Articles for category: Blog

The Sticky Substance: Nature’s Superglue

The Worms That Invade Ants and Turn Their Butts Bright Red

Jan Otte

Picture yourself walking through a peaceful forest, sunlight filtering through the leaves, birds chirping overhead. Suddenly, beneath your feet, a bizarre drama unfolds—tiny ants, their bodies perfectly ordinary except for one shocking feature: their rear ends glow a striking, almost unnatural red. It seems like something out of a science fiction movie, but this is ...

Visitor admiring dinosaur skeletons

Velociraptor Fossil Discovery How a Small Dinosaur Captivated the World

The discovery of Velociraptor fossils has captivated the scientific community and the general public alike, sparking imaginations and prompting a re-examination of dinosaur paleobiology. Despite its relatively small size, the Velociraptor has become emblematic of the fierce and dynamic creatures that roamed the Earth millions of years ago. This article delves into the story of ...

3D graphical representation of a number of Rotavirus virions, set against a black background.

How Climate Change Affects Disease Spread Solutions for Preventing Malaria and Zika

Climate change, a phenomenon characterized by global temperature increases, altered weather patterns, and rising sea levels, poses a significant threat to ecological systems across the globe. Beyond its environmental impacts, climate change has profound effects on human health, particularly through the spread of infectious diseases such as malaria and Zika virus. As climates become warmer ...

Aerial view of a winding river through a forest

The Struggle to Protect the Amazon Rainforest Global Efforts and Challenges

The Amazon Rainforest, often referred to as the “lungs of the Earth,” is a critical component of the planet’s ecological balance. Spanning over 5.5 million square kilometers across nine South American countries, it is the world’s largest tropical rainforest and home to an estimated 390 billion individual trees divided among 16,000 species. This immense biodiversity ...

The Crazy Horse Memorial: One Family's Ongoing Sculptural Rebellion

The Crazy Horse Memorial: One Family’s Ongoing Sculptural Rebellion

Annette Uy

The wind howls across the Black Hills, brushing against a mountain face that’s slowly, stubbornly transforming into a vision unlike anything else on Earth. High above the pines, the unfinished profile of a Lakota warrior emerges—a colossal act of resistance, ambition, and grit. The Crazy Horse Memorial is not just a sculpture; it’s a living ...

Idaho’s Potato Museum Is Real — And Weirdly Science-Filled

Idaho’s Potato Museum Is Real — And Weirdly Science-Filled

Annette Uy

Before you even set foot inside Idaho’s Potato Museum, you’re greeted by a towering baked potato outside, complete with an oversized dollop of fake butter. It’s quirky, a little bit kitschy, and—believe it or not—packed with more science than most high school classrooms. This isn’t just a shrine to starch; it’s a place where spuds ...

A close-up shot of a cute kitten sleeping peacefully on a soft surface.

15 Bizarre Cat Behaviors and What They Actually Mean

Jan Otte

Imagine waking up at 3 a.m. to find your cat sprinting across the living room like a wild cheetah. Or maybe you’ve caught your feline friend kneading your favorite blanket while purring like a tiny engine. To any cat lover, these antics are equal parts hilarious, confusing, and strangely endearing. But what if I told ...

Microbiome lab

How Dr. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan’s Discovery of the Ribosome Structure Revolutionized Molecular Biology

Molecular biology is a field that delves into the intricate mechanisms defining life at a cellular level, focusing on the interactions between various systems within a cell, such as DNA, RNA, and proteins. Among these cellular components, ribosomes play a critical role by serving as the machinery for protein synthesis, translating genetic information into functional ...