Fall 2022 Stargazing: JWST Photos and Jupiter Opposition

Fall 2022 Stargazing: JWST Photos and Jupiter Opposition

Karen Masters shares her seasonal guide to stargazing, including her favorite JWST photos, Jupiter’s Opposition this September, and a calendar of major stargazing events this Fall.

Karen Masters shares her seasonal guide to stargazing, including her favorite JWST photos, Jupiter's Opposition this September, and a calendar of major stargazing events this Fall. Karen Masters is a Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Chair of Physics and Astronomy, and KINSC Director at Haverford College. JWST Images JWST, the “Just Wonderful Space Telescope” (here I am deliberately avoiding the official full name due to the ongoing name controversy, and instead amplifying Chanda Prescod-Weinstein’s excellent renaming suggestion), has been wowing astronomers all over the world with its images of the cosmos since it achieved first light in February of this...
Why does coffee make you poop?

Why does coffee make you poop?

Have you ever had some coffee and had to go to the bathroom within the hour? This article explores what exactly happens to our digestive system when we drink coffee.

Different types of coffee. Photo From Shutterstock.  Quirky Queries answers your random science questions. If you have a query, let us know! - Have you ever ordered an iced mocha with almond milk or an iced vanilla latte with oat milk before class and then later had to poop really badly during lecture? Well, according to science, you aren’t the only one! In fact, about 30% of people need to use the bathroom after drinking coffee.  Contrary to popular belief, caffeine isn’t the main culprit. In 2008, the National Library of Medicine published a study that tested the colonic function...
A Look into Mathematical Biology

A Look into Mathematical Biology

Ever wonder how mathematics is used in biology? Professor Rebecca Everett uses differential equations to create mathematical models that represent biological systems. The models provide insight into these systems and predict long-term behavior.

Professor Everett (left) and her research students Maya Gong ‘23, Logan Post ‘23, and Anay Mehta ‘23 (left to right) presenting at Texas Tech University in 2021. The real world is full of complex biological relationships. A rabbit population might fluctuate depending on the fox population, the amount of edible plants, and the spread of disease. Mathematical biologists like Associate Professor of Mathematics and Statistics Rebecca Everett make sense of these relationships using mathematical models. She explains that the mathematical models she creates represent biological systems much like a model airplane represents a real airplane. They are not perfect copies...