Natural Sciences and Mathematics

Colgate’s celebration of the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth kicked off Tuesday with a lecture about one of the naturalist’s legacies – the study of biodiversity – and a warning that the home for a vast array of plant and animal species is threatened. The university has several events this week to honor Darwin, […]

The National Teach-In provided a forum for professors and students to have a dialogue about global warming. The conversation was geared not only toward promoting awareness, but to propose actions that individuals and the campus as a whole can take to combat climate change. Robert Turner, professor of economics and environmental studies, and Ian Helfant, […]

To combat global warming through awareness and action, Colgate will participate in the National Teach-In on Thursday. Faculty and students will engage in a series of panel discussions, presentations, and workshops covering everything from scientific developments for mitigation to social implications of climate change. Building off the success of last year’s Focus the Nation, the […]

Students taking part in an extended study course in Mexico are soaking up information during guided tours through museums and ancient ruins while producing data of their own as they conduct field work for Colgate professor Anthony Aveni. The 11 students have already visited Mexico City’s National Museum of Anthropology and History and the ruins […]

Most days on the Academic Quad, you’ll find students carrying backpacks and occasional care packages from home. On Tuesday, though, you would have seen volunteer geology students carefully toting two large fossils: a mastodon tusk that is more than 10 feet long and approximately 200 pounds and a whale jaw bone that also tips the […]

Even though the most significant impact from climate change has been in polar regions, a new report co-authored by assistant professor of biology Catherine Cardelús may debunk the notion that tropical plants and animals remain unaffected by global warming. The research conducted by Cardelús and four other scientists was published in this week’s issue of […]

Most of us don’t associate solving a calculus problem with a day at the beach, but for Tim Pennings, a math professor at Hope College, this is exactly what comes to mind. Pennings and his dog, a Welsh Corgi named Elvis, came to campus Monday to share their unique take on calculus with students and […]

Photos showing flesh-eating bacteria and a polluted river of dead fish drew gasps from those attending Friday’s science colloquium in Love Auditorium as Amazon Conservation Team president Mark Plotkin emphasized the importance of protecting the Amazon land and culture. Ian Starr ’04, who works with Plotkin, organized their visit to campus to talk about their […]

Peer deep into space through the eyes of the orbiting Hubble Telescope. Travel back billions of years to witness the birth of the universe. Get an up-close look at ancient Egyptian pyramids. The Colgate and central New York communities can experience these breathtaking excursions inside Colgate’s Ho Tung Visualization Laboratory, which is now open for […]

Martha McConnell ’97, a geology doctorate student and a former legislative fellow for a U.S. senator, urged students Tuesday to consider post-grad possibilities that diverge from more traditional courses of research. McConnell’s research interests at the University of South Carolina include paleoclimatology and rapid climate change. She presented her lecture “From Foarams to Congressional Fellow: […]