Like many other young idealists, I have been a strong believer in the potential of green energy to benefit society. As a younger man, I thought it would be possible to solve the world’s energy problems through renewable energy sources like wind and solar. After all, the sun and wind are so abundant! The initial investment is expensive, but on …
The Drug Data Wars!
There is an inherent conflict between the cutting edge of scientific research and laws made by policy makers. The scientific process demands constant reviewing of evidence, thus appearing to be in a constant state of flux. By contrast, laws take longer to be updated or refuted [due to the natureof the political process], often rendering them incongruent with technological and …
An uncomfortable pause
Main photo from michaelnewnham.com Over the holidays, I was walking on the beach in California with my dad and brothers. As the Boehnke clan ambled across the beach, we ruminated about the public health implications of various scientific discoveries and policies, including the malaria vaccine, HIV vaccine, water quality improvements, and antibiotics (yes, I have a really, really exciting family). …
Approaching science with a critical eye
As a second year doctoral student, I have dabbled in the immense ocean of scientific research. Science is intimidating to approach, similar to any other field that relies heavily on jargon. I can claim no expertise in my abilities, but I have developed some strategies that help me cut through (or avoid) baffling and frightening titles, such as “Organozinc Chemistry: …
Bottled water: A thoughtful investigation
I spent a month in Peru last summer investigating water quality and pathogens in the water supply. During this time, I only drank bottled water. Few things ruin an international travel experience like intense stomach cramping and constant trips to the toilet. Luckily, this worked out well for me; I remained healthy for my whole trip. Even in the United States, many …
Life Cycle Assessments Part 2: Applications
Every day, I encounter blog posts and science articles about nifty new developments in the scientific community. While it’s exciting to see what is happening, we need to think critically about the conclusions reached in those papers. As scientists and non-scientists, it is important to ask: Do the results have the impact that the authors claim? Do the given results …
Life Cycle Assessments Part 1
Featured picture from Sustainable graphic design With sustainability being a big buzzword these days, consumers are trying to lower their carbon footprint and find the most environmentally conscious products. However, while many companies are doing a great job providing such products, there have been instances of companies using bogus claims to cash in on the higher prices commanded by ‘green’ …
Gardening: tending to vegetables, tending to communities
Since May 2010, I have been an avid (if amateur) gardener. After buying our house in 2009, one of the first plans my wife and I made was to tear up portions of our lawn in order to plant a large vegetable garden. Part of our rationale behind this decision was environmental, but we also thought that it was important to figure …
The ubiquity of lawns
I write today of a long-standing American tradition: the immaculately kept, Kentucky Bluegrass lawn. Lawns are quite complex, tying into resource conservation, food security, economics, and the underlying societal mores that govern our perceptions. We live in an era where maintaining a lawn to community standards contributes to increased home values, greater respect within the community, and provides a place that …
A bacterium with many hats
Since I tend to be a one trick pony and like to tie my blog topics back to my current interests, I’m going to write about Helicobacter pylori, the bacterial species that I am studying. H. pylori is fascinating to me because it’s a big intellectual puzzle; we haven’t determined specifically how it’s transmitted between humans, whether it’s an important gut microbe …