Scientists Say
A weekly word defined, in a sentence and in context. Click here to find the alphabetized list.
- Humans
Scientists Say: Neandertal
This extinct species is a close relative of modern humans. Neandertals lived in Europe and Asia, and made tools and jewelry — just like us.
- Physics
Scientists Say: Kelvin
Kelvin is a temperature scale. It’s based around the concept of “absolute zero,” a temperature so cold that molecules stop moving.
- Chemistry
Scientists Say: Peptide
Peptides are short chains made of smaller molecules called amino acids. These chains can form proteins, and they can also do work on their own.
- Animals
Scientists Say: Larva
Many insects, amphibians and fish have a life stage after they hatch that looks very different from the animal’s adult form. This life stage has its own name.
- Climate
Scientists Say: Climate
Climate is the atmospheric conditions that are typical to a general area over a long period of time.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Stalactite and stalagmite
Stalactites are mineral deposits forms on the ceilings of caves. Stalagmites are also mineral deposits, but they form on the floor of the cave.
- Animals
Scientists Say: Nematocyst
Nematocysts are special cells in some ocean critters, such as jellyfish, sea anenomes and corals. They have a barb coated in venom that shoots out at their prey.
- Health & Medicine
Scientists Say: Remission
Remission is a term used in medicine. It describes a disease that isn’t active anymore —whether it is cured or simply dormant.
- Physics
Scientists Say: Infrared
Infrared light belongs to a part of the spectrum that people can’t see. But this kind of light can be used to “see” the heat signatures of objects.
- Brain
Scientists Say: Ventral striatum
The ventral striatum is an area of the brain that plays an important role in mood, learning and addiction. It has a lot of dopamine, a chemical messenger.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Upwelling
This is a process in which a substance rises and spreads out over something else. Upwelling happens in the ocean, inside the Earth and even in a planet’s atmosphere.
- Animals
Scientists Say: Krill
Krill are small crustaceans in the ocean. They are an important food source for other larger animals, and their tiny swimming motions can mix nutrients in the sea.
