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The Alien Equation
Throughout history, humanity’s view of the universe has changed drastically. For a long time, people believed that the Earth was all there was, with a dome high above it that had pinpricks they called stars. Later, they believed the solar system was the extent of the universe....
Rethinking Radiation
In 1896, the French scientist Henri Becquerel observed spontaneous emissions from uranium and called this phenomenon radiation. The first recorded radiation treatment occurred the same year. Early successful uses of radiation to treat various illnesses and ailments captured the public imagination—everyone hoped their bodily problems could be...
Microbial Mirth
Here are a few of the memes I made throughout the semester for BIOS 4607, Molecular Biology of Microbes, taught by Dr. Brian Hammer. At the risk of making these worse, I have provided a brief explanation under each meme.
An auxotrophic mutant is one which has a...
A Cosmological Experiment
This is an experiment that you can do yourself to learn a bit about how scientists think the universe became as large as it is. All you will need is a balloon and a marker. Alternatively, you can treat it as a thought experiment!
The first step is...
Children of the Night
As William and Mary were crowned King and Queen of England, marking the end of the Glorious Revolution and economic dominance of the Dutch Republic, a much less momentous event was taking place. About six hundred miles from the Palace of Westminster, an encyclopedia was published by...
The Good, the Bad, and the … Imaginary?
Working as a camp counselor, I was once yelled at by one of the children. As I went to sit down, a blood-curdling scream erupted from one of the students named Katie. My face went pale white and I stopped mid-squat. I mustered up the will to...
Red-Shouldered Hawks
Introduction
The red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus) is a raptor that is found in forests throughout North America. Year round, the red-shouldered hawk is found throughout much of the Eastern and Midwestern United states. During their breeding season, they can be found in both the northeastern and western United...
Reacciones Nucleares y Exploración Espacial: “Direct Fusion Drive”
Se usaron los cohetes por primera vez en China en siglo XIII. Fueron tubos de bambú que se llenaron de pólvora y se fijaron a las flechas para lanzarse a sus enemigos mongoles. Setecientos años después, tubos más grandes se llenaron de hidrógeno y oxígeno líquidos, se...
The Unbeatable Antibody Squad #1: Covid-19
NEWSREPORTER: AUTHORITIES REPORT YET ANOTHER HOME INVASION PERPETRATED BY A MAN WE NOW KNOW AS COVID NINETEEN FROM THE CORONAVIRUS CRIME FAMILY. HIS REIGN OF TERROR HAS GRIPPED THIS SLEEPY NEIGHBORHOOD SINCE LAST YEAR. IT SEEMS HIS M. O. IS INVADING THE HOME AND MAIMING OR KILLING...
College Student? Or Air in a Spark-Ignition Engine? A Haiku
I'm compressed. One spark,
And I explode. So I work;
Then leave exhausted
Vinyl is Better than Digital Music
Here that music??? That, my friend, is the sound of classic vinyl...
You know that round spinning thingy that plays music that your grandparents and/or parents used growing up? Well, good news – it’s not extinct! When it comes to enjoying music, one of the best ways that...
Direct Fusion Drive— It IS Rocket Science!
Rockets had their humble start in 13th century China: bamboo tubes filled with gunpowder, attached to arrows, to be shot at Mongol invaders. Seven hundred years later, similar, albeit slightly bigger, tubes were filled with liquid hydrogen and oxygen, attached to a lunar module, and shot at...
