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The Splice
The Science World's Current Events


Snowy Owls and the Price of Love
As Smith students headed home in late December, an ethereal visitor took up residence in Hampshire County: the Snowy Owl. The arrival of these rare owls brought enthusiastic crowds to Northampton and Hadley, along with questions about how to best appreciate birds without harming them. Snowy Owls are an irruptive species in Hampshire County, meaning they are irregular visitors based on their unpredictable migratory patterns. They breed in remote areas in the Arctic and occasi
Mar 23 min read


Should AI Have a Seat in our Classrooms: Perspectives from Faculty at Smith
“Do you want someone else to live your life for you?” That question, posed by Senior Laboratory Instructor Joe Yeager of the Chemistry Department, reflects the heart of the discussions surrounding AI use in the classroom. When does AI go from being a tool to replacing the learning and living that should be done by students? As faculty attempt to draw this line in the sand through personal and departmental policies, students are left to navigate a shifting sea of expectations
Mar 24 min read


The Sexiest Conservation Project in Massachusetts
Just five miles up Elm Street, the remains of a golf course can be spotted through the trees. Beaver Brook Golf Course closed its doors for the last time in July and is currently in the process of “rewilding” as it becomes a community park. The Trustees, a Massachusetts land conservation nonprofit, purchased the property in collaboration with Hilltown Land Trust (HLT), intending to transform the once exclusive space into something that would benefit Williamsburg and the surro
Nov 25, 20253 min read


Three Liars Make A Tiger: Errors in Chemistry Publications
Survey results found that 22% of chemists made changes that they knew to be incorrect to their manuscript during the review process. The study, “On and off-the-record correction practices: A survey-based study of how chemistry researchers react to errors,” was published this October in the journal Accountability and Research. This alarming finding came from a survey with 1,135 respondents who had at least two recent publications in the American Chemical Society or the Royal S
Nov 25, 20254 min read


The Pit We Call Paradise
Paradise Pond is a staple feature of the Smith College campus. But it wasn’t always there.
Nov 2, 20254 min read


The Fight for Funding
“The big takeaway is, I run a lab with full-time employees, and I do that by having federal grants. So I’m worried.”
Feb 22, 20254 min read
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