studying light pollution to growing tomato seeds that have flown in orbit, these citizen science projects can help you and your kids enjoy the cosmos at home. SciStarter Blog As the days get shorter and the nights get longer, it's prime stargazing time. To ...
“Rotten Egg” Gas’ Surprising Role in Your Breathing

“Rotten Egg” Gas’ Surprising Role in Breathing

Hydrogen sulfide, commonly known as rotten egg gas, does more than clear a room—it also helps regulate your important bodily functions, like breathing! By Angie Lo Hydrogen sulfide, or H2S, has been infamously dubbed the “rotten egg” gas for its characteristic stink. Though overpowering and ...

Old Family Fishing Photos Unlock the History of Atlantic Fisheries

One captain’s old fishing photos grew into a citizen science project called FISHstory. Researchers hope it can teach them about the health of today’s fish populations. SciStarter Blog Rusty Hudson grew up on the salt-laden docks of Daytona Beach, Florida. As a third-generation fisherman, he ...

Alzheimer’s Care Access: City vs Country

Less access to healthcare may be leading to worse outcomes for people with Alzheimer’s in rural areas—but a change due to COVID-19 just might help. By Alexandra J. Weigand Imagine living in Paw Paw, Illinois, population 850. It’s quiet, quaint, and neighborly, with one main ...

The Surprising Environmental Impact of Pet Food

What is the environmental paw print of pet food? Larger than you may think! It takes an area twice the size of the UK to produce dry food for cats and dogs. By Neha Jain Much has been debated about the environmental sustainability of human ...
How Fiber Can Help The Body Fight Bacteria

How Fiber Helps Your Body Fight Bacteria

By Angie Lo Fiber is important. Aside from its well-known roles in preventing constipation and lowering blood sugar, fiber has yet another vital function— boosting the body’s immunity. When fiber gets consumed and enters the digestive tract, some of it can get broken down into ...
Sunlight May Be The Solution To Water Shortages

Sunlight Solution To Water Shortages

Water shortages could drop now that new technology combined with sunlight can make ocean water safe to drink in minutes. By Jocelyn Solis-Moreira Water covers about 71 percent of the earth, but most of it is undrinkable. Rather than feeling refreshed, the excess salt from ...
diamonds can conduct electricity

Diamonds Can Conduct Electricity

Computer simulations show diamonds can be made to conduct electricity like metal, and the potential real-world applications are numerous. By Jake Foster An international team of scientists has discovered that diamonds can conduct electricity when put under strain at a nanoscopic scale. The discovery was ...

Revolutionizing Bird Watching with Radar

Ecologists can now forecast bird migrations like meteorologists forecast the weather. But without on-the-ground citizen science observations, it’s hard to tell a songbird from a goose. SCISTARTER BLOG For many of us, the sound of fall is defined by honking geese overhead and the calls ...
Climate Change: global aridity

Climate Change: Hot and Dry for Some

Climate change is here and it’s not good. The very near future promises to be hotter and dryer in some places. Find out what the numbers really mean. By Jessica Breavington International climate change negotiations have set a 1.5 to 2 degree limit for global ...
Science with Sophie

Election 2020: Why Science is Political

Science with Sophie Hello Scientists, As a scientist, a woman, and a human, I’ve been thinking a lot about this election. Every election is important, but this one is especially important. “Sophie!” You may say. “People say science isn’t political! Why are you talking politics?” ...
dinosaur cancer

The Case of Malignant Cancer in a Dinosaur

Did cancer kill the dinosaurs? A deformed dinosaur bone has given a glimpse of life as a 77-million-year-old cancer “survivor.” By Jocelyn Solis-Moreira Doctors are trained to diagnose diseases all the time. So why did it take almost 77 million years to diagnose this one ...
optical illusions

Optical Illusions: Afterimage science + ghosts

Have you ever seen a ghost? How about an afterimage? Our bodies aren't perfect and they sometimes make mistakes, resulting in fun optical illusions. Science with Sophie Welcome to Science with Sophie, the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine version! Written in Boston, directed from Chicago, and filmed ...
Citizen Science Projects about Insections

Citizen science projects featuring insects, spiders and their relatives

Seven large-scale citizen science projects that you can help with right now! Help scientists collect data on our insect friends. SciStarter Blog You can call them “insects, spiders and their relatives” or you can call them “bugs” (and incur the wrath of those who point ...

Vaping Injury Caused By Heating Element

While some thought lung damage from vaping was caused by THC, nicotine, or vitamin E oil, the real culprit might be the heating element. By Mackenzie Myers When e-cigarette users began reporting shortness of breath, chest pain, fever, and other symptoms of vaping-related lung injury, ...
Killing Cancer Cells

Killing Cancer From the Inside

Scientists have found a new way to defeat cancer by killing cancer cells without harming the patient. By Risha Banerjee Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research have developed a new way to potentially destroy cancerous cells without subjecting the body to radiation ...
Citizen Scientists Fighting Misinformation

Citizen Scientists Fighting Misinformation

A new project called Public Editor invites citizen scientists to work together to fight misinformation and vet the credibility of news. SciStarter Blog In an era of social media bots, deepfakes and “alternative facts,” reliable news is more important than ever. Now, a citizen science ...
male bias in medicine

Women Endangered by Male Bias in Clinical Trials

Medications are still formulated with a male bias, but new awareness of how different bodies process drugs could lead to safer dosages for women. By Emma Bodlund Women face almost double the amount of adverse reaction to medications as men. A new study suggests these ...
social connection through voice

For Stronger Social Connection, Use Voice

Researchers say calling on the phone instead of texting leads to a stronger social connection—and isn't nearly as awkward as we fear. By Li Tong Low Have you picked up the phone today? Social connection is important for our well-being and health, especially during the ...
motion sickness

Brain Games Relieve Motion Sickness

New research suggests that doing brain training exercises to improve visuospatial skills could help reduce motion sickness. By Angie Lo If you’ve ever felt queasy while on a train or boat, you’re definitely not alone. Motion sickness is extremely common—according to the National Library of ...
Sea Anemone

Sea Anemone: More Food, More Tentacles

Taking “you are what you eat” to the next level, new research shows that the more a sea anemone eats, the more tentacles it grows. By Vered Smith Most animals have a set number of limbs that they’re born with, determined by their DNA. However, ...

3 Ways to Help Save Monarch Butterflies

Monarch butterflies face an uncertain future. Their numbers have plummeted in recent decades. Here are some ways you can help. SciStarter Blog Every fall, declining day length triggers one of the most incredible phenomena found in nature: the annual fall migration of monarch butterflies. Across ...
queen bee, queen bees, bee colony, bee colonies, bee health

Relaxed Queen Bees Have More Offspring

Queen bees produce different proteins when they are stressed, and this new discovery could change how we monitor hive conditions. By Angie Lo Farmers, scientists, hobbyists—numerous keepers play a vital role in caring for the bees that make our honey and pollinate plants. However, beekeeping ...
A team of researchers led by professor Brian Fields hypothesizes that a supernova about 65 light-years away may have contributed to the ozone depletion and subsequent mass extinction of the late Devonian Period, 359 million years ago. Pictured is a simulation of a nearby supernova colliding with and compressing the solar wind. Earth's orbit, the blue dashed circle, and the Sun, red dot, are shown for scale. (Graphic courtesy Jesse Miller)

Did exploding stars cause this mass extinction?

Researchers at the University of Illinois think supernova explosions triggered the end-Devonian mass extinction 359 million years ago. By Jessica Breavington Researchers at the University of Illinois have hypothesized that supernova explosions could have triggered the end-Devonian mass extinction 359 million years ago. Immediately after ...

Computer-powered Citizen Science

With the help of citizen science volunteers, researchers are using artificial intelligence and computers to make scientific breakthroughs with these citizen science projects. SciStarter Blog Working together, humans and computers can do great things. Humans and computers are safeguarding ecosystems, predicting hazards and diagnosing and ...
Hubble image of Jupiter

Hubble Image of Jupiter Shows New Storm Brewing

A new Hubble image of Jupiter released by NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) reveals a new storm is brewing on the gas giant. By Jake Foster At this time of year, one of the brightest objects we can see in the night sky ...
Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer’s Disease, Medications, and You

While anticholinergics help manage many common medical conditions, they affect thinking and memory, possibly leading to Alzheimer’s disease. By Alex Weigand The following is a fictional story. Joan is a 75-year-old woman who lives a typical postretirement life. She loves spending time with her grandchildren, ...
murder hornets

Murder Hornets a Threat to Honey Bees

Asian giant hornets, sometimes called murder hornets, are the latest in a long line of recent threats to honey bees in North America. By Emily Folk In 2019, Asian giant hornets were first discovered in Washington state. Asian giant hornets are the largest hornets in ...

