Humans have always had a complicated relationship with weather. Ancient cultures prayed and made offerings to gods in hopes of receiving conditions conducive to growing crops. Adverse weather, then, was often interpreted as displeasure on behalf of those same beings—a punishment for failing to observe proper rituals. It doesn’t take a history scholar to understand this impulse. Weather, now as then, is both an enemy and ally. On one hand, it provides everything from the raw material for food—sunlight driving photosynthesis, wind the primary method of plants spreading their seeds—to something... Read More

Some of you have heard that Boulder is “25 square miles surrounded by reality”. Which is one way to say that the character of the city of Boulder is extremely different from other nearby cities. Today we will discuss how intellectualism has helped to create this unique reputation. There is a huge focus on anti-intellectualism in the United States. Many folks, especially politicians, discredit Education, Literature, Philosophy, Art, and Science as pursuits which are mostly impractical. None of these subjects seem vital for the “common man” to know. None of them will help... Read More

Mid-1990s Boulder was busy with activity. Fitness was king. Local businesses were prized. Hacky Sack circles and jam band opuses were ubiquitous anywhere students congregated. Simultaneous to that, though, was something wholly different. Buried in the corridors of the JILA tower on CU’s campus, a breakthrough was purring along quietly. Professors Carl Wieman and Eric Cornell were making real what many physicists thought was only theory. In the 1920s, Satyendra Nath Bose and Albert Einstein conceived of a new form of matter, which came to be known as the Bose-Einstein Condensate. A full explanation... Read More

Ask someone exactly how long one second is, and you’re likely to get a smirk. If pressed, many might rely on the “one-Mississippi” trick from their hide-and-seek days. Others might claim an innate sense of it, as though they’re a minor—if punctual—X-Men style mutant. But, honestly, most would look at their smartphone. Ask the right scientist that question, though, and they’ll tell you with confidence: it’s a matter of 9,192,631,770. Boulder is home to NIST, which, among its distinctions, is the keeper of official civilian time in the United States. That moniker comes as a direct... Read More

Cannabis consumers are typically portrayed as lazy, and have had the couch locked stigma association in mainstream media over the years. With new research from the University of Colorado Boulder released, the topic about cannabis and fitness is going mainstream. The stigma about cannabis consumers being lazy is being shattered by science. Men’sHealth, Maxim, The Denver Channel, Medical Marijuana, Inc., MSN and The Denver Post are just a few of many discussing the recent research. The research surveyed 600 adult cannabis consumers from states where cannabis is legal for adult use. When asked if... Read More

Could you use some extra cash for the holidays? Are you active and consume cannabis? How about just active? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you might qualify to participate in ongoing cannabis research right here in Colorado! There are several research studies being conducted throughout the state, and you can find one that fits you best. For any athletes out there who currently consume cannabis or haven’t consumed any cannabis products for the past 6 months, you could qualify for the cannabis activity study! The University of Northern Colorado Sport and Exercise Science Department... Read More

The Terpenes and Testing Magazine World Conference, described as “the most promising and comprehensive cannabis science expo in the United States,” was held April 11-12 in San Jose, CA. This two-day conference was a collection of the top cannabis science experts in the world. It is currently the largest gathering of cannabis science thought leaders on the planet and I feel honored to have been involved. Antonio and I both had the pleasure of participating as panelists on their Hemp Panel. We spoke about how hemp is part of our daily lives as a food source, a natural plant medicine, and how... Read More

Last Wednesday, I saw into the future. Boulder Techstars’ public Demo Day played the part of crystal ball, foretelling a future of virtual reality and revolutionary healthcare platforms. The 13 startups of Techstars’ 10th-anniversary class offer a new reality: a future that prioritizes efficiency and convenience to the point that the questions “Is there an app for that?” becomes on par with “Is the sky blue?” Every startup deserves praise for undertaking a monetary risk in the name of making our lives easier. However, as a young professional seeking both organization and inner peace,... Read More

Many people get into their daily routines: get up, get ready, go to work, come home, have dinner, relax, and go to bed. Obviously it is different for every person. However, for those of you who feel stuck in a routine, get out of the house and do at least one of these events! Monday, February 22, 2016 Grab an Uber or Lyft because it’s National Margarita Day! The Rio, Three Margaritas, Rincon Del Sol, or all three in one day are great options for tasty margaritas. It is the perfect occasion to get some friends together and have a good time. Tuesday, February 23, 2016 Janelle Iglesias will present... Read More

So… two things blew my mind this week and simultaneously confirmed that I live in a delicate balance of stupor and caffeination. Number one, this: UHM, WHAT!? THAT’S JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE. He posted this in January. The baby was born April 9th! HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS? I once considered taking a job in Bozeman, Montana and WHAT IF I WAS HIS BABY’S PEDIATRICIAN!?!? Yes, of course this is relevant. Clearly there’s more beauty in the world now that a member of *NSYNC has procreated. The second mind blowing factoid is this, which also surfaced back in January, but I just found out... Read More

Boulder is a famously health-conscious place—it’s consistently ranked as one of the fittest cities in America, and the abundance of beautiful trails and natural foods stores certainly makes it easy to be healthy and active. Unfortunately where interest lies, misinformation usually follows, and that’s the case with GMOs. Around here, you’ve probably seen labels on all kinds of food proudly trumpeting “Contains No GMOs!” but that little label is much more loaded than with just information. It’s a deeply emotional issue, one that forms unbreakable opinions on both sides and discussion... Read More