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With some gorgeous sunny days happening (and yes we could talk climate change) the topic of sunscreen has come to mind. We have to coat ourselves in sunscreen to protect our DNA from the harmful effects of ultraviolet light (specifically UV-B), but are we really that different from plants who bask in the sunshine all … Continue reading
Okay, I don’t take much for painkillers. Throughout two surgeries on my wrist I have had to stick with your basic, over the counter acetaminophen and ibuprofen. This is a result of some fairly severe drug allergies. But unlike those prescription strength options, I think we kind of assume that acetaminophen and ibuprofen do not … Continue reading
Guest Blogger: Alex Diaz I have been looking to the sky since I was a very young boy. When I first saw the Northern Lights or, Aurora Borealis, they seemingly appeared within the blink of an eye. Nothing but green surrounded me and I remember wondering how does such a dazzling display of lights come … Continue reading
When you are sitting at the start line of a race, looking towards the finish line, sometimes it seems a heck of a lot further away than it should. Turns out that how my body is feeling may be affecting how far away I see the finish line. Jessica Witt is a cognitive psychologist at … Continue reading
How could I not read about a bit of DNA called R2d2. But it turns out this DNA does not share any of the personality of its namesake (a droid from the original Star Wars movies). R2d2 is a piece of DNA found in mice. It contains multiple copies of a specific gene (Cwc22). When … Continue reading
I was talking about batteries in my physics class and it got me thinking, how do rechargeable batteries work? A battery (like the ones that died in my mouse this morning) uses chemical reactions to create a charge. Basically, (in really simple terms) the electrons get pushed up the equivalent of a really big hill … Continue reading
A few weeks ago, talk of gravitational waves dominated most of science reporting. Gravitational waves are similar to the ripples that move out along the surface of the water after you drop a pebble into a pond, except that instead of being ripples in water they are ripples in space-time. Einstein predicted gravitational waves as … Continue reading
Most liquids behave like we would expect them to. But there are liquids, known as Non-Newtonian Fluids, that behave strangely under stress. Consider your ketchup bottle. Why is it that we hit the ketchup bottle to make the ketchup come out faster? Turns out it isn’t because the force knocks the ketchup lower down, but … Continue reading
It was a little disconcerting when the garlic in my potato salad turned bluish-green the other day. What had caused it, and was it safe to eat? The flavour of garlic is created by a few different sulfur compounds and some enzymes (an enzyme is something that affects the speed of a chemical reaction). Basically, what … Continue reading
The Zika virus is spread via mosquito bites and usually results in a mild illness that includes fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes (conjunctivitis) (CDC). However, preliminary data from Brazil shows a connection between rates of pregnancy complications including microcephaly and Zika virus infections. First, it is important to note that this is still preliminary data. … Continue reading
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