by James Morris
In light of recent events, I think it’s important to remind ourselves how similar we are to each other, not how different.
We Are Family
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Category Archives: Evolution
On Time
by James Morris
When I was a teenager and young adult, I always looked forward to reading Chet Raymo’s column called “Science Musings” in The Boston Globe. Chet Raymo is Professor Emeritus of Physics at Stonehill College in Easton, Massachusetts, and a well-known science writer. His short essays are reflections on science, education, and the natural world.
One of these essays, from the mid-1990s, made such an impression on me that I clipped it out and filed it in my “Science Education” folder, where I keep articles related to science and teaching. The essay is titled “Teaching a Sense of Wonder.” Here, Raymo makes a plea to 6th-grade science teachers, asking them not to emphasize terms and facts, but instead to stand back and think about what every middle school student should learn in a science class.
He boils it down to five important concepts, one of which is the history of life on Earth.
Zero Percent Proof
by James Morris
Ads for medicines or cosmetics often make the claim that a result is “clinically proven.” Proof, however, isn’t possible in science and medicine. That can be a strength, and it requires frequent reminding so we understand how science and medicine really work.
A Double-Edged Sword
by James Morris
Vegetables from Russo’s in Watertown, Massachusetts
What do cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, and kohlrabi all have in common?
Get a Backbone
by James Morris
Illustrations by Talia Niederman
What’s a vertebrate? That’s easy – A vertebrate is an animal with a backbone.
Not so fast. It turns out that not all vertebrates have a backbone. That is, they don’t have the bones that make up the backbone, called vertebrae. Hagfish, for example, don’t have vertebrae, but are classified as vertebrates.
That doesn’t make sense. How can a vertebrate not have vertebrae? Continue reading
Aging and the Red Queen
by James Morris
Lately, I have been thinking a lot about aging. Everything ages. This may sound obvious, but have you ever considered why this is so? Why do organisms age? Why is it nearly universal among living organisms? And what can we do about it?
When Birds Attack
by Allie Mazzella
Guest contributor
This month, I am taking a vacation, and recent Brandeis graduate Allie Mazzella tells us about her trip to New Zealand and the strange birds she saw there.
Une Mouette à Paris (A Seagull in Paris)
by James Morris
On a recent visit to Paris, I saw all kinds of things I expected – cafés, crêpe stands, street musicians, and art galleries. But I also saw something I did not expect – seagulls. What are seagulls doing in Paris, far from the ocean?
Continue reading
Bons Mots
by James Morris
There are some phrases that capture the essence of an idea in a way that a lengthy discussion does not. These are ones I remember and even use in my teaching, hoping they will stick with my students too. Many of these come from the some of best science writers we have today.
Here are a few: Continue reading
A Sticky Problem
by James Morris
At Brandeis University, three undergraduate students – Rebecca Korn, Tahlia Quartin, and Saqib Hashim – had a problem. The door to the lab where they worked wouldn’t stay open, and was propped open with an old computer, like this:
