Archive: 2020

by Rebecca Silbermanfigures by Aparna Nathan It only took a few weeks of the coronavirus pandemic to send the American farm industry reeling. The supply chains that connect soy fields and chicken coops and greenhouses with American tables were not…

A recent study of tiger sharks reveals migratory changes based on life stage, sex, and season - and points to oil drilling platforms as key hangout spots, which could have large consequences for their population.

As the Roman Republic began to fall, the Earth suffered from extreme cold and famine that helped push Rome's instability to its ultimate collapse. The cause of the extreme climate? The eruption of an Alaskan volcano on the opposite side of the world.

by Isabella Grabskifigures by Jovana Andrejevic In 1935, a scientist named Clive McCay published a startling discovery: rats with severely restricted diets lived up to 33% longer than previously known possible. Over the last few decades, similar…

Materials engineers at MIT have developed a new, more reliable design for a “memristor,” a component of computer circuits that could revolutionize artificial intelligence, improve efficiency of learning, lower energy costs, and fundamentally change the…

by Kate Lachancefigures by Rebecca Senft Close your eyes.  Picture a scientist. What does this scientist look like? Beginning in the late 1950s, the stereotypical image of a scientist was of great interest to many anthropologists,…

by Kerry McGowen Have you ever wondered how scientists hunt for alien life on other planets? What are they looking for? Before jumping straight into the search for aliens, scientists look for planets that could support alien life in the first…

Ant colonies exposed to certain insecticides become smaller and weaker after a year. Are they another casualty in the war against crop-damaging pests.?

Quintana Roo Caves in Mexico are often known for their beauty and tourist value. However, these caves also capture a history of ancient peoples living there 10,000 years ago. This study presents the first evidence that these caves were used for iron…

by Molly Sargen figures by Molly Sargen and Nicholas Lue Microbes (also known as microorganisms) are everywhere: on surfaces we touch, in the air we breathe, and even inside us. As suggested by the name, all microbes are too small to be seen…