Tsidiiyazhi abini, a fossil bird newly described by the Bruce Museum’s science curator, Dr. Daniel Ksepka, may be only the size of a house sparrow, but it’s making big news. The paper was published a day ago in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, and has since spread everywhere from local Greenwich papers to the BBC.
Read MoreIn the Sahara Desert, dust dominates. From Morocco to Sudan, strong winds continuously pick up dust from the desert floor and loft it into the air, decreasing air quality and exacerbating health problems for millions of people. However, this very same dust that is a detriment to the people of the Sahara is a crucial component to human and ecosystem health in Amazonia. Why and how does this happen? There's something very special lurking in that dust.
Read MoreNo one’s imagination operates in quite the same way. Some people can imagine a beach in vivid color and detail, while others envision something like a rough sketch of a beach instead. It’s deceptively easy to assume that our ability to visualize and imagine is the same as everyone else’s, and as it turns out, there can indeed be massive differences.
Read MoreIn the year 1660, Prince Rupert gave a very interesting gift to King Charles II: Five glass crystals, each with a bulbous head and a long tapering tail. Though they looked like unremarkable glass baubles and were made of no special material, it soon became obvious that their qualities were far from ordinary. Though the head of the drops were incredibly strong, the entire drop would explosively shatter after just one flick of the tail. For 400 years, Prince Rupert's drops were a mystery to scientists. Now, we finally understand the reason for their immense strength and fragility.
Read MoreThe 2017 summer forecast is in: Ticks galore. Do you like hiking but hate bug spray? If Lyme disease isn't enough to scare you into taking precautions against tick bites, this newly recognized tick-induced ailment might do the trick.
Read MoreAtmospheric circulation is an important component of Earth’s climate. It transports heat and water across the globe, thereby ensuring that climate remains relatively constant throughout the years. Even small disruptions to this system could cause large, and possibly dangerous consequences. Why are rainforestes and deserts distributed in ordered arrays around the world? Hadley cells.
Read MoreHave you ever wanted to know how close we are to being overrun by intelligent machines? Or maybe you've woken up in the dead of night, wondering if someone could weaponize your dreams against you to plant ideas into your subconscious?
If so, wonder no more. Come and join us this summer for movies, snacks, and maybe a beer or two!
Read MorePigeons are just as loathed as they are common. They are called dirty, spreaders of disease, and often are dubbed “rats with wings.” Despite inspiring this intensity of emotion, pigeons remain poorly understood. Even if they are a common and familiar animal, the history of pigeons may surprise you.
Read MoreStories about animals and artifacts by scientists at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, CT
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