blogs

Fall into Fitness

By Francesca Romeo • October 10, 2013

The sunlight is dimming on the remainder of the fall season, so get out and enjoy the outdoors while you still can! Here are some outdoor activities in Ithaca that you can enjoy through the rest of this...

Default? What default?

By Gillian Nigro • October 9, 2013

It’s week two of the government shutdown and the country’s next crisis is fast approaching: the prospect of a debt default on Oct. 17. But, never fear! Our brave Republican leaders in Washington tell...

Gym & Exercise Basics

By Francesca Romeo • October 1, 2013

Cardiovascular activity is any aerobic activity that increases your heart rate and makes you breathe heavily. For some people this may be a walk or a jog at first, but plan to start running as your heart...

Nature publishes special debunking GMO myths

By Amanda Hutchinson, Contributing Writer • May 7, 2013

I know I’m going to ruffle some Ithacan feathers by saying this, but I don’t see the point in the anti-GMO movement. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some fresh fruits and vegetables. Going home is disappointing because the farmers’ markets in Connecticut generally suck, and I enjoy supporting local businesses by shopping at…

This week a good one for celestial sights all over

By Amanda Hutchinson, Contributing Writer • May 6, 2013

While everyone is enjoying the nice weather that finally decided to come to Ithaca, it’s also important that we remember to take advantage of the warm nights to catch some of the celestial events this year. The two main events this week won’t be easily seen from here, one due to skyglow and the other…

Bones show early colonists resorted to cannibalism

By Amanda Hutchinson, Contributing Writer • May 3, 2013

For the most part, our pre-college education of colonists was all about the light-hearted, if not fluffy, side of history. We learned about the first Thanksgiving with everyone sitting around the table all happy with their mashed potatoes and turkey. We learned about how the Native Americans taught the settlers how to plant the Three…

A week in photos — May 2, 2013

By The Ithacan Staff • May 2, 2013

Click to enlarge and view captions.

Gene therapy could bring relief to heart patients

By Amanda Hutchinson, Contributing Writer • May 1, 2013

For the most part, we can’t control our genes. No amount of hair dye will make me anything other than a natural blonde, no amount of stretching will make me any taller, and no contacts or glasses will make my natural vision any better because that’s what the combination of As, Ts, Cs, and Gs…

Archaeologists make great finds in Great Britain and Mexico

By Amanda Hutchinson, Contributing Writer • April 28, 2013

When people hear the world “archaeologist,” the image of a pith-helmeted historian tiring under the desert sun with a brush to uncover a perfect and complete T. rex skeleton. While full skeletons are a rarity, these scientists have found some neat collections, including the grave of what might have been an ancient queen, and they’ve…

Celebrating the master recipe book of life

By Amanda Hutchinson, Contributing Writer • April 26, 2013

DNA is some pretty cool stuff. If you think about it, it’s something as simple as some sugar, some phosphates, and a few different rings made of carbon and nitrogen. Sounds pretty elementary, but consider that this combination creates what is essentially the family heirloom cookbook that contains all the recipes to produce, say, a…

A week in photos — April 25, 2013

By Ithacan Staff • April 25, 2013

Click to enlarge and view captions.

White House hosts third annual Science Fair

By Amanda Hutchinson, Contributing Writer • April 24, 2013

Kids today have so many more opportunities than I did in school. I never got to bring my science fair projects down to DC to present to the president. Then again, my projects were pretty terrible: one involved slamming Lego boxes together in the tub to mimic plate tectonics and tsunamis, and the other involved…