Research & Explainers

Read stories of research and explanations of complicated science from our current and previous issues below.

Issue 7: Small Things

Issue 07: Small Things - Story Collection
Look at the Stones on You!
Clare Lochary
Look at the Stones on You!
Clare Lochary

Examining the appeal of moissanite as an alternative to diamonds.

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Clare Lochary
Green Architecture Could Mean Building with Plant Polymers
Alyssa Traitz
Green Architecture Could Mean Building with Plant Polymers
Alyssa Traitz

3D-printed nanocellulose and algae as a sustainable alternative to fossil-based materials.

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Alyssa Traitz
Tiny Plankton Could Play Big Role in Monitoring Marine Health
Katherine Greene
Tiny Plankton Could Play Big Role in Monitoring Marine Health
Katherine Greene

How nano- and picoplankton can further inform marine policy.

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Katherine Greene
The Cosmic Cycle of Dust
Meghan Feldman
The Cosmic Cycle of Dust
Meghan Feldman

How dust has quietly shaped the universe for billions of years.

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Meghan Feldman

Issue 6: Pressure

Issue 6: Pressure - Story Collection
A New Thread in Lithium Extraction
Amy Elisabeth Moore
A New Thread in Lithium Extraction
Amy Elisabeth Moore

Fiber braids offer a more sustainable way to concentrate lithium.

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Amy Elisabeth Moore
Experimenting with Time: Can Intermittent Fasting Help Manage Alzheimer’s Disease?
Lucy Gilak
Experimenting with Time: Can Intermittent Fasting Help Manage Alzheimer’s Disease?
Lucy Gilak

Animal research suggests time-restricted eating could slow progression and relieve symptoms of neurodegenerative conditions.

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Lucy Gilak

Issue 5: Enigma

Issue 5: Enigma - Story Collection
The Riddle of Cancer Development
Rob Leigh
The Riddle of Cancer Development
Rob Leigh

Could a new understanding of cancer epigenetics move us toward a cure?

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Rob Leigh
The Power of Negative Belief
Jess Sharpe
The Power of Negative Belief
Jess Sharpe

The science behind the nocebo effect.

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Jess Sharpe

Issue 4: Resilience

Issue 4: Resilience - Story Collection
Saving Avens
Laura Elizabeth Palermo
Saving Avens
Laura Elizabeth Palermo

The search for a secretive wildflower in the Roan Highlands

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Laura Elizabeth Palermo
Ecological Resilience and Resistance
Katherine Strickler
Ecological Resilience and Resistance
Katherine Strickler

For some ecosystems, it’s not as simple as bouncing back

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Katherine Strickler

Issue 3: Scale

Featured
Why Are Glaciers Blue?
Mark Jordan
Why Are Glaciers Blue?
Mark Jordan

A journey of light bouncing through ice

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Mark Jordan
A Tiny Molecule’s Big Role in Cancer
Rena Kingery
A Tiny Molecule’s Big Role in Cancer
Rena Kingery

Researchers uncover a possible molecular mechanism for recurrent ovarian cancer

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Rena Kingery
Ancient Community Aided Prehistoric Woman with Chronic Illness
Annabelle Moore
Ancient Community Aided Prehistoric Woman with Chronic Illness
Annabelle Moore

CT scans help bioarchaeologist uncover a debilitating case of brucellosis

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Annabelle Moore

Issue 2: Uncharted

Featured
From the Asteroid Belt, With Love
Matt Brady
From the Asteroid Belt, With Love
Matt Brady

Origin of the asteroid that ended the era of dinosaurs

Matt Brady
Ancient Dog Bone and Ice Age Migration
Emma Knudsen
Ancient Dog Bone and Ice Age Migration
Emma Knudsen

Domestic dogs may have accompanied humans to North America

Emma Knudsen
Exploring Planets in Other Solar Systems
Molly McCrory
Exploring Planets in Other Solar Systems
Molly McCrory

How scientists determine the chemical composition of exoplanets’ atmospheres

Molly McCrory
Security at Stake
Anna Marie Zorn
Security at Stake
Anna Marie Zorn

Climate refuge cities

Anna Marie Zorn