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When I was diagnosed with asthma as a kid, I remember someone saying that it wouldn’t go away unless I stopped skating because of the air quality in rinks. I was wondering what the research on this is. Rundell (2004) found that the pulmonary function, basically how well a person breaths, of a group of … Continue reading
There’s a lot of research about the benefits of being able to see trees outside of your window while you work (e.g., Kaplan, 1993) or while you recover from surgery (e.g., Ulrich, 1984) but what about having a small plant on your desk? Toyoda, Yokota, Barnes, and Kaneko (2019) conduced a research study in an … Continue reading
I went for a walk in Edmonton’s river valley today, at least walking was my plan, but I was quickly sidetracked by wildlife. Within minutes of arriving in the park a pack of coyotes ran in front of me. Sadly, they were a little too far and to quick for the cameras I had available. … Continue reading
No. This common cold weather myth likely comes from an old study that measured heat loss from individuals wearing arctic survival suits but no hats. Since it was the only body part that wasn’t insulated that’s where most heat loss occurred. If you go out in the cold with any body part uncovered you will … Continue reading
Today will be a short post as it is Christmas Eve but I thought this was a topic worthy of the holidays. When a person drinks alcohol they feel warm. This is why you often see characters in movies have a drink when they are cold. The problem is that alcohol, at concentrations people typically … Continue reading
I was all prepped to update this post, but it turns out nothing has really changed. People still think that poinsettias are poisonous and sources that are seen as authorities in social media continue to propulgate the myth. But poinsettias are not poisonous. I added one additional reference at the start and left the original … Continue reading
Honey is pretty cool. It’s a non-Newtonian fluid. It’s the only popular example I know of where people willingly eat spit, that’s right honey is partially bee spit or bee vomit would be even more accurate. I presume that many of you reading this will say that it is at least tasty bee vomit; but, … 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
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
Connecting with Science 