The Role of Sleep in Gut and Heart Health

Poor sleep has been linked to high blood pressure, and a new study suggests it's because disrupted sleep damages the gut microbiome. By Angie Lo Deadlines, midterms, constant commitments—many of us have felt the struggle of being robbed of a good night’s rest. Not only ...
lunar eclipse 1, Max Goldberg

The Moon is Rusting, and Earth is Responsible

Rust in the form of hematite has been found on the Moon, and new research suggests it could be caused by the Earth’s atmosphere. By Jake Foster For decades, our Moon was thought of as a dead world, a celestial ball of rock without any ...

8 Fun Science Experiments You Can Easily Do at Home

Looking for a science project to do with kids? These experiments go beyond the trivial and incorporate real-world scientific research. SciStarter Blog Around the world, millions of kids are headed back to school in a totally different way. Classes are online. Teachers talk to students ...
Proteins in blood cells research team. Pictures left to right: Luciano di Croce, Livia Condemi, Isabel Espejo Díaz, Cecilia Ballaré and Arantxa Guitiérrez Velázquez (Photo by Marta Vila)

Protein Affects 10 Billion Blood Cells a Day

Specific proteins in the blood have been identified by researchers for activating stem cells to develop into healthy blood cells. By Vered Smith A single protein is crucial for stem cells in your bone marrow to start becoming specialized blood cells, with new research showing ...
eating habits

What You Do Impacts Your Eating Habits

Our eating habits are affected by the type of activities we engage in and the amount of attention they require, according to recent studies. By Li Tong Low Do you crave food or overeat when performing certain daily tasks? What you do and pay attention ...

Help NASA Find Out How Planets Form

A NASA citizen science project called Disk Detectives is enlisting volunteers to study images of new solar systems and see how planets form. SciStarter Blog How long does it take new planets to form in infant solar systems? Since 2014, tens of thousands of volunteers ...
Coronavirus

Can Coronavirus Infect Non-Human Animals?

A new study suggests that many endangered and threatened species, particularly primates, could be susceptible to the novel coronavirus. By Mackenzie Myers Though the vast majority of discussion around COVID-19 focuses on how it impacts humans, new evidence suggests that many other animal species—some of ...

Track Four Emerging Climate Hazards

Use the power of citizen science to help researchers track emerging climate hazards that can impact your community. SciStarter Blog Earth’s climate is undergoing change that poses multiple threats. The science community seeks your help in tracking four emerging climate hazards: sea-level rise, extreme temperatures, ...
Plastic pollution

Ocean Plastic Mounts Despite Cleanups

Ocean plastic is accumulating rapidly, but reducing plastic waste and improving surface cleanup technology can make a difference in the future. By Jessica Breavington Plastic is accumulating in certain areas of the ocean, but surface cleanup does little to reduce its amount. The solution is ...

Back to School with Citizen Science

At school or at home, kids can try these fun and easy science projects to learn about nature either online or in the great outdoors. SciStarter Blog With the COVID-19 pandemic playing out, parents are sending kids back to school in a whole new world ...
immune system

How HPV Tricks Your Immune System

Models suggest HPV tricks the immune system by producing a decoy viral protein to distract from its infectious viral proteins. By Risha Banerjee Not many pathogens are smart enough to overcome our body’s innate and adaptive immune systems. However, in a study published in eLife, ...
NASA Science Projects

NASA Science Projects Teach Kids Astronomy

Kids and adults can get involved these five NASA science projects. Each one comes with educational materials that can help you learn about everything from alien planets to finding asteroids. SciStarter Blog With the COVID-19 pandemic shuttering schools, as a parent, you may be looking ...
attractiveness

The Science of Attractiveness

Does a person’s attractiveness go up when their availability goes down? Scientists decide to find out by taking a look at an old dating strategy. By Jocelyn Solis-Moreira Humans are social animals and first impressions matter. Obviously, bringing the right attitude to a first date ...
Image of a sourdough starter in a jar

The Science of Making a Wild Sourdough Starter

Want to make sourdough starter? The Wild Sourdough Project can help you understand yeast and microbes while helping home bakers create delicious bread. SciStarter Blog By now, you’ve almost certainly heard the news: Homemade sourdough bread is the greatest thing since, well, sliced bread. Being stuck in quarantine gives ...
clean water

COVID-19 Highlights Lack of Clean Water Access

The need for good hygiene during the COVID-19 pandemic is highlighting the lack of access to clean water some communities are facing. By Emily Folk As the coronavirus continues its deadly spread, Americans are washing their hands more often than ever before. Most don't give ...

Building DIY Air Quality Monitors

Colombian citizen scientists built cheap air quality monitors and deployed them across their city. Now they’re teaching others to build them, too. SciStarter Blog CanAirIO is a low-cost air pollution monitor designed to empower citizen scientists to track air quality in their community. (Credit: CanAirIO) ...
dining at home to combat obesity

Dining at Home May Combat Obesity

Americans are dining at home to stay safe and save money, and it might help curb the trend toward obesity. By Kate Stone The COVID-19 pandemic had a dramatic impact on the way people in the United States live and dine. For the sake of ...
Surfers: A surfer rides a wave against the industrial backdrop of Lake Michigan. (Credit: Mike Killion/Courtesy of Surfrider)

Surfers Pick Up the Slack to Monitor Water

A massive network of surfers and citizen scientists is monitoring water quality and water contamination in places governments don't. SciStarter Blog By Colleen Henn and Mara Dias In 1984, a small group of California surfers were fed up with the development and water pollution at ...
loneliness

What Loneliness Looks Like in the Brain

Loneliness is recognizable in brain maps that capture levels of closeness with others and feelings of similarity to or difference from others. By Tasnim Jackson Social connection is crucial for maintaining both physical and mental well-being. How our brains map our interpersonal closeness is not ...
irrigation

Oil Field Water OK for Some CA Irrigation

Irrigation with water from oil fields may be safe for a California water district's crops if the water is diluted and boron-tolerant crops are grown. By Mackenzie Myers When it comes to water, California is often between a rock and a hard place. Regular droughts ...
Earth School

Earth School: Take a Nature Quest

Over 1.5 billion children can’t go to school right now. An online program hopes to help by offering dozens of science “quests.” SciStarter Blog Today, over 1.5 billion children are unable to go to school. Beyond public health and the economy, coronavirus is disrupting how ...
pesticide use

Safety Concerns Surrounding Pesticide Use

Pesticide hazards to human health and the environment have long been a bone of contention, leaving people confused and in need of clear guidelines. By Emily Folk The effects of pesticides on humans and the environment have been the subject of debate for years. With ...
Black Birders: Deja Perkins, a graduate student using citizen science to research birds, is one of the organizers of Black Birders Week. (Credit: North Carolina State University)

Black Birders, Scientists Push for Equality

Black Birders Week helped show the world that Black scientists exist in the great outdoors. Now, participants hope to keep the conversation going. SciStarter Blog By Eric Betz Deja Perkins loved animals growing up. And by the time she left her native Chicago to attend ...
littering

How the History of Littering Should Impact the Solution

Littering has wreaked havoc on ecosystems all over the world. What do we do now to amend the global problem of chronic waste? By Emily Folk A single plastic bottle can take up to 450 years to degrade. Today, we know the impact littering has ...
solar power

Improved Solar Power with New Organic Sensitizers

Cheaper, better solar power? Harnessing the power of the sun might finally become easier and less expensive thanks to new research into organic sensitizers. By Megan Nichols According to Geoffrey Jones and Loubna Bouamane, researchers at Harvard Business School, using the sun as a power ...
video games

Video Games Hone Visual Attention Skills

Video games may increase the amount of visual information your brain can process at once, according to a new study. By Mackenzie Myers For millions of people, video games like League of Legends and World of Warcraft are sources of engaging competition and enjoyment. But ...
Rocky coastal intertidal of Maine, USA. Photo Credit to Helen Cheng.

