April 2015

An employee working at a treadmill desk. (Jaren Wilkey/BYU)

How to Ask Your Boss for a Treadmill Desk

April 27, 2015June 16, 2015 Science Connecteddiet, health, medicine, memory, nutrition, sports, treadmill desk

The adverse effects of sedentary office work have given adjustable desks, standing desks, and treadmill desks new attention, but treadmill desks are not everyone’s cup of tea. Now, the latest research from Brigham Young University reveals the impact that treadmill desks can have on job performance. So You Want a Treadmill Desk If you are interested in using a treadmill desk at the office, your greatest challenge may be convincing your boss that it will not have a negative impact on your job performance. Some employers worry that standing or…

Astronomy and Astrophysics Science Videos

Stargazing Across Time: Shelf Life Episode 5

April 22, 2015April 22, 2015 Science Connectedastronomy, science videos, space, stargazing

Stargazing For eons, humanity has been fascinated by the stars. From sundials to telescopes, episode five of the Shelf Life series showcases not only the tools that have been used to observe the sky throughout history but also the stargazing technology of the future. Even though the tools currently in use for observing space are more powerful than ever before, there is still room for improvement. Scientists are working on space-based and land-based telescopes that will capture images of the universe in unparalleled detail. One new device in the planning stages…

This figure shows how a gorilla and a human to grip and move an object. The dots indicate positions in which the object can be gripped. (Yale University)

Biology Engineering

Better Understanding the Human Grip

April 21, 2015September 2, 2015 Science Connectedanthropology, biology, biomechanics, engineering, evolution, robotics

The human hand is an evolutionary wonder: 26 percent of the bones in our bodies are in our hands. Now, scientists are coming to better understand the grip and special grasping ability of humans and other primates. In a new study, a research team found that even the oldest known human ancestors may have had precision gripping skills comparable to modern humans. This includes Australopithecus afarensis, a creature that predates the first known stone tools by about a million years. Manual dexterity is traditionally viewed as a key adaptation that…

Isle Royale Wolves: Only three wolves appear to remain at Isle Royale National Park. (Rolf Peterson)

Environment Zoology

Only Three Isle Royale Wolves Remain

April 20, 2015March 21, 2021 Science Connectedbiodiversity, biology, climate change, ecology, environment, genetics, wolves

Only three Isle Royale Wolves remain, according the the latest count. Find out why, and if anything can be done to save the wolf population.

Biology Science Videos Zoology

Skull of the Olinguito: Shelf Life Episode 4

April 15, 2015April 15, 2015 Science Connectedbiology, evolution, fossils, mammals, nature, shelf life, species

The Skull of the Olinguito This video, fourth in the Shelf Life series, reveals how scientists in the field found the skull of a new species and identified it as the elusive olinguito. Thousands of new animal species are discovered every year, some living and some extinct. Researchers regularly make expeditions to the far-flung corners of the globe in search of new species, ranging from the single-celled organisms found in pools of volcanic sulfur (or even in your own stomach), to deep-sea organisms and larger animals like monkeys and birds.…

Brain Health (Illustration courtesy of Dream Designs via freedigitalphotos.net)

Biology Health

Brain Health: Fight Brain Age with Civic Activity

April 14, 2015September 4, 2015 Science Connectedaging, brains, citizen science, gerontology, neurobiology

Have you had a “senior moment” today? Do you worry about the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and other forms of brain atrophy in old age? These are common concerns. As we age, our brains can shrink, but a new study from John Hopkins University reveals that brain health can be improved with civic-minded activities such as volunteering and teaching. Our brains can do incredible things, such as control robotics such as this mind-controlled robotic arm, or learn to use other tools. Our brains are so amazing that we are even trying to…

Male and female European green woodpeckers (Steven Spence)

Environment Zoology

Yaffle: Meet the European Green Woodpecker

April 13, 2015April 28, 2022 Science Connectedbiology, birds, nature photography, wildlife photography, woodpecker

By Steven Spence “Yaffle” was one of the English folk names given to the European green woodpecker (German Grünspecht; Latin Picus viridis) due to its distinctive, laughing call. The European green woodpecker spends most of its time foraging on the ground instead of pecking holes in trees as most other woodpecker species do. The bird primarily eats ants because its tongue is well adapted for this, being 10cm long and sticky (see this short video for a view of the bird’s impressive tongue). This woodpecker’s tongue is so long, in…

Coelacanth, Shelf Life Episode 3, American Museum of Natural History Video

Biology Science Videos Zoology

Fishing for Facts: Studying the Rare Coelacanth

April 8, 2015April 4, 2021 Science Connectedevolution, fish, marine biology, ocean, shelf life, taxonomy

Find out how coelacanth bodies are preserved so you can view them in natural history museums. Video, Shelf Life Episode Three. Meet the Coelacanth Coelacanths (see-la-kanths) are large, ancient fish with arm-like fins and armor-like scales. They can be found in the fossil record through the time of the dinosaurs, but disappear about 70 million years ago. Everyone thought the creature was extinct. Then, in 1938, the coelacanth splashed into the modern world when one was caught in a fishing net off the coast of South Africa. The prehistoric specimen…

Polar Bears: Tasul the polar bear (Oregon Zoo)

Biology Environment Zoology

Polar Bears Are Struggling to Find Food

April 7, 2015April 4, 2021 Science Connectedbiology, climate change, marine biology, nutrition, wildlife

Find out what is happening to the polar bears: As the arctic ice melts, polar bears must look for food on land, and there isn’t enough.

Science and Art

How to Make Animated Infographics

April 6, 2015May 4, 2021 Science Connectedbreathing, infographic, science and art

Make Animated Infographics: A Brief Tutorial This brief overview of how to make animated infographics is the work of Eleanor Lutz, who blogs at Tabletop Whale. Don’t miss her other work, including the animated infographic about breathing, the planet earth control panel, or this explanation of how our muscles work. Here is what she has to say about the tutorial: Recently I’ve been getting a lot of emails asking for a tutorial on how to make animated infographics. So this week I put together a quick explanation for anyone who’s interested. This is…