Being a science writer is kind of like being an aunt. When you’re an aunt, you get to go on the strolls through the park, bounce the baby on your knee, and play peek-a-boo. But when that smile turns to a frown, the water works begin, and things get stinky, it’s time to hand off…
The theme for my posts this quarter seems to be, “weird things that happened to Cynthia’s skin.” This time, it’s mosquito bites. I’ve had allergic reactions to mosquito bites ever since I can remember. My reactions range from small red splotches that itch for days to swollen white welts that itch for a week or…
If feet gross you out, skip this post. As I peeled the skin off the arch of my foot, its texture reminded me of plastic wrap. Only it was softer and made a slightly different ripping sound as I separated it from the pink flesh underneath. My boyfriend was not nearly as amused as…
The term “living fossil” carries far more weight than Grandpa’s 80th birthday card. The world is supposedly full of animals, plants, even bacteria that—depending on who you ask—have barely evolved in millions of years. Alligators, sharks, gingko trees all bear the label. Their poster child is the coelacanth, the last living member of a subclass…
Gamer culture has been put under the microscope ever since pop-culture critic Anita Sarkeesian faced a barrage of gender-based hate for announcing a project examining common sexist tropes of female characters in video games, such as the “damsel in distress” or the “background decoration.” Since then, many women in the video game industry and female…
