No one’s imagination operates in quite the same way. Some people can imagine a beach in vivid color and detail, while others envision something like a rough sketch of a beach instead. It’s deceptively easy to assume that our ability to visualize and imagine is the same as everyone else’s, and as it turns out, there can indeed be massive differences.
Read MoreIn the year 1660, Prince Rupert gave a very interesting gift to King Charles II: Five glass crystals, each with a bulbous head and a long tapering tail. Though they looked like unremarkable glass baubles and were made of no special material, it soon became obvious that their qualities were far from ordinary. Though the head of the drops were incredibly strong, the entire drop would explosively shatter after just one flick of the tail. For 400 years, Prince Rupert's drops were a mystery to scientists. Now, we finally understand the reason for their immense strength and fragility.
Read MoreThe 2017 summer forecast is in: Ticks galore. Do you like hiking but hate bug spray? If Lyme disease isn't enough to scare you into taking precautions against tick bites, this newly recognized tick-induced ailment might do the trick.
Read MoreAtmospheric circulation is an important component of Earth’s climate. It transports heat and water across the globe, thereby ensuring that climate remains relatively constant throughout the years. Even small disruptions to this system could cause large, and possibly dangerous consequences. Why are rainforestes and deserts distributed in ordered arrays around the world? Hadley cells.
Read MorePigeons are just as loathed as they are common. They are called dirty, spreaders of disease, and often are dubbed “rats with wings.” Despite inspiring this intensity of emotion, pigeons remain poorly understood. Even if they are a common and familiar animal, the history of pigeons may surprise you.
Read MoreAnother year has passed, and another April Fools’ Day has come. Here in the Bruce Museum Science Department, we’d much rather educate than mislead, and this particular holiday gives us a chance to delve into some of the more foolish sides of science. Last year, I chose some of the top scientific conspiracy theories to explore in honor of the occasion. This year I’m doing the same, talking about some of the most interesting, amusing, and intriguing scientific conspiracy theories, and why we shouldn’t take them too seriously.
Read MoreAre you more afraid of snakes or cars? Most people would say that snakes make them more uncomfortable, despite cars killing over 30,000 Americans per year and snakes killing an average of 5. Why are we so afraid of snakes, spiders, and bats, but not SUVs? The answer lies in our evolutionary history.
Read MoreIn the midst of a New England winter you would be hard-pressed to find anyone that hasn’t fantasized about exchanging the frigid temperatures of March for the tropical weather of Hawaii. The Aloha State is known for being a vacation hot spot around this time of the year, but did you know that it’s also a famous geologic “hot spot” as well?
Read MoreStories about animals and artifacts by scientists at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, CT
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