![[A top view of the crystal structure of graphene. The carbon atoms occupy the vertices of the hexagons, which collectively form a honeycomb pattern.]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2023/09/Graphene.svg.png)
You’re likely familiar with graphite: the chalky gray material we often refer to as pencil lead. In recent years, graphite has been making headlines due to increased interest in its younger sibling: graphene, lauded as a supermaterial of the new age for properties that hold out the promise of novel technological feats. Graphene has the potential to replace silicon-based computer chips, improve the performance of touchscreens, realize ultra-sensitive biometric sensor devices, and even faster charging and increased storage capacity in batteries and capacitors…
Cutting-Edge Science at IU
Switching it up: Using sneaker culture to teach chemistry to PEERs
![[Jakyra Simpson Posing with Sneakers and Chemistry Props.]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2023/07/IMG_1882.jpg)
When you look at the statistics of the amount of underrepresented, underserved, and marginalized students pursuing Chemistry degrees. As it’s been said, “The Math ain’t Mathin’,” and there is, therefore, a need to incorporate new teaching styles (pedagogies) that are inclusive and culturally relevant…
Who makes the longest sperm on Earth?
![[Two large sperm cells are coiled up next to each other within a male’s testis (photo by Romano Dallai).]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2023/02/bifurca_sperm.jpg)
The drive to reproduce has led to many of the flashiest traits observed in nature. For instance, male deer use antlers to fight one another for access to female mates, while male peacocks display their extravagant tails to impress peahens. These are examples of sexually selected traits, or traits that increase reproductive success. Sexually selected traits evolve because they increase “fitness”…
Experiencing our body: The role of interoception
![[Black and white photo of a person sitting underwater at the bottom of a pool with light streaming in behind them.]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2023/02/pexels-EmmaLi-bodyUnderwater.jpg)
According to psychological researchers, the brain is constantly interpreting the experience of the body in the environment, enabling us to determine whether we are having a positive, neutral or negative experience, and respond appropriately. How does this work? Let’s find out!…
Can we climb mountains on neutron stars?
![[Mount Everest.]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2023/02/ben-gao-EeITZDXMb0M-unsplash-2.jpg)
Each year around a thousand people attempt to reach the peak of Mount Everest, which is the tallest mountain on Earth, rising up approximately 9 km above sea level. In Mars, the mountain Olympus Mons goes up about 22 km, which more than doubles the height of Mount Everest. Furthermore, Galileo Galilei observed that the Moon also has mountains. What about mountains on other types of astrophysical bodies? How tall are they? Can we climb them?…
ScIU update: We’re back!
Dear Reader,
As you may have noticed, ScIU took a period of hiatus over the summer. It was a tough decision since, without missing a single week, ScIU has published a weekly blog post about science and the humans involved in scientific endeavors since the blog’s formation in 2016. At this point, ScIU has published more than 300 posts by IU graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and undergraduate students from all different fields, from geology to physics, from psychology to chemistry, from ecology to linguistics…
The power of quantum computing: Parallelism
![[A spinning coin is analogous to the behavior of a qubit in a superposition.]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2019/05/unnamed.jpg)
Tech companies are going big in a microscopic way, pouring millions of dollars into a new form of computing: quantum computing. Quantum computers will revolutionize drug research, material discovery, and artificial intelligence by solving complex problems in a new way. To understand this, let’s review how normal computers solve problems and compare this to how a quantum computer would do it…
A beginner’s guide to Bloomington birds
![[Two round cardinals grip onto two iron bars.]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2022/03/Female-and-male-cardinal.jpg)
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…
What the heck is a nanowire?
![[A myriad of nanowires are shown growing outwards, originating from a central growth nucleus.]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2022/03/P2.jpeg)
Imagine a future in which your iPhone 20 charges itself as you walk down the street and your house is powered by photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells installed in your backyard, using the power of the sun to convert captured rainwater into clean hydrogen. If we have any hope of realizing this future, you can be certain that nanowires will play a significant role. So what are nanowires, and why are they so important? My previous blog post was dedicated to examining a class of objects known as topological materials, with an emphasis on the bizarre realm of topological insulators (TIs). Implicit in the definition of topological insulators in the previous post was the assumption that the bulk of this insulator behaves as one would expect from its name: preventing the flow of electric current. Real-world TIs are not quite so simple, however…
Red wolves are endangered, but how can we protect a species we can’t define?
Red wolves and grey wolves may have once been a single species. But throughout the 1900s, the interbreeding of coyotes and red wolves blurred the line between species. How can we determine whether red and grey wolves are the same or separate species? The question is a pressing one, if you consider that conservation efforts are based on species. In 1973, the Endangered Species Act was passed, creating the Endangered Species List, which mandates conservation efforts for every animal and plant on the list – based on species. Without a clear definition, conservationists don’t know what exactly they are trying to protect…