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Welcome to Ask A Biologist. This site has a large collection of biology learning materials that includes stories, games, activities, videos, and a podcast.
Embark on a journey through the intricate dance of nature and innovation as we welcome Saad Bhamla, a scientist at the forefront of biological engineering. Your curiosity will be rewarded as you and Dr. Biology learn about some of the…
Two AI bots meet in a coffee shop. This might sound like the start of a joke, but is it a joke? Today artificial intelligence (AI) is a popular topic. With new tools popping up daily it appears we are at the beginning of a brave new world. Some say the world will be amazing and others have dark…
As you watch a butterfly navigate the flowers in your back yard, or a pesky fly avoid your flyswatter, keep in mind their vision is quite different than yours and mine.
Humans are constantly changing the world. This can be in good ways, like some conservation efforts, but sometimes it is also in bad ways, like with pollution. Learn the ways in which we can help the world around us by understanding how we affect nature.Also in:…
What happens when our brain fails us? As Dr. Biology, my work has never been involved with diseases that affect the mind, but I do have a personal experience with the shadowy realm of Alzheimer's and other dementias. My mother battled against this relentless adversary and I am not alone. …
This animal lives in almost every part of the world and kills hundreds of thousands of people each year. What might surprise you is that you certainly have had a close encounter with the world’s most dangerous creature. Dr. Biology catches up with evolutionary biologist …
In 1962 there was a popular Broadway musical called A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. What does this have to do with a science podcast? The thought came up because of what happened at the conference today. And what was it? It was a dance performance. In fact, there were several…
An interview with biologist Gro Amdam, one of the members of the group that brought us the bee genome. Hey just what is a genome and could bees hold the answer to aging? In this show we learn the answers to these questions and why researchers are buzzing around bees.
Mama Ji's Molecular Kitchen
There are lots of sites out there full of molecular techniques and protocols, but very little information (either online or in readable hardcopy form) that explain how and why these techniques…
Create Your Own Herbarium
Have you ever seen an interesting plant that you wanted to keep? The best way to preserve a plant specimen is to press it and dry it. Here are the simple materials and steps you need to make…
Pollen Gallery (Pollen up-close)
Pollen comes in many shapes and sizes. These are just a few of the thousands of examples.
Ant Gallery (Get up-close to ants)
Now is the time to check out these amazing animals from the safety of your own computer.
Bone Zoom Gallery (Up-close Inside Bones)
Take a look at the microscopic world of bone in our virtual bone histology lab. Just pick a microscope slide from below and click on it to view under the virtual microscope.
The Tale of the Two-Headed Lampropeltis getula californiae
A Common Kingsnake, Lampropeltis getula californiae, but this snake was anything but common. From the title of our story, you may have guessed that our snake, or maybe we should call it snakes…
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Mite Mighty Foe to 'Killer' Bees in State
Africanized "killer" bees have fallen prey to a deadly predator of their own- parasitic mites whose infestation has dropped their wild colony numbers by as much as 70 percent statewide.
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Feather Biology
Almost everyone has wished at one time or another to be able to fly like a bird. Just the thought of soaring above your city or town without any mechanical device gives us a reason to envy…
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A Nervous Journey
Let’s take a ride. It is going to be a fast one, so be prepared. Where are we going? We are going to start at your head and end up at your toes. It may not seem like a long trip, but it is…
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