A Two-way Interaction: Ocean and Climate

Ocean and climate changes are affecting us and all living things. The Biota Project Blog Written by Helen Cheng (@ms_helenc / @thebiotaproject) June 8th is World Oceans Day. It’s a day where we celebrate our vibrant oceans and all the resources they bring us. But ...
loneliness, and why we will beat COVID-19

Loneliness and Why We Will Beat COVID-19

Feelings of loneliness are widespread as humanity continues to self-isolate to stop the spread of coronavirus. However, there is a scientific reason behind those feelings, as Dr. Joe Hanson explains in this video. It's brief, thoughtful, and may help you withstand the pandemic. Social distancing ...
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION: ELECTRIC CAR EMISSIONS VS. GAS

Sustainable Transportation: Electric vs. Gas

This article was originally published under the title Sustainable Transportation: Electric Car Emissions vs. Gas in the Conservation Folks blog. By Emily Folk Electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy are shaking up the transportation industry. As consumers look for more sustainable solutions, automakers seek to ...
The Globe at Night project invites citizen scientists to record light pollution in their own community. (Credit: DMSP/NASA)

Light Pollution in Your Community

Can you see the night sky? How bad is light pollution in your community? Find out with the Globe at Night citizen science project. SciStarter Blog Nothing beats a beautifully clear, starry night. But in many places around the world, light pollution is hiding the ...
why do we mistrust science and scientific method?

Why do people mistrust science?

EDITORIAL “The values of science and the values of democracy are concordant, in many cases indistinguishable.” —⁠⁠⁠⁠Carl Sagan Many of our public policies depend on how voters and elected officials understand science, but public attitudes toward science, and understanding of scientific research, depend on how ...
supermassive black hole

Study Supermassive Black Holes with Citizen Science

Do you want to help astronomers study supermassive black holes? The Spiral Graph Project invites users to trace the shape of a spiral galaxy's arms. The SciStarter Blog By Eric Betz Virtually every galaxy bigger than our Milky Way has a supermassive black hole at ...
female space science heros

Female Space Science Heroes, Interactive App

Now anyone can virtually "meet" the female space science heroes-- women who have blazed trails in space and related science fields in a new app released through a collaboration between the Smithsonian and NASA. By Smithsonian/NASA/CXC A new, FREE app has been born out of ...
food and coronavirus

What to Know about Your Food and Coronavirus

The rapid spread of COVID-19 breeds concerns about food and coronavirus, but studies show no direct link between virus transmission and food. By Emily Folk The coronavirus outbreak has had a substantial impact on food consumption and production. People flood grocery stores to stockpile goods, ...
Chasing Steve

Chasing Steve: A Mystery in the Night Sky

Literally chasing Steve, the Alberta Aurora Chasers are people across western Canada documenting a ribbon of purple and green light in the sky. https://vimeo.com/343730122 By Jess Fraser for the SciStarter Blog When Leah Mallen and I headed to Alberta, Canada to film a documentary about ...
Never Home Alone cover detail

Book Review: Never Home Alone

Never Home Alone: From Microbes to Millipedes, Camel Crickets, and Honeybees, the Natural History of Where We Live by Rob Dunn SciStarter Blog Camel crickets can turn industrial waste into energy, showerhead gunk can cause infections, and accidental ingestion of cat feces can increase our ...
science by the people, book review

Book Review: Science By the People

Science By the People: Participation, Power, and the Politics of Environmental Knowledge. By Aya Hirata Kimura and Abby Kinchy. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 2019. $27.95. SciStarter Blog Situated Citizen Science In Science By the People, Kimura and Kinchy describe their challenging research subject: understanding ...

Springtime Plants and Sheltering in Place

As most of the world continues to shelter in place this spring, plants are proving their worth more than ever. In the northern hemisphere, spring has sprung and Mother Nature is doing her thing, but we celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of Earth Day this year ...
Covid-19. Image courtesy of Prachatai

Humidity and Respiratory Virus Transmission

Virus studies suggest that humidity levels may influence how easily respiratory viral infections spread. By Neha Jain As the novel coronavirus disease, or COVID-19, sweeps rapidly around the globe, with the World Health Organization reporting around 3.4 million infections across more than 200 countries at ...
Air pollution in Colorado

Listen to Your Gut on Air Pollution

Air pollution exposure alters the bacteria in the gut microbiome and could have more health effects than we realized, according to a new study. By Jocelyn Solis-Moreira Bacteria are microorganisms that have existed even before humans roamed the earth. As humans evolved, bacteria grew alongside ...
Hubble Space Telescope

Thirty Years of the Hubble Space Telescope

Orbiting high above the Earth, the Hubble Space Telescope has a clear view of the universe free from the blurring and absorbing effects of the atmosphere. In addition to observing visible and near-infrared light, Hubble detects ultraviolet light, which is absorbed by the atmosphere and ...
Virtual Dissection Lab

Virtual Dissection: AnimaLEARNing from Home

Take the Leap into the Remote Dissection Lab with VR By Nicole Green, Director of Animalearn For decades, animal dissection has been the go-to method used to give students a hands-on way to learn anatomy. Today, due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, virtual science labs ...
Saguaro Lightning Storm by Bo Insogna

Poor Mental Health Linked to Hotter Days

In the midst of a global warming crisis, a new study finds that hot days above 80 degrees are taking a toll on people’s mental health and psychological well-being. By Jocelyn Solis-Moreira When the saying “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the ...
psychedelics

Revisiting Use of Psychedelics in Psychiatry

By Shelby Nilsen The war on drugs that began in the 1970s resulted in an abrupt halt in research into the therapeutic benefits of psychedelic drugs. Now, decades later, new research on psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) and other psychedelics shows promise for ...

Spring in the Time of Coronavirus

The Biota Project Blog By Daniela Zarate (@witxhdoktor.phd), for The Biota Project (@thebiotaproject) Spring. The word alone evokes images of bounty. I can close my eyes and I am immediately transported to a world of lush meadows, luscious flowers, fair weather, and soft sunshine. The ...
Participatory Lithology. Tuscany, Italy Photo Credit: Martina Busonero

Lithology: Public and Geologists Collaborate

By Andrea Giacomelli @pibinko Tuscany is renowned worldwide for its unique combination of enticing features, such as landscapes, monuments, food, art, and traditions. A lot of Italy is like this, but Tuscany probably stands out for its Renaissance legacy. However, in terms of Tuscan tourist ...
Sea turtle photographed by Lorianne DiSabato at the New England Aquarium in Boston, MA (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

To Sea Turtles, Ocean Plastic Smells Like Food

By Mackenzie Myers For humans, there’s nothing quite like the aroma of our favorite foods, whether it’s fresh-baked brownies, pizza in the oven, or a pot of curry. But imagine if your sense of smell, a key helper in finding food when you’re hungry, was ...
air conditioning

Impact of Air Conditioning on Climate and Disease

By Neha Jain Climate change is making summers in many countries much hotter than they were several decades ago. Heat waves are becoming more intense and frequent. Last year was the second hottest year on record after 2016. And if our greenhouse gas emissions are ...
track coronavirus

Help Researchers Track Coronavirus by Reporting Your COVID-19 Symptoms Online

SciStarter Blog By Eric Betz Health officials can’t fight the coronavirus pandemic without knowing where infections are. COVID Near You aims to reveal hotspots as sick people self-report symptoms. You cannot fight a fire blindfolded. We cannot stop this pandemic if we don’t know who ...
beating covid-19

Are We Beating COVID-19?

Around the world, people are working to keep each other safe and slow the spread of the virus. We are sheltering in place, self-quarantining, and practicing social distance. How do we know if our efforts to defeat the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are working? Are ...
kitchen science with sophie: observations!

Kitchen Science: Observations!

Scientific observations Some things we can observe, some things we can't, and some things we just...don't. Note: If you're a young kid trying this experiment at home - awesome! Make sure to have an adult help you with the stove part. #forSAFETY What is kitchen ...
diverse scientific superstars

Our Diverse Scientific Superstars

Part 3: Engineering, Marine Sciences, Health Sciences, and Mathematics The Biota Project Blog By Daniela Zarate (@daniela.x.zarate), Gracia Arellano, Jessica Monterrosa Mena, & Micah Miles (@MC_Miles1),  for The Biota Project (@thebiotaproject) Here at the Biota Project, we are back for another round of inspiring gender, ...
DNA

Unravel DNA with Citizen Science

SciStarter Blog By Bob Hirshon @Bob Hirshon Genome sequencing technology is advancing at a breathtaking pace. In the decades since the Human Genome Project, scientists have developed the tools to rapidly analyze huge amounts of genetic material. You can now learn about your ancestry -- ...
wash your hands

Wash Your Hands, Fight Covid-19

Hey smart people. Wash your hands. That's all. Here's the real science of why soap is such a darn good germ killer, and the scientifically-approved method for washing your hands. —Dr. Joe Hanson Do you understand what's really happening when you wash your hands with ...
microplastics

Will We Ever Find a Microplastics Alternative?

