December 2015

Preserving a Soft Skeleton: Backs without Bones

December 16, 2015May 12, 2016 Science Connectedfish, shark, skeleton

By Sebastien Enault What are shark skeletons made of? The skeleton of modern sharks, rays, and skates consists of cartilage, a connective tissue that is lighter and more flexible than bone. Most people closely associate the skeleton with bone, and are familiar with the skeletal structure of many ancient and modern vertebrates, which are beautifully described in a vast number of anatomical works and frequently displayed in most natural history museums. However, while sharks and rays are very popular in aquariums around the world, few people actually know what their…

New Technologies

New Graphene Microphone Outperforms Nickel

December 15, 2015December 11, 2015 Science Connectedmaterials engineering, new tech

By Kate Stone Scientists have developed a graphene microphone that is nearly 32 times more sensitive than ordinary microphones made from nickel. Using graphene, the research team at the University of Belgrade, Serbia, created a vibrating membrane – the part of a microphone that converts the sound to a current. At frequencies up to 11 kHz, the microphone was able to achieve 15 dB higher sensitivity compared to a commercial microphone. “We wanted to show that graphene, although a relatively new material, has potential for real world applications,” explains Marko…

Environment

More Heat Waves Predicted in Next 20 Years

December 14, 2015December 14, 2015 Science Connectedclimate change, environment, global warming, heat waves

By Kate Stone Scientists have developed a new method to more accurately measure and predict heat waves, and the results are frightening. More Heat Waves to Come The researchers have shown that heat waves are likely to increase both in severity and number during the next two decades. “Even if global mean temperatures don’t increase too much, we’ll see more extreme heat events. These will be hotter, longer, and more frequent,” explains Simone Russo from the European Commission Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy. The new metric is called the Heat…

Nature Photography Science and Art Zoology

A Tale of Two Turtles: Part 2

December 9, 2015December 15, 2015 Science Connectednature photography, turtles

By Steven Spence This is the second part of our series on turtles and how cute animals can inspire successful conservation efforts. Have you read A Tale of Two Turtles: Part 1? Best-Looking Turtle in the World Chris Van Wyk, photographer and conservationist, was in the right place at the right time to capture incredible photos of an algae-covered Mary River turtle. His photos went viral and appeared in major newspapers worldwide. Thanks to this photogenic turtle, conservationists were able to save its habitat from a dam that was going…

Physics

Ruminations on Flight

December 8, 2015December 7, 2015 Science Connectedengineering, physics

By Rosalind Rude I have a friend who pilots his own aircraft. He’s been away from it for a while so now he is boning up, re-sharpening his skills to get back in the saddle, or back in the cockpit. As he recently explained to me, piloting an aircraft is nothing like driving a car or riding a bike. Yaw, Pitch, and Roll There are three axes in play during flight: The airplane turns left and right (yaw). The airplane’s nose goes up and down (pitch). The body of…

Biology Environment Nature Photography Zoology

A Tale of Two Turtles: Part 1

December 7, 2015March 11, 2021 Science Connectedconservation, nature photography, turtles

Steven Spence visits Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens to photograph an aquatic turtle with many names: the Arrau River or giant South American turtle.

Nuclear magnetic resonance: External view of the Synchrotron SOLEIL in Paris.

Biology Health Physics

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance: A Dynamic View of Life

December 2, 2015December 2, 2015 Science Connectedbiology, biophysics, cells, dna, proteins, virus

By Florian Celli Florian Celli is a PhD student of biophysics in the Center for Atomic Energy (CEA of Saclay) and the Synchrotron SOLEIL in Paris. He uses nuclear magnetic resonance to study protein dynamics in order to understand their biological role. He co-writes 2 Steps From Science, a website of general science in French and English for students and science fans. Follow on Twitter and Facebook. I am going to talk about architecture, but I am not an architect. I am going to talk about movement, but I am not a dancer. As a…

Nature Photography Zoology

Bald Eagles of Alaskan Skies

December 1, 2015May 3, 2021 Science ConnectedAlaska, birds, wildlife photography

By Max Goldberg During my last trip through Alaska, I was primarily focused on photographing the wild grizzly bears as they fished for salmon. I soon realized, however, that the salmon and bears were not the only animals around. All of a sudden, a magnificent adult bald eagle leapt from it’s nest directly across from me, and flew low over the river. After a long day of watching the bears, my father and I started to walk back to our cabin at Brooks Lodge. He decided to head all the way back,…