Real Rocket Science

The Insulin Plant (Costus igneus), also known as ‘Spiral Ginger’ or ‘Fiery Costus,’ has garnered significant attention for its potential health benefits, particularly in managing blood sugar levels. In this article, we delve into the scientific research surrounding Insulin Plant Benefits, its active compounds, and how it can potentially support individuals with diabetes and beyond.

The existence of Blue Dragon Fruit has sparked curiosity and debate among horticulturists, fruit enthusiasts, and the general public. However, the question remains: Is it real, or is it merely a myth? Let’s find out!

The list of to-dos when it comes to selling your house might already seem daunting, but there’s one place where sellers should pay particular attention if they want to grab the attention of prospective buyers—and it starts with the yard. “When it comes to selling a home, first impressions matter,” says Realtor.com Executive News Editor Clare Trapasso. “The front yard is generally the first thing that prospective buyers see when visiting a home, so sellers should make sure that it oozes curb appeal.” That means a freshly cut lawn with trimmed hedges and weeded flower beds. Dead plants and spent blooms should be removed so all that’s left is a neat and welcoming home with a yard that doesn’t scream money pit.

Tile countertops: love them or leave them in the past? While some designers like New York City-based Emma Beryl think they bring «the '70s and '80s back into the kitchen,» others believe they should stay in the time capsule.

The first draft of my essay is done, and although I will revisit it in due course before the deadline, I thought I would take a few minutes to write a blog post that I have been pondering for some time now.

Header image: Mission specialist Sally Ride became the first American woman to fly in space. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

An ethnobotany superhero by night, my mild-mannered daytime alter ego is a science writer for the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), one of the UK’s research councils. It’s not often that those two worlds collide, although during the early summer the campus I work on is dotted with the blooms of hardy orchids.

On Thursday I pottered out into the garden and planted some tea bags. This isn’t because I have some loony idea that they’ll grow into tea plants (you were wondering that, weren’t you?) – it’s all in the name of soil science.

Header image: A SpaceX Dragon capsule, NASA Johnson/Flickr, CC BY-NC

Earlier this year, my father-in-law (FIL) visited while Ryan and I were finishing up putting the new metal-framed raised beds in our garden. He said, rather wistfully, that he missed having a vegetable garden. Although he and my mother-in-law (MIL) have quite a large garden, it’s all given over to ornamentals as my MIL is a highly skilled florist. (She did the flowers for our wedding.)

The UK Space Agency has launched a new mission for the UK’s children to design a logo for the first small satellite launches from the UK next year.

NASA has put together a short video introducing the science experiments that are part of the upcoming Artemis I mission to the Moon.