Julian Thorne
Julian focuses on the technical nuances of acid digestion and heavy liquid flotation. He is passionate about refining the accuracy of reference collections for intercostal cell patterns.
Latest from Julian Thorne
Tiny Time Machines: How Microscopic Silica Tells the Earth's Story
Learn how microscopic plant silica, known as phytoliths, acts as a durable record for tracking climate change and ancient human migration.
The Glass Skeletons Hidden in Our Soil
Discover how microscopic glass bits called phytoliths allow scientists to reconstruct ancient diets and environments from nothing more than a bucket of dirt.
Tiny Clues to Big History: This Week's Finds
From ancient bread to invisible glass in the soil, see how small plant remains tell the story of our past and future in this week's network digest.
What Was Really For Dinner Five Thousand Years Ago?
Scientists are using microscopic plant glass found on ancient teeth to figure out what people really ate thousands of years ago, proving our ancestors' diets were more complex than we thought.
The Tiny Glass Stones That Tell Us How We Farmed
Ancient plants left behind microscopic glass 'fingerprints' called phytoliths. Discover how these tiny structures help scientists rebuild the history of farming and climate change.
The Glass Skeletons in the Soil
Plants leave behind tiny glass skeletons called phytoliths that stay in the soil for thousands of years, allowing scientists to reconstruct ancient forests and diets.
Scanning the Soil for Lost Forests
Environmental detectives are using microscopic silica remains to map out how forests and grasslands have shifted over thousands of years, providing a new way to understand climate history.
Nature’s Tiny Time Capsules
Discover how microscopic silica from plants helps scientists reconstruct ancient climates. See how these tiny glass time capsules reveal the earth's hidden history.
The Glass Ghosts in the Cornfield: How Tiny Plant Crystals Rewrote History
Plants leave behind tiny glass shapes that last forever. These 'phytoliths' help us track the birth of farming and understand how ancient people lived.
Tracking Ancient Weather Patterns with Buried Microscopic Plant Shards
Phytoliths are microscopic glass structures that act as environmental recorders. By studying these tiny shards, scientists can reconstruct ancient landscapes and track how climates have changed over thousands of years.
Seeing the Big Picture in Tiny Places
This week, we look at how microscopic details—from bug shells to cat whiskers—tell the story of our planet's past and present through the lens of a mentor.
The Amazon's Secret Garden in the Dirt
New research into microscopic plant glass is proving the Amazon was a managed garden rather than an untouched wilderness. This discovery is reshaping our ideas about conservation and history.
The Tiny Glass Skeletons Hiding in Our Dirt
Discover how tiny silica structures called phytoliths act as nature's time capsules, allowing scientists to identify ancient plants and lost agricultural practices through microscopic analysis.
Microscopic Clues in the Ancient Mud
Discover how scientists use microscopic 'plant stones' to solve 10,000-year-old mysteries about the Earth's climate and the dawn of human farming.
Why Tiny Glass Skeletons Tell the Past's Best Stories
Plants might rot away, but they leave behind tiny glass skeletons called phytoliths. Discover how these microscopic 'plant stones' are helping researchers rewrite the history of ancient farming and human diets.
The Invisible Glass Ghosts in Your Backyard
Plants leave behind tiny glass skeletons called phytoliths that survive for thousands of years. These microscopic clues are helping scientists uncover the secret