Jeff Danner's Common Science

Common Science Fifth Anniversary Column

Posted by Jeff Danner | Apr 11, 2016 | Common Science

This week marks the fifth anniversary of Common Science® and this is my 239th column! It’s been my great pleasure to write them and I have enjoyed your comments and emails over the years. Nevertheless, I’ve decided that I need...

A Simple Way to Help the Birds and the Bees

Posted by Jeff Danner | Mar 20, 2016 | Common Science

Sometimes the rest of my life imposes on my writing schedule. I skipped last Sunday, a rarity, and this week I am writing from the road. While I was in the car yesterday, I heard an appeal from the National Audubon Society for...

The Highest Volume Chemical Produced in the World is . . .

Posted by Jeff Danner | Mar 6, 2016 | Common Science

In the early 1990s when I was a graduate student in Chemical Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, I taught a class called Introduction to Chemical Engineering to the freshmen. During my first lecture, I asked the...

Cats, Man’s Second Best Friend

Posted by Jeff Danner | Feb 28, 2016 | Common Science

My inspirations for topics come from many sources: news articles, conversations, questions from readers, long-held passions, and occasionally random thoughts. This is a random thought week. For some reason, it occurred to me...

In Which My Chickens Save My Life

Posted by Jeff Danner | Feb 21, 2016 | Common Science

I raise chickens at my small farm west of Carrboro, NC. At the moment, there are six members of my all-female flock. In addition to their coop, they have 24/7 access to a 2,500 square foot chicken run. Because I allocate over...

U.S. Birth Practices 1940 to 2040: Part II

Posted by Jeff Danner | Feb 8, 2016 | Common Science

Last week in Part I, I reviewed the history of birth practices in the United State from 1940 to 2016. This week, let’s project forward to 2040. Currently 99% of all births in the U.S. occur in hospitals, one third of them by...

U.S. Birth Practices 1940 to 2040: Part I

Posted by Jeff Danner | Jan 31, 2016 | Common Science

As I am approaching my fifth anniversary of publishing Common Science®, I hope that it is apparent how much I enjoy writing these columns, particularly when the topic brings in threads of history, politics, economics, and...

Sun Glare Challenges for the Blue-eyed

Posted by Jeff Danner | Jan 24, 2016 | Common Science

For some reason that eludes me, I always live directly west of my office. As a result, for much of the year I drive directly into the rising sun in the mornings and into the setting sun in the evenings. Usually my commute...

An Engineer Looks at 50

Posted by Jeff Danner | Jan 17, 2016 | Common Science

Today is my 50th birthday. So rather than delving into a science or technology topic this week, I ask for you indulgence as I reflect on the first half century of my life. In a bit of a spoiler, let me tell you up front that...

Super Capacitors are the Future of Battery Technology

Posted by Jeff Danner | Jan 10, 2016 | Common Science

Batteries play a useful, yet underappreciated, role in our lives. They power our hand-held electronic devices, are the key element in hybrid automobiles, and allow the intermittent power available from the sun and the wind to be...

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