By Emily Folk @EmilySFolk Microplastics are tiny plastic particles measuring less than 0.2 inches long that end up in the environment due to plastic pollution. For example, microplastics can originate from larger pieces of plastic as they break down. However, standard plastics can take hundreds ...
washing clothes

Washing clothes in short, cool cycles is better

By Neha Jain @lifesciexplore  If you’ve been concerned about the impact of laundering on the environment, researchers have advice for you. By simply washing your clothes in cold water with shorter washing cycles, you can not only help cut down on the shedding of microfibers ...
Citizen Scientists Measure Nuclear Radiation After Fukushima

Citizen Scientists Measure Nuclear Radiation After Fukushima

SciStarter Blog By Michiel Van Oudheusden On March 11, 2011, Japan was hit by one of the most destructive earthquakes and tsunamis of all time, which triggered the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl. In the immediate aftermath, the Japanese government and power plant operator failed ...
coronavirus COVID-19

Coronavirus: How Do Pandemics Spread?

What does this chart actually mean for us and the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak? 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. Stay informed. Stay cautious, but not scared. Listen ...

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 ...
diverse scientific superstars

Diverse Scientific Superstars

Part 2: Chemistry and Computer Science By Daniela Zarate (@daniela.x.zarate), Gracia Arellano, Jessica Monterrosa Mena, & Micah Miles (@MC_Miles1), for The Biota Project (@thebiotaproject) Women’s Herstory Month continues in full swing here at the Biota Project. On Sunday, March 8, we celebrated International Women’s Day ...
botanical garden

Transcribing Torrey: Unearthing History with the New York Botanical Garden

SciStarter Blog By Sylvia Kohn-Levitt A New York Botanical Garden project called Transcribing Torrey is asking volunteers to decipher the notes and correspondence of one of the most prominent botanists of the 1800s, John Torrey. He lived during the heyday of botany, when researchers around ...
vaccine misinformation

Social Media and Vaccine Misinformation

By Shelby Nilsen Social Media and Vaccine Misinformation Spread Surveys of nearly 2,500 Americans found that people who use traditional media are less likely to be misinformed about vaccines than social media users. Additionally, the level of trust an individual has in medical experts seems ...

Photographing Starlink Satellites For Science

The SciStarter Blog By Eric Betz Over the coming years, Elon Musk’s private spaceflight company, SpaceX, will launch thousands of small satellites as part of an effort to provide global, space-based internet. But with each launch, astronomers have grown increasingly worried that this satellite constellation, ...
sugar ant

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. By Emily Rhode Their beachfront homes came with a view. But they also came with a condition. In order ...
diversity in science

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 ...
air quality and air pollution

Clearing the Air in the Historic West End

By Calvin Culpini Read the first in this series on the SciStarter blog. During the separate-and-unequal era of Jim Crow segregation, African American neighborhoods all over all country faced racially targeted land use decisions. These policies pushed communities into areas with fewer resources that were ...
toxoplasma

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 ...
C-sections and obesity study finds no link

C-Sections Not to Blame for Obesity Epidemic

Rates of C-sections have risen along with obesity rates, but a new study finds that birthing method is not the cause of childhood obesity. By Emily Rhode A new study out of Sweden appears to put to rest the idea that babies born by cesarean ...
Australian Bushfires/Wildfires

Extreme Wildfires’ Effects on Australian Forests

Australian forests, accustomed to and dependent on natural fire regimes, are suffering in the new extreme wildfires fueled by climate change. By Jacqueline Mattos Australia began 2020 facing the losses and catastrophic effects of the early fire season that began in September 2019. As of ...

Citizen Science is for Lovers this Valentine’s Day!

It’s almost Valentine’s Day. Cuddle up with these five projects–and one book–that we love! They are waiting for you with open arms. Xoxo, SciStarter and Science Connected Health eHeart You’re probably science-savvy enough to know that the seat of love is in the brain, not ...
organic strawberries

Wounding Leaves Produces Sweeter Organic Strawberries

Organic strawberry plants produce more phytochemicals to combat damage, resulting in stronger, sweeter fruits with more health benefits. By Radhika Desikan Do you like your fruit to be organically grown or conventionally grown? This has been a choice available to consumers since the first half ...
The water bear or moss piglet is a tiny invertebrate that's been around on Earth for more than half a billion years. This is a giant model at the AMNH's "Life at the Limits" exhibit. Photo courtesy of Eden, Janine, and Jim(CC BY 2.0)

Even the Resilient Tardigrade Has an Achilles Heel

By Shelby Nilsen (@shellbeegrace) Climate change is already affecting many habitats and ecosystems. As a result, scientists are working to understand how the rising temperatures we face might affect extant animals—that is, those species that are still surviving—including tardigrades, some of the toughest organisms around, ...
hydropower dam

Are Hydropower Dams the Future of Energy?

By Emily Folk @EmilySFolk Growing concerns about fossil fuels—especially their potential contributions to pollution and global warming—have individuals and governments around the globe looking for alternative sources of power. Hydropower is one of the oldest sources of electricity, already responsible for generating around 52 percent ...
Bush Fires across Woy Woy Bay in New South Wales, Australia, Photo by Martin Snicer (CC BY-ND 2.0)

Australian Bushfires vs Amazon Rain Forest Fires

Despite their apparent similarities, last year’s fires in the Amazon rain forest and the ongoing bushfires in Australia are different. By Jacqueline Mattos Year 2019 faced many climatic emergencies and devastating scenarios. The Amazon rainforest in Brazil was consumed by a number of fires that ...
Image Credit: Timber Press/Julianna Johnson

Book Review: Field Guide to Citizen Science

Darlene Cavalier, Catherine Hoffman, and Caren Cooper. The Field Guide to Citizen Science: How You Can Contribute to Scientific Research and Make a Difference, $7.60 Kindle, $11.99 Paperback Reviewed by Devon Moriarty I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but in this ...
Intense Lawn Mowing Lowers Biodiversity, Favors Pests

Intense Lawn Mowing Lowers Biodiversity, Favors Pests

Mowing lawns less frequently and allowing grass to grow may result in greater plant and pollinator biodiversity and fewer pests. By Neha Jain Looks can be deceiving: a uniformly well-mowed lawn might look good, but ecologically, it is not desirable. According to a recent study ...
Animal Adaptations: Science with Sophie

Urban Animal Adaptations, the Musical

Adaptations! How do animals adapt to live in human cities? Which animal sings the best? Watch them audition for survival and try an experiment with ping pong balls and tongs! This video is brought to you by our very good friend Sophia Shrand, creator and ...
Phendo: Endometriosis Study

Phendo: Understanding Endometriosis

In 2016, Noémie Elhadad and her lab at Columbia University’s Irving Medical Center created the Phendo, or “phenotyping endometriosis,” app, to better understand and identify symptoms of endometriosis. Endometriosis is a painful condition that causes overgrowth of the endometrium, or inner lining of the uterus, ...
Parasitic plant: Dodder (Cuscutta) Photo by BCGX via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Parasitic Plant Has Edge in Evolutionary Arms Race

By Cameron Duke (@DukeofCam) The relationship between a parasite and its host can be a contentious one. Their interests are in direct conflict with one another, so each is always trying to circumvent the other’s plan. This is often thought of as an evolutionary “arms ...
Earth's Changing Surface

Earth’s Changing Surface: It Takes Time!

