The #ScienceUpFirst campaign was designed to help individuals make educated health decisions by providing, supporting, and amplifying correct scientific information. Over four million people have died as a result of COVID worldwide, with over 34 million cases and over 610,000 deaths in the United States alone. Worse, the pandemic does not appear to be nearing…
New technology is sometimes created by pushing the boundaries of what science can do. Sometimes, however, it takes the form of something very ancient. One group of scientists combined the two approaches in their search for improved ways to peek inside living cells. They genetically altered something very old—gas-propelled bacteria, one of the earliest mobile…
When a crime witness names the wrong person, it might result in the death of an innocent person while allowing the true culprit to go free. Eyewitnesses are frequently asked to choose the face they recall from a list of probable suspects and “fillers.” This usually entails staring at a line of individuals behind a…
The argument over the ethics of the famous material’s iconic material is one of the only things that seem to be more ageless than a leather jacket. Leather, like actual animal fur and feathers, is hotly disputed in the fashion business. It is primarily manufactured from the skins of bulls and calves. Veganism and the…
In my work as a scientist, I owe a great lot to serendipity. In 2012 I was in the right place (IBM’s Almaden research laboratory in California) at the right time—and I did the “wrong” thing. I was meant to be combining three chemicals in a beaker to generate a recognized substance. The objective was…
As scientists and engineers, we consider ourselves fortunate to work in fields that advance knowledge and understanding. Participating in research and discovery, as well as mentoring young scientists, has enormous benefits. Science is a unique and vital institution in and of itself. It thrives after centuries of human ingenuity and effort and continues to make…
It has a plastic appearance, a plastic feel, and a plastic capacity to hold your favorite beverage. However, there is a label on the cup you were given that says “100% biodegradable.” Is that even possible? Simply defined, this plastic-like substance is polylactic acid (PLA), a polymer made up of many small lactic acid molecules…
In normal times, there would be no doubt that a medication having opioid-like effects should be shown safe and effective before being extensively promoted and authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). But these aren’t ordinary times, and kratom, a herbal supplement, isn’t a regular medication. In reality, whether or not to prohibit kratom…
With fewer than 90 days until COP26, the annual United Governments climate change meeting in Glasgow, Scotland this November, nations are under increasing pressure to keep global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius. The 2015 Paris Agreement called for pledges to keep global warming “well below” 2 degrees Celsius and to pursue efforts to keep…
What would you do with 1,000 butts if you had them? Ramisyllis multicaudata, a sea worm, is one of only two known creatures to find itself in this precarious predicament (shopping for trousers must be a nightmare)—and it isn’t telling. Given that a worm doesn’t “just happen” to have that many booties, there must be…