Extinction and climate change
Earth’s climate is changing rapidly. No, it is not a hoax, not a projection for the future, not a scare tactic from whatever political or advocacy group that you or …
Wildfire: Increasing frequency and intensity, risk, weather extremes, and climate change
Wildfires are in the news literally every day. Fire seasons are starting earlier, burning hotter, and ending later. In recent times, Canada, Greece, Brazil, Hawaii, Chile, Oregon (U.S.), and California …
Artificial Intelligence and Education
Like the Internet in the 1990’s, the hype surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) and its real, forecast, and imagined impacts on education at all levels overflows. As a student, as a …
Extreme heat: impacts and consequences
Extreme heat is becoming a “new normal” for many areas of the world. Since the summer of 2023, for example, Earth has seen some of the hottest days in modern history. …
Dust storms: agriculture and climate change
The Great Plains and Midwest regions of the Unted States are seeing more and larger dust storms and higher levels of dust in the atmosphere. The increase has corresponded to …
Mental models: misinformation and truth
“A mental model is a form of mental representation for mechanical–causal domains that affords explanations for these domains. Mental models contain mental representations of objects in space and the causal …
Caenorhabditis elegans: a model organism in Biology
Caenorhabditis elegans is a small roundworm usually found in soil that often feeds on bacteria among rotting vegetation and decaying organic matter; it is nonparasitic and nonpathogenic. Despite being a …
Cell development and determination
During the development of an embryo, how is the function of a cell determined? How does a cell “know” it is supposed to, for example, become a nerve cell or …
Mental illness and gun violence: is there a real connection?
Is there a real connection between mental illness and violence, especially gun violence? Mental illness is a frequent scapegoat for politicians, organizations, and groups who support easy access to guns. …
Propaganda
Propaganda “is communication that is deliberately designed by one group in society to influence the attitudes and behavior of others. It often uses symbolism and rhetoric and appeals to the …