Scientists Say
A weekly word defined, in a sentence and in context.
- Animals
Scientists Say: Autopsy and Necropsy
Sometimes when animals die, they need to be investigated. These examinations have two special names. One is for people, the other for non-human animals.
- Ecosystems
Scientists Say: Taphonomy
Studying what happens to plants and animals after they die can teach us about ecosystems and evolution. This study has a special name.
- Brain
Scientists Say: MRI
MRI is a technique used to diagnose diseases and to study the body. The machine can map internal structures, all the way down to tiny blood vessels.
- Chemistry
Scientists Say: Ion
Some atoms and molecules have a positive or negative electrical charge. These are called ions.
- Environment
Scientists Say: Fracking
Liquid fuel sources such as natural gas and petroleum form deep underground between layers of rock. To retrieve them, engineers often use a technique called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.
- Space
Scientists Say: Gravitational lens
A gravitational lens is an effect that occurs when a massive object lies between a viewer and something further away. The massive object’s gravity bends light arriving from the more distant object.
- Health & Medicine
Scientists Say: Hormone
This is a chemical that travels in the blood and acts as a signal. It can tell distant body parts what to do. When a chemical acts in this way, it has a special name.
- Environment
Scientists Say: Microplastic
Bits of plastic smaller than five millimeters are called microplastics. They can end up in the ocean, where corals might mistake them for food.
- Animals
Scientists Say: Nematode
Nematodes are a group of related small worms found all over the world. They can cause disease, but they also can be useful for scientists to study.
- Animals
Scientists Say: Irruption
Sometimes populations of animals can suddenly increase. The word for that is irruption.
- Chemistry
Scientists Say: Fulgurite
When lightning strikes in the right place, it can fuse minerals together in a glassy structure.
- Brain
Scientists Say: Cortical homunculus
If you draw a representation of your body as seen by your brain, it’s called a homunculus. On it, parts sensitive to touch or used for fine movement are large, while others are small.
