Microbiology: Tiniest Lifeforms Under the Microscope

What is Microbiology? Microbiology is the study of the tiniest forms of organic life (1) – typically, those too small to be seen with the naked eye. The word “microbiology” is, like many scientifically-derived terms, from the Greek language. It consists of the word “mīkros”, translated into English for "small", “bios” which means "life" and…

Geoscience: Unlocking the Planet’s Nature

What is Geoscience? “Geoscience”, also known as “Earth Science” is not a single discipline but an umbrella term for any science relating to planetary processes (1). Anything to do with the physical structure of the planet, its various atmospheres from the bottom of the oceans to the upper limits of the atmosphere, from short-term weather…

Biotechnology: Combining Engineering with the Biological Sciences

What is Biotechnology? The word “biotechnology” is a portmanteau word of “biology” and “technology”. Also know in a shortened form as “biotech”, it uses biological and natural processes to tackle and solve some of the world’s biggest technological and industrial problems. Anything that uses biological cells and living material – including genes and gene sequences…

Big Data: Explaining its Uses to Environmental Sciences

Defining Big Data Big Data was the buzz phrase of 2017, but in truth, the concept has been around far longer than that. We know what data is – it is the raw information collected from any study, but particularly in science. Data science is the study of this data. Big Data takes this concept…

Meteorology: Something in the Air

What is Meteorology? Meteorology is one of the most important atmospheric scientists yet one that most of us do not think about. When we do, our immediate thought is to its usefulness in predicting weather. Yet it covers all aspects of the atmosphere, including atmospheric physics and chemistry (1). Humanity has always had (and needed)…

Paleontology: Examines the Dawn of Life to the Dawn of Civilization

What is Paleontology? As with most areas of science, the word “paleontology” has its origins in the Greek language. The word is broken down into three sections. “palaios” means “ancient", “onto/ontos” means "creature" or a “being”. The final part “logos” which means the “study" or “thought” (1). Paleontology then means ancient creatures and beings study.…

Chronology: Tools and Methods for Dating Historical and Ancient Deposits, Inclusions, and Remains

Introduction: Explaining Chronology Ever since The Enlightenment, and possibly even before that, researchers have attempted to understand the chronology of the world around us, to figure out precisely when each stage in our geological, biological and cultural evolution took place. Even when the only science we had to go on was religious literature and the…

Ecology: Examining the Relationships Between Living Things

Ecology is an environmental science in its most literal sense – the study of environments and the entities within it. Although closely associated with environmentalism and conservation today, it does not necessarily follow; an ecology can also be human gut flora, how the elements of an urban environment function, and the ecology of soil nutrient…

Archaeology: Examining Its Past and the Future

What is Archaeology? Simply, archaeology is the study of people in the past, their activities and actions, cultural practices, tools and technological development, and in some cases (where possible) their superstitious and religious practices, expression of their cultural identity and other beliefs about themselves or the world around them (1). It mostly looks at material…

Epidemiology 101

The word “Epidemiology” means “the study of what is amongst the people”, roughly translated from the Greek epi (among or upon), demos (the people) and logos (to study). Although we think of it in terms of human population, there are areas of epidemiology today for zoology, botany and other biosciences where disease affects a population’s…

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