Science

How to see a rare meteor shower in Minnesota this week
Two leading scientists predict the alpha Monocerotid meteor shower could take place Thursday night, and Minnesotans have a good shot at viewing it.
Bakken Museum announces plans for major renovation
The renovation involves the entrance, lobby, classrooms and gallery space in the 21-year-old lower-level wing of the museum near Bde Maka Ska.
Minnesota asked me to gather deer spleens for science. It wasn’t easy
When the DNR asked hunters this season to send in deer spleens to be tested for neonicotinoid pesticides, MPR’s Bemidji correspondent, an avid hunter, volunteered. But it turns out ID’ing a deer spleen in the woods isn’t so simple — even in the YouTube era.
Studying the ripple effects of shrinking Arctic sea ice
Scientists have frozen their ship alongside an ice floe to study the causes and consequences of diminishing Arctic ice, in the hopes of improving how the region is represented in climate models.
Mercury putting on rare show Monday, parading across the sun
Mercury will put on a rare celestial show Monday, parading across the sun in view of most of the world — including Minnesota. But remember: NEVER look directly at the sun without proper eye protection.
Math looks the same in the brains of boys and girls, study finds
Brain scans of 104 boys and girls doing basic math tasks found no gender differences. The finding adds to the evidence that boys and girls start out with equal ability in math.
Fargo scientists search for next generation of plant-based plastics
A national collaboration of scientists from four universities is breaking new ground in the search for plant-based plastic to replace petroleum-based materials.
Searching for solid ice as scientists freeze in to study a warming arctic
A ship of researchers is crossing the Arctic for a year attached to an ice floe. But finding the right chunk of sea ice was a challenge, in part because warmer temperatures are making it thinner.