October 30, 2015
The scare factor and human survival: The science behind physical signs of terror
A bloodcurdling scream. Eyes wide. Mouth agape. Hands raised. Muscles tensed. Breathing accelerated. These classic signs of terror are not just box-office boosters for Hollywood horror flicks. Rather, they are part of the universal human survival toolkit....
October 19, 2015
Water, Water, Everywhere
We’ve long known that water was present in the atmosphere of Venus and that frozen water is trapped in the polar ice caps visible on Mars. However, it seems that there have been a slew of...
October 8, 2015
Discovery of Homo naledi demonstrates need to revise the Homo genus
Cross-posted with the permission of Dr. Nathan Lents, originally posted at The Human Evolution Blog. 2015 has been a very exciting year for Paleoanthropology. No doubt the pinnacle was the discovery of a brand-new hominin species: Homo naledi, a bombastic...
October 7, 2015
Happy Birthday Niels Bohr
Today, October 7th, marks the 130th anniversary of Niels Bohr’s birth. A pioneering physicist in the field of quantum theory, Bohr developed a theory of the atom where electrons traveled in specific orbits around the nucleus. He...
September 28, 2015
Water on Mars: Astrobiology Implications Must be Taken with a Grain of Salt
What do Mars, Antarctica, and the Jordan Rift Valley between Jordan, Israel, and Palestine have in common? A lot according to a new study to be published today in the journal Nature Geoscience. The answer is saltwater. Since...
September 25, 2015
The science behind sage grouse conservation
The greater sage grouse. (Credit: Bureau of Land Management via Flickr) On Sept. 22, the US Fish and Wildlife Service declared that the greater sage grouse — a chicken-sized bird that inhabits the open ranges of...
September 15, 2015
Image of the Week: Cat at the Edge of Space
The Yeung family cat (or rather, an image of the family cat) is seen at about 70,000 feet above Earth’s surface. ©Winston Yeung Two bright and determined young scientists, Kimberly and Rebecca Yeung, built a helium...
September 1, 2015
Surprise electron behavior may lead to new states of matter
What happens when the metal osmium (Os) is subjected to pressure twice that found at the center of Earth? An international team of researchers has discovered a never before seen atomic phenomenon that provides surprising insights...
August 24, 2015
A self-cleaning leaf: the superhydrophobic Lotus
It might sound like an ad for a new product – the leaf that cleans itself!, waterproof!, 100% organic! – but the lotus plant (genus Nelumbo) really does have self-cleaning leaves. Or, more accurately, the lotus has...
August 18, 2015
The birth of a cultural meme: the “do not disturb” gesture in Mandrills
Cross-posted with the permission of Dr. Nathan H. Lents from his The Human Evolution Blog. Mandrills are, literally, one of the most colorful creatures on earth and certainly the most colorful primates. Their striking faces are matched...
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