Category: SciComm
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High-Tech Horses
Garmin’s new horse tracker: Blaze Pet-trackers seem to be the hot new thing! You’d think cats & dogs would be the first target for this tech but no! Garmin has come out with a brand-new horse tracker called Blaze. Let’s look into it! Why horses? Probably because it is very difficult to measure heart-rate through…
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3 blind mice with wires in their eyes
In early June, researchers restored partial vision in blind mice and enabled near IR vision in primates. It just involves sticking wires in their eyes. Before you say no, let me explain! Why should we put wires in our eyes? The human eye lacks photoreceptors for infrared (IR) light. In patients with severe eye diseases, adding…
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LIDARcheology
Computer models can also usefully find history. We’re not kidding! Here’s the the scoop. In late May, Archeology students from Utrecht University in the Netherlands used a computer model to discover a roman camp outside what we previously thought to be the Northern limit of the Roman empire. The camp was found 25 kilometers north…
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What’s in a DNA database?
What’s a DNA database and how is it used? The US has expanded its collection of DNA information. How do these systems work? US Senator Ron Wyden is requesting that the US Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice explain details about the collection and storage of DNA information from immigrants. Wyden showed data…
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US Science News August 2025
First, let’s check in on what is going on with federal grants. There has been a lot of back and forth. Mainly, the projections I discussed in last month’s update are now in place. Namely, an executive order has been implemented which requires all federal grants to be reviewed by a political appointee. This appointee…
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US Science News July 2025
It’s time to check in on what’s been happening with science funding over the past month. Is the pendulum is starting to slowly swing back? https://www.science.org/content/article/nih-will-reinstate-900-grants-response-court-order Last few days https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02221-6 https://www.science.org/content/article/congressional-spending-panels-continue-push-back-against-proposed-trump-research-cuts We await the house’s vote to see how this develops 7/16/25 NIH wants to fade out animal models Animal models are definitely tech. Last…
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A Colossal bird
What do Jurassic Park and Lord of the Rings have in common? A Colossally bad handle on genetic engineering. What has Colossal done now? In their latest press stunt, Colossal Biosciences claims they want to bring back the extinct giant Moa, a huge bird endemic to New Zealand. That is, until it was likely hunted to…
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Biodegradable robots
Sadly, robots are not immortal, and there’s some surprising reasons why they shouldn’t be, beyond the obvious hedge against them taking over. Why do we need biodegradable robots? What do you imagine when you think of a robot? Something shiny, metal and chrome? Well, that view may be changing. Researchers have been working on soft…
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Gaming Seals
If I told you scientists taught seals to play video games, that might be enough to satisfy you. I mean, who doesn’t want video-game-playing Seals? But let me explain why you’d want to do this beyond just entertaining us and the seals… Seals play an ocean simulation video game in an experiment to understand how…
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US Science News June 2025
It’s time to check in on what’s been happening with science funding over the past month. Since May 14 https://www-science-org.libdata.lib.ua.edu/content/article/trump-s-proposed-budget-details-dramatic-cuts-biomedical-research-and-global-health https://www-science-org.libdata.lib.ua.edu/content/article/dozens-active-and-planned-nasa-spacecraft-killed-trump-budget-request https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/09/health/nih-letter-bethesda-declaration https://www-science-org.libdata.lib.ua.edu/content/article/senators-press-nih-director-killed-grants-and-proposal-slash-agency-s-funding As covered on the Daily Tech News Show on June 13th 2025. For a more detailed discussion of the topic, listen here:
Nicole Ackermans, CVN lab 