March 22nd, 2010

Extreme Measures

Geomicrobiologists look to harsh environments for organisms “disobeying” traditional chemistry teaching. (This story was originally written and reported in October, 2008 at the University of Southern California).

Petri dishes might not be replacing AA batteries at Radio Shack any time soon, but a growing body of research shows it may soon be possible to [...]

November 4th, 2009

Blurring the lines: Virtual human research promises real-world impacts

Halfway through my interview with Louis-Philippe Morency I suddenly felt incredibly self-conscious.

Every nod, every movement of pen to paper, every glance in his eyes made me wonder what I might have been saying without saying anything. Would he catch my eyes straying to his bookshelves or the traffic on the [...]

September 1st, 2009

Mt. Wilson Observed

“Two firefighters die.”

Each thick black letter blazes through the scratchy grime of the plexiglass newspaper rack. They ignite my attention. They singe my mind even after I pass, as I board a 754 Rapid at Wilshire and Vermont and as I disembark in Los Feliz. They smolder as I walk to the library, [...]