All posts by hollywilliams

The Sleep Thief

It’s not the holiday stress or your partner’s snoring, nor is it your children. Who is stealing that precious sleep we all yearn for? Work. Researchers recently asked over 120,000 Americans how they spent their time, and those that got 6 hours or less of sleep, were also those that worked *more* on average per week, […]

Where does the fat go?

A paper recently published in the British Medical Journal shows that most medical professionals do not know what happens when you lose weight. The misconception is that the fat has been converted into energy.  But what really happens? It goes into thin air. (Although it sounds like one, this is not a joke.) Read more about […]

Need to borrow a telescope? Go to the library!

Winter time is great star-gazing time and the constellation Orion is prominent in the night skies. The Bangor Public Library started circulating our new Orion Starblast Telescope the first week in December. The Orion Starblast is a 4.5 inch reflective telescope. It comes with instructions about using the telescope, a National Audubon Society Pocket Guide to Constellations and a headlamp. […]

The science of a stringed instrument

December 13th is National Violin Day, a time to honor one of the most difficult instruments to play.  Although when you consider how many calories you burn while playing the violin for an hour (170 calories), it seems well worth the effort, doesn’t it? Violins are complex instruments, not only in playing them but in building them.  […]

We’re having Science for Thanksgiving

What do particle accelerators, thermodynamics, and engineering have to do with Thanksgiving? Everything! If you buy a turkey that has been shrink wrapped (especially Butterball turkeys), then you have particle accelerators to thank for producing that sturdy film that keeps the turkey fresh.  Symmetry magazine did an article a few years back on how shrink wrap […]

Keeping our pets healthy and our water safe

Westbrook is the home of IDEXX Laboratories, a leader in the development and manufacture of tests that detect diseases in cats, dogs and other animals. In 2011, after the devastating tsunami in Japan, IDEXX provided testing that ensured the health and safety of cats and dogs throughout the region after thousands of pets were left homeless. That same year, […]

To Maine and beyond…

With all of the excitement of the comet landing this week, we just had to highlight all of the Mainers who have been in space and how several of our partners have made an impact on space travel and exploration. Robert Rushworth, Maine’s first astronaut, was a test pilot who flew the X-15 over 30 […]

Science has helped the military and beyond

We hear of advances in military technology that provide safer measures for our troops, like minesweeping robots for the Navy, but much of the technology also benefits civilian life. Prosthetic technology has come a long way in the past decade (robotic arms, carbon-fiber blades), but the stumps they attach to can swell and chafe, leaving amputees unable to […]