In 1950, farmers praised the news that small amounts of antibiotics would help their livestock put on more weight, faster. Ironically, that same year, different scientists published some early evidence of antibacterial resistance. At Scientific American's new food blog, Maureen Ogle writes about the history of antibiotic use in agriculture. Her story provides some great context to recent headlines, helping us better understand why our society originally made the decisions that led to our current struggle against antibiotic resistance.
Why did we start using antibiotics in animal feed?
Here's how to see evidence of the Big Bang on television
The reigning theory for the origin of our universe is that around 13.8 billion years ago, the entire visible cosmos was a tiny, very hot, and very dense point in space that was just a few millimeters in size. Then, in just a few fractions of a second, it exponentially expanded. Of course, the theory… READ THE REST
Spiders seem to dream, scientists discover
One clue that dogs, cats, and other animals are dreaming is that their legs sometimes twitch as if they're running. Now, scientists have recorded video (below) of jumping spiders doing the same thing, suggesting that they're in a state resembling REM sleep and likely dreaming. University of Konstanz behavioral ecologist Daniela Rößler made the discovery… READ THE REST
Bachelorette parties "destroying LGBTQ+ safe spaces" in Provincetown
Bridal celebrations are muscling in on the spaces created by queer and marginalized folks, effectively forcing them out and appropriating the safety therein. Researchers studying venues in Provincetown, Massachussets, report a process similar to gentrification—"hetrification"—where loaded white women trying to escape the straight world only succeed in bringing it back to the places from which… READ THE REST
Breeze through your reading list at a low price while helping students in need
We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. If you're trying to better yourself, finding out where to start can feel challenging. But having a mentor can be incredibly helpful, especially if you want to advance in your career or… READ THE REST
This multi-faceted charging station does everything short of brewing your morning coffee
We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. You've got quite the arsenal of gizmos and gadgets these days. So whether it's an extra-large monitor, your phone, or a smart home speaker, you've got a lot of stuff on your desktop.… READ THE REST
Don't paws! Get your dog in shape with this great piece of exercise equipment
We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. It's safe to say we all love dogs. How could you not? They are cute, friendly, funny, and to put it bluntly, we just don't deserve them! So for how much joy dogs… READ THE REST
