Scientists Say
A weekly word defined, in a sentence and in context. Click here to find the alphabetized list.
- Chemistry
Scientists Say: Surface tension
Surface tension is what makes water in your glass seem like it’s covered by an invisible membrane holding it together.
- Genetics
Scientists Say: eDNA
Animals may escape traps or nets, but they often leave DNA behind in their environment, giving scientists important clues.
- Physics
Scientists Say: Diffraction
When liquid hits something it spatters, when light hits something, it scatters. The process is called diffraction.
- Chemistry
Scientists Say: Unsaturated fat
These fats are found in foods like olive oil. It’s their special bonds that make them go with the flow.
- Planets
Scientists Say: Proxima b
A new planet outside our solar system is only 4.2 light years away.
- Health & Medicine
Scientists Say: Saturated fat
Saturated fats are found in meat and dairy products. Their long, straight chemical chains make them solid in your fridge and on your plate.
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- Chemistry
Scientists Say: Fatty acid
Fats are important, especially fatty acids. These molecules serve many purposes, but they are all constructed the same way.
- Space
Scientists Say: Comet
Comets are small solar system objects. When they pass close to their sun, their melting gases and water give them a tail.
- Life
Scientists Say: Autophagy
Cells can break down and recycle their parts for later use. This process — called autophagy — won a scientist a Nobel Prize in 2016.
- Plants
Scientists Say: Bromeliad
Bromeliads are plants with long spiky leaves. They are common houseplants, and we even see one in the grocery store — the pineapple.
- Plants
Scientists Say: Chlorophyll
Plants can make energy out of sunlight, all thanks to a pigment called chlorophyll.
