By Alyssa Eakman It’s easy to forget how much humanity is in science. Imagining science, especially on a professional level, may evoke mental images of metal instruments, white lab coats, and cold, hard calculations. Robots and screens and beakers are part of science, of course, but what often gets overlooked is humanity. Behind all the overworked computers and lines of code and chalkboard mathematics are humans.  The curiosity and cravings for company that are so innate to human nature underscore […]

By Xi Chen The history of the Neogene paleoclimate and environment are hidden in a “secret collection” written by nature in code. Scientists all over the world are explaining and reading these “secrets”, among which the three most widely read books include deep-sea sedimentation, polar ice cores, and Chinese loess. The Loess Plateau is one of the longest (about 20 million years) and most complete land paleoclimate recorders discovered so far. The Loess Plateau is composed of loess, a word […]

by Diego Dueñas Parapar Mars is one of the planets that many members of humankind plan to settle relatively soon. Since the mid-20th century, many space missions have been carried out for the exploration of Mars — satellites, landers, rovers, and even a helicopter have been sent with the aim of getting to know the climatological, geological, and (maybe) biological conditions on the Red Planet. Thanks to these missions, we know that Mars has an atmosphere dominated by approximately 96% […]

By Sarah Treadwell – BMSIS Science Writer The astrobiology world was buzzing last year when a study was released stating levels of phosphine had been detected in the cloud decks of Venus. While this study was subjected to the full scrutiny of the scientific method since published, it opened a flood gate of interest in taking a closer look at the potential for life on Earth’s deadly twin planet. NASA selected Davinci+ (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, […]

By Sarah Treadwell – BMSIS Science Writer Author and aquanaut, Alan A. Allen has worked in an office which few others can say they ever had. If we are ever lucky enough to have a window in our office, we rejoice. Allen’s office view was more than a window, it was the ocean floor. During the 60’s and 70’s, Alan conducted research with NOAA (The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) studying the effects of oil spills on marine life. Using […]

By Daniel Runyan What is the origin of life? This question can loosely sum up what Dr. Jim Cleaves has been so devoted to studying for most of his scientific career. When he learned that the origins of life itself was a valid field of study, he just knew that he had to focus his research on that question. The evolution of molecules and the boundary of where the inorganic becomes organic are exactly the kind of problems that led […]

A story by Chirantan Ganguly & Mahima Banerjee It was a bright Sunday morning during New Year’s week and Dr. Marcus Xavier was home after almost 2 months. Dr. Xavier’s son Quinn, a 14-year-old intelligent and dutiful boy, is a senior in middle school. He always had a knack for the sciences and he is particularly fond of studying Physics in his school. Quinn’s love for the sciences was instilled in him by his dad from a very young age. […]

By Fernanda Jamel The arrival of the rover, Perseverance, on Mars carried with it many expectations for the potential detection of life beyond Earth. The rover, which arrived on the red planet on 18 February 2021, contains specific instruments for identifying and characterizing organic compounds and minerals of astrobiological interest. Altogether there are seven payloads (or scientific instruments). Some of them are the ones that interest us for the detection of mineral biosignatures, such as the SuperCam, which has a […]

Are astronauts no longer required for space exploration? By Avanija Menon Automation is a widely debated topic across several professional fields. The accuracy and efficiency of machines often drives spiraling fears of unemployment, obsoletism, and worse. Automation is well known in the space industry as well, with the advent of rovers, landers, and orbiters aiding space missions and going to areas in the solar system that are currently out of human reach given our physical and monetary constraints. However, the […]

By Sarah Treadwell – BMSIS Science Writer For many of us, the past year has been a challenge. Businesses struggled, workers were laid off, and domestic violence rates skyrocketed. Students had to adapt to virtual learning, while parents strove to maintain work/home life responsibilities and sanity. There was a general uncertainty of how Covid-19 would continue to mutate and a slow vaccine rollout drew a sense of uneasiness amongst many. But quietly in the background, a message of inspiration was […]