By Alyssa L. Abbeyn (@ifDiscswereRock) for The Biota Project (@thebiotaproject) It’s a pretty regular night, my partner and I are doing some extra work tonight since we are leaving early tomorrow to celebrate my birthday. I’m on my computer at the kitchen table and they’re ...
CO2 capture and storage

CO2 underground could combat climate change

By Mackenzie Myers, @kenzwrites Despite the scariness of already-manifesting climate change, lawmakers and researchers worldwide have identified strategies to help us fight it. Expanding renewable energy, replacing coal with natural gas, and making machines more energy-efficient are just a few tricks humankind has up its ...
air quality monitoring citizen science

Regular People Are Changing How We Monitor Air Quality

Low cost, high impact: How access to sensors is changing everything in air quality research.   Air quality: It’s about us The ways we hear about air pollution can make us think it’s not about us. Large industrial stacks, smoky skies, and cities far away -- ...
asthma, pollution, air quality, environment

Asthma, Genetics, and the Environment

By Emily Folk The relationship between asthma and genetics has evaded scientists for years. Researchers are still unraveling clues today, although they've made many advancements in making the connection. Environmental influences have become more significant in their impact, posing new challenges in treating the disease ...
new language

Children Create Foundation for New Language in Minutes

By Shelby Nilsen (@shellbeegrace) Human language is unlike any other form of natural communication. It is the fundamental mechanism that we as a society use to exchange information. Using oral sounds and written characters, we express our needs and ask questions. We describe our thoughts ...
A disco clam shows off it's bright red tissue and flashing display. Lindsey Dougherty, University of Colorado at Boulder

Disco Clam, Colorful Mystery

By Neha Jain (@lifesciexplore) Dazzling bright-red tentacles first lured Lindsey Dougherty to the study of disco clams, which are found in coral reefs in the tropical waters off the coast of North Sulawesi, Indonesia. In a recent study, Dougherty’s research team found that the disco ...
What is a computer?

What is a Computer?

Here at Science Connected, we tip our hats to our Sophie Shrand, our favorite science comedian! The Season 2 Finale of the hit series Science with Sophie is all about COMPUTERS! Sophie asks, "what IS a computer?" and answers with bananas because...reasons. Join Sophie to ...
Stacks of a nuclear power plant. (Credit: Markus Distelrath/Pixabay)

Nuclear Radiation, Citizen Science, and Civic Engagement

In Japan after a nuclear radiation disaster Book Review: Radiation Brain Moms and Citizen Scientists: The Gender Politics of Food Contamination after Fukushima. By Aya Hirata Kimura. Durham: Duke University Press, 2016.  Nuclear Radiation and Food Safety In March 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake off ...

Fossil pollen holds clues to past

By Mackenzie Myers What if, instead of ancient treasure and tombs, Indiana Jones researched ancient pollen and soil? Beyond just a seasonal nuisance or a crucial component of agriculture, pollen can be a key to understanding the past. It clues researchers in to how land ...
cultural heritage and citizen science

Cultural Heritage and Citizen Science

Citizen science for your ears The latest episode of Citizen Science, the podcast from SciStarter, is the first of two episodes about how regular people help cultural heritage institutions like archives, libraries, and museums do scientific research, like uploading photographs to iNaturalist or eBird, or ...
Plant Genome

Genome Revelations: How Green Plants Evolved

By Jacqueline Mattos Plants are ancestral organisms that have evolved over millions of years, leading to the broad diversity we see today. Green plants evolved from a common ancestor into approximately 450,000–500,000 species today. There are many gaps in understanding of their diversification that scientists ...
Caterpillars Count

Caterpillars Count

From big to small, we all count. Even caterpillars. Caterpillars are important Caterpillars are familiar to us. When a butterfly flutters past you, you know that it was once a caterpillar. Now it’s time to count the caterpillars and arthropods (creatures, like insects, with segmented ...
Figure Five: Forum participants choosing where to allocate resources. Image Credit: Museum of Science, Boston

Boston is Wicked Hot: Here’s What They’re Doing About It

Want to learn more about this initiative? Check out the Wicked Hot Boston series, Parts One and Two. Want to address climate hazards in your community? Head over to SciStarter.org/NOAA to find a citizen science project. Wicked Hot Boston It’s true: the world is getting ...

Data Literacy in South Asia: From Outsourced to a Lead in Tech

Opinion By Sabah Ul-Hasan (@sabahzero) on behalf of The Biota Project Blog (@thebiotaproject) What is outsourcing? Reverberating effects from British colonization of South Asia and the ‘modern’ world I live in the United States, and I was recently in a room full of scientists when ...

Seeking the Sasquatch

Book Review: When the Sasquatch Legend Teaches Us About Critical Thinking By Patricia Balbon (@watscicomm) Gordon, David George. The Sasquatch Seeker’s Field Manual: Using Citizen Science to Uncover North America’s Most Elusive Creature. Mountaineers Books, 2015. 176 pages. Paperback US$12.26. It’s late, and you’re seeking ...
mass extinction events

Anthropocene mass extinction: are we there yet?

By Jacqueline Mattos In the last few decades, scientific observations have highlighted that we are now facing a mass extinction, caused in major part by human activity: habitat fragmentation, invasive species, spread of pathogens and diseases, climate changes leading to global warming, and, of course, ...
Hurricane Patricia

Community Perspectives Strengthen Hurricane Preparedness

By Helen Cheng (@ms_helenc / @thebiotaproject) For those who live along the United States East Coast, October is the height of the hurricane season. According to the National Hurricane Center, the Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. The peak of the ...
marine mammals

Marine Mammals Need a Voice in the Fishing Industry

Marine mammals such as dolphins, porpoises, and whales are often injured or killed by commercial fishing. New policies are needed to reduce the harm. By Neha Jain (@lifesciexplore) You might feel satisfied with your consumer choice after buying fish with a “dolphin-friendly” label. But you ...
the science of fear, anxiety, and phobias

The Science of Fear, Anxiety, and Phobias

What happens to you when you feel fear? What about anxiety? And while we're on the subject, what is a phobia, anyway? Today, Science with Sophie spoofs TV to bring us PHOBIA FACTOR and expose our greatest fears... and why we have them. Featuring TUGGS ...
Photo 5726794, (c) Sean Blaney, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). This observation on iNaturalist is of a species tracked by the Northeast Alpine Flower Watch project.

Explore Biodiversity with iNaturalist

Do you want to know more about the world around you? You can get outside and explore biodiversity and the natural environment with iNaturalist!  iNaturalist allows anyone, anywhere to contribute to a global record of biodiversity by uploading pictures of plants and animals with their ...
mass extinction events

The Forgotten Mass Extinction

By Jacqueline Mattos Yes, we are in a mass extinction event Recent research has spotted a new major mass extinction, termed the “end-Guadalupian (259.8 Ma),” according to a scientific paper in the journal Historical Biology. Previously, scientists knew of only five mass extinctions in the ...
Proof of evolution is in your DNA

Proof of Evolution Is in Your DNA

Another great video from our friend Dr. Joe Hanson and the team behind the video series It's Okay to Be Smart, brought to you by PBS Digital Studios. This time, we're looking at the proof of evolution that's embedded right there in our DNA. According ...
A red crane sits idle at the SWRP mine next to Boulder Ridge. A chain link fence separates the two properties.

Researchers, regulators, and residents collaborate to test air quality sensors

This article was originally published by SciStarter on February 4, 2019. By Margaret Hinrichs In early 2018, Scistarter and Arizona State University began the process of collaborating with a local community, Boulder Ridge, to measure the quality of its air. Boulder Ridge is a 55 ...
smart science project recommendations

Smart Science Project Recommendations

By Caroline Nickerson (@CHNickerson) Portions of this post are excerpted from the accompanying podcast episode and from notes shared between the SciStarter team and Kobi Gal’s research team. Smart project recommendations on SciStarter With thousands of citizen science projects listed on SciStarter, a main challenge ...
7 Scientific Urban Legends Debunked

7 Scientific Urban Legends Debunked

How reliable is common knowledge? If a large number of people believe something, that doesn't make it true. Dr. Joe Hanson of the It's OK to Be Smart series from PBS Digital Studios debunks seven scientific urban legends. He also makes a compelling argument for ...

Sphenodontian Fossil from Ancient Gondwana Found in Brazil

A Clevosaurus hadroprodon fossil, recently discovered in Brazil, is the oldest known sphenodontian from Gondwana, the ancient supercontinent. By Jacqueline Mattos A new reptile fossil was recently discovered in Brazil, in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. The research was published in the ...

Citizen Science in Australia: Spotlight on Michelle Neil

By Caroline Nickerson (@CHNickerson) As the interviewer and the author of this Citizen Science Connected Blog post, I’ll reveal my bias now: meeting Michelle Neil, the secretary and social media moderator of the Australian Citizen Science Association, was a highlight of the Citizen Science Association’s ...

How to Drink Coffee in Space

Many of us remember being in a school assembly when an astronaut came to speak. The question on every kid's mind (and teacher's mind too, let's be honest) was, "How do you go to the bathroom in space?" But what about other important things involving ...

