Happy Science Fiction Day!

January 2nd is National Science Fiction Day. It stems from the birthday of the famous science fiction writer (and author of popular science books), Isaac Asimov. There is a huge difference between science and science fiction, but many science fiction readers and film fans become attracted to the field of science because of the novels they’ve read or the movies […]

The science of New Year’s resolutions

Lose weight, exercise more, quit smoking, yell less. These are all resolutions we can keep with just a little willpower, right? Your brain may have other ideas. The prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain just behind your forehead, is responsible for willpower, staying focused and handling short-term memory. This part of the brain is […]

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.  […]