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Black and white headshot of author James MacDonald

James MacDonald

James MacDonald received a BS in Environmental Biology from Columbia and a PhD in Ecology and Evolution from Rutgers University, spending 4 years in Central America collecting data on fish in mangrove forests. His research has been published in scholarly journals such as Estuaries and Coasts and Biological Invasions. Until his death in the fall of 2019, James worked in fisheries management and outreach in New York.

Migrating Geese
Plants & Animals

Why Do Geese Fly in V Formations?

The answer may surprise you.
Ebola virus
Health

Is a Virus Alive?

The answer to the question whether a virus is alive isn't so simple.
A couple with a tall man and a shorter woman
Health

Do Tall People Have a Higher Risk of Cancer?

We review the research on the correlation between height and cancer risk.
Bacteria
Natural Science

Protecting Mars From Earthly Contaminates

Now that water has been discovered on Mars, the next step is to ensure we don't contaminate the planet with Earthly microbes and bacteria.
Fire
Plants & Animals

Fire Season is Getting Longer and Longer

A look at how climate change and human influences are changing the dynamics of fire, and the landscape, in the American west.
Broken windows in Prypiat, Chernobyl
Plants & Animals

Chernobyl: Can Wildlife Return After the Blast?

For 30 years we have assumed that no life would return to Chernobyl after the nuclear disaster there. We may be wrong.
This is an artist’s impression of a Kuiper Belt object (KBO), located on the outer rim of our solar system.
Natural Science

Next stop for the New Horizons Spacecraft: The Kuiper Belt

New Horizons, the NASA probe deployed to visit Pluto, has begun a new mission: visit the Kuiper belt, a region beyond the orbit of Neptune.
The Brain That Wouldn't Die - 1962 - Joseph Green
Health

Head Transplants: A History

The first human head transplant is scheduled for 2017. But the possibility of transplants has transfixed scientists for most of the last century.
Beth Stevens
Natural Science

Read MacArthur “Genius” Grant Winner Beth Stevens’ Work on JSTOR

Beth Stevens was awarded the heralded "genius" grant for her work on microglia, the specialized nervous system cells.
A dead fish in sand
Plants & Animals

We’re Down to Half the Fish in the Sea

Since the 1970s, half of the world's fish population has disappeared. We trace the history of this ecological disaster.
A high border fence
Science & Technology

The Ecological Impact of a Border Wall

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has called for a large border wall. We look at the damage a wall would create for the surrounding ecology.
Black and white mapping of canals
Natural Science

The Extinct Civilization of Mars

Liquid water has been detected on Mars. We explore the history of the search, and the astronomer, Percival Lowell, who shook the public imagination.
Woman holding her head in one hand and an ice cream cone in the other
Health

What Causes Brain Freeze AKA Ice Cream Headaches?

Brain freeze, or the ice cream headache, is still little understood.
A man holding his head while dark illustrated drawings escape
Health

Aphantasia: When the Mind’s Eye is Blind

Those suffering from aphantasia cannot form mental images. Which begs the question: What exactly do we mean when we say mental image?
An older man napping on the couch
Health

Take a Nap, It’s Good For You

Like taking a nap? Exploring the research that finds a positive correlation between health and a short daily rest.
Skeletal fossils of the hand of Homo naledi
Natural Science

Homo Naledi: Our Newly Discovered Ancestor

Found in a cave in South Africa, the fossils have been determined to be from Homo naledi, a previously unknown ancestor of the human species.
"Stonehenge Wide Angle". Licensed under Public Domain via <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stonehenge_Wide_Angle.jpg#/media/File:Stonehenge_Wide_Angle.jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a>
Natural Science

Stonehenge’s Larger Neighbor

The discovery of Durrington Walls, a monument more formidable than Stonehenge, deepens the mystery of these Neolithic structures.
The habitat at sunset - photo by Sian Proctor University of Hawai`i at Manoa
Science & Technology

Sealed In A Dome For Science

NASA volunteers are experimenting with long-term isolation in a dome in preparation for long space flights.
Palmyra
Arts & Culture

Archaeologist Khaled al-Asaad, Enemy of ISIS

The noted archaeologist was targeted for his research and work on the ruins of Palmyra, an ancient semitic city dating back to the Neolithic age.
A truck transporting newly cut trees out of the forest
Science & Technology

Is Tropical Sustainable Logging Possible?

So-called sustainable commercial logging is not sustainable.
A swimming platypus
Plants & Animals

Venom Found in the Unlikeliest of Animals

Venom is used by some surprising animals, including mammals.
Astronauts on the International Space Station are ready to sample their harvest of a crop of "Outredgeous" red romaine lettuce from the Veggie plant growth system that tests hardware for growing vegetables and other plants in space. Credits: NASA
Science & Technology

Gardening in Space

Zero-gravity gardening: why growing plants in space isn't the same as here on Earth.
An empty turtle shell
Plants & Animals

Turtle Shells: More Than Meets the Eye

Turtle shells evolved over time from earlier precursor structures.
AFP/Getty Images
Health

Hand to Ankle: A New Grafting Technique Offers Hope

The surgical reattachment or grafting of limbs has a short history because of its difficulty.
Close-up of a spicy Chinese chicken dish
Health

Will Spicy Foods Preserve You?

Spicy foods may prolong life; they certainly act as food preservatives.

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