Jen Christiansen

New York

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Articles

Why Storm Surge Is Dangerous—And Becoming More Frequent

2 weeks ago | scientificamerican.com | Clara Moskowitz |Jen Christiansen |Daniel Huffman

The beginning of June marks the start of the Atlantic hurricane season, the six-month period when strong storms can brew in the ocean and then wreak havoc on land. Among the hazardous consequences of hurricanes are storm surges, in which water rapidly rises above the normal tide level on shore. These dangerous events can cause flooding and pick up and displace homes and other structures.
Which Knot Is Stronger? Humans Aren’t Great Judges

Feb 18, 2025 | scientificamerican.com | Clara Moskowitz |Jen Christiansen

Humans are pretty good at guessing whether a towering stack of dishes in the sink will topple over or where a pool ball will go when a cue hits it. We evolved this kind of physical reasoning to navigate our changing and sometimes dangerous environments. But a new study highlights one area of intuitive physics that’s deceptively difficult: judging how strong a knot is. Take a look at these four knots, which may look similar but are all distinct.
Infografik: Die verborgenen Muster der Nobelpreise

Oct 5, 2024 | spektrum.de | Jen Christiansen |Sarah Lewin Frasier

News Lesedauer ca. 1 Minute DruckenTeilenInfografik: Die verborgenen Muster der NobelpreiseZwischen Entdeckungen und ihrer Würdigung mit einem Nobelpreis vergeht oft viel Zeit. Die Preisvergaben aus mehr als 100 Jahren offenbaren faszinierende Zusammenhänge. Ein detaillierter Blick in drei Grafiken.
Why Chemistry, Physics and Medicine Nobel Prizes can be Shared, and How That Works

Sep 24, 2024 | scientificamerican.com | Jen Christiansen

Most scientists can never receive a Nobel Prize, arguably the most prestigious award in science. Only physicists, chemists, and specialists in physiology or medicine are eligible for the honor—which comes with a gold medal, a diploma and currently up to 11 million Swedish kronor (about $1.07 million). Multimillionaire Alfred Nobel established the prize pot—and those categories—in 1895 via his last will and testament.
Hidden Patterns Show Nobel Prize Science Trends

Sep 17, 2024 | scientificamerican.com | Sarah Lewin Frasier |Jen Christiansen

Meteorologist Syukuro Manabe shared the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work modeling gases’ movement through a column of atmospheric air—in the 1960s. His 60-year-old research had proved foundational for the computer models that scientists use today to interpret and predict our changing climate.
What Vitamins and Minerals Really Do in Your Body

Jun 25, 2024 | scientificamerican.com | Clara Moskowitz |Jen Christiansen |Miriam Quick

Food gives us energy, but just as important, it delivers vitamins and minerals. There is essentially no bodily function that doesn’t depend on at least one of these compounds, roughly 30 of which are considered crucial. They help our hearts beat and our lungs breathe. They enable our bodies to build new muscle, skin and bone cells. They allow nerves to send signals to the brain and the immune system to fight invaders. We literally can’t live without them.
See Your Body's Cells in Size and Number

Dec 19, 2023 | scientificamerican.com | Clara Moskowitz |Jen Christiansen |Ni-ka Ford

Many aspects of our world, from the body mass of creatures in the animal kingdom to the population of cities across the globe, follow an intriguing mathematical pattern. Known as Zipf's law, the rule says that when something's size is doubled, that thing becomes about half as common. Researchers wondered whether the law extended to the human body. Ecologist Ian A. Hatton of McGill University, independent researcher Jeffery A.