New! Sign up for our email newsletter on Substack.

between the blades

judging by the headlines, you
hunam scientists are at it again

trying to make this or that thing
glow for pleasure and profit.

it is my sociological observation that
all scientific cultures go through

a jellyfish phase.

ant history is populated by at least
three such eras—

most notably the fifth formicidic empire,
which culminated in a grand attempt

to engineer glowing transgenic ants by
imbibing large amounts of green jello

and drowned.

i wish no such ill effects on your own
culture, of course

but merely wish to point out the
potential pitfalls of science

and offer some practical advice—

when mucking around with gelatinous
compounds, it is important to

correctly estimate their
congealing temperature.

many people think science
is about grand ideas,

but down here among the grass
blades, we think

it’s the little measurements
that count


Quick Note Before You Read On.

ScienceBlog.com has no paywalls, no sponsored content, and no agenda beyond getting the science right. Every story here is written to inform, not to impress an advertiser or push a point of view.

Good science journalism takes time — reading the papers, checking the claims, finding researchers who can put findings in context. We do that work because we think it matters.

If you find this site useful, consider supporting it with a donation. Even a few dollars a month helps keep the coverage independent and free for everyone.


Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.