The problem A FIFTH OF the world’s uranium comes from Canada. CANada Deuterium Uranium (CANDU) reactors have been safely running since the 1950s, but nuclear energy is not without its problems. A handful of leaks have occurred, raising questions about waste management. Storage of nuclear waste is a particularly important question right now as there is a proposal to build [...]
The problem THE GREENLAND AND Antarctic ice sheets are melting at an accelerating rate, and we’re not sure how that melting is going to change in the future. Ice sheets are a metre stick for climate change, but measurements of the Greenland ice sheets’ past changes are in disagreement with physical models. In fact, models underestimate the effect rising temperatures [...]
The problem CYBORGS AREN’T SCIENCE fiction. All around us people with pacemakers, insulin pumps, and prosthetic implants continue to live normal lives because of mechanical and electronic parts within their bodies. It’s not sci-fi; it’s mundane. But that doesn’t mean combining human bodies with technology is scientifically simple. Even relatively straightforward implants need to be biocompatible or human tissues won’t [...]
The problem A FEW YEARS ago there was a worldwide hike in food prices because the United States made incentives for making biofuels—gasoline with ethanol, an environmentally friendly alternative to regular gas—attractive. The need for biofuels is clear, but how do we tell if manufacturers are actually making fuel from crops and not just repackaging normal gas and charging double? [...]
The problem DO YOU EVER stop to think about your cells’ needs? Every one of the trillions of cells making up your body requires energy and is fed by blood. Armies of red blood cells continually parade through the heart, to the furthest backwaters of your body, and back again. To get to every part of your body, the capillaries that [...]
Troubles with texting The problem LOOK AT THIS article. Now at your phone. Now back to this article. Chances are, you have plenty of text messages saying something like, “OMG, ttyl, g2g”—or at least that’s what some people might expect. Expectations aside, there isn’t much scientific knowledge surrounding texting habits. Texting is private, and finding information about how texts are [...]
What’s he building in there? The problem EVERY CELL THAT makes up our body carries genetic information needed to create a human being. Before birth, those cells become specialized—some cells are blood cells, some are kidney cells, some are neurons, and some are stem cells that have the freedom to become any cell the body needs. Cellular signalling summons stem cells [...]
What’s he building in there? The problem THE WORLD IS in need of green energy solutions. Wind, solar, and geothermal are some of the energy-gathering meth- ods capturing researchers’ imaginations as alternative energy sources. Harnessing power from nature depends on geographic location. Solar is the best bet for Spain, while wind might be better for stormy Scotland. So, what type [...]
Survival of the same The problem NATURAL SELECTION IS one of the cornerstones of modern science. Genetic mutations cause organisms to be more or less fit to survive; those who can’t compete die, while the strong pass on their genetic strengths to a new generation. Still, genomes are complicated things. Genes can react to internal and external stimulus by changing [...]
What’s he building in there? The problem THOUGH TRADITIONAL MEDICINE has been around for thousands of years, only recently has modern science started showing interest in the craft. In the past, peoples, such as the Maya and Native Americans, practiced herbal medicine and developed an extensive knowledge of their environment. Today, many traditional healers wish to have their methods validated. Their [...]
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