Science! Archives - Portland Mercury

New Oregon Law Requires Transparency From OHSU About Its Primate Research Center

After years of mishaps and notable animal deaths, new legislation aims to give the public more insight into a federally-funded testing site.

Abe AsherSeptember 19, 2023 3:00 pmSeptember 19, 2023 10:52 pm

When State Rep. David Gomberg was in his second term in the Oregon House of Representatives, a bill came to the floor to exempt workers at Oregon Health & Science University’s (OHSU) National Primate Research Center in Hillsboro from any kind of public disclosure. Under the terms of the legislation, Oregonians couldn’t disclose the names […]

Science!

How to Keep Your Insufferably Hot House Cool

Wm. Steven HumphreyJune 25, 2021 12:00 pmJuly 12, 2022 8:06 pm

“Oh dear lord, it’s hot. I wish there was some sort of… oh, I don’t know… ‘tip sheet’ for how to stay cool, and… oh. Hello.” tommaso79 / iStock / Getty Images Plus [The following wildly informational article was first published in the Mercury in 2015, but unlike most of our old stuff, this one […]

Science!

Visit the Dinosaurs at OMSI and Remember Earth Has Seen This All Before

Blair StenvickMarch 24, 2021 12:50 pmJuly 12, 2022 3:35 pm

Blair Stenvick In geology, prehistoric time is delineated by marking different cataclysmic events. It’s not the promising beginnings or new creations that define a time period—rather, it’s the traumatic event which changes everything that gives a time its meaning. For the dinosaurs who roamed North America millions of years ago, it was actually multiple cataclysms, […]

Video Games

Things to Do (While Staying Home and Staying Safe) in Portland: Tues May 5

Mercury StaffMay 5, 2020 8:00 amJuly 12, 2022 3:37 pm

Natalie Wood: What Remains BehindThis HBO documentary premiering at 6pm tonight seeks to take a different tack in recounting the life of actor Natalie Wood. Most of her biographies tend to prominently fixate on her premature death, and the mystery surrounding it. Hell, even this blurb can’t make it to its halfway point without bringing […]

Science!

The 2020 Presidential Race Just Lost the Only Candidate Appropriately Concerned About Climate Change

Erik HenriksenAugust 22, 2019 12:20 pmJuly 12, 2022 3:38 pm

Washington State Governor Jay Inslee KAREN DUCEY/GETTY Washington State Governor Jay Inslee was remarkably one-note in his recently euthanized campaign to be 2020’s Democratic nominee. Climate, climate, climate, he’d say. Climate, climate, climate! And—occasionally, if he really wanted to shake things up—he’d add: Climate! Climate! Climate! Inslee never managed to get much support in the […]

News

Rep. Earl Blumenauer on Climate Change: “Congress Needs to Understand This Is an Emergency and Act Like It”

Erik HenriksenJuly 9, 2019 12:59 pmJuly 12, 2022 3:38 pm

Oregon Representative Earl Blumenauer Chip Somodevilla / Getty On Tuesday, Oregon Representative Earl Blumenauer, along with New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, discussed plans to introduce a resolution to Congress that would declare a climate emergency in the United States—urging lawmakers to, as Blumenaer tweeted, address “the truth about the climate […]

Science!

The Portland Mercury’s Sinus Infection Report!

Erik HenriksenJanuary 30, 2019 11:10 amJuly 12, 2022 3:39 pm

MERCURY ILLUSTRATION. DOC BY 4X6 / GETTY IMAGES ’Tis the season… sinus infection season! While public health authorities insist I’m “not a licensed medical professional,” I urge you to take heed of these sinus infection facts—YOUR LIFE MAY DEPEND ON IT! • How do sinus infections spread? Via this website! UH OH! • Sinus infections […]

News

Anti-Vaxxer Parents Just Got Slammed By the New York Times

Wm. Steven HumphreyJanuary 21, 2019 10:10 amJuly 12, 2022 3:39 pm

AndreyPopov / iStock / Getty Images Measles is a highly contagious disease that, on average, kills 10,000 people a year—mostly under the age of five. And while vaccines came close to eradicating the disease, outbreaks live on thanks to dangerous misinformation spread by anti-vaxxers (who were recently declared a global threat by the World Health […]

Science!

Portland’s Crows Are Back. So Are the Laser-Guided Hawks That Scare Them Off.

Sarah VitakDecember 20, 2018 4:00 amOctober 30, 2023 9:42 pm

Portland’s crows are back. So are the laser-guided hawks that scare them off.

Science!

Climate Change Experts Predict Dire Future for Northwest

Katie HerzogNovember 27, 2018 2:07 pmJuly 12, 2022 3:40 pm

Climate change won’t wait for us to be ready. We’re already seeing it.

Sex

Mercury Sex Survey Results: Let’s Talk Orgies!

Wm. Steven HumphreyNovember 13, 2018 9:30 amJuly 12, 2022 9:49 pm

In the current issue of the Portland Mercury, we published the highly arousing results of our 2018 Sex Survey. What did we learn? Well, for one thing, straight people are really falling down on the job when it comes to orgies. Here’s a little taste: Let’s Talk Orgies Orgies (like taking nude selfies) are also […]

Sex

Sex Survey Results: Apparently You Like Public Sex

Wm. Steven HumphreyNovember 12, 2018 9:29 amJuly 12, 2022 9:49 pm

Mike Merg In the current issue of the Portland Mercury, we published the highly arousing results of our 2018 Sex Survey. What did we learn? Well, for one thing, Portlanders really seem to enjoy having sex in public. Here’s a little taste: Want to learn more about how you, your friends, and your neighbors have […]

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