Bananas, Panama Disease, and You

By Radhika Desikan Bananas are a ubiquitous fruit that generally appeals to humans of all ages, from infants to older people. But did you know that our consumption of bananas might be reduced in the future, due to a devastating disease that is hitting the ...

Could Agriculture Save US Water Supply?

Population growth and climate change are making water an even more scarce resource. Does agriculture have the power to reduce water shortages? By Mackenzie Myers This article is part of a series about key science policy issues. Please use these articles to become an informed ...

Rhetoric and Citizen Science in the Digital Age

Wynn, James. Citizen Science in the Digital Age: Rhetoric, Science, and Public Engagement. The University of Alabama Press, 2017. 224 pages. Paperback US$24.95. Citizen scientists have repeatedly faced resistance from skeptics questioning their experience, training, and ability, but recent technological advances have brought citizen science ...

Air Pollution: Breathing in Biofuels

By Jessica Monterrosa Think of the last time you were at a bonfire. Maybe you were at the beach, or a camping site. At sunset, everyone huddles around a fire pit. You lean toward the fire to get cozy and cook your hot dogs and ...

STEM Career Q and A with Joe Siegrist

In this STEM Career Q and A, we talk with the lead of Project MartinRoost. Learn about his STEM career and how you can get involved in a citizen science research project. To meet more scientists and learn about their work, check out our Get ...

Plastic Waste Necessitates Policies for Producers

By Neha Jain Countries around the world, both developed and developing, have been grappling with growing piles of plastic waste from overuse of packaging materials, such as those for food and beverages, and single-use plastic tableware. In 2015, 42 percent of all plastic produced was ...

Microplastics Contaminate Snow from Alps to Arctic

By Jacqueline Mattos Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic that pollute the environment and can range from 0.05 to 5 millimeters in length. Bigger plastic items can be fragmented by the action of light, temperature fluctuations, ocean waves, or mechanical abrasion into smaller pieces that ...

Project Martin Roost: A Scavenger Hunt in Your Backyard

This is part one of three in a collaboration between SciStarter and Career in STEM, in which writers will spotlight different citizen science projects, interview project leaders about their careers, and create educational content for teachers and students. This series is available from Science Connected, ...

The Simple Machines in Your Life

Simple machines allow us to do more work with less effort. In this episode, Sophie explains what simple machines are and how we use them to make our lives easier every day. Get to know your friendly neighborhood inclined plane, lever, wedge, and a head ...

How Nonsugar Sweeteners Affect Gut Health

By Brittany Trinh Do you take your coffee with a spoonful of sugar or use a nonsugar sweetener such as Sweet’N Low or Equal? These nonsugar sweeteners are called nonnutritive sweeteners because they contain little to no calories per gram, compared with nutritive sweeteners such ...

Mapping the Urban Heat Island Effect with Wicked Hot Boston

by Emily Hostetler, Sara Benson, and Roxanne Lee It’s not just in your head; Boston really is hotter in the summer. When urban areas are warmer than surrounding non-urban environments, we experience a phenomenon called the urban heat island (UHI) effect. Cities are filled with ...

Decolonizing Ecology for Socially Just Science

Opinion By Suzanne Xianran Ou (@suzanneou) and Adriana L. Romero-Olivares (@fungi_lover) Science attempts to describe nature at all scales, including globally. But scientists and the institutional structures and gatekeepers, such as governments, universities, and science journal editors, who determine what is considered “good science” in ...

The Unfortunate Withdrawal of the US from the Paris Agreement

By Jacqueline Mattos The Unfortunate Withdrawal of the US from the Paris Agreement is part of a series of articles about key science policy issues. Please use these to become an informed voter, ask political candidates about the issues, and put every candidate on record ...

Behind the Scenes of INVENTING TOMORROW with the WaterInsights™ Team

Sahithi Pingali, a young scientist, created the WaterInsights™ citizen science project after being featured in the INVENTING TOMORROW documentary. By Caroline Nickerson INVENTING TOMORROW, a documentary, follows several young scientists on their journey to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), a program of ...

Medicinal Plants to Nourish the Soul

By Daniela Zarate White sage. Peyote. Opium Poppy. African Dream Root. What do all these species have in common? These are all plants that serve both medicinal and spiritual roles in cultures across the world. Plants have long since played important roles in human experience ...

Diving into Citizen Science with Ocean Sanctuaries

by Michael Bear Since 2000, I’ve been an avid scuba diver in Southern California. When the Yukon, a 366 ft. long Canadian warship, sunk off the coast of San Diego in July of 2000, it became an artificial reef for divers to explore, piquing my ...

Nicotine Receptor May Play a Part in Cannabis Addiction

A new study suggests that a mutant nicotine receptor in the brain could make some people more susceptible to cannabis addiction. By Andrew Neff In 2019 scientists discovered an association between the prevalence of cannabis addiction and a mutant nicotine receptor in the brain (Demontis, ...

Manatee Chat: Uncovering Manatee Secrets

It has long been believed that the manatee is a solitary animal with a very simple communication system that primarily serves one purpose: to keep mom and a calf in contact. However, in recent years, these assumptions have been questioned, based on new research indicating ...

Monitoring Soil Health through Citizen Science

By Sandra Arango-Caro and Terry Woodford-Thomas MO DIRT, Missourians Doing Impact Research Together, is a program that educates individuals on soil science and engages them as citizen scientists. These volunteers contribute baseline information that helps our understanding of the current health status of Missouri soils ...

Reflecting on the Life of a Citizen Scientist

Smitten by Giraffe: My Life as a Citizen Scientist is a memoir by Anne Innis Dagg. In the text, she describes her pursuits as a citizen scientist, ranging from her first encounter with giraffe (the plural of giraffe used in Smitten By Giraffe is “giraffe”) ...

Steroid Hormones Protect Cotton from Drought

By Radhika Desikan As you are reading this, chances are that you are wearing something made of cotton, or have come in contact with some cotton fabric today. Cotton accounts for nearly half of all clothing material in the world. Cotton plants date back to ...

Protect Local Waterways with the EarthEcho Water Challenge

By Sean Russell On March 22, the 2019 EarthEcho Water Challenge began empowering young people and community members around the world to monitor and protect local water resources in their communities. Initiated in 2003 as the World Water Monitoring Challenge (in celebration of the U.S ...

Curing Plant Blindness at Botanical Gardens and Farms

Plant blindness, the lack of awareness of plants and their importance, is addressed by botanical gardens and agricultural farms. By Neha Jain (@lifesciexplore) What was the last plant you saw? Have you ever seen a grain of wheat? How many varieties of rice are there? ...

Exploring the Science of Mountain Biodiversity

Mountain ecosystems contain vast biodiversity and species richness, offering opportunities to study mountain biodiversity. By Jacqueline Mattos Mountain systems are hotspots of biodiversity, which means that they host many different species of many taxonomic groups in condensed spatial scales. Much has been studied about mountains ...

You Can Help Beat Extreme Heat in Cities

Imagine a smoldering hot day in downtown Boston: temperatures have reached over 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and the sidewalks and streets are absorbing the strong heat from the sun and radiating it back into the air. Days like this are becoming hotter and more frequent. This ...

Learning Where Water Comes From, With Isotopes

Researchers track the origins of water across the world, and how it varies over time and place, by analyzing its hydrogen and oxygen isotopes. by Nicholas Dove and Alyssa Abbey Did you ever wonder where your water is coming from? For many of us, drinking ...

Environmental Health Is a Social Justice Issue

By Shayna Keyles (@shaynakeyles) When we talk about recycling, mitigating climate change, protecting habitats, and more, it’s not only for some abstract mission of “saving the earth,” though that would be good, too. These are environmental justice issues; they are part of the struggle for ...

Ocean Conservation and Citizen Science at the Long Beach Scuba Show

by Kristin Butler Each year, the Long Beach Scuba Show brings together divers from around the world for seminars and exhibits on all things scuba, with topics ranging from dive gear to scuba vacations. Though the show mostly showcases the business side of diving, visitors ...

Bug Bacteria Helps Rice Plants Boost Immunity

Rice plants deliver the most widely consumed staple cereal crop for about half of the world’s human population, but cultivation comes with inherent challenges, such as herbivorous pests. By Radhika Desikan The Brown planthopper (BPH) is an insect pest that feeds on rice plants and ...

Help Audubon Protect Threatened Birds

Audubon’s Climate Watch Program needs volunteers to help it spot 12 birds threatened by climate change. Are you in? “Hope is the thing with feathers/ That perches in the soul,” Emily Dickinson wrote. Is there hope for our feathered friends in the era of climate ...

