Let’s Not Lose Our Minds

Posted on by Carl Zimmer

I was asked to give the keynote talk at “Science, Journalism, and Democracy: Grappling With A New Reality” at Rockefeller University on September 6, 2017 (video). This is what I said.

We’re here at this meeting to talk about science, journalism, and democracy. So let me begin by telling you about a newspaper article on a scientific experiment, an experiment that would end up having a major influence on government policy on a vital issue.

The vital issue was food. The experiment was carried out on wheat. Some varieties of wheat are known as spring wheat. They’re planted in the spring and grow soon afterwards. Winter wheat, on the other hand, is planted in the fall but does not produce its flowers till the spring. Winter wheat has the advantage of a much bigger yield. But there’s a catch. Continue reading “Let’s Not Lose Our Minds” →

Hot Spots in a Freezing Ocean Offer Lessons in Climate Change

Posted on by Lori Jia

The New York Times, August 31, 2017

Link

Climate change will dramatically alter life in the oceans, scientists say, but there’s so much still to learn about marine ecosystems that it’s hard to know exactly how.

On Thursday, researchers with the British Antarctic Survey offered a glimpse of that future with the results of an unusual study years in the making.

The scientists heated a patch of the sea floor off the coast of Antarctica and tracked the effects on a few local species. Some animals responded by doubling their growth, stunning the researchers.

Continue reading “Hot Spots in a Freezing Ocean Offer Lessons in Climate Change” →

Friday’s Elk, August 25, 2017

Posted on by Matt Kristoffersen

Last week I let you know about my upcoming series of talks about life. Here’s an update with the details of the full schedule. All four events will take place at Caveat in Manhattan:

9/6 I’ll kick off the series with the fundamental question, “What is life?” First I’ll talk to a philosopher, Carlos Mariscal, about why this question is so hard to answer–perhaps because the question itself doesn’t make sense. Then I’ll speak with Sara Imari Walker, a physicist and astrobiologist, about how she answers the question as part of the search for extraterrestrial life.

11/1 How did life start? Geochemist H James Cleaves II and I will talk about the century-long struggle to answer that question. I’ll then talk with astrobiologist Caleb Scharf about where that struggle has left us today, and where it’s headed. Continue reading “Friday’s Elk, August 25, 2017” →

Gut Bacteria Can Fluctuate With the Seasons

Posted on by Lori Jia

The New York Times, August 24, 2017

Link

In Tanzania, not far from the Serengeti, live the Hadza, a community of about 1,300 people. For such a small group, they attract a lot of scientific attention.

Many of the Hadza live solely on the animals they kill, along with honey, berries and a few other wild foods. For the first 95 percent of our species’ history, there was no other way to live.

So the Hadza have been closely scrutinized for clues about the hunter-gatherer way of life: how they find their food, how much energy they use — even how much sleep they get.

Continue reading “Gut Bacteria Can Fluctuate With the Seasons” →

Friday’s Elk, August 18, 2017

Posted on by Matt Kristoffersen

I’m excited to let you know about a series of live events I’ll be presenting this fall in New York.

It’s called, simply, “What is Life?” I’ll be talking on stage, one-on-one, with scientists and philosophers about this fundamental question. We’re going to explore the latest insights science has provided us about how life began, how to find it on other planets, and how to think about it.

The events will take place at Caveat, a new Manhattan science-focused venue (complete with food and drink). The first one will be on September 6 at 8 pm. I’ll speak first to Carlos Mariscal, a philosopher from the University of Nevada, and then to Sara Imari Walker, a physicist at Arizona State University. Continue reading “Friday’s Elk, August 18, 2017” →