Former Red Sox player Wade Boggs, known as the “chicken man,” famously ate chicken before every one of his games as a good luck charm. Boggs told MLB.com, “In 1983, we ate chicken every day, and I wound up winning a batting title in ’83. So, the chicken worked.” While this pre-game ritual may have […]
The science of superstition Read More »
Lightning is not uncommon, nor is it particularly subtle. In fact, with approximately 9 million strikes per day, it is one of the loudest, brightest, and most common natural phenomena known to the terrestrial sciences. Most people know lightning as loud arcs of light that sometimes occur during severe storms. Indeed, this is the most
Aerial electricity: Lightning and other poorly-understood phenomena Read More »
When most people hear the name Hubble, they likely think of the groundbreaking telescope that captured unique planets, blazing stars, and clusters of light in its stunning photographs. It is less likely, however, that they think of the famous telescope’s namesake — Edwin Hubble, the astronomer who discovered the expanding universe. Until the 1920s, astronomers
Infinitely larger: How Edwin Hubble proved our galaxy is not alone Read More »
Katalin Karikó, the 13th woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, was initially demoted from her position at the University of Pennsylvania for the same research on messenger RNA (mRNA) that won her the achievement in 2023. Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman jointly received the award in October for their chemical
From nowhere to Nobel Read More »
Recently, a group of scientists at the Carnegie Institution for Science created an AI model that can detect traces of extraterrestrial life. By analyzing the chemical composition and structure of past and present life preserved in sediments in different planetary samples — from Mars meteorites to the earliest specimens of life on Earth — the
A search for the extraterrestrial: Artificial intelligence detects life Read More »
A simple dog walk is an odyssey of olfactory exploration. As they venture outdoors, dogs eagerly dart around to investigate various scents — poop, carcasses, and fire hydrants are like neon beacons to them. While humans have a decent sense of smell, dogs reign supreme in the olfactory realm. This difference is rooted in biology.
The dog days of AI: Unraveling the secrets of canine scent Read More »
Buried within blooming jungles in northern Guatemala lie ancient Mayan settlements with detailed palaces, monumental pyramids, and even ball courts for competitive sports. Within the archeological community, it had been generally accepted that this area in Northern Guatemala, known as the Mayan lowlands, was sparsely populated throughout history. However, with the help of modern technology,
Unveiling Mayan mysteries: Modern physics revolutionizes archaeology research Read More »
DNA: the fundamental building block of all life. Nearly every student learns about the master of genetic information as early as elementary school. DNA is the carrier of this important code within all living organisms. However, it isn’t just what DNA encodes for that is important, but also its very design. The structure of DNA
Strength from unlikely places: How glass and DNA form a material stronger than steel Read More »
The traditional approach of administering certain medications through direct injection can be particularly effective for drug delivery, but may be uncomfortable for children and those with needle phobias. While oral medications are available for some drugs, large-molecule drugs that treat chronic diseases such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, or cancer can only be administered through an
Sticky solutions: Octopus-inspired suction patches revolutionize drug delivery Read More »