DEET (short for N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) is the most widely used insect repellent in the world for a very good reason – it works really, really well! Just a quick spray on exposed skin keeps mosquitoes, flies, fleas, chiggers, and ticks away. Developed by scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and patented by the U.S. Army […]

A third of reef-building corals around the world are threatened with extinction, according to the first-ever comprehensive global assessment to determine their conservation status. Corals produce reefs in shallow tropical and sub-tropical seas and have been shown to be highly sensitive to changes in their environment. The study findings were published July 11, 2008 by […]

Looking for a timely and concise way to integrate the grades 5-8 National Science Education Standards into a study of the impact of acid rain? Read on!
Middle school students have probably heard of “acid rain” and know it to be a bad thing. They might even know it comes from nitrogen and sulfur compounds emitted […]

It’s a sure bet many of your students are lamenting their height, wondering when or if they’ll ever grow into their feet! Tall and lanky? Blame your genes was the lead story on ABC News in Science, Monday, September 03, 2007. This story illustrates several concepts associated with the methods of science and scientific enterprises, […]