pfrohm, Author at Explore Magazine

An image of a white sign with black text " PET WASTE TRANSMITS DISEASE LEASE, CURB AND CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR PET IT'S THE LAW PLEASE KEEP THIS AREA CLEAN. $50 FINE PER CITY ORDINANCE SECTION 16-1.10A BOSTON PARKS AND RECREATION."

Perils of pet poop – so much more than just unsightly and smelly, it can spread disease — Julia Wuerz

Have you ever been out on a walk and as you take that next step, you feel the slippery squish...

An image of dragons on display in Shanghai.

It’s the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac − associated with good fortune, wisdom and success — Mario Poceski

Among China’s traditional holidays and celebrations, none ranks higher in importance than the Lunar New Year (農曆新年). Also known as...

An image of a paleontologist wearing a T-shirt showing Strophodus rebecae, a shark species with flat teeth that lived millions of years ago.

‘Jaws’ portrayed sharks as monsters 50 years ago, but it also inspired a generation of shark scientists — Gavin Naylor

Human fear of sharks has deep roots. Written works and art from the ancient world contain references to sharks preying on...

A multiple-exposure photograph of insects circling a light at night.

The surprising reason why insects circle lights at night: They lose track of the sky — Samuel Fabian, Jamie Theobald and Ash Sondhi

It’s an observation as old as humans gathering around campfires: Light at night can draw an erratically circling crowd of...

An image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, center left, performing rituals during the opening of the temple dedicated to Lord Ram in Ayodhya, India, on Jan. 22, 2024.

The opening of India’s new Rama temple made waves – but here’s what the central ritual actually meant — Vasudha Narayanan

An image of a young girl looking up at green germ-like figures

What if every germ hit you at the exact same time? An immunologist explains — Joseph Larkin III

When I was younger, I would watch “Batman” on my black-and-white television after school. Usually, Batman would face either the...

Wild ‘super pigs’ from Canada could become a new front in the war on feral hogs — Marcus Lashley

They go by many names – pigs, hogs, swine, razorbacks – but whatever you call them, wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are one...

An image of a a California teacher taking part in a demonstration in September 2023 to support the rights of transgender people.

Biases behind transgender athlete bans are deeply rooted — George B. Cunningham and Kelsey Garrison

In 2023, 24 states had laws or regulations in place prohibiting transgender students from participating on public school athletic teams consistent with...

An image of two people using a Palestinian keffiyeh to show their support during a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Washington on Nov. 4, 2023.

How the keffiyeh – a practical garment used for protection against the desert sun – became a symbol of Palestinian identity — Armin Langer

An image of students taking a test in a classroom.

1 in 4 Colorado 11th-graders skipped their state’s standardized test − geography and income help explain why — Lydia Ross, Carlos Casanova, Kathryn Chapman and Sherman Dorn

The big idea About one in four 11th-graders in Colorado exercised their right to skip the state’s official science test each year between 2016...

An image of an electrician working on an electrical power line.

Maine voters don’t like their electric utilities, but they balked at paying billions to buy them out — Theodore J. Kury

Frustration with electric utilities is universal today. Whether it’s concerns over high rates, poor service or a combination of both, people are constantly...