
That’s Life [Science] is a free source of articles spanning the realm of the life sciences and more. It was created by an interdisciplinary collective of graduate students who strive to provide readily accessible information about STEM to the general public. While That’s Life [Science] began with a focus on life at its many levels (from molecules to entire ecosystems, and the evolutionary history, behavior, physiology, and ecology of life), we’ve broadened our scope to examine other science topics including chemistry, astronomy, and physics. If you want to learn about who you’re sharing the planet with and how, check out Earth’s Organisms and Our Ecosystems. If you’re curious about a new disease, odd animal behavior, or orbital dynamics, we’ll show you How It Works. Come with us to our labs and field sites in Grad School Diaries to see what day-to-day life is like as a scientist. Join us as we explore the world through the lens of science!
TLS articles do not represent the views of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the UMass Amherst Graduate Student Organizations, or any affiliated groups or persons beyond the individual author(s) of each article. To receive TLS articles in your inbox, enter your email below, and check for a confirmation email (might be in your spam folder).
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Pipettes and Paintbrushes 2019
The second annual collaborative art/science exhibit was featured last week on the UMass Amherst campus. Check out this work in our virtual art gallery under the Events tab.
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You Are What You Eat
D. Navon | August 27th, 2017 Figure 1. Micro-CT scan of an African cichlid head, highlighting two key bones: the maxilla (teal) and mandible (magenta). Fish faces are a lot like ours in many ways, though they are notoriously more dynamic. Many of the cranial bones found in fish are also present in humans, but…
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Why the Sea Salt Fad Could Be Very Bad
Authored by Lian Guo | April 16, 2017 Gourmet salts with appealing names like Himalayan Salt and Black Truffle Sea Salt have become increasingly popular in recent years. In addition to their unique look and flavor, these alternatives to the usual iodized table salt have been advertised to be a healthier dietary choice. But are…
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Mitochondria: The Underrated Organelles
Think mitochondria are just little batteries for your cells? Think again.
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Dying Tomatoes, Healthy Kittens, and the EMP500
Jake Barnett | August 26th, 2018 Farmer Jiang had a problem. One season, his whole tomato harvest started dying of a horrible disease. He could try using artificial pesticides on his plants, but that would pollute the environment and threaten the health of the people who ate the crops… There had to be a better…
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Scientific Rainbow – choosing experiments carefully can brighten your day
Stereotypical correctness – why colorful bubbling flasks just may save my science.
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Does Catching Pidgeys Help You Notice Pigeons? Interviews with Pokémon Go Researchers
Remember when #PokémonGo was a thing? Do researchers think #PoGo helped us appreciate both the Pidgeys AND the pigeons?
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Eavesdropping in the Animal Kingdom: Sneaky Creatures Just Trying to Get Ahead
Humans aren’t the only nosy creatures out there – animals eavesdrop too! Read all about eavesdropping in the animalkingdom.
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Eureka!
My neuroscientist friends at UMass Amherst and I led a workshop with Girls Inc. to encourage curiosity among local middle school girls.
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Should I Apply To Graduate School
Lian Guo | April 7, 2019 Note: This blog post is based on the author’s experience and opinions and do not reflect the opinions of That’s Life [Science] or other affiliated groups. Additionally, these experiences are likely most relevant to those interested in STEM graduate programs. I didn’t know what a PhD was until my…
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5 Fun Facts about Hormones
Authored by Amanda A. Krentzel Hormones get a lot of attention. We attribute them to why teenagers are moody, and we’re wary of how they’re affecting the food we eat. Most people have a sense that they’re important players in sexual attraction, aggression, and pregnancy. But sometimes there are misconceptions about the complexity of hormones…
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A Day In the Life of a Bird Nerd
K. Straley | October 15, 2017 5:00 AM Wake up, shower, feed cats, get breakfast. 5:40 AM Drive in to campus, rocking out to The Killers to wake up. 6:15 AM Meet up with friends for a fall migration mistnetting project. While many animals migrate (move from one location to another), few migrations are as…
