The Y chromosome, that little chain of genes that determines the sex of humans, is not as tough as you might think. In fact, if we look at the Y chromosome over the course of our evolution we've seen it shrink at an alarming ...
Biotechnology
Nov 14, 2014
3
3
Whiteness is an invention of the modern, colonial age. It refers to the racialisation of white people and the disproportionate privilege—social, linguistic, economic, political—that comes with this. Crucially, as an invention, ...
Education
Mar 27, 2023
0
16
Mountains. Whales. The distant stars. All these things exist in space, and so do we. Our bodies take up a certain amount of space. When we walk to work, we are moving through space. But what is space? Is it even an actual, ...
Space Exploration
Oct 19, 2017
13
150
We all know and love the moon. We're so assured that we only have one that we don't even give it a specific name. It is the brightest object in the night sky, and amateur astronomers take great delight in mapping its craters ...
Space Exploration
Feb 25, 2015
25
3781
Every season has its characteristic star constellations in the night sky. Orion—one of the most recognizable—is distinctly visible on crisp, clear winter nights in the northern hemisphere. The constellation is easy to ...
Astronomy
Jan 14, 2020
1
2290
"What's the secret to your success?" A simple question asked frequently of those who have achieved greatness in their field. Sometimes, that secret is so well disguised even the successful individual is unaware of its influence.
Mathematics
May 14, 2021
0
230
How can a person see around a blind corner? One answer is to develop X-ray vision. A more mundane approach is to use a mirror. But if neither are an option, a group of scientists led by Genevieve Gariepy have developed a ...
Optics & Photonics
Dec 8, 2015
4
1895
Researchers in Uppsala, Sweden accidentally left a reaction running over the weekend and ended up resolving a century-old chemistry problem. Their work has led to the development of a new material, dubbed Upsalite, with remarkable ...
Materials Science
Aug 13, 2013
19
1
The work of the Greek polymath Plato has kept millions of people busy for millennia. A few among them have been mathematicians who have obsessed about Platonic solids, a class of geometric forms that are highly regular and ...
Mathematics
Feb 18, 2014
12
3
The largest sunspot seen in 24 years is rotating back to face the Earth, and it looks to have grown even bigger.
Space Exploration
Nov 12, 2014
9
0
