World

A mass extinction and a floral explosion: Paleobotany in a post-dinosaur world

Environment, World / /

It is difficult to study evolutionary biology in the modern academic setting without the mention of dinosaurs and their demise. What is often lacking from the discourse in paleontology and its surrounding disciplines, however, is the continuous change in our understanding of the subject.  In a recent study, Jamie B. Thompson, Santiago Ramirez-Barahona, and a […]

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New snowmaking tech is helping New England ski resorts beat climate change

Environment, Technology, World / /

Preparations for ski season start early in Vermont’s Green Mountains. In early October, Greg Gleason, who runs snowmaking at Killington Ski Resort, gives his staff the all-clear. Over the next four hours the system of artificial snow production on which Vermont’s tourism industry increasingly depends roars to life. Hundreds of thousands of gallons of water

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Oral phenylephrine: placebo, in tablet form

Biology, Health, World / /

On Sept. 12, 2023, an FDA advisory committee concluded that over-the-counter (OTC) oral phenylephrine — the main active ingredient in Sudafed PE — is ineffective as a treatment for nasal congestion. This finding did not strike healthcare practitioners as “especially surprising” given that its efficacy has been controversial for decades. Despite this, the ingredient is

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Written in our genes

Biology, World / /

Astrology has long been a topic of interest in society, dating back to the Babylonians and the Greeks. More recently, Millennials and Gen Z have led a resurgence in its popularity. We continue to be enthralled by the idea that some otherworldly source knows everything about us simply from our date of birth. But are

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Opinion: The cultural significance of handwriting is too great to lose to keyboards

Culture, Opinion, World / /

The earliest example of physical writing is widely considered to be Cuneiform, a system of wedge-shaped inscriptions dating back to 3000 BCE. Attributed to the Sumerians of ancient Mesopotamia, the informal system was utilized namely for communication and maintaining transactional records. Although this physical remnant of Sumer offers invaluable insight into ancient civilization, most anthropologists

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Forest fires, contaminated waterways, and disrupted migrations: Unspoken consequences of the war in Ukraine

Environment, World / /

In the year and a half since the Russia-Ukraine War began, there have been an estimated 500,000 casualties between the two sides. Ukraine has also experienced infrastructural damage totaling hundreds of billions of dollars. Yet these aren’t the only significant and tragic losses the region has suffered — the conflict has had a grave and

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Redlining’s reach: Disparities in bird data

Culture, Environment, World / /

Redlining, a historical practice of discrimination, has had lasting effects on racial inequities that remain persistent today. However, recent analysis of ecological diversity has revealed that the effects of redlining reach far beyond impacting humans. Specifically, bird diversity and population experienced a marked decline in areas subject to redlining. This means that though one street

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An Antarctic research station produced massive amounts of waste. What will they do about it?

Environment, World / /

The ocean surrounding the Windmill Islands of East Antarctica is polluted, and an ecological research station is to blame. The pollution jeopardizes some of the most unique ecosystems on the planet — and scientists’ ability to study them. It’s a stark warning to the other hundred research stations at the South Pole, and now, the

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