There’s nothing quite like the brilliant shifting color of a butterfly’s wings. Humans have long been fascinated by the dynamic properties of anything that sparkles – gemstones, the feathers of a hummingbird, the scales of a fish. What makes this elusive property of nature so unique is not only the colors that it exhibits but […]
Glacial retreat due to climate change is currently one of the most concerning environmental transformations. As temperatures rise, glaciers recede, unveiling vast, barren landscapes called glacial drifts. These areas, once buried beneath ice, pose unique ecological challenges for the establishment and sustainment of life. However, recent research has revealed a surprising ally in the race
Llamas: The unlikely hero of ecological restoration Read More »
Plant a tree for every dollar donated, 10,000 steps walked, or 50 Google searches made. Across the globe, tree-planting initiatives such as these campaigns have skyrocketed in response to the rising threat of climate change. Numerous organizations, from nonprofits to governments to businesses, plant billions of trees each year in the hopes of offsetting greenhouse
Biological deserts: The harms of monoculture tree plantations for carbon storage Read More »
In the depths of the ocean, one true master of disguise steals the spotlight. The mimic octopus, scientifically known as Thaumoctopus mimicus, is a species of octopus native to the Indo-Malayan Archipelago and Great Barrier Reef. A sand dwelling cephalopod, the mimic octopus is found at depths ranging from 2 to 12 meters near river
Underwater impostor: A mimic octopus’s guide to identity theft Read More »
James E. Hansen’s congressional testimony in 1988 officially introduced American policymakers to the need for a climate intervention. In the same year, George H.W. Bush declared greenhouse gasses as the enemy, in response to Hansen, when he promised to fight the greenhouse gas effect with “the White House effect” on the campaign trail. However, a
Opinion: How fossil fuel corporations distorted the climate change conversation 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 »
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 »
Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, have persisted in the environment for decades, earning the name “forever chemicals.” These man-made chemicals, found in nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing, and grease-resistant packaging, have been manufactured since the 1940s, and have since impaired waters globally. PFAS contain carbon and fluorine bonds, one of the strongest bonds in
Not so forever chemicals: A new treatment for PFAS removal Read More »
Flesh-eating bacteria sounds like an epidemic straight out of a horror movie: oblivious beachgoers infected by an aggressive germ with no hope for a cure! As far-fetched as it sounds, this prospective movie pitch is a growing reality for many residents of the East Coast of the United States. While usually confined to tropical waters
Flesh-eating bacteria cases on the rise? Read More »