Today in Science Blog Posts
Happy Birthday, Henry Cavendish
Did you know that the element hydrogen was originally called “inflammable air” upon its discovery by Henry Cavendish because of how easily it burns? Learn more about the chemist and physicist…
How Does This Lip Gloss Appear to Defy Gravity?
We attempt to explain a mysterious, gravity-defying phenomenon involving a viral video, dielectric materials, electrostatics, and lip gloss.
Optimizing an NIV Mask Design with Multiphysics Simulation
NIV masks offer a form of noninvasive monitoring and ventilation for COVID-19 patients, which lessens the need for ventilators and other mechanical respirators.
Happy Birthday, Arne Tiselius
The “Tiselius Apparatus” could help determine the isoelectric point, molecular weight, and physical properties of proteins. Learn about the “Father of Electrophoresis” and his accomplishments.
A Tour of the Famous Scientists Laid to Rest in Göttingen City Cemetery
Take a tour through the history of science at the historic Stadtfriedhof city cemetery in Göttingen, Germany, to learn about some of the greatest scientific heroes of the twentieth century.
Happy Birthday, Alice Ball
Alice Ball studied the chemical makeup of chaulmoogra oil to develop a treatment for leprosy. She is also the first African American, and first woman, to graduate from the University of Hawaii.
3 Important Animals of Science from Throughout History
What do a bunny, mouse, and part-Samoyed terrier have in common? We discuss these 3 noteworthy yet unlikely characters from the history of scientific research…
Why Is My Coffee Maker Smiling at Me? Pareidolia Examined
A coffee maker smiles at you. A mop looks grumpy. The side of a building looks surprised. The phenomenon of seeing faces in inanimate objects, pareidolia, is more common than you might think…
Happy Birthday, Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin
In 1925, Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin made a revolutionary discovery about hydrogen that unfortunately wasn’t believed at the time. This didn’t stop her from breaking new ground in astronomy.
Who Discovered the Integrated Circuit?
Like many of the world’s greatest innovations, credit for developing the integrated circuit is shared by many names, including Geoffrey Dummer, Jack Kilby, and Robert Noyce.
Modeling the Spread of COVID-19 with COMSOL Multiphysics®
From susceptible to exposed and infected to recovered: See how numerical modeling can help us understand the dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic and how it spreads.
Happy Birthday, Olga Ladyzhenskaya
Olga Ladyzhenskaya wasn’t one to shy away from a challenge. In fact, through her research, she proved the convergence of a finite difference method for the Navier–Stokes equations.
Happy Birthday, Edith Clarke
Once hired as a “human computer”, electrical engineer Edith Clarke is known for inventing the Clarke Calculator, which solves capacity and inductance calculations for long transmission lines.
Happy Birthday, Joseph-Louis Lagrange
Calculus of variations, Lagrange multipliers, deforming geometries, and Lagrange polynomials — These are just a few of Joseph-Louis Lagrange’s many contributions to the world of mathematics.
Happy Birthday, Sofia Kovalevskaya
Aside from her contributions to analysis, differential equations, and mechanics, Russian mathematician Sofia Kovalevskaya was also an accomplished playwright and novelist.
Happy Birthday, Andrew Fielding Huxley
As a child, Andrew Fielding Huxley was given a lathe as a gift. This sparked an interest in science and invention that blossomed into a career in research and physiology.
The 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry Celebrates Li-Ion Battery Research
John Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham, and Akira Yoshino, winners of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, come from different places and researched lithium-ion batteries at different times.
Happy Birthday, Niels Bohr
Niels Bohr’s work in physics started in college, when he solved a surface tension problem for the Academy of Sciences. He went on to work in atomic structure and quantum mechanics.
Happy Birthday, Sir William Ramsay
Argon got its name, which means “lazy”, because it doesn’t react with other elements in air — or seem to do much of anything. The chemist behind this discovery went on to find the noble gases.
Happy Birthday, Adrien-Marie Legendre
From polynomials and functions to a moon crater and main belt asteroid, French mathematician Adrien-Marie Legendre has quite a few namesakes.
Zeiss, Abbe, and the Evolution of Microscopes and Optical Research
The story of Carl Zeiss and Ernst Abbe involves a picturesque town in Germany, compound microscopes, and a hammer and anvil. See for yourself with a glimpse into the history of optical research.
The Origin Story of the Sampling Theorem and Vladimir Kotelnikov
Less than a century ago, we didn’t have the theorem that is fundamental to our understanding of electronic communication today. Fortunately, Vladimir Kotelnikov entered the picture.
Happy Birthday, James Joseph Sylvester
Ever heard the word combiants? What about plagiograph, allotrius, or zetaic? The Shakespeare of mathematics, James Joseph Sylvester used his love of poetry to find new ways to describe theories.
A Look Back at Early Film Technology
Did you know that one of the most prominent filmmakers during the advent of cinema was Thomas Edison? Here, we discuss early film technology, instruments, and the people who used them.