This post is the first of a two-part series on a day in the life of a behavioral ecologist, which features the stories and research of members of Dr. Kim Rosvall’s laboratory in the Department of Biology. When most people imagine a scientist, they picture a person wearing a stark white lab coat and thick-rimmed… Read more »
This post is from ScIU’s archives. It was originally published by Clara Boothby in December 2016 and has been lightly edited to reflect current events. Sometimes, when we read about science in textbooks or newspaper articles, it can be easy to slip into thinking that after the scientists make their discovery, the writing is someone… Read more »
Last December, bombshell reports were released detailing the Pentagon’s use of tax-payer funds to investigate claimed UFO sightings. With continued discoveries of habitable planets across the universe, the probability that life exists outside the Earth is rapidly rising. This may be why the former head of The Pentagon’s UFO program, Luis Elizondo, recently stated that… Read more »
I remember one night when I was a second-year graduate student looking for an email from my advisor, feeling the pressure of yet another transition from a research filled summer to a teaching intensive fall. Instead, I found an email from my department chair with the subject “requesting assistance.” As you may have guessed, it… Read more »
This post is from ScIU’s archives. It was originally published by Adrienne Keller in March 2018 and has been lightly edited to reflect current events. Carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in our atmosphere continue to rise, and global warming has transitioned from a possible future phenomenon to a present environmental reality. Given this reality, scientists are… Read more »
If you are a Bloomington (or a nearby city) resident, you probably have heard about Science Fest. Science Fest is an annual multi-department science outreach event managed by office of science outreach showcasing IU research rolled up as uber fun activities for kids and adults to enjoy. As a veteran volunteer who has participated in… Read more »
Scientific thinking, like that in any arts subject, is carried on by human beings seeking to take a small, faltering step into the unknown. … It has natural ancestors, a genesis, a development, a logical structure; it has conceptual consequences; it has practical applications. … The Department of History and Logic of Science will navigate… Read more »
Planets are formed in “protoplanetary disks” composed of gas and dust orbiting a central star. Once a planet has formed in the disk, the radius of its orbit can change due to gravitational forces between the planet and material in the disk. In this way, planets can migrate from their original location, a phenomenon that… Read more »
This post is from ScIU’s archives. It was originally published by Emily Byers in February 2017 and has been lightly edited to reflect current events. “We’re going to do a few tests to see whether your mother is showing typical signs of dementia.” The word conjures chilling images of loved ones’ lives reduced to confusion… Read more »
Hi ScIU Readers! I co-authored this blog post written for an audience of scientists with Vijay Limaye, Ph.D., for the Natural Resources Defense Council’s blog (and cross-posted on the Union of Concerned Scientists’ blog), but I think the topic is important and highly relevant to all scientists, scientists in training, and science allies so I… Read more »