Reintroducing Science Connected Magazine

GotScience has always been part of the nonprofit organization Science Connected, and it’s time to fully bring the two projects together. Beginning July 1, GotScience Magazine will become Science Connected Magazine! Our mission at Science Connected has always been to produce honest, engaging, and available ...

Changing Methods of Science Communication Online

Science Communication Online: A New Book Exploring How We Do and Share Science On the Internet. Free access! An open access copy under a Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND license is available from The Ohio State University Press, and you can download a copy here: https://kb.osu.edu/handle/1811/87159 ...

The US Needs a Federal Ban on Marine Plastic Pollution

Marine plastic pollution must be addressed by the United States through policies on single-use plastics and abandoned fishing nets. By Neha Jain Plastics may be convenient and cheap, but they are littering every part of the Earth, even once-pristine areas. The sheer scale of marine ...

Alzheimer’s research furthered with citizen science games

A team of researchers at the Human Computation Institute and Cornell University seek to understand what causes a 30% reduction of blood flow to the brain in Alzheimer’s patients. Preliminary findings from the Schaffer-Nishimura Biomedical Engineering Lab suggest that restoring blood flow to the brain ...

An Evolutionary Approach to Conserving Plant Habitats

By Mackenzie Myers (@thetiniestnail) To conserve plant habitats, a traditional approach to biodiversity—species richness, or saving as many species as possible—might not be the most effective route. Instead, vulnerable landscapes might be better served by a quality-over-quantity mindset, a recent paper from a team of ...

Empowering Communities to Examine Lead Exposure with Crowd the Tap

By Bradley Allf Lead pipes for transporting water have been a fixture of modern civilization for more than two thousand years.  Ancient Romans channeled water into homes and bathhouses through lead piping. In fact, the Latin word for lead, plumbum, is where we get the ...

Plants Can Win a Battle against Aphids

By Radhika Desikan Being sessile, plants are faced with constant pressures from their environment, such as extreme climates, microbes, and herbivores including insects and animals. To cope with these challenges, some plants have evolved the ability to tolerate particular stresses or defend themselves against insect ...

Sound Around Town Uses Data to Combat Noise Pollution

By Bradley Allf At the start of World War I, thousands of soldiers were coming down with a baffling condition: they became blind, deaf, lost their memory, or developed uncontrollable shaking despite no obvious physical injury. Even stranger, this malady could be triggered by memories ...

Does Habitat Fragmentation Affect Biodiversity?

Habitat fragmentation has long been considered a threat to biodiversity, but recent research presents researchers and policy makers with some new ideas. By Jacqueline Mattos Most scientists used to believe that habitat fragmentation was a real threat to biodiversity, but some controversial ideas have made ...

Book Review: World Without Fish

By Patricia Balbon Day-to-day encounters of fish—at the grocery store, visiting an aquarium—passively reinforce a notion of triviality about aquatic life until we are prompted to take a pause and spare a thought for a breathtaking world beyond the shore. This month’s selection in our ...

Forest Restoration, Not Plantations, Will Curb Warming

Forest restoration efforts are a far more effective strategy for sequestering atmospheric carbon than monoculture plantations. By Neha Jain Forests are our best natural weapon against climate change. By sucking up large amounts of carbon dioxide from the air, forests can store about a quarter ...

Citizen Science in Nebraska is Bigger Than You Think

by Megan Ray Nichols (@nicholsrmegan) In Nebraska, scientists working for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission are increasingly relying on casual researchers and citizen scientists to better understand three creatures in particular: spotted skunks, salamanders, and regal fritillary butterflies. Why? The populations of these species ...

Cyberchase Makes Math and Science Exciting, Fun, and Relevant to Kids

By Bob Krech Based on my many years of teaching elementary math and science, I know that when kids are bored with math and science, it’s usually because they don’t see the point of how these subjects could be useful or interesting in the context ...

Citizen Science Connected, a New Blog Platform

SciStarter and Science Connected are partnering to produce a new blog platform: Citizen Science Connected. Citizen science is a way for regular people to do real research, and the Citizen Science Connected platform is a place to tell those stories. The fields that citizen science ...

Microbes Help Plants Survive Heavy Metal Stress

By Radhika Desikan When you hear the term heavy metal, what do you think of? Music or chemistry? Exposure to heavy metal music can cause stress in some humans. But what about chemical heavy metals? Are they good or bad for the environment and living ...

Slavery from Space: Citizen Science in the Antislavery Movement

By Dr. Jessica Wardlaw Slavery from Space is a citizen science project that allows users to further the antislavery movement by mapping the locations of activities in which people are frequently found to be enslaved. How many slaves do you think there are in the ...

Leaf Age Matters for Plant Survival

By Radhika Desikan Does age really matter? For us humans, age seems to be a very sensitive issue relevant to how we live our lives. And while it also matters to plants, it does so at a different level. Some of our tissues, like skin, ...

What Does a Black Hole Look Like?

In 2019, humanity was treated to a “photograph” of a black hole [1]. Technically, it wasn't a photograph, but it was the first visual interpretation of a black hole devouring matter. By Steven Spence “We ordinary people might lack your great speed or your X-ray ...

Track the Mosquitos with Mosquito Mapper

You can use the mosquito mapper tool to track when mosquitos are breeding in your area. Spring is a great time to start using the GLOBE Observer Mosquito Habitat Mapper. Have you noticed any mosquitoes yet? Spring is upon us in the United States, and ...
Craft beer aisles in a grocery store. Each aisle is labeled with the name of a different country.

Globalization and Its Environmental Impact

Globalization has many negative impacts on the environment. Corporations that benefit from globalization most must work toward sustainability. By Megan Nichols Broadly speaking, globalization refers to the increased interdependence of nations and the way people from different cultures and geographic locations can receive goods or ...

Citizen Science: Public Participation in Environmental Research

Citizen Science: Public Participation in Environmental Research is a foundational text for researchers, educators, and volunteers. Dickinson, Janis L. & Bonney, Rick. (eds). Citizen Science: Public Participation in Environmental Research. Cornell University Press, 2012. 279 pages. Though it was published in 2012, Citizen Science: Public ...

Fighting Alzheimer’s during the Megathon: Spotlight on Three Citizen Scientists

Stall Catchers, a gamified way of contributing to Alzheimer’s research, is going big! Working with SciStarter, the School for the Future of Innovation in Society at Arizona State University, the Citizen Science Association, the National Network of Libraries of Medicine Pacific Southwest Region, and other ...

Interactive, Educational Theater with Jargie the Science Girl

Jargie the Science Girl!, an interactive science performance, brings students up on stage to form hypotheses and perform experiments. By Shayna Keyles Since Jocelyn Argueta was young, science has been fun for her. It’s a creative endeavor that allows her to push forward and create ...

The Millions of Microbes Beneath our Feet

By Nicholas Dove (@nicholascdove), for The Biota Project Microorganisms are everywhere on planet earth—on every surface, in the air, in the ground, and inside you. The good news is that many of these benefit you. Recent findings have shown that having a healthy gut microbiome ...

Imagining Future Wastewater Solutions

Wastewater is a health threat in communities worldwide and researchers constantly seek treatment solutions to improve the health of individuals and communities. By Emily Folk Wastewater represents a serious risk to human health in both developing and developed countries. Through industrial, commercial, agricultural, and domestic ...

Plants Communicate with Neighbors in Response to Touch

By Radhika Desikan How well do you and your neighbour know each other? Chances are, very little these days. But some living things, including plants, know their neighbours well. According to new research, it appears that what one plant “feels” can also be sensed by ...

Supernova: Exploding Stars and Life on Earth

Can exploding stars dozens of light years away affect life on earth? Learn how a supernova can affect the earth, from organisms ozone. By Brian C. Thomas A massive star that exploded near Earth about 2.5 million years ago—a supernova—may have helped drive the megalodon ...

Living with Wildfires: Fighting Fire with Fire

How do people live with the threat of wildfires, and what can be done to protect lives? Indigenous Californians may have a solution. By Nicholas Dove How do people live with the threat of wildfires, and what can be done to protect lives? That’s a ...

Did Plant-Eating Dinosaurs Have Cheeks?

Did extinct these animals have cheeks? Paleontologists work from fossils of dinosaurs, so how can they know? An anatomist explains. By Ali Nabavizadeh (@Vert_Anatomist) An animal’s anatomy can tell us a lot about how it lived, including how it moved, how it ate, how it ...

