Great Lakes Echo (https://greatlakesecho.org/author/guest-contributor/page/15/)
When we were thinking about a new museum devoted to one of the most beautiful and interesting things on our planet – ice – we had to think hard about how best to display and preserve this delicate substance. So welcome to the Museum of Ice, Michigan’s largest museum, open daily (weather permitting) between December and March. Just step outside anywhere in the state and you’re in the museum.
Lost golf balls are responsible for a large amount of microplastics that are introduced into waterways. A new company is looking to change that by creating biodegradable golf balls.
Iron-flow batteries could be the technology that helps pave the way for the Great Lakes region’s green energy future.
Universities across the globe are monitoring wastewater on their campuses for viruses like COVID-19. It is a practice that has raised some medical privacy concerns, although researchers say there is no way to link the detection of the virus in wastewater with an individual who is sick.
Special microbial mat systems in Alpena, Michigan, are helping scientists search for extraterrestrial life. They could also lead to advances in other scientific fields, such as evolutionary biology and medicine.
For the first time, a genome sequence has been developed for an unfamiliar species of harmful algae that’s been blooming in the Great Lakes.
In the course of 11 days, a device dating back to 234 B.C. successfully transported 704 fish across the Cheboygan Dam in the northern part of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula with no injuries observed.
While virtual reality grows in the entertainment world, a team of Cornell researchers is using it to prepare farmworkers for hard work. Cornell hopes to collaborate with farms to create a variety of virtual reality spaces for people to visit and learn how to farm. The idea is to document and record the various practices used on a successful farm.
Rock climbing might be a new tool for conserving the public land that bolsters Michigan’s annual $20 billion tourism industry. The sport is gaining traction as outdoor enthusiasts look to experience nature differently, especially after indoor climbing gyms closed during the pandemic.
New York voters passed a $4.2 billion proposal on Election Day for water drinking protection, pollution mitigation, land conservation, waste management and other environmental projects.