Month: March 2018

Smart bats, portable brain scans, microbiome under fire: this week in science

03.23.18.

Here’s a look back at this week in science, with stories you don’t want to miss. Quarter of human drugs disrupt microbiome Scientists reported the results of a large study this week that tested the effects over 1,000 pharmaceutical drugs on the gut microbiome–the bacterial buddies that live symbiotically with us. The more we learn,…
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Need a new car? Want to launch a rocket? 3D print it with metal.

03.22.18.

Metal 3D printing is entering a new dimension, moving from small volume and prototyping to full-scale manufacturing. Miles reports on two innovative companies that are taking metal 3D printing to the limits: Relativity, which wants to 3D print entire rockets, and Desktop Metal, which is set to provide industrial manufacturers with production-scale 3D printers. Is…
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Quarter of human drugs disrupt gut microbiome, study finds. Is this breeding superbugs?

03.21.18.

I’ve got a gut feeling this one is going to interest you. New findings show that about a quarter of non-antibiotic drugs have side effects impacting the growth of at least one species in the gut microbiome–the bacteria that live in our gut. This could be the first steps down a new avenue for studying…
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Putting the pedal to the metal with 3D printing

03.20.18.

The last time I did a story on 3D printing, it was 2014 and there was a consumer rage underway. People were buying the gadgets, taking them home with all kinds of big ideas in mind. But the reality fell short as they discovered the limitations and frustrations in building, maintaining and operating them–not to…
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Biodiversity: why does it matter and why should you care?

03.19.18.

The world’s leading international biodiversity organization is meeting right now in Medellin, Colombia. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is preparing five massive reports on the state of biodiversity around the world, hoping to spur action and protect species worldwide. What is biodiversity? Biodiversity is a measure of how many different…
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Stephen Hawking, space genes, acidic coral: this week in science

03.16.18.

Here’s a look back at this week in science, with stories you don’t want to miss. Losing a physics superstar The groundbreaking theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking died this week. A man with a sharp mind and a biting wit, he was an inspiration to many scientists… and people in general. The story of how he…
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