
Canadians revel in major snowstorm
Canadians revel in major snowstorm
Canadians revel in major snowstorm
The winter of 2015 will forever be remembered by Canadians as one of the worst in recent history. One storm alone caused more than 100,000 households to lose power and stranded thousands of drivers.
The snow was so deep it covered cars, houses, and businesses throughout much of Ontario and Quebec. Schools were closed for days at a time, and most people stayed home because roads were impassable.
It's easy to see how the weather affected Canadians in 2015. What isn't as obvious is how biochemists can benefit from this major snowstorm.
As you might imagine, it takes a lot of food to feed a nation during harsh winters like those experienced by Canadians last year. Food production is heavily dependent on pollinators like bees and other insects.
These insects are crucial in the pollination process because they help flowers turn into fruits that humans can eat. When there's no snowfall, there's less rain, and when there's less rain, it's harder for plants to grow, leading to a lack of fruit production.
Canadians are more aware than ever before about how their weather affects their food supply. Biochemists also know that they can help create better crop yields by researching ways to increase pollination efforts through artificial means like using drones to spread seeds over larger areas quickly.
The takeaway from this is simple biochemists have a lot of potential when it comes to helping farmers produce more food for everyone to eat.
If you're a biochemist looking for your next big idea, look no further than Mother Nature herself. She may not be the most pleasant neighbor sometimes (especially in Canada), but she's always got something interesting going on that could lead to great things down the road.