Three different ways to categorize living things: traditional terminology, biological classification, and cladistics — All of us try to make sense of the world around us, and a key part of that effort is naming the things we see. This allows us to talk about these things, to accumulate knowledge about them, and to compare experiences with other people. We feel much more in…

The term DNA (short for deoxyribonucleic acid) often appears in the media these days. Because of these frequent encounters, we all have a general idea of what the term means. When we think of DNA, we think of genes — and therefore we correctly associate DNA with genetic inheritance. In…

It’s not hard to find wacky ideas about science on the internet — bizarre concepts that stand out because they are so far removed from reality. However, when popular ideas about science are very nearly correct — but not quite — such subtle errors can be hard to spot. A…

Quickly — name three ways in which water is intimately tied to energy. Ready? What answers did you come up with? If the word “energy” made you think of commercial energy production, then your first answer was probably hydroelectric dams. You might also have thought about the use of water…

The recent talks with North Korea have brought renewed attention to that nation — and to the extremely repressive nature of its government. By any measure, North Korea is one of the most repressive countries in the world. However, North Korea is not the only country with a dismal human…

It seems a simple question: Are you and I related? When we phrase a question in this manner, we assume that there is a simple “yes” or “no” answer — either we are related, or we are not. This implies that there is a clear criterion for determining the answer…

What do tomatoes, potatoes, and peppers have in common? One obvious answer is that these are all food plants. We can grow these plants in farm fields or home gardens and then collect the edible results. Or we can visit a grocery to purchase fresh produce from these plants. But…

The Oregon Trail is, by most measures, the most successful educational computer game of all time. Many versions of the game were created over the years, dating all the way back to 1971. However, the version that many people assume is the “original” — the version that constantly appears in…

I’ve recently been approached by a publicist representing the Plant Kingdom, and on behalf of all the plants in the world, I have been requested to assist in setting the record straight. The plants of the world feel strongly that they have not been getting enough credit. It seems that…