When I was in middle school, my biology teacher showed our class the sci-fi movie “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.”The plot drew me in, with its depiction of the “Genesis Project” – a new technology that transformed a dead alien world into one brimming with life.After watching the movie, my teacher asked us to write an essay about such technology. Was it realistic? Was it ethical? And to channel our inner Spock: Was it logical? This assignment had a huge impact on me.Fast-forward ...read more
The problem of misinformation isn’t going away – and may be getting worse, in the wake of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Internet platforms like Facebook and X have taken some steps to curb its spread and say they are working on doing more. But no method yet introduced has been completely successful at removing all misleading content from social media. The best defense, then, is self-defense.Misleading or outright false information – broadly called “misinform ...read more
Blue whales are the Earth’s largest species and can stretch beyond 100 feet in size — even their young measure at above 20 feet on average. Great white sharks, meanwhile are quick, powerful, and highly efficient predators. What happens when these two face off and do great white sharks actually pose a threat to these true titans of the ocean? The short answer, says Chandra Salgado Kent, marine ecologist and associate professor at Edith Cowan University, in most cases, likely not. Fit adult bl ...read more
In the wild, animals fight over mating, food, territory, and to protect their young. Even when living in the same environment, not all animals fight each other. We couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if these animals interacted on the battlefield. Let’s look at how some formidable animals in the wild might do in a matchup based on their skills and strengths.1. Tiger vs. Lion(Credit: Volodymyr Burdiak/Shutterstock) Tigers are found in Asia, while most lions primarily live in Africa. Wh ...read more
During the summer of 1998, shifting sands on a beach on the east coast of England exposed an ancient monument. Fifty-five oak posts had been situated in a 15-foot-wide circle, and an upturned tree stump was planted in the middle.Scientists were able to date the monument to 2050 B.C.E. during the Bronze Age. While the monument has been nicknamed Seahenge, scholars referred to it as Holme I, named after the location where it was found.“It is not a henge, neither is Stonehenge for that matter, a ...read more