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From bamboo sticks to modern chemistry: A history of fireworks on display at the Science History Institute in Old City
From bamboo sticks to modern chemistry: A history of fireworks on display at the Science History Institute in Old City Article

From bamboo sticks to modern chemistry: A history of fireworks on display at the Science History Institute in Old City

Modern day fireworks displays look very different from the original gun powder-packed hollow bamboo tubes first invented in China about 1,000 years ago. In the early 1800s, Italians took up the trade and developed their own popular style of pyrotechnics, which took advantage of advances in chemistry to create colors other than the traditional yellow and orange. Italian immigrants brought…
Morris Beegle
July 4, 2026
2026 Federal Hemp Ban: Understanding the Legislative Paradox Reshaping the Consumable Hemp Market
2026 Federal Hemp Ban: Understanding the Legislative Paradox Reshaping the Consumable Hemp Market Article

2026 Federal Hemp Ban: Understanding the Legislative Paradox Reshaping the Consumable Hemp Market

For years, the natural products industry has served as the tip of the spear for plant-based wellness and agricultural innovation. Independent health food stores, natural grocery chains and co-ops were among the first to educate American consumers on the endocannabinoid system. They were the pioneers who brought hemp-derived CBD to the mainstream, championing a botanical remedy that offered millions relief…
Morris Beegle
July 3, 2026
North Carolina lawmakers rush to rewrite hemp legislation
North Carolina lawmakers rush to rewrite hemp legislation Article

North Carolina lawmakers rush to rewrite hemp legislation

Republican lawmakers in North Carolina are negotiating whether intoxicating hemp products — including gummies, vapes, seltzers and flower — should remain legal after new federal restrictions take effect in November. Why it matters: Without a state carveout, many hemp-derived THC products could disappear from North Carolina shelves this fall, threatening businesses across the state.
Morris Beegle
July 2, 2026
How fearmongering sets policy, from ‘marihuana’ to solar to AI
How fearmongering sets policy, from ‘marihuana’ to solar to AI Uncategorized

How fearmongering sets policy, from ‘marihuana’ to solar to AI

In the race to build — or stop the construction of — data centers across the US, it’s important to remember no government is spending more on artificial intelligence than America. In fact, according to the Brookings Institute, the number of AI contracts within the federal government has risen from 472 in 2022 to more than 1,700 in 2026. Most…
Morris Beegle
June 30, 2026
Mycorrhizal Fungi Just Generated Their First US Verra-Verified Carbon Credits
Mycorrhizal Fungi Just Generated Their First US Verra-Verified Carbon Credits Article

Mycorrhizal Fungi Just Generated Their First US Verra-Verified Carbon Credits

Mycorrhizal fungi are among the oldest partnerships in biology, having colonised plant roots for roughly 450 million years. In exchange for sugars from the plant, the fungi extend the root system many times over and ferry nutrients back in return. Industrial agriculture, with its heavy tillage and synthetic fertilisers, disrupted much of this symbiosis. Groundwork BioAg, based in Mazor, Israel,…
Morris Beegle
June 29, 2026
Kentucky Congressman Rides to the Rescue of Hemp
Kentucky Congressman Rides to the Rescue of Hemp Article

Kentucky Congressman Rides to the Rescue of Hemp

For Kentucky, hemp is more than just another crop—it’s part of the state’s agricultural identity and an increasingly important economic engine. Now, one of the state’s senior lawmakers is stepping up to protect the industry. Yes, a Kentucky congressman rides to the rescue of hemp as Congress prepares to debate the next Farm Bill and potential changes to federal hemp…
Morris Beegle
June 28, 2026
‘Wild West’ for THC drinks, edibles stays as hemp regulation deal collapses in SC
‘Wild West’ for THC drinks, edibles stays as hemp regulation deal collapses in SC Article

‘Wild West’ for THC drinks, edibles stays as hemp regulation deal collapses in SC

About a quarter of sales at Jadoon’s Market in North Charleston come from sales of hemp products. A complete ban on hemp-derived THC drinks could have led the local market to cut jobs and a strict regulation would force them to drop some inventory and restructure their entire store, said Owais Jadoon, who co-owns the store with his father.  
Morris Beegle
June 27, 2026
Bioluminescent Fungi Unlock a Self-Sustaining Light System With Medical Promise
Bioluminescent Fungi Unlock a Self-Sustaining Light System With Medical Promise Article

Bioluminescent Fungi Unlock a Self-Sustaining Light System With Medical Promise

Fireflies are the most familiar example of bioluminescence, the biological process by which living organisms convert chemical energy into visible light. But certain fungi share this ability, and they have quietly attracted scientific attention for a different reason: the enzymes that make fungi glow can be used as biological tracers, allowing researchers to visually follow cellular processes such as tumour…
Morris Beegle
June 26, 2026