March 2015

Mobile battery life (Patrisyu via freedigitalphotos.net)

How to Extend Your Mobile Battery Life

March 31, 2015September 4, 2015 Science Connectedbattery life, citizen science, computer science, crowd sourcing, new tech, technology

Have you ever frantically searched for an outlet to charge your phone? You are not alone. Mobile devices have a large number of different adjustable system settings, but the energy impact of those settings can be difficult to understand for average users, and even for experts. Now, a team of computer scientists from the University of Helsinki, Finland, have measured how long Android phone batteries last with different combinations of settings and environmental conditions. And yes, we are going to tell you how to get the most out of your…

Biology Environment Science and Art Zoology

Wild Red Kite: Red and Deadly

March 30, 2015September 4, 2015 Science Connectedanimals, birds, birds of prey, ecology, nature photography, raptors

Photography and Text by Steven Spence This is a wild red kite (German: Roter Milan; Latin Milvus milvus ), which lives mainly in Germany, Poland, France and Spain, but is seen in other parts of Europe. Black kites (German: Schwarzer Milan; Milvus migrans) are more widespread and more often encountered. Red Kite Population and Range Estimates suggest there are approximately only 19,000 to 25,000 breeding pairs of red kites in all of Europe (~12,000 in Germany). Thus, today’s photo is a relatively special treat. The population of black kites is…

Mayan civilization: A round structure uncovered at Ceibal, from about 500 B.C. (Takeshi Inomata/University of Arizona)

Archaeology

How Mayan Civilization Came Together

March 26, 2015October 4, 2023 Science Connectedanthropology, archaeology, history, human civilization

Archaeologists working in Guatemala have unearthed new information about the Mayan civilization’s transition from a mobile, hunter-gatherer culture to an agrarian lifestyle. Until now, there have been two common assumptions about Mayan civilization: that nomadic and sedentary groups maintained separate communities, and that public buildings were constructed only after a population had fully put down roots (as was likely the case with these famous ancient Roman gold mines). These new findings challenge both assumptions. Developing a Unified Mayan Civilization Archaeologists go to great lengths, and depths, to uncover people and…

Biology Paleontology Science Videos Zoology

Shelf Life Episode 1: 33 Million Things

March 25, 2015September 4, 2015 Science Connectedbiodiversity, biology, evolution, paleontology

About Shelf Life Episode 1: 33 Million Things Can’t get to New York to visit the American Museum of Natural History? No problem! EH Science invites you to take a virtual trip behind the scenes. In this the first episode of the museum’s brand new original series, Shelf Life, you can walk in the shoes of a research scientist and explore the enormous collection of specimens, many of which aren’t on public display. Shelf Life is a video series for curious minds—opening doors, pulling out drawers, and taking the lids off some…

Prehistoric stone tools: An elephant rib bearing marks from flint tools at the Revadim site. (American Friends of Tel Aviv University)

Archaeology

Prehistoric Stone Tools with Animal Residue

March 24, 2015April 1, 2021 Science Connectedarchaeology, evolution, human evolution

About 2.8 million years ago, early humans probably survived on a diet of plants. As the human brain expanded, however, it craved richer nourishment, namely animal fat and meat. Lacking claws and sharp teeth, early humans developed the skills and prehistoric stone tools necessary to hunt large animals and cut the fat and meat from the carcasses. Recently, this rare fossil shed new light on early human evolution. Long before that, our oldest known primate ancestors lived in trees and may have looked like this. Also, prehistoric human settlements have…

Partial Solar Eclipse March 2015 (Steven Spence)

Astronomy and Astrophysics Environment Science and Art

Solar Eclipse from Stuttgart, Germany

March 23, 2015September 4, 2015 Science Connectedastronomy, nature photography, solar eclipse

On March 20, 2015, people across Europe, northern and eastern Asia, and northern and western Africa were treated to the best view of a partial solar eclipse. Steven Spence, a member of EH Science’s Contributors Community, was fortunate to witness this special celestial event, and today he shares with us his experience of photographing it. Don’t miss Steven’s other photos, including Winter Bees, First Visitors. Where I live in Germany we were lucky with the weather and had clear skies for the partial solar eclipse, and I found a…

42 butterflies of north america, an animated infographic

Citizen Science Science and Art Zoology

42 North American Butterflies

March 19, 2015July 1, 2021 Science Connectedbutterflies

This animated infographic shows 42 different North American butterflies. The infographic is the work of designer Eleanor Lutz.

Volunteers wearing the rubber soled shoes walk up and down an ice-covered inclined floor in the Challenging Environment Assessment Lab. (Reza Rizvi, Yue Li, and Sharon Ravindran/ Toronto Rehabilitation Institute)

Health New Technologies Physics

Winter Hack: New Rubber Grips Icy Surfaces

March 18, 2015April 7, 2021 Science Connectedchemistry, gerontology, health, materials, materials science, physics

Winter storms dumped record amounts of snow on the East Coast and other regions of the United States this year, forcing many people to navigate icy sidewalks and roads. However, treacherous travel by foot may soon be a thing of the past thanks to a team of researchers from the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute and the University of Toronto, Canada, who are working on a new rubber sole to help pedestrians get a better grip on slippery surfaces. The material is made up of glass fibers embedded in rubber, and it…

Numerous distinct methane streams emanating from the seafloor at an upper slope (< 500 m water depth) cold seep site, offshore Virginia. (Photo courtesy of NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program, 2013 Northeast U.S. Canyons Expedition)

Biology Climate Change Oceanography

Methane-Munching Microbes Limit Global Warming

March 17, 2015May 24, 2021 Science Connectedclimate change, microbiology

Holes in the sea floor release methane gas. Microorganisms that live near the holes protect our air by eating 75 percent of the methane.

Environment Science and Art Zoology

Winter Bees, First Visitors

March 16, 2015September 4, 2015 Science Connectedanimals, bees, biology, ecology, environment

This photo of a winter bee collecting pollen, called “First Visitors,” is the work of Germany-based photographer Steven Spence. Here is what he has to say about the photo: Friday, I had my first visit from a bee this year. Right now all that is in blossom around my place are crocuses, but that seems to be good enough for the first bees of the year. Bees born at different times of year have different life-cycles. This is a winter bee, which can live longer than the spring and summer…