Common Science

“Corn isn’t fit for pigs to eat.”  Alvin Danner   Between 1980 and 2010 the percentage of adults in the US who were obese more than doubled, from 15% to 33%.  A number of root causes have been suggested for this “obesity...

“. . . For the Ocean that was at that time navigable; for in front of the mouth which you Greeks call, as you say ‘the Pillars of Heracles’ [Straits of Gibraltar] there lay an island which was larger than Libya and Asia...

“If I have seen farther it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” – Isaac Newton   It’s tempting to look at our modern world, with its space travel, medical miracles, and iPads, and conclude that we are a lot smarter than...

Tuesday June the 5th is the last chance you will have in your lifetime to see the transit of Venus, so don’t miss it!  Not sure what the transit of Venus is or why you should take time out of your busy schedule to observe it? ...

We are so accustomed to the effects of gravity that we fail to remember that although we can predict its effects, we don’t really know how it works.  Really, we don’t.    The mysteries of gravity have attracted some of the...

As I noted on the Common Science® Twitter feed, NPR is in the middle of a week-long series on hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”).  It’s good to see them catching up with us.  Then in the midst of NPR’s usual high-quality science...

I cannot overemphasize the importance of phosphorus not only to agriculture and soil conservation but also to the physical health and economic security of the people of the Nation. Many of our soil types are deficient in...

With summer weather and abundant sunshine looming, I thought I’d delve into the mysteries of the sun protection factor (SPF) which appears on all bottles of sunscreen.  Before I get into the details, I’d like to share my...

April 24 was the one-year anniversary for Common Science.  I’ve covered a wide variety of topics including, lightning, cells phones, bananas, and even neodymium.   The topic I have touched on the most has been the impending...

First a quick note.  Loyal readers will know that I generally publish every Sunday evening.  The steady routine suits my nature.  I had to leave town unexpectedly on the 13th and have just returned.   Therefore, I did not...