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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.
Elizabeth Pringle grew up in a family of biologists, but didn't think she would end up as a biologist until she fell in love with research.
Every year billions of babies are dried and buried, not to be unburied for weeks, months, years or even decades. Don't worry, these are not babies like your little brother or sister, these are baby plants, or as you might call them, seeds. Why would a mom do such a thing? Also in:…
The taiga, or boreal forest, is the largest land biome in the world. It is deep and dark, often green, and always cold. But even in this frigid place, many animals and plants thrive.Also in: Español | Français |…
What animal runs so fast that it temporarily goes blind? It turns out that these tiny insects are fast, but don't have enough brain power to keep up with their speed. Learn more about these tiny tigers in this video.
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. …
Life in the year 2050, what will it look like? Will it be the age of intelligent computers? Could this happen even sooner? Physicist and author Max Tegmark talks about the future of artificial intelligence and how it might impact biological life on this planet. Dr. Biology learns…
March Madness in the past has been reserved for college basketball. But in 2013, biologist Katie Hinde and a group of scientists, writers, and other creative souls started the ultimate animal competition that expanded beyond humans – March Mammal Madness. Don’t worry, the competition is virtual. No…
The Ugly Bug Contest has been part of the Flagstaff Festival of Science and Mt. Campus Science Day since 1997. Ask-a-Biologist is pleased to extend the contest to the world via the Web.
Build an Ant Farm
Have you ever watched ants going into and out of their nest, and wondered what was going on underground? It’s pretty hard to find out from the surface. If you dig up the nest, the ants get…
Nano Building
Play the Bionanoengineering Game
Basic building patterns can be used to think about how technologies are built at the nano-scale. Try your hand…
Frankenstein's Lab
Dr. Frankenstein needs your help to learn about how the bodies of different animals work! Build your own creature from 3…
Epic Mosquito Quest
Mosquitoes go beyond annoying, to being downright dangerous at times. How can you reduce the number of mosquitoes around your home, to…
Skeleton Viewer
To explore the bones of the human skeleton, check out our Skeleton Viewer. Take a look further inside of a bone…
COVID SIM Pandemic Simulation
In the COVID-19 pandemic, how much does wearing masks and distancing matter? How important is it to get vaccinated? You can…