9 to 13 September This week began and ended with bugs: guest poster and insect illustrator Mayaan Harel dissected cultural notions of disgust, which she had to overcome in order to pursue her chosen field. I revealed my abiding desire and thwarted quest to eat them. Roberta watched avian tornadoes. Helen found a museum that […]
I spent the summer cultivating an increasing desperation to eat an insect. The first hankerings developed as I spent a couple of months researching and editing a feature on entomophagy for New Scientist — after sifting through enough butter roasted locust risottos and lemon pepper cricket broths, the idea went full spectrum from hilariously gross […]
August 19 – 23 This week, Ann told the complicated history of two gods of physics. An app that fights cancer? Why, yes: by boosting your positive thinking! Christie promptly took out her Science Machete and chopped the press release’s head off. Cassie wondered if we should be so gung ho to kill “invasive species” […]
August 12- 16 Snark week! In which we tell you what happens when cute animals get ugly. Christie introduced us to the creature that goes Cock-a-doodle DIE. Roberta told chilling tales of the gribble: chubby, adorable scourge of the sea. Cameron explained whys we should fear the bunny. Michelle warned us about petting the pretty […]
August 5 – 9 Bad news this week: Tom and Erika left us. Erik asked a question we might hear a lot of in the coming years: when is it time to give up on an endangered species? Helen explained why singing in a choir is good for you. Jessa saw surprising parallels in the […]
22 – 26 July The “since-you-live-in-Mexico-you’ll-probably-be-dead-tomorrow attitude” is the most frustrating thing about being a Mexican expat, says Erik. The smoky volcanoes? Not so much. Ann and Abstruse Goose showed us the grave harm that befalls physicists who try too hard to describe reality. Jessa explored the intriguing new science of awe, and how you […]
8 – 12 July This week, Michelle remembered the man who demystified the force running through all of our lives, the source of our power — and very possibly our undoing. “Contagious gasping, spilled drinks, the gripping of tables” — Jessa gave a first hand account of a genetically superior startle reflex. Roberta interviewed the […]
July 1 – 5 This week, Erik traveled to Bolivia in search of water that’s more acidic than battery acid. He succeeds: “Opening my eyes I see that it looks like an orange sort of runny syrup and feels like it’s full of lead.” DNA “rots” in the heat, which is why ancient genomes are […]
