Metallurgist Grigory Raykhtsaum shows Smithsonian three different ways to test if something is solid gold: a color test, a thermal conductivity test, and a particle test. It’s all computerized now so all he has to do is scan the object to get a read on the color, zap it with an electrical current to measure the conductivity, and scrape a bit off to have it analyzed in a powerful microscope.
Continue reading The Three Ways to Test If Something Is Real Solid Gold or Not
Earlier this week, over a hundred scientists, lawyers, and entrepreneurs gathered to discuss the radical possibility of creating a synthetic human genome. Strangely, journalists were not invited, and attendees were told to keep a tight lip. Which, given the weighty subject matter, is obvious cause for concern.
Continue reading Experts Held a Secret Meeting to Consider Building a Human Genome From Scratch
Most people are conditioned to believe that knowledge is power, when, in fact, knowledge is only potential power. In my life, I’ve been blessed enough to have many meaningful conversations, yet the one I had this past week on emotional intelligence with a young woman, Ashley Zahabian, who I met at the entrepreneurial incubator that I recently launched, Fownders, really resonated with me.
Continue reading What is Emotional Intelligence and Why Does it Matter?
Like most professional sports leagues, the NFL has general expectations for how its teams format their websites. Each site looks pretty much the same, with a standard menu bar and a drop-down item labeled “Team.” Most have a link marked “Front Office,” for fans to see who runs the operations on the business side. Sadly, if you were to check out who occupies these positions on most NFL team websites, you might be surprised by the lack of diversity among the executive faces. (Or, perhaps, not very surprised.)
Continue reading Meet Kevin Warren, the Highest-Ranking Black Executive in the NFL
Xylitol is an artificial sweetener found in everything from toothpaste to peanut butter to sugar-free gum. And, it turns out, it’s poison for dogs.
Continue reading A Common Artificial Sweetener Is Poisoning Dogs
A Brazilian man with elephantiasis, a rare condition
in which people’s limbs become discolored and swell to enormous sizes, was recently featured on the popular Animal Planet show “River Monsters,” which often films in tropical, heavily forested locales.
Continue reading Elephantiasis: What Causes This Strange Condition?
The Fat Cat Collective 