All Stories by Bethany Brookshire
- Math
Scientists Say: Quartile
A quartile might sound like a fourth. But that’s not quite what it is.
- Brain
Can’t sing on-key? Blame the brain
Tone-deafness doesn’t mean that someone can’t hear music. The brain just misinterprets what it “hears”, a new study suggests.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Jet Stream
You might hear about the jet stream on a weather report, but what is it? We explain.
- Plants
Scientists Say: Xylem
How do trees ferry water from the soil to branches hundreds of feet in the air? This week’s word is the answer.
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Cooking up a Broadcom win
Students who improved microwave ovens and built calculating apps took home big awards at the 2015 Broadcom MASTERS.
- Materials Science
Scientists Say: Kevlar
Many people hear Kevlar and think of body armor. But this polymer is in so much more.
- Plants
Scientists Say: Urushiol
Poison ivy looks harmless, but its oil, urushiol, is not. This is the plant’s oil that leaves an itchy rash or blisters on your skin.
- Animals
Weed killers may go from plant to pooch
Dogs love to roll around in the grass. But if there is weed killer around, it could end up on — and in — our furry pals.
- Health & Medicine
Scientists Say: Virulence
The virulence of a germ is a measure of its potential to cause disease.
- Physics
Scientists Say: Quantum
Quantum seems like a very complex word. But really, it’s a term used for something very, very small.
- Physics
Scientists Say: Viscosity
We know some liquids are thick and some are thin. This week’s word describes the property of these liquids to resist tension or pressure.
- Physics
Scientists Say: Torque
Some forces pull and some push. This force produces turning or twisting.
