Remembering Marni

Remembering Marni

The remains of what probably was Marni Dee Sheppeard were found last week in the mountains of the west coast of New Zealand, near Otira. Although a positive identification is still pending, this does…
A Day Without Antimicrobials

A Day Without Antimicrobials

Before 2020, it’s likely the word “antimicrobial” did not often cross your mind. Perhaps you walked down the cleaning aisle in the grocery store and saw a disinfectant with the phrase “Kills 99.9% of…
This $1000 Says Lepton Universality Is OK

This $1000 Says Lepton Universality Is OK

Almost exactly 15 years ago, I was following a nice conference in the Azores island of San Miguel, where I witnessed with a bit of gloom how the Standard Model was capable of explaining to the…
Another 3 Sigma Fluke From LHCb

Another 3 Sigma Fluke From LHCb

Ok, don't get me wrong here - the title of this post is not meant to mock my LHCb colleagues. I have friends there, and the experiment has been doing amazing physics in the past decade, with scores…
Being A New Mom Can Make You 'A Little' OCD

Being A New Mom Can Make You 'A Little' OCD

A new survey estimates that 8% of pregnant women reported symptoms that meet criteria for a clinical diagnosis of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and in the 38 weeks after having a child that…
A Gesture Is Worth A Thousand Words?

A Gesture Is Worth A Thousand Words?

What sets human communication apart from lower animals is its compositionality, which means that units of meaning can be combined and new meanings can be constructed. The words "blue" and "car" have…
CRISPR-Cas9: Now Knocking Out 12 Genes At Once

CRISPR-Cas9: Now Knocking Out 12 Genes At Once

Just a few short years ago, CRISPR-Cas9 technology took the world of molecular biology by storm because it allowed a cost-effective way to shut off or turn on traits in organisms without any side…