Helping plants adapt to spaceflight stress
How can astronauts grow plants in space, or farm on Mars? This is the subject of much ongoing research, and one study found that activating…
Category: Big Questions
A software program builds alternative DNA molecules
Scientists are using computer programs to understand our early beginnings. Click on the link to see how they are doing it, and how they…
Does science have anything to say about cancel culture?
Whether it’s cartoons, advertisement strategies, rappers, or even podcasts, in the last few years Americans have been speaking out and…
Microbes from extreme environments help us study space
Space is a hostile place. It has numerous stressors which make it seem impossible for Earth-like life to thrive there. Some of these…
Giant dinosaur tracks found in a cave in France
Sauropods were previously thought to have had their heyday in the Late Jurassic period. Recent fossil evidence says it was probably much…
An estimated 17% of COVID-19 cases show no symptoms
Questions surrounding the nature of asymptomatic cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been present since near the beginning of…
Building a better spacesuit for a trip to Mars
An intra-vehicular space suit and a storm shelter will help protect astronauts from radiation during a trip to Mars. Infusing the suit…
Do hand sanitizers work on the coronavirus?
Do commercial hand sanitizers work on coronavirus? In the lab, yes. Studies are needed using real human hands, which come with ethical…
Can hidden sulfur cycling influence greenhouse gas emissions in wetlands?
Wetlands are the largest source of methane to Earth’s atmosphere. How do microbes, sulfur, and mixing of water sources influence…
Oxytocin slows down aging in lonely prairie voles
Loneliness ages you faster. But hormones can help! A recent study shows that oxytocin prevents cellular aging in lonely prairie voles.