Common Science Archives - Page 9 of 25

Brazil and BBQ

Posted by Jeff Danner | Jun 29, 2014 | Common Science

I did not publish a column for the last two weeks because my family and I were in Brazil attending a few World Cup Soccer games. For this week’s column, I want to share a few non-science thoughts about our Brazil experience, and...

Fracking Gag Rule Part III: Wastewater

Posted by Jeff Danner | Jun 8, 2014 | Common Science

This is the conclusion of a three-part series inspired by the North Carolina General Assembly’s decision to make the disclosure of the chemicals used in fracking a crime here in the Tar Heel State, purportedly to protect the...

Fracking Gag Rule Part II: The Real Reasons

Posted by Jeff Danner | Jun 1, 2014 | Common Science

As I write this column, Republicans in the North Carolina General Assembly (NCGA) are fast tracking a new law which makes it a Class 1 felony to disclose the identities of chemicals used in fracking here in the Tar Heel State....

Fracking Gag Rule Part I: Trade Secret?

Posted by Jeff Danner | May 26, 2014 | Common Science

I was in the middle of writing a column about the unique benefits and properties of fertilizer made from seaweed when I got distracted by the North Carolina General Assembly. A Republican-led senate committee has proposed to...

Renewable Energy is Sort of Like the Internet

Posted by Jeff Danner | May 18, 2014 | Common Science

I am often inspired to write a column when I feel that a science or technology topic has been covered incorrectly or incompletely in other media outlets. Lately, stories on renewable energy, such as solar and wind power, are...

Meanwhile, In The War On Science

Posted by Jeff Danner | May 12, 2014 | Common Science

Here they go again. Republicans in the United States House of Representatives are working on a bill called the Frontiers in Innovation, Research, Science, and Technology (FIRST) Act of 2014. In their typical Orwellian fashion,...

My Conflicting Thoughts on Beekeeping

Posted by Jeff Danner | May 4, 2014 | Common Science

In Part I of this series, I discussed the importance of pollinators to our food supply and the theories surrounding the alarming decline in their population. In Part II, I outlined ways in which we could improve local land use...

The Vanishing of the Bees Part II: Local Efforts

Posted by Jeff Danner | Apr 27, 2014 | Common Science

Last week in Part I of my series on bees, I reviewed the importance of pollinators to our food supply, the science behind the dramatic reduction in global population of honey bees, and the status and psychology of attempts to...

The Vanishing of the Bees Part I: Psychology

Posted by Jeff Danner | Apr 20, 2014 | Common Science

I have been considering writing about the importance of honeybees and their mysterious and troubling population decline for some time, but have been waiting for an aspect of the story that I thought needed further exploration....

3D Printing Part III: A UNC Connection

Posted by Jeff Danner | Apr 13, 2014 | Common Science

In Part I of this series I reviewed the history and science of 3D printing. In Part II, I speculated on the future. Here in Part III, I’ve got a local connection for you. Dr. Jan Sumerel received her Ph.D. from UNC in...

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