Oftentimes in my attempts to write blog posts I tend to fall back on the science-fiction and fantasy writers’ stories that drew me to study science in the first place. Today is no different. But rather than draw you in with the excitement inherent in a Game of Thrones anecdote only to then hit you … Continue reading
If you don’t use phrases like heteroscedasticity, dynamic convection, or quantitative polymerase chain reaction in your everyday life, join the club. I don’t either. But words like these can make scientific articles seem abstract and inaccessible. Have no fear, dear readers, I am here to tell you that you too can enjoy the pleasure derived … Continue reading
Yesterday The European Space Agency (ESA) did something really awesome. They landed a probe on a moving comet. Let’s just think about that for a minute. ESA has been running the Rosetta mission for 13 years and it has traveled over 6 billion Km to reach its destination (Comet 67P). This is obviously much more … Continue reading
I don’t study fish. It’s one of my limits. I don’t study anything with a face. Or cells. So when I first learned the word “fisheries” I threw it into that chum-bucket of knowledge I’ve grown accustomed to knowing the existence of, but essentially ignoring. But there’s an aspect of fishery study that I connect … Continue reading
One of the biggest environmental questions facing our society today is this: Is our reliance on fossil fuels leading to the destruction of natural beauty (and natural resources). If you are a reader of The New York Times, then perhaps you have already seen this amazing piece. It’s a killer piece of long-form written to discuss … Continue reading
(Full disclosure, I am partially funded for my graduate studies through the Department of Defense NDSEG fellowship. This article (and this blog) are not endorsed by anyone, including the DoD. The thoughts and opinions below are my own or properly credited to the appropriate source. Reading on, and reading the linked Climate Roadmap may also help … Continue reading
I recently read a great blog post about issues with the spread of misinformation via social media. If you are a social media user, I’m sure this is something you are familiar with. How often have you gone on Facebook and seen “16 dead in tragic roller coaster accident in Orlando” all over the page? … Continue reading
Big data is a nebulous term. In addition to being the name of a band (which is now one of my Pandora stations), it also describes very, very, very large amounts of data collected in all range of disciplines, from finance to astronomy and everything in between (yes, even in marine sciences!). With the advent … Continue reading
In a new study made available last week via PNAS, MIT scientists (and list of multi-national, multi-disciplinary) collaborators have uncovered that corals can actually manipulate flow near their bodies and are not left to depend solely on the whims of ambient flow. Corals are sessile and depend on flow to exchange nutrients and dissolved gases … Continue reading
Welcome to a new series of articles all about the people behind the science. Every month, we will profile students, technicians, and professors in order to personalize the at times inaccessible world of research. You might say Barbara Zemskova is our resident mixologist – of the ocean that is. Barbara is one of our fellow graduate students … Continue reading
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