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Why Don’t Animals Have Wheels?

As children, we learn about the various kinds of simple machines that underly most human constructions. Levers, pulleys and inclined planes all serve to help humans turn force in one direction into motion in another or otherwise make it easier to move objects. The six kinds of simple machines (levers, pulleys, wedges, inclined planes, screws and wheels) were identified and defined in the Renaissance and have formed the basis of more complex machines ever since. Indeed, simple machines are basic enough consequences of physical laws that animals can evolve some of them as parts of their bodies: a carnivore’s teeth are wedges and most of our joints are levers. However, one simple machine in particular stands out as something that, by and large, does not occur in nature—and it reveals some of the limitations of biology.

Why are there no animals with wheels?

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The Precision You Mean: Trans-inclusive Language In Science And Medicine

As science communicators invested in the ability of science to achieve a better, more informed, less ignorant world, we aim to balance the need for specific scientific language and the desire to make science accessible to a broader audience. Scientific terms exist because scientists, engineers and other specialists need language to efficiently describe complex and… Read More »The Precision You Mean: Trans-inclusive Language In Science And Medicine

So, Your Social Media Presence Is Being Overrun With Covid Denialism

Stop me if you’ve heard this one: over the last 15 months, your social media presence has become overrun with “COVID denialists,” anti-vaxxers, and other outspoken skeptics of accepted science.  They co-opt your comment threads to spread conspiracy theories and harass people who support vaccines, wear masks, and believe SARS-CoV-2 exists. Maybe you don’t even… Read More »So, Your Social Media Presence Is Being Overrun With Covid Denialism