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Student Voices

Fish Skin Band-Aids?

Researchers spun up a nanofiber collagen sponge from fish skin, then tested its wound healing potential. Apparently, it works better than bovine. Learn about it here.

• Do Smart Pills Really Make You Smart?
• The Invasive Species Wriggling Beneath Your Feet
• Getting the Straight Dope on Weed

When a coral reef experiences stress, the impacts can be measured. But in an aqeous environment, how can marine scientists isolate and measure the the stressor causing the ill effects?
• A Recipe For Reef Recovery
• Why Does the Ocean Look so Strange Today?
• Unearthing the Secrets of Penguin Taste

Women in Science

National Academy of Sciences Election

The US National Academy of Sciences announced this year's 84 inductees. Of those, 24 are women. Do you recognize any of their names? Take our poll.

• States Honor STEM Women
• Unequal Pay
• Group Projects May Attract Women

Microbe Matters

Two More Budding Biologists

Kriti interviews two more of her fellow finalists from the Intel Science Talent Search: Kalia and Augustine.

• Two Young Microbiologists - via Intel
• Three Microbes
• Smallpox: To Destroy or to Not Destroy?

Bio 2.0

Reducing Carbon: A Bacterial Approach

Scientists are using bacteria to convert greenhouse gases into biofuels and biodegradable plastics. What’s the chemistry behind this?
• Propagating Mutations in Entire Populations
• This Is Your Brain on Integrated Technology
• Gene Editing in the Natural World

Accumulating Glitches

Shape Matters for Gene Expression

Can a single gene mutation change the shape of an organism, and also cause a suite of genes to change activity? Seder highlights a close relationship between physical conformation and biochemical activation.
• How Dogs and Humans Grew Together
• A Dinosaur That Flew On Bat-Like Wings
• Counting Chicks

Viruses 101

Unprecedented Microbial Diversity Found in Amazonian Tribe

Members of a hunter-gatherer tribe host more diverse microbes than people in industrialized regions. What could this mean?
• Why Can't Mosquitoes Transmit HIV?
• Is Obesity Contagious?
• Measles Outbreak at Disneyland

Pop

Solar Power to the People

Can we use the Sun as the main source for our energy needs? Learn about solar power.

• Seeing Light
• When C Doesn't Equal C
• Two Quantum Quirks Become One

Eyes on Environment

Black Silicon Solar Cells

What's so great about black silicon solar cells? A jumble of nanostructures on this material's surface enables it to absorb light from many angles. Why does this matter?
• The Search for Artificial Photosynthesis
• Economic Expansion in the Great Plains
• The Resurgence of Kites in the Urban UK

Plant ChemCast

What's Behind Charlotte's Web?

What are the therapeutic uses of medical marijuana? Learn how cannabinoids affect the brain and relieve the symptoms of several diseases.
• The Dark Myth of the Poinsettia
• The Advantage of Berries
• Tobacco Brings Hope to Ebola Treatment

Green Screen

Earth Day Turns 45

Reflect on the history of Earth Day, and watch a NASA model showing a year’s worth of CO₂ emissions.

• Quantum Dots Open the Way for Solar Windowpanes
• Lithium-Ion Batteries Get a Boost

• Save the Rhinos! But How?

Brain Metrics

What Does MEG Measure?

Understand the history and method behind magnetoencephalography (MEG), which is sensitive to the magnetic fields created by the brain's electrical activity.

• What does fMRI measure?

• Peering Directly into the Human Brain
• Surges In Brain Activity After Death

Green Science

Sun Protection Tips

Do you really know how to select the right sunscreen? Get your tips here on all sun-protective gear.

• Dangers of the Sun
• New York City Carbon Challenge
• What You Need to Know About the Ebola Outbreak

Why Science Matters

The Danger of Remembering

Strong memories are often linked to strong emotions. What’s the neuroscience behind this connection? Could we use this knowledge to forget traumatic experiences?
• Dream Reader v.1.0
• Bacteria Conspire Against People with Obesity
• Of Mice and Humans