Ethnobotany is defined as the study of the relationship between people and plants and most commonly refers to the study of indigenous uses of plants. In other words, it is the marriage between…

With all the huge (and sadly tragic, in some cases) storms we have had in mostly the middle to eastern portions of the United States this Spring, many opportunities arise to see natural events rarely…

A few months ago LHC took a special run of proton-proton collisions at  2.76 TeV. Why the lower energy, now that we are accustomed to searching for new phenomena at the highest available energy…

Just a short post to mention that the Large Hadron Collider has reached tonight the top instantaneous luminosity of 1.075 * 10^33 cm^-2 s^-1. This is a new record for high-energy hadron colliders,…

Last year, the market squid off California were so abundant that the fishery actually reached its quota for the first time in history. Normally, squid fishing season is April 1st to March 31st--yep,…

These days, there are only two types of pirates that are important: Somali pirates and the "Pirates Of The Caribbean." As many teachers warn their students, Somali pirates are nowhere near as lovable…

These days, there are only two types of pirates that are important: Somali pirates and the "Pirates Of The Caribbean." As many teachers warn their students, Somali pirates are nowhere near as lovable…

If you haven't seen "Thor", I am not spoiling the movie for you if I tell you Natale Portman's character is an astronomer.   So what, you ask?   Indeed, Jodie Foster was an astronomer in "…

If you haven't seen "Thor", I am not spoiling the movie for you if I tell you Natale Portman's character is an astronomer.   So what, you ask?   Indeed, Jodie Foster was an astronomer in "…

What does writing amount to?   To writers, the question is irritating because the implication is 'doing' something is better than writing about it.    If we write about the physics of…

What does writing amount to?   To writers, the question is irritating because the implication is 'doing' something is better than writing about it.    If we write about the physics of…

Don't like Guantanamo?   In the mid-East, detention centers are the norm rather than an exception.   Dorothy Parvaz got a look inside Syria's secret prisons because her luggage had the…

Don't like Guantanamo?   In the mid-East, detention centers are the norm rather than an exception.   Dorothy Parvaz got a look inside Syria's secret prisons because her luggage had the…

Data mining is nothing new but a group of former math majors who started an online dating site think the maths can tell them something about people. The founders of OkCupid say it can - they claim 7…

Data mining is nothing new but a group of former math majors who started an online dating site think the maths can tell them something about people. The founders of OkCupid say it can - they claim 7…

The astrocyte, most common cell in the human nervous system, is finally getting some respect; researchers have used embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells to cultivate the star-shaped astrocyte…

The plot of the week is actually a table this week. A histogram with several background components can be extremely informative, but sometimes a table provides more detail and one can focus better on…

The vaccine-injury crowd  is inoculated against reason, evidence, and appeals to civic duty and compassion for the suffering of millions. Those of us who've spent time in the trenches with them…

There are perennials in the plant kingdom, flowers that bloom each year, and in culture as well.  Each year, for example, there will be a new go-to cliché in football.    Many of us…

Grímsvötn Ash Plume Grímsvötn, an ice-capped volcano in the south of Iceland is currently erupting.  The ice cap is quite extensive and thick, so unless there are unknown sub-surface fissures,…