Wolves of the Northeast deep woods have interbred with western coyotes, and the hybrid coywolves now thrive among us I have never seen a wolf or coyote, outside of a zoo. An urban college professor, I have lived for the last 45 years in suburban Saint Louis. A red fox family once graced our subdivision… Read More »
Plants can grow at surprising rates, and for a very long time. Bamboo plants can grow as fast as three feet per day (or 1.5 inches per hour). At that rate, you could almost watch it grow. The oldest living plant is a Bristlecone Pine located in the White Mountains on the California-Nevada border called… Read More »
One of the great joys of science is the unexpected discovery of a wondrous ability in what you had thought to be a drab, uninteresting creature. This is why I have recently become fascinated with homing pigeons (Columba livia). These small grey birds have a remarkable ability to find their way home from distant unfamiliar… Read More »
Science is most fun when it tickles your imagination. This is particularly true when you see something you know just can’t be true. I once saw Fred Astair dance across a ceiling, and the little scientist in my head stopped humming along to the movie’s music and started shouting “How did he do that!” The… Read More »
Cows as Compasses I can remember when I was a boy scout being instructed by my scout master that if I ever got lost in the woods without a compass, I should look to see what side of a tree had moss growing on it (the idea being, I suppose, that in the Northern Hemisphere… Read More »
Did you ever wonder how a scientist has any fun, cooped up in the lab all day? It is easy to see the fun in field biology, where you get to study lizards on Caribbean islands, or track lions or live with mountain gorillas. But the biologist that grinds up cells and analyzes their innards… Read More »
Energy is such a natural part of life that its contribution to the fabric of our lives can often go unnoticed. Sometimes, however, its impact cannot be ignored. Nowhere is this more true than in the ultimate sports act, hitting a home run. The batter above is Albert Pujols, first baseman for the Saint Louis… Read More »