Chicago Botanic Garden’s “seedy” preservation project
By Claire Donnelly This library never worries about anything overdue. But expect to give back from what you borrow. This is a seed library established by Leora Siegel, director of the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Lenhardt Library. Visitors can “check out” different seed varieties like heirloom tomatoes, mesclun greens, peppers, peas and beans. The library, housed […]
Climate change threatens national parks
By Claire Donnelly The glaciers in Glacier National Park are melting. Snowpack in Yellowstone National Park is decreasing. Blueberry bushes in Acadia National Park are flowering weeks earlier than they did more than 100 years ago. These are just some of the ways that climate change is threatening the national parks.
Scan, cook and serve: Smart oven turns up the heat on home meals
By Claire Donnelly Your microwave is about to get very jealous. Chicago startup company Tovala has designed a new smart oven that cooks meals to perfection by simply reading a barcode. The company launched a 30-day Kickstarter campaign with a $100,000 goal Tuesday to help fund production costs and raised $90,957 by 6:42 p.m. The […]
“Otterly” awesome – Shedd Aquarium’s new pup
By Claire Donnelly Shedd Aquarium’s rescued sea otter pup is one lucky baby. Pup 719 – as she is known until she gets a name – arrived in Chicago this winter after turbulent waves stranded her on a beach in California. The orphaned pup received almost two weeks of care at Monterey Bay Aquarium. “Shedd […]
Spider-Man can’t do whatever a spider can, researchers say
By Claire Donnelly What if instead of evading the evil Dr. Octopus by scaling the nearest wall, Spider-Man found himself stuck to every object he passed? According to some scientific researchers, that’s exactly what would happen if Spider-Man’s sticky pads were correctly proportioned to his body weight. In a study published in the January issue […]
The long and (very) short of bonsai
By Claire Donnelly Chris Baker has 269 children. His children are green, grow leaves and live at the Chicago Botanic Garden. They’re bonsai trees.
Man versus lake: Chicagoan drinks Lake Michigan straight
By Claire Donnelly Tim Mack stepped toward Lake Michigan and dipped his ceramic mug into the freezing water. Blindfolded and fueled by the cheers of dozens of onlookers, Mack chugged the entire unfiltered beverage.
