Last month, I wrote about grasses while spending all my days at home during the spring of the Covid-19 viral outbreak. Since then, between lawn mowing sessions and working from home, I awaited the return of my perrenial hosta plants from underground, which create a leafy landscape in the shady areas of my backyard. Now … Continue reading Hello, hostas: More moments from a pandemic spring at home
genetics
February science connections
Photos Public Domain [Public domain] February is the shortest month, but to me it often feels like one of the longest. Although the daylight hours start to lengthen, the persistence of the last of winter weather (gray, damp, and cold) leaves me feeling tired rather than energized. February also seems to be one of those … Continue reading February science connections
Stories of heredity: “She Has Her Mother’s Laugh”
The title refers to a book I just finished reading. I'll tell you more in a moment. But first, I need to report "breaking news." Last night, while scrolling through my social media feeds, a cutesy entry from the pop culture website Buzzfeed showed up: "32 People That Look So Much Like Their Parent You'll … Continue reading Stories of heredity: “She Has Her Mother’s Laugh”
More tales of domesticity and aggression
Last summer, I read the book How to Tame a Fox, by Lee Alan Dugatkin and Lyudmila Trut. I found the scientific story of fox genetics and domestication in the Soviet Union/Russia to be a compelling mix of biography, science, and politics. In June 2017, I wrote a blog post about the book and other … Continue reading More tales of domesticity and aggression
An animated view of life
It can be very difficult to visualize the inner structures of living things since we can't see them directly. Our own bodies hide mysteries that usually are revealed only to surgeons or with imaging techniques such as X-rays. But the tiniest components of life: the structures of cells, viruses, and molecules—such as DNA and proteins—can … Continue reading An animated view of life
Earth, Mars, and working in the space in between
As a child, one of my favorite picture books at my Grandma's house to read and reread was about astronauts. I was born after the moon launch, but the lure of "the space age" continued to populate children's literature, and I marveled at the curiosities of space travel, the preparations and lives of astronauts, and … Continue reading Earth, Mars, and working in the space in between
2017: A year of “Mulled Science”
It's the end of December. I've finished another semester of undergraduate teaching, and I'm looking ahead to the next calendar year full of new students and new adventures in my professional and personal life. This is also the time of year when everyone trots out a year-end retrospective on their little niche in the world. … Continue reading 2017: A year of “Mulled Science”
What’s new(s) in science
I teach introductory biology courses to college students. It's a busy time of the semester, with exams and assignments and the balancing act of all that goes on in and out of the classroom (for students and professors alike). To ease into our time in class together and provide some motivation to my students for … Continue reading What’s new(s) in science
Science news this week: Cassini and cats
Maybe you saw the news: this week, we humans intentionally crashed a space probe into Saturn at the end of the spacecraft's 13-year mission to photograph and gather data about Saturn and its moons. The probe, Cassini, has sent amazing images like this one back to us here on Earth, illuminating our understanding of Saturn … Continue reading Science news this week: Cassini and cats
Nature’s blues
Recently, two science news topics crossed my path about seemingly very different themes: genetically modified flowers and sea creatures that glow. The articles caught my eye for different reasons, but it was thanks to a casual conversation on social media with a friend about a third science news article about a rare genetic disease that … Continue reading Nature’s blues
Mulled Science 