To Grow or Not to Grow? Bacteria Make Seeds Think!

By Radhika Desikan A seed is the beginning of new life for most flowering plants. It has all the potential to develop into a new plant, with its own stored food used for germination (the sprouting of a seed). However, if you have done any ...

Impact of Developing Biofuels on Travel Emissions

With climate change and other environmental challenges looming large, will developing organic biofuels help reduce transportation emissions? By Emily Folk Approximately 29 percent of the energy the US consumes is for transportation, and about 92 percent of US transportation is fueled by petroleum products. As ...
Maize

Do We Really Need Fertilizers To Grow Crops?

Plants need nitrogen, and many plants depend on fertilizers to get enough. But scientists have been growing plants without fertilizers. By Radhika Desikan We all learn that plants can make their own food via a complex process called photosynthesis. However, to make their food, and ...

Did Life On Earth Start as an RNA World?

To understand how life began, we must look far back in time. Back to a time when RNA, not DNA, might have been the building block of life. By Emily Bentley You might not speak Latin, but you probably understand the concept of omnis cellula ...

Space Farming Is More Than Just Plants

Scientists studied how plants can grow better in conditions that mimic microgravity in space, highlighting the prospects of future space farming. By Radhika Desikan When we think of humans’ exploration of space, we do not necessarily think about plants. However, humans need food (of which ...

Green Bank Telescope: Two Weeks as a Visiting Astronomer in the Quiet Zone

Pictured in the image above is the Jansky Laboratory, where scientific research is conducted at the Green Bank Observatory, with the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) in the background. The Jansky Lab is named for physicist and telephone engineer Karl Guthe Jansky, who in the 1930s ...

How Wildfires Start Their Own Weather

An intense wildfire can produce its own weather, potentially causing thunderstorms and even "firenadoes.” Read on to learn how. By Emily Folk In the past decade, the United States has seen no shortage of natural disasters. From hurricanes that tear across the coast, destroying homes ...

Using Flow Cytometry in Biomedical Science

Flow cytometry is a common laser technique scientists use to look at the characteristics of each single cell in a large population of cells. By Kate Warde How flow cytometry works In flow cytometry, cells are labeled with fluorescent tags that correspond to a specific ...

Most of the Human Genome Isn’t Being Actively Studied

There are thousands of genes in the human genome. Why are some genes are studied over and over again, while others are neglected? By Katherine Lindemann Career incentives drive researchers away from understudied genes that could be important to human health. There are around 20,000 ...

It’s Okay To Fart

Farting is hilarious and gross and everyone is doing it so why can’t we talk about the science of it?! Flatulence, passing gas, cutting the cheese, toots… whatever you call it, it's natural. Humans pass gas about 20 times a day on average, and collectively, ...

Citizen Scientists Help Solve “Aurora” Mystery

The Aurorasaurus team, led by Liz MacDonald, a space scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, learns about Steve, an aurora-like phenomenon. By Kasha Patel Notanee Bourassa knew that what he was seeing in the night sky was not normal. Bourassa, an IT technician in ...

Ultrafast Camera Freezes Time

A new ultrafast camera technology called T-CUP is making it possible to see extremely fast phenomena, even light, in slow motion. By Kate Stone A new camera technology is making it possible to see extremely fast phenomena, even light, in slow motion. Called T-CUP, the ...

Do Mummies Decompose?

Do mummies decompose? Why or why not? Find out how mummification works, and what happens to a human body when it doesn't work so well. By Shayna Keyles As long as life has existed, so has death—and decomposition. Many cultures throughout history sought to prevent ...
Crowd of excited children smiling and making friendly hand gestures to the camera

Facial Recognition: How Many Faces Do You Know?

By Kate Stone It turns out that many of us are better at facial recognition than we realize. For the first time, science has put a number on how many faces people remember and recognize—a staggering 5,000 on average. Researchers from the University of York ...

Why Plastics Are Dangerous to Our Health

Is the BPA found in plastics dangerous to our health? The science doesn't look good. Learn where BPA can be found and how to avoid it. By Emily Folk It is almost impossible to avoid plastics today. They're used to package our food, hold the ...

How Do Plants Know Which Way to Grow?

How do plants know which way is up and which way is down? No matter which way you put a seed in the soil, it will always send its roots down and its shoots up. By Shayna Keyles How do plants know which way is ...

Is Height All In Our Genes?

Dr. Joe Hanson is tall. Most of the people in his family are tall. Does that mean his son will be tall? Turns out the inheritance of height is a lot more complicated than we thought. Scientists know that nature (genes) and nurture (environment) both ...

Will You Still Eat Raw Fish After Watching This Video?

Sushi, sashimi, and poke are delicious. Why? It's because they’re all made of raw fish! But, have you ever noticed that warning about raw or undercooked seafood at the bottom of restaurant menus? Have you ever wondered why it’s there? It’s there because fish carry ...

How Habits Are Formed

Do you have some bad habits that bother you, but you just can’t seem to break? That’s because habits are literally wired into your brain. Every single thought, action, and feeling changes your brain a little bit. For example, this is what loneliness can do ...

A Day in the Life of a Vascular Biologist

A vascular biologist studies blood vessels. Follow one biologist in the lab as she conducts blood cell research and learn how experiments are designed. By Noeline Subramaniam A vascular biologist studies blood vessels. Blood vessels connect all of our organs and tissues in our body ...
Citizen Science Promotes Environmental Engagement

Citizen Science, Important Tool for Researchers

If you have been following us for a while, you have probably seen the term citizen science, but you may still be unfamiliar with what that means. By Shayna Keyles Citizen science describes a collaborative scientific research process in which non-scientists, or citizen scientists, collaborate ...

Science with Sophie: Dogs

Do dogs really exist? Okay, we know dogs really exist. But how do you know if something really exists if you can't see it? On this episode of Science with Sophie, Sophie explores why it's so important to do your own research, as well as ...
aurora

The Science Behind the Aurora Borealis

The aurora borealis (the Northern Lights) is much more than pretty lights--it's a perfect blend of solar wind and magnetic fields. Let''s check out the science behind the aurora borealis. By Steven Spence The northern lights (aurora borealis) and southern lights (aurora australis) are fascinating ...
Science with Sophie: Scabs, scab

Science with Sophie: Scab Science

Scab Science It's happened to all of us. You're running or riding your bike, you slip, you fall, and you skin your knee. After a few days, you notice that the cut where you skinned your knee has formed a scab. What happens to our ...

How Some Words Get Forgetted

Get ready for a dive into linguistic history! Our friend Dr. Joe Hanson from It's Okay to Be Smart (PBS Digital Studios) goes full science nerd on the English language--and irregular verbs. Why are irregular verbs so common in English? Where do they come from? ...

When Aquatic Invasive Species Take Over

What is an aquatic invasive species? It is non-native species that has been introduced into an area, and it is a big problem. By Natasha Parkinson @schrodicatsci The weather is hot, and everyone is trying to cool off any way they can. Everyone with a ...

Neoteny: Why Disney Princesses Look Like Babies

Neoteny, Evolution, and Disney Our friend Dr. Joe Hanson from It's Okay to Be Smart (PBS Digital Studios) goes full science nerd on neoteny, Disney princesses, and evolution. I noticed something weird about Disney Princesses lately. Naturally, I had to examine it through the lens ...
Science with Sophie: Bubble Gum

Science with Sophie: Bubble Gum

Bubble Gum Science Have you ever had gum stuck in your hair? Swallowed your gum? Found a wad of chewed gum stuck to the bottom of your shoe? If these things make you wonder what bubble gum really is and how it works, then you ...
In October 2017, astrobiologist Karen J. Meech got the call every astronomer waits for: NASA had spotted the very first visitor from another star system. The interstellar comet -- a half-mile-long object eventually named `Oumuamua, from the Hawaiian for "scout" or "messenger" -- raised intriguing questions: Was it a chunk of rocky debris from a new star system, shredded material from a supernova explosion, evidence of alien technology or something else altogether? In this riveting talk, Meech tells the story of how her team raced against the clock to find answers about this unexpected gift from afar. This talk was presented at an official TED conference

Oumuamua: Asteroid from Another Star System

In October 2017, astrobiologist Karen J. Meech got the call every astronomer waits for: NASA had spotted the very first visitor from another star system. The interstellar comet -- a half-mile-long object eventually named `Oumuamua, from the Hawaiian for "scout" or "messenger" --