The Pirate Botanist Returns!
He was, as you can see here, a large nosed, lean, keen-eyed man whose image still hangs in Great Britain’s national portrait gallery, alongside kings, writers, warriors and other great personages. Which is odd, because he was a pirate. Not a gentleman pirate. William Dampier was a doubloon-stealing, knife-flashing, boat-nabbing outlaw who preyed on Spanish [...]
The Man Who Studies The Fungus Among Us
For the past 30 years, botanist Nicholas Money has studied the microorganisms that most people associate with bad smells, itchy toes, damp basements and rotten food. A renowned fungal researcher at Miami University in Ohio, Money has devoted his career to studying indoor molds, fungal movements and the mysterious world of mycology. Why mold and [...]
‘Don’t Make Me Do This!’ The Equations Screamed
Normally, this kind of thing is done with a pen or a pencil or a crayon, not with a graphing calculator. Numbers like to multiply, divide and subtract. They don’t want to be words or pictures. That’s not their job. But if you’ve never been good at math, and you love to draw, here’s a [...]
The Sleep Apnea Business Is Booming, And Insurers Aren’t Happy
Snoring was once considered a simple annoyance for bed partners, but there is a growing awareness in the medical community that the grunts and snorts of noisy sleepers can also be a sign of sleep apnea. It’s a condition shown to increase the risk of several serious illnesses, including heart disease, stroke and dementia. Critics, [...]
Labs Size Up New Guidelines For Rodent Cages
Scientists do experiments with millions of rats and mice each year, to study everything from heart disease to cancer to diabetes. Recently, some new recommendations about how to house female lab rodents and their babies caused an uproar, with experts at major research institutions now saying they’re unsure of what they’ll have to do to [...]
The Andy Advantage
Yes, I’m supposed to do sciencey things, but since it’s the weekend, I’m going to join the pack and talk politics. Just this once. Politics and money. As we all know, there are many ways to win a political contest, but money — money, money, money — really matters. Money buys those TV ads, money [...]
UConn Claims Resveratrol Researcher Falsified Work
The already shaky case for the anti-aging powers of resveratrol, a substance in red wine, is looking a little shakier. After a three-year investigation, the University of Connecticut Health Center has told 11 scientific journals that studies they published by resveratrol researcher Dipak K. Das may not be trustworthy. In 2008, the university got a [...]
Scientists Turn Focus To Ozone, Soot, To Fix Climate
Politically, climate change is off this year’s campaign agenda. It’s jobs, the economy and social issues that are front and center. But scientists are working as hard as ever to figure out how much the Earth is warming and what to do about it. Some now say it’s time for a new strategy, one that [...]
EPA Creates Website To ID Biggest Emitters Of Greenhouse Gases
Ever wondered who the big greenhouse-gas emitters are in your neck of the woods? The answer is now just a click away. The US Environmental Protection Agency today unveiled a new website that identifies most of the nation’s biggest emitters of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases. It lets you, for example: – Click [...]
Why Overpriced Japanese Sushi Is Bad For Bluefin Stocks
Each January, the first bluefin tuna auction at Toyko’s Tsukiji fish market commands some of the highest prices of the year. This year’s auction got off to an especially extravagant start when a sushi chain owner paid 56.49 million yen, or about $736,000, for one 593-pound bluefin tuna yesterday, according to wire service reports. But [...]
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