Ocean corals could use a vacation. As global temperature increases, the temperature of ocean water has followed suit. Corals rely on symbiotic bacteria that live inside the coral cell to photosynthesize the coral’s food. These bacteria, however, are fleeing the uncomfortably warm water for more hospitable environs, leaving the corals a bit peckish. Along with…
Mapping an Undiscovered Country Below Your Feet
Slogging home from work, you may be annoyed when you track mud into the house. But, before you wipe the grime away, have you ever considered the world clinging to the heel of your shoe? Scientists have long contended that soil is the most diverse and species-rich environment on the planet. Until recently, this ecosystem…
Get Your Holiday Guests Drunk Quicker With Curved Glasses
The holiday season is upon us. A time to visit with family and friends, eat, share stories, decorate, and of course, drink. Let’s be honest. Alcohol consumption is fun. But with every intoxicated euphoric high comes the devastating realistic low. Medical professionals cite that 4% of the global burden of disease can be attributed to…
When Giant Kangaroos Ruled The World, They Didn’t Hop
Giants once ruled the planet, and it was more recent than you think. After the dinosaurs departed the Earth 65 million years ago, they left a void, and mammals stepped in to take their place. During the Pleistocene (2 million to 11,700 years ago), giant mammals, called megafauna, roamed nearly every continent on the planet.…
Be Thankful That You’re Eating That Turkey, Not Wearing It
Thanksgiving is perhaps the perfect holiday, because it is focused on food. Most importantly, it is focused on turkey, with a delicious supporting cast of cranberry sauce, stuffing, yams, mashed potatoes, and corn. After the first round of feasting, you may find yourself in your favorite comfy chair watching the football game unfold on the…
Rocks Dance in the Desert
In the remote part of the Death Valley National Park, rocks have begun migrating across a flat expanse of desert. Hundreds of rocks appear to move as a group, as if in a choreographed desert dance. What could be provoking this strange effect on the rocks in the desert? The prevailing theory has been wind,…
Pseudoscorpions: Terror On The Bookshelf
Be afraid. A new terror is descending on your home and it lurks in your . . . er . . . bookcase? The terror in question is a fearsome little creature called Chelifer cancroides, one of the most common species of pseudoscorpion (there are actually about 2,000 species in the world). Ok, they are…
What Poop Tells You
Let’s talk about poop—ancient poop—ancient human poop and the parasites therein. A field of anthropology focuses on this very topic. No kidding. Why would anyone want to study this? The answer is simple. Scientists are interested in understanding how parasitic infections affected our human ancestors. Seriously! Humans have played host to more than 300 species…