Scientists Say
A weekly word defined, in a sentence and in context. Click here to find the alphabetized list.
- Materials Science
Scientists Say: Tenebrescence
Under ultraviolet light, some minerals adopt long-lasting new hues.
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- Humans
Scientists Say: Chronohygiene
Artificial lights and other aspects of modern life can confuse our body’s internal sleep clock. But a few minor changes may grant us much-needed control.
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- Earth
Scientists Say: Van Allen belts
Astronomers have detected these radiation belts around Earth and beyond. Jupiter’s belt is thousands of times as intense as Earth’s.
- Physics
Scientists Say: Blue whirl
Four types of smaller flames create the perfect firestorm of elegantly efficient combustion.
- Animals
Scientists Say: Kleptotrichy
Based on the Greek words for theft and hair, kleptotrichy is a more common bird behavior than people thought.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Supermoon
This supersized lunar event occurs when a full moon or new moon coincides with the moon’s perigee — the point where it is the closest to Earth.
- Microbes
Scientists Say: Microcin
Small and deadly (to bacteria), these protein-like molecules fight the growth of potentially dangerous germs in our gut.
- Life
Scientists Say: Benthic
This ecological region teems with life — from coral to insect larvae to crabs.
- Humans
Scientists Say: Artifact
Take note: This term might describe ancient pottery shards in the field of archeology. But in statistics, it’s a misleading pattern in data.
- Physics
Scientists Say: Infrasound
“Listening” for changes in these deep rumblings can allow scientists to predict earthquakes and other geological events.
