Brooke Horton

Bio

Brooke is a scientist by training and writer by nature. She is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Michigan who has performed research in neuroscience, cancer biology, and genomics. Her articles focus on the intersection of science with daily life. See more at www.BrookeNHorton.com
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Somewhere out there, a little girl is in total awe of the beauty and power of science. She loves her GoldieBlox, is testing out Girls Who Code and along the way internalized the message that girls belong in science. Unfortunately, there’s a good…
It's been cold this winter. We've learned to wrap up, layer and double-scarf. The South even learned to drive in an icy mess (kind of). Unfortunately the cold brought out more than heavy jackets. Climate change deniers got on their soapboxes and…
The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently released information about how well the American public knows basic science concepts. It turns out, not so well. In fact, one in four people are convinced that the sun orbits the Earth. Since that…
Much of the coverage of the 2014 Olympic Games has been political. Yet there have been a few great plotlines in the events themselves, from the cross country skiier who lost his ski, to the figure skater who got "bullshit" scores, to the famous…
The debate over drugs is often missing real information, and it's led to some bizarre policy choices. For instance, while the debate over legalizing marijuana is taking center stage, we don't even know much about it. The Drug Enforcement Agency…
Nature has some pretty strange sexual practices, but a species of Australian sea slugs takes the cake. When this lovely creature inseminates its mate, he also stabs it in the head and injects mind-altering hormones. This sea slug, Siphopteron…
At one time or another, most of us have spent time worshiping the porcelain god after a good time turned bad. Instead of reading another list article telling you to drink water to avoid a hangover, let's get into the science of alcohol's effects on…
The NFL has been in hot water for the past few years after scientists linked cognitive and behavioral changes to severe or multiple concussions. More than 4,500 former NFL players are suffering from neurological disorders, like dementia and…
From particularly appealing lunches to a Pic Stitch of way too adorable pets in winter sweaters, we now document nearly every facet of our lives, but a new study published in the journal of Psychological Science seems to suggest that taking photos…
Next time you burn one down, thank the sea squirt for your ability to enjoy it. This very distant, gelatinous relative was the first organism to develop the ability to respond to THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. When humans joined the…
Universities are increasingly engaging in a grossly unacademic practice by partnering with patent trolls. In the last five years more patent-assertion companies have been buying patents from universities in the hopes of cashing in on them. In a…
Since the beginning of the space program animals have played a large role in researching the final frontier. Large mammals, like monkey and dogs, were originally sent into orbit to investigate the physiological effects of space before launching…
This month NASA added Instagram to its already vast media presence. So next time a pic-stitch of a friend's dinner pops up on your news feed, remember that sometimes, social media is used for good, and go check out NASA's profile to see an amazing…
Protecting populations from the flu is proving to be more complicated than researchers previously thought. A new study published in Science Translational Medicine highlights a surprising complication of vaccine design: an increased risk of…
It was announced this morning that Bill Nye will be a contestant for Season 17 of Dancing With The Stars. Nye gained fame through his PBS show Bill Nye the Science Guy which ran from 1993 to 1998 and earned 18 Emmy awards. Nye has since used this…
Since the late 1990s, three U.S. universities have been investigating the impact of common chemicals in the environment on brain development. Berkely has focused on an agricultural area in California, while Mount Sinai and Columbia have followed…
This week, Chef Richard McGeown cooked the first ever lab-grown hamburger. The creation was taste-tested by food critics Hanni Ruetzler and Josh Schonwald in London. After five years of research and production, scientist Mark Post considered the…
Despite what hours of memorization for Bio 101 taught you, science isn't boring. In fact, it's mind-blowingly cool. These seven scientists are working on projects that would make Bill Nye proud. 1. Bin He is refining mind-controlled flight Bin…
About 97% of birds either have a severe reduction in size in the, or a complete loss of ... a penis. In terms of animal reproduction, this is clearly counter-intuitive. For animals that fertilize an egg internally, like birds, having a penis to…
About 97% of male birds either have a penis that's severely reduced in size, or completely lost. In terms of animal reproduction, this is clearly counter-intuitive. For animals that fertilize an egg internally, like birds, having a penis to deliver…