Laura Allen

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Some bacteria in wastewater can break down a common plastic

2 months ago | snexplores.org | Laura Allen |Sharon Oosthoek

bacteria: (singular: bacterium) Single-celled organisms. These dwell nearly everywhere on Earth, from the bottom of the sea to inside other living organisms (such as plants and animals). Bacteria are one of the three domains of life on Earth. bond: (in chemistry) A semi-permanent attachment between atoms — or groups of atoms — in a molecule. It’s formed by an attractive force between the participating atoms. Once bonded, the atoms will work as a unit.
Trees may be even bigger climate heroes than we thought

Dec 9, 2024 | snexplores.org | Laura Allen

agriculture: The growth of plants, animals or fungi for human needs, including food, fuel, chemicals and medicine. atmosphere: The envelope of gases surrounding Earth, another planet or a moon. average: (in science) A term for the arithmetic mean, which is the sum of a group of numbers that is then divided by the size of the group. bacteria: (singular: bacterium) Single-celled organisms.
Artificial turf gets cooler with a new evaporation-based system

Sep 11, 2024 | snexplores.org | Laura Allen

chemical: A substance formed from two or more atoms that unite (bond) in a fixed proportion and structure. For example, water is a chemical made when two hydrogen atoms bond to one oxygen atom. Its chemical formula is H2O. Chemical also can be an adjective to describe properties of materials that are the result of various reactions between different compounds. evaporate: To turn from liquid into vapor. humidity: A measure of the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere.
Common high-school textbooks promote unscientific views on gender

Jun 5, 2024 | snexplores.org | Laura Allen

academic: Relating to school, classes or things taught by teachers in formal institutes of learning (such as a college). bias: The tendency to hold a particular perspective or preference that favors some thing, some group or some choice. Scientists often “blind” subjects to the details of a test (don’t tell them what it is) so that their biases will not affect the results. biology: The study of living things. The scientists who study them are known as biologists.
How to help transgender and nonbinary teens bloom during puberty

May 31, 2024 | snexplores.org | Laura Allen |Maria Temming |Esther Landhuis

When Mary started puberty, she went to the doctor. She was 12, and it was the first visit for this transgender girl to an endocrinologist. These doctors specialize in the function of hormones and the glands that secrete them. They discussed treatments that would help her body and gender match after puberty. Mary is not her real name, but one selected to protect her privacy. Puberty is when a child’s body begins changing into an adult.
Let’s learn about photosynthesis

May 21, 2024 | snexplores.org | Maria Temming |Bethany Brookshire |Kathryn Hulick |Laura Allen

algae: Single-celled organisms, once considered plants (they aren’t). As aquatic organisms, they grow in water. Like green plants, they depend on sunlight to make their food. astronaut: Someone trained to travel into space for research and exploration. carbon: A chemical element that is the physical basis of all life on Earth. Carbon exists freely as graphite and diamond.
Bottled water hosts many thousands of nano-sized plastic bits

Mar 6, 2024 | snexplores.org | Laura Allen

activated charcoal: (also known as activated carbon) A form of carbon that comes as a powder or small granules. It is used to filter out things that may be harmful, smelly or impart a bad taste. The impurities sorb (attach) to the carbon. The small size of the particles increases the carbon’s surface area. So does the particles’ rough surface, which — like a sponge — has lots of pores that offer even more places for the impurities to attach.
Pollution power? A new device turns carbon dioxide into fuel

Jan 3, 2024 | snexplores.org | Laura Allen

alkaline: An adjective that describes a chemical that produces hydroxide ions (OH-) in a solution. These solutions are also referred to as basic — as in the opposite of acidic — and have a pH above 7. aquifer: Rock that can hold pools of groundwater. The term can also be applied to those underground pools of water. atmosphere: The envelope of gases surrounding Earth, another planet or a moon.
A new hydrogel could help pull drinking water from the air

Nov 3, 2023 | snexplores.org | Laura Allen |Jude Coleman |Skyler Ware |Kathiann M. Kowalski

chemical: A substance formed from two or more atoms that unite (bond) in a fixed proportion and structure. For example, water is a chemical made when two hydrogen atoms bond to one oxygen atom. Its chemical formula is H2O. Chemical also can be an adjective to describe properties of materials that are the result of various reactions between different compounds. climate: The weather conditions that typically exist in one area, in general, or over a long period.
New device can harvest clean energy from humid air anywhere

Aug 18, 2023 | snexplores.org | Laura Allen

application: A particular use or function of something. array: A broad and organized group of objects. Sometimes they are instruments placed in a systematic fashion to collect information in a coordinated way. Other times, an array can refer to things that are laid out or displayed in a way that can make a broad range of related things, such as colors, visible at once. The term can even apply to a range of options or choices.