The Case for GMOs

Out of the Fog, November 2012

On Tuesday we Californians will vote on Prop 37 to decide whether or not to force companies to label their genetically modified foods. The European Union already requires the labeling of these GMOs, and some European countries ban genetically modified products outright. This labeling paints the picture that GMOs are dangerous and shouldn’t be developed let alone eaten.

Calcium Keeps Night Vision From Tricking Our Brains

Inside Science, October 2012

As candy-crazed kids run up and down driveways this Halloween, guided only by the flickering light of jack-o’-lanterns, it’s easy to appreciate the low light vision that’s preventing trips over superhero capes and princess dresses. But despite the usefulness of night vision, scientists have only now identified the important chemical process that compensates for visual errors in low light.

Syndicated by Knoxville News Sentinel, LiveScience, and others.

Shortest Laser Pulse Ever Created

Inside Science, September 2012

American researchers have generated a record-setting laser pulse so short that it makes most everything else seem like an eternity. The pulse lasted just 67 attoseconds, which is about two million billion times faster than the blink of an eye. The previous record, set by European researchers in 2008, was about 20 percent slower.

Syndicated by Fox News, LiveScience and others.

The Iceman Cometh at 275 Molecules of Water

Inside Science, September 2012

If you’ve ever dealt with an exploded can of frozen soda in the freezer, you’ve seen firsthand that ice takes on a crystal structure. At freezing temperatures, water molecules line up to form geometric shapes, creating ice’s crystal structure. The crystal structure takes up more space than the loose liquid water molecules, causing water to expand when frozen.

Kamikaze Electrons

NASA BARREL, June 2012

Towering 15 stories above the Antarctic landscape, the white balloon casts a long, dark shadow across the snow. The ground crew makes final preparations for launch, filling the balloon with helium and securing its cargo. In one fluid motion, the workers free the balloon from the Earth. Rising into the air, it becomes a fading silhouette in a cloudless sky.