If you compare the size and brute strength of a whale with a human, this match up should be a no brainer. The size of a blue whale is about 82 feet and up to 330,000 lbs while a human is roughly 6 feet and 200 lbs. The whale wins this battle right? Historically speaking, […]
Read More Man Vs. WhaleSome things naturally go together: peanut butter and jelly, salt and pepper, or chocolate and bacon (or is that just me?). In nature, there are other combinations that are very bizarre and unlikely. Different combinations of living things will join forces to help each other survive. We call this ‘mutualism,’ it is a type of […]
Read More A Bizarre CompanionshipSanta Claus is comin’ to town! While Santa is encouraging snot-nosed children to sit on his lap and share with him their wish list, I guarantee he will be bringing Clorox wipes and hand sanitizer. But if Santa came to visit me this holiday, he may also find a bit of humiliating mucus running down […]
Read More He’s Gonna Find Out Who’s “Snotty” or Nice…As I join my family around the dinner table this Thanksgiving, I look forward to the tradition of sharing various things we are thankful for. My family knows me as the crazy/cool science guy so naturally I have a unique response to what I am thankful for this year–BEETLES. As an amateur entomologist, beetles are […]
Read More Celebration of the BeetleThe breaking down of food within our bodies to create energy, the signals sent to our motor neurons from the brain causing our hands to react just in time and catch the baseball, and natural regeneration of skin after receiving a nasty paper cut. All of these phenomena are made possible by amazing things called […]
Read More A Tribute to Robert HookeThe life-sustaining properties of water can be seen as a dance. From the slow dance of liquid water turning into a solid to the fast waltz of liquid water turning into a gas, Earth relies on these properties of water to sustain life and provide a habitable place to live. The bubbles dancing around the […]
Read More Science Snapshot: Gas Formation in WaterWelcome back to Evolutionary Mash-up! Last week we learned about the fairy shrimp and its ability to produce eggs that can dry up and survive in harsh living conditions until suitable living conditions occur again. This week we take a look at the seahorse and discuss why it contains traits that would be helpful to […]
Read More Evolutionary Mash-up: SeahorseAs a human, I enjoy being comfortable. I enjoy relaxing at home where the temperature is just right and food and water are always at the ready. I enjoy being comfortable so much that sometimes I even have nightmares of extremely uncomfortable (and life-threatening) conditions. Suffocating in the dark hole of space, freezing to death […]
Read More Science Word of the Week: CryptobiosisThe subtle beauty of desert plants is often masked by their rugged features. Sharp spikes, furry leaves, and woody branches are not going to win any plant beauty pageants any time soon. But these features are amazing adaptations to have if you live in the harsh desert 24/7. Desert plants use fur and spikes as […]
Read More Science Snapshot: Desert PlantsIt is finally October and you know what that means–watching scary movies about zombies or possessed dolls threatening to take over the world in post-apocalyptic fashion. After some people watch these horror films, they may start to wonder “how would I survive if a zombie/possessed doll apocalypse really did happen?” No need to fear, science […]
Read More Evolutionary Mash-up: Fairy Shrimp
Life through green tinted glasses 