Oxygen on Mars? Don’t hold your breath.

Sarah Treadwell – BMSIS Science Writer Astrobiology asks three fundamental questions: How does life begin, could there be life beyond Earth and, if so, how can we detect it? For decades, NASA’s sights have been set towards Mars for answers. Previous research presented evidence of an oxygen-rich atmosphere in its ancient past; however a new paper released challenges this. A study from researchers at Washington University suggests that we may need to look for signs of life with a new […]

December 12, 2022

Reedify Science and Space with Graham Lau

Graham Lau, Research Investigator with Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, joins Builder Nation’s Podcast host Elisa Muñoz to share his thoughts on space exploration and its potential benefits to humanity: “There’s so much that we get from space. It’s not just the investment that we get in business and the return financially. There’s so much that we get from material science, biological science, medicine and technology as well.” Graham Lau, PhD What is Builder Nation? A community of engineering […]

An image of a hot spring at Yellowstone National Park with a bison walking nearby

February 13, 2022

The Thermophilic Microbes of Yellowstone

By Angela Murphy It is believed that John Colter, former member of the Lewis and Clark expedition, was one of the first European explorers to set foot in the area we now know as Yellowstone. One can only imagine the surprise Colter or other early explorers felt upon entering this strange landscape for the first time. After arriving home, these explorers would eagerly tell friends and family stories of “boiling rivers,” “spouting waterfalls,” and “noxious steam,” stories which, unfortunately, were […]

January 10, 2022

Polymers: The Unappreciated Heroes

by Bimal Chopra Polymers are very diverse and their applications are even more diversified in today’s world. Polymers are not just limited to plastics, they also include and can be seen in paints, coatings, adhesives, the rubber industry, textiles, the packaging industry, the medical industry, and more. There are many other fields where we can find them such as the electronic industry — they aren’t very good at conducting electricity, but their contribution in the field of semiconductors has been […]

December 9, 2021

Benzonitrile – A Most Exciting Discovery in the World of Astrochemistry

by Shagun Kothari Scientists in the early 20th century were rather dubious about the idea that molecules existed within the vacuum of space, free from being bound to stars or planets. This could be ascribed to the fact that they were able to rationalize how any molecules in space would be destroyed but not necessarily how they were formed. However, with advancements in astronomical facilities and laboratory spectroscopy, simple molecular species, carbon chains, complex organic molecules (COMs), fullerenes, and polycyclic […]

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