Sci/Why's peripatetic correspondent Margriet Ruurs sends us another report from a fascinating part of the world - this time from Haida Gwaii, on the western edge of Canada. -CEBy Margriet RuursHaida Gwaii – the very name conjures up images of windblown spruce clinging to rocks surrounded by foamy waves, not unlike an Emily Carr painting. The archipelago stretches along the northern BC coast almost to Alaska. You can reach it by ferry from Prince Rupert…

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By Margriet RuursLooking for books that will inspire children to learn more about science?Here are some great titles that focus on the natural environment.Water’s Children by Angéle DelaunoisWater's Children has as subtitle ‘Celebrating the resource that unites us all’. The poetic text takes the reader from rainy cities to thirsty deserts, from mountain tops to the ocean shore, and from rice paddies to rain forests. All around the world, children share what water means to…

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By Joan Marie GalatHow far will an author go to get her facts straight? In my case, it was a nearly-4000-kilometre round trip from my home in Alberta to Laramie, Wyoming. The program, called Launch Pad Astronomy, is a week-long workshop designed specifically for science-writing authors. It was established to make sure writers present science accurately when creating stories or writing nonfiction. Whether you are reading a book or watching a movie, television show, or…

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By Paula JohansonWhen I want to relax this winter, I've been going to a science website called OneZoom. If you like biology, you might like it too! They've made an interactive image called the Open Tree of Life, that shows on your computer screen a family tree for all living things on Earth. You can zoom in to look at a branch of the family tree. The shape of the family tree is curved like…

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By Larry VerstraeteMonths ago, Crayola, the crayon giant announced the removal of Dandelion from its palette of yellows and oranges. In March, the company issued a news release saying that Dandelion’s replacement would be in the blue family. Not long after, it added another tidbit of information. The replacement would be a newly invented, never seen before, hue of blue with a backstory as unique as its name, “YInMn Blue”.In 2009, Mas Subramanian, an Oregon…

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By Adrienne MontgomerieWhen the weather forecast calls for a Colorado low or a Texas low, what does that mean?The name is actually pretty easy to figure out: The low or high refers to the air pressure. The place name tells you where it is coming from. Weather generally moves across the North American continent from west to east, and more often from south to north.Low pressure tends to bring clouds and warmer temperatures.High pressure is…

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The Last Jedi is a fun movie, packed with science fiction, lots of it more fiction than science. (I kept wondering how people were able to open hatches into deep space with no oxygen tanks and no protective gear, and still survive). Suspend belief and enjoy the story.And also enjoy the 3D picture. It's very cool. It's also only the tip of the iceberg for 3D perception.How do 3D movies work? One way of perceiving depth…

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by Jan ThornhillYoung Red-Belted Polypore (Fomitopsis pinicola) with guttation dropsSome fungi are prone to exhibiting a curious phenomenon—they exude beads of moisture, called guttation. In several polypores, such as Fomitopsis pinicola, the liquid produced can look so much like tears that you'd swear the fungus was weeping. Or maybe sweating. Other species produce pigmented drops that can look like milk, or tar, or even blood.Guttation is more well-known in some vascular plants. During the night, when the…

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by L. E. CarmichaelWelcome to Part 3 of my series on gene therapy and genetic engineering. If you haven't already, I'd suggest reading Parts 1 and 2 before you continue:Introduction to Gene Therapy: It Sounds Simple, But It's Sure Not EasyGene Therapy: Vectors, Viruses, and Why CRISPR Will Change EverythingToday, we're talking about the second major challenge with gene therapy - getting replacement DNA into EVERY affected cell in a patient's body - and why…

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by L. E. CarmichaelWelcome to Part 2 of my series on gene therapy! If you haven't already, I recommend that you read Part 1, Introduction to Gene Therapy: It Sounds Simple, But It's Sure Not Easy, before continuing with this post. Ready? Here we go.Viruses: FedEx For GenesGene therapy involves repairing or replacing a faulty gene that has led to disease. In order to do that, one major hurdle must be overcome: getting new DNA…

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