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A few years ago, I made a potions kit as a gift for a young Harry Potter fan. I had a blast coming up with different science experiments that could be done with ingredients from the grocery store and renaming them to create my own magical illusions. Well someone asked if I could share these … Continue reading
I always joke with my students that the biggest difference between me and them when approaching a microscope is that there is nobody I can call for help with finding what I’m looking for. This might seem trivial, but I firmly believe that the microscope smells fear. When I walk up to it with confidence, … Continue reading
Waves in the ocean, or on another body of water, are generally started by wind. The wind blows across the surface of the water, pushing the water as it goes. Once the wave reaches a certain size it no longer needs the wind to sustain it. This is similar to pushing a cart along a … Continue reading
Growing up in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada I only knew of one tree where the bark would peel off: the birch tree. While this peeling is very historically significant as local First Nation groups would take advantage of the ability of the tree to peel and survive to make birch bark canoes for a white girl … Continue reading
I love trying to find new ways to stimulate my cats. From putting food in different containers that they have to solve to get their food to introducing them to different smells that stimulate their interests, I think that providing different types of enrichments is key to keeping my girls happy and healthy for many … Continue reading
I often talk to people who tell me that they are not going to get the flu shot because they don’t get the flu very often. The thing is that many people are confusing stomach flu with seasonal flu. It is the latter that the flu shot is trying to prevent. We are all probably … Continue reading
Most people who have pets know that they have a pretty significant impact on your life. For me, there is always a feeling of anticipation as I walk towards the door to my house, knowing that the cats will come greet me when I get in. They will purr and climb my legs, and possibly … Continue reading
Tamaracks are great trees in my opinion because they are a deciduous coniferous tree. They seemed appropriate to write about after last week’s post about why leaves change colour in the fall. Tamaracks do not have leaves — they have needles, and reproduce with cones, like coniferous trees — but they do change colour and … Continue reading
While the cooler temperatures of fall are not always welcome, the fall colours do provide a beautiful backdrop for fall walks and other activities. To understand why leaves change color we have to talk about why leaves are green in the first place and why deciduous trees, those that lose their leaves over the … Continue reading
I’ve taught evolution repeatedly. I talk about natural selection and how it doesn’t select for the best, it selects the best of what’s available. This isn’t a foreign concept to people. We do this consciously all the time. And yet, most of us still have trouble commiting to this piece of information. When we are … Continue reading
