A green thumb: purple and gold

As people walk across campus they notice colorful leaves falling to the ground, squirrels gathering nuts and scenic beds of flowerbeds dotting the landscape with various colors. The hardest part about keeping the grounds is…

50 years forward, where are we now?

“We shall overcome…we shall overcome someday…” These simple lyrics that originated in the hymns of hopeful slaves made their way to the pews of Southern black churches and, over time, became one of the most…

Sigur Ros takes Birmingham on spiritual journey

Sometimes calling a musical performance a “concert” isn’t enough. Occasionally it’s something more, something transcendental and greater than the sum of its parts. Such was the case with Icelandic experimental rock group Sigur Ros’ first…

Making plants sing with the future of touch…

Dr. Ivan Poupyrev wants to make plants sing. And he’s succeeded. This isn’t to say he’s bestowed some sort of creepy sentience on them or anything. Poupyrev is the principal research scientist at the Walt…

So far, smart watches are looking pretty dumb

Lately, wearable technology seems to be all the rage among the leading tech companies. Samsung is advertising its new Galaxy Gear smartwatch, rumors circulate about a possible Apple “iWatch,” and Microsoft’s Surface team is hinting…