Will Bog Archaeology Fade Away?
By Nathaniel Scharping, Sapiens Magazine
Climate change is changing archaeology. Bogs usually offer an environment that preserves bones and other materials exceptionally well. But warming temperatures, severe weather and other disruptions have changed bogs. Now, bones and artifacts are weathering more quickly, and archaeologists fear that some of the most delicate materials that are still preserved, ancient DNA from animals and humans, may soon be too degraded to study.
The Plan to Stop Every Respiratory Virus at Once
By Sara Zhang, The Atlantic
The research spurred by the response to the coronavirus pandemic has led to a better understanding of how respiratory viruses spread. These insights, this article indicates, may enable engineers to improve ventilation systems so that people breathe cleaner air indoors. One crucial component of this effort would be to change building codes so that the air inside buildings is changed and filtered much more often. If that can happen, it might offer better protection against COVID-19, other airborne diseases, and even ordinary colds and the flu.
Why You'll Fail the Milk Crate Challenge
By Nehemiah Mabry, Wired
It's not safe to climb a pyramid made of milk crates. The likelihood of successfully climbing and then descending a narrow staircase made only of milk crates is not very high. This video, which features engineer and educator Nehemiah Mabry, explains why -- it comes down to a complete lack of support for the independent columns of crates. Mabry explains how factors such as column sway, foot positioning and muscle control all combine to make this a challenge to avoid.
