When I was younger, I was obsessed with disasters of all kinds (yeah, I was a strange kid). I avidly read books about the bubonic plague and had a recurring dream that involved a black hole appearing in our solar system, ready to suck the earth into its depths. One of my favorite disasters, however, … Continue reading
Oceanographers the world over have done without everyone’s favorite submarine since 2011, when the submersible Alvin went in for a major makeover. But after a two-year-long spa day, the sub that discovered hydrothermal vents and first surveyed the wreck of the Titanic is back in the water and expected to be certified to dive in a … Continue reading
Whether you consider them centers of discovery or lairs of evil geniuses, you probably have some mental image of a scientific lab (or la-BOHR-atory, for you evil geniuses). There’s the row of white coats, the cabinets of mysterious glass bottles, and, always, the machines. Blinking and beeping, these instruments, as they are more formally known, … Continue reading
UNder the C 