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Secret world of elephants

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An image of an African elephant’s skeleton and muscles are projected onto a life-size model in an exhibit that highlights new science on proboscideans.

[An image of an African elephant’s skeleton and muscles are projected onto a life-size model in an exhibit that highlights new science on proboscideans.]

For millions of years, proboscideans — a group that includes mammoths, mastodons, and elephants — traversed diverse landscapes, shaping ecosystems as they went. However, around 11,700 years ago, human hunting and the waning ice age drastically reduced their numbers to just three species — the Asian elephant, the African forest elephant, and the African savanna elephant, as stated by Iqbal from ScienceNews.org. These giants are now endangered, and the impact of losing them extends far beyond what meets the eye. The American Museum of Natural History in New York City has opened its doors to a fascinating exhibit that delves into the profound impact of these gentle giants on the environment and human culture. This immersive experience unveils the hidden wonders of elephants through cutting-edge science and captivating displays. Modern science reveals that elephants are not merely creatures of grandeur but vital ecosystem engineers…

Makeup: The ugly truth

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[Close-up image of a multi-colored eyeshadow palette.]

Waking up and applying makeup has become one of the most relaxing parts of my daily routine. While my music blares and I sing along, I go through the motions: concealer, blush, bronzer, mascara, lip gloss. Though applying each product symmetrically, in the right proportions, and with intentional brush strokes takes on a meditative quality, I rarely reflect on the ‘makeup’ of what I am putting on my skin…

What to know about organ donation

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[Black and white image of a stethoscope hanging on a wall.]

Throughout high school, I knew I wanted to make a difference in the community around me. After working at my local hospital for a couple of months, I started to notice that many people were impacted by organ donation in my small town alone. Soon after, I went to a healthcare conference in Indianapolis, IN, and I learned about groups advocating for organ donors and donor recipients. This is when I knew I wanted to be involved…

Enough about polar bears: Who else is vulnerable to climate change?

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[A collage of endangered animals affected by climate change. In clockwise direction: an Arctic fox (©Teresa on Unsplash), a bumblebee (©Stacie Clark on Unsplash), coral reefs (©Milos Prelevic on Unsplash), an emperor penguin and its baby (©Memorycatcher on Pixabay), a cow (©Ryan Song on Unsplash), and a koala (©Ellicia on Unsplash). Collage by Hayeon Byun).

Polar bears are one of the most iconic symbols of the impacts of climate change. Their struggle is shown over campaigns across the world, which show animals that have become endangered as a result of climate change. Although they are used the most in these campaigns, polar bears aren’t the only animals impacted by global warming. This post explores other animal species that are also heavily affected by the impacts of climate change and aims to raise awareness of the struggles the wildlife around us experience…

The Cosmic Compass: How birds Master the Skies

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[Image of mass group of birds flying through the sunset sky.]

Every year, the skies come alive as billions of birds begin their migration. From the Arctic Tern, with its remarkable marathon around the Earth to the quaint journey of the Dusky Grouse, the avian spectrum is a captivating display of nature’s variability. How do these travelers embark on such extraordinary journeys, navigating through continents and oceans with such precision?

Extremophiles: The alien-like creatures of Earth

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[An image of a hot spring at Yellowstone National Park. The hot spring is a reddish-orange color in the foreground. The colors transition to a blue and green background, from which a vapor is rising.]

The discovery of extremophiles – organisms that thrive in extreme environments – completely changed scientists’ perspectives on the conditions necessary for life. These evolutionary marvels provide context for the origins of life, evolution, and are maybe the best case for the possibility of the existence of life on other planets with extreme environments….

Demystifying Artificial Intelligence: A crash course in machine learning

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[An image of a human head; through the head are a series of orange wires forming a network reminiscent of the circuits on a computer chip.]

Artificial intelligence continues to make the news, especially with technologies like ChatGPT – an AI Chatbot – and DALL-E – an image-generating software – becoming increasingly accessible to the public. Reports of modified syllabi in colleges and universities and sentient chatbots may have piqued your interest recently, and for a good reason! AI has gradually become embedded in our daily lives as an influential tool for COVID-19 contact tracing, national security, healthcare, and much more…

A beginner’s guide to Bloomington birds

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[Two round cardinals grip onto two iron bars.]

Step outside in Southern Indiana and you’ll be greeted by a symphony of chirps, calls, and songs from a myriad of local birds. Home to over 400 species, Indiana is a birder’s paradise. Warblers, eagles, and owls alike call Bloomington home and are frequently spotted on the campus of IU Bloomington. Birds are a vibrant part of Bloomington culture, so it’s worth getting to know a few…

The happiest biotechnology lab on Earth

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[Small, leafy green plants grow in 8 clear glass jars as a scientist reaches in to grab one.

A trip to Walt Disney World includes popcorn, fireworks, and…genetic engineering? As discussed in a previous ScIU post, Disney attractions are full of surprising science, like illusions in the Haunted Mansion and electron movement in firework shows, but perhaps the most interesting example is the biotechnology at work in the Living with the Land attraction at EPCOT. In 1982, Disney debuted Listen to the Land, a slow-moving boat ride through agricultural vignettes that culminated in a visit to sprawling greenhouses that provided a peek at Disney’s biotechnology labs…

Disney demystified: The science of magic

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[A black silhouette of Cinderella’s Castle covered in white line drawings of scientific concepts and instruments such as beakers, elements, leaves, DNA, stars, chemical structures, and arrows.]

A day at Walt Disney World exceeds all expectations. Rides move flawlessly on their complex tracks, fireworks appear out of thin air, and the scent of cotton candy floats in the air. It’s as if everything happens on cue, guided by a mysterious force. It could be magic, yes, but what if it’s science? Read on for five feats of engineering, chemistry, and biology that have probably escaped your notice in the parks…

College of Arts + Sciences

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