by Jon Farrow, Canadian science communicator
We all know that CO2 emissions are warming the planet. Or at least, most of us do. What often goes unreported is the effect of carbon dioxide on the worlds' oceans. A lot of the CO2 that we pump into the air makes its way to the water and is making it more difficult for shelled creatures like …
I was at an event today where I had the opportunity to make a little magazine. This was my contribution:
Next time you happen to be walking though the Chamela-Cuixmala nature reserve on the West Coast of Mexico, keep your eyes out for this parasitoid wasp: Its scientific name is Heerz lukenatcha. There is also a related wasp named Heerz tooya. Who comes up with these things!? Biologists, it turns out. The current official naming system for animals …
There are 8 planets in our Solar System (sorry Pluto). Most of these planets have companions that follow them around, like obedient pets and criminal records. The total count of these moons is 181. We are all quite familiar with the big shiny one that orbits Earth (that may or may not be made of …
Truth is the daughter of time, and I feel no shame in being her midwife. These words, written by Johannes Kepler in 1611, are profound. At the time, Galileo had just discovered the Galilean moons (including Europa) in Florence but was being persecuted for his belief that the Earth orbits the sun. Kepler, a staunch supporter of heliocentrism, …
Say goodbye to foil floating hearts on Valentines, shimmering floating shamrocks on St. Patty's, and the prospect of tying thousands of balloons to your house and abducting a neighbourhood boy scout. The world's Helium reserve is going to run out, and sooner than you might think. Helium is the universe's second most abundant element and we've never …
The year is 1791. On a crisp autumn morning in south London, Margaret Hastwell, a blackmith's apprentice, gives birth to her third son. With her husband, son, and daughter crowded around, she decides to name the newborn Michael. Michael Faraday. Margaret had a lot on her plate, what with two young children, a husband who was …
When was the last time you ate dinosaur? I had some just the other day next to my peas and carrots. Shocking as it may seem, dinosaurs are all around us and we interact with them on a fairly regular basis. If you're sitting there saying to yourself, "No, dinosaurs went extinct millions of years …
Ever wish you could see in the dark? It would make life a bit easier. No more tripping over clutter on the ground or feeling walls for a switch. Humans rely quite heavily on their sight, but some animals can make do by illuminating their surroundings with sound. Bats are just such an animal. They belong …
Imagine a creature that never grows up, can regenerate limbs without scars, and has a sort of slimy, alien-like cuteness. Sounds like a critter you'd like to meet, right? Ambystoma mexicanum, the axolotl, lives all over the world in aquaria but their only wild habitat is under severe threat. Chances are that neither of us …
