This Friday will be the 132nd official Groundhog Day in the United States. Celebrated in Canada, Germany, and the U.S., the holiday derives from a long-standing German-Dutch tradition, which we’ve been officially recording since 1886. The basic idea: if a groundhog emerges from his hole and sees his shadow, winter will last for six more… Read more »
Have you ever wondered why or how researchers categorize people into different groups? Of course, there are specific types of groups you might first think of, such as differentiating people by race, gender, income level, marital status, and education. However, there are a variety of other types of groups that researchers might find interesting that… Read more »
How exactly does your “Maps” app know exactly where you are, any time of day? The “little blue dot” on your phone tells you where you are as the result of billions of dollars invested in the Global Positioning System (GPS), a network of 27 satellites currently orbiting the Earth. Each satellite sends microwaves constantly,… Read more »
In a world that looks more and more like a science fiction novel, it can be tempting to assume that a computer program or code can do all your tedious work for you. Algorithms suggest videos you might like to to watch on YouTube, plan your road trips to visit friends, and can even frost… Read more »
Chemistry labs typically contain a number of potential hazards ranging from chemicals to lasers and beyond. Pyrophoric materials are among the most dangerous, as they spontaneously and violently ignite when exposed to mere water, or even air! Dealing with pyrophoric materials safely requires significantly more protection than that offered by traditional safety attire like eye… Read more »
If you’ve ever taken a basic science class, you‘ve probably heard of the scientific method. Maybe you’ve even designed, conducted, and reflected upon your own experiment–inside or outside of the classroom. One thing you may be unfamiliar with, however, is how the millions of experiments done by scientists, students, and citizens get added together into… Read more »
Whether it’s the “alternative facts” from politicians or the “fake news” from the media, facts are at the fore. While they can’t agree on much else, politicians, pundits, and the public do agree (mostly) about facts: facts are separate from fictions, they are reliable and authoritative, and, most importantly, they have something to do with… Read more »
What is “change”? This might at first seem like an oddly philosophical question to encounter in a science blog. The Greek philosopher Heraclitus once described change as the idea that “One cannot step into the same river twice” (paraphrased; Graham 2015). However, this more existential definition for change differs in important ways from the one… Read more »
Have you ever heard of genetic testing? Ever had a family member who sent a sample to companies like ancestry.com? With the rise in popularity of sites like ancestry.com, it’s becoming increasingly tempting to trace your roots through genetic testing. But, how do these genetic tests work? In this post, I will explain the science… Read more »
When Carl Sagan said that we are made of star stuff, he wasn’t just using flowery language to appeal to your imagination; we really are made from metals formed in stars. Keeping track of these metals is not only important to our understanding of where we come from, but it is also vital to understanding… Read more »