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 …
Spectacular Symbiosis: A Few Good Viruses
Viruses are one of the last great biological bogeymen facing modern humans. Fire, weapons, and a changing climate have tamed or killed off our ancient predators. For those lucky enough to have access to them, antibiotics have won a long, though fragile and temporary, reprieve from bacterial infections. However, the prospect of a new viral outbreak, for which we do …
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 …
What’s the Problem, Science?
In my post last week about Strelitzia reginae (the Bird of Paradise plant), I wrote about how it had been initially mistaken as another plant, then later reclassified as a new species. One of the documents I found that supported this fact (and several others) was a collection of Dutch history with an extraordinary long title (the relevant part of …
How to Explain Climate Change to Your Own Mother: A Guide in Multiple Installments
I have been involved with science communication and education for the majority of my adulthood. The array of venues in which I have taught, subjects I have conveyed, and audiences I have engaged has been vast; each delicate combination of venue, subject, and audience throwing a delightful challenge my way. In a non-native tongue, I have explained the wonders of …
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’ …
Evolutionary Insights into Language and Culture
The verb “to spit” may be one of precious few words preserved from the common ancestor of all Eurasian languages, retaining largely the same sound and meaning for thousands of years. The word “huh,” as in “what did you just say,” has arisen in many languages around the world. These findings come from two of several recent studies that use methods developed in evolutionary biology to discuss the …
What’s in a Name
In 2012, The Melbourne Code was published. Though it sounds like Dan Brown’s next novel, it is actually the result of a week long conference of botanists called the International Botanical Congress (the next conference will be in Shenzhen, China in 2017), and it’s the eleventh revision of the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN). The ICN is basically a …
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 …