Science + Activism

August 26, 2022August 26, 2022 Sci/Why Communication, Education and Outreach, General Science

by Megan Clendenan Here in Canada, we’re nearing the end of summer, but there’s still time to take advantage of the still-hot weather. One thing I love to do is go swimming – whether it’s in the ocean, a lake or a river, there’s nothing like jumping in (usually quite cold!) water to cool off...

Why Do We Crave Junk Food?

August 18, 2022August 18, 2022 Sci/Why Communication, Education and Outreach, General Science

by Anne MunierEvolution influences human behaviour by holding on to traits that make us more likely to survive and have babies. Behaviours like avoiding vicious predators, jerking your hand away if you touch something hot, or cooperating with community members all helped our ancestors survive, and have been passed down through generations. Traits that lead...

It’s tough to be tiny—or is it??

August 5, 2022August 9, 2022 Sci/Why Communication, Education and Outreach, General Science

by Kim Woolcock Growing up, I was always the shortest person in my class. I was guaranteed to lose games of Keep Away. I could never reach the top shelf. And the basketball hoop seemed to be infinitely farther away from me than from other kids (OK, maybe there were other factors in my lack...

Superpower? The Wearable-Tech Revolution—soon-to-be-released!

July 23, 2022July 24, 2022 Sci/Why Communication, Education and Outreach, General Science

A Call for Spider Hunters!

July 17, 2022July 17, 2022 Sci/Why Communication, Education and Outreach, General Science

Are you a fan of Citizen Science, where volunteers assist real scientists in any of several ways? You'll want to answer a call from Dr Catherine Scott, a spider scientist. At the end of May 2022 she shared on Twitter a call for nature fans to report their spider sightings. She wrote:Have you started to...

Weird and Wonderful Animals

July 15, 2022 Sci/Why Communication, Education and Outreach, General Science

By Claire EamerI am fascinated by animals that surprise me, that make me rethink my assumptions about what is and isn't possible. Maybe they do something I'm sure they can't do. Or they find a completely unexpected way to survive in their bit of the world. Or they make me rethink how I survive in...

The Japanese Beetle in Vancouver

July 8, 2022July 24, 2022 Sci/Why Communication, Education and Outreach, General Science

By Raymond K. Nakamura The first I heard of the Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) was on signs in my neighbourhood calling for its eradication. In its native Japan, the green and copper member species of scarab beetle is called “mame-ko-gane” in Japanese, which means “bean yellow gold” or “mini gold money.” Natural predators keep it...

Fiction with science elements

July 2, 2022 Sci/Why Communication, Education and Outreach, General Science

Our own Joan Marie Galat shared on Facebook the news of her soon-to-be released book, Mortimer: Rat Race to Space -- which you can tell from the title and the cover image is a work of fiction with a lot of science elements! Joan says:Cover reveal! Scheduled for release in September 2022 by Cormorant Books....

Stink Bug Citizen Science!

June 28, 2022June 28, 2022 Sci/Why Communication, Education and Outreach, General Science

Looking for a summer science project? Here's a note for volunteers and citizen scientists in British Columbia, Canada! There are stink bugs native to this region that are doing just fine, but in addition to them are new stink bugs. New to BC are Brown marmorated stink bugs ( BMSBs) from Asia. Invasive species of stink...

Woolly Bears in the Mountains

May 6, 2022July 5, 2022 Sci/Why Communication, Education and Outreach, General Science

By Claire Eamer No! Not those bears! I'm talking caterpillars.Woolly bears are those fluffy, hairy caterpillars that look a bit like tiny plush toys. They're common from Mexico to northern Canada. You might have seen a woolly bear trundling along a warm sidewalk in summer or climbing a plant stem to munch on leaves. Eventually, the...

Author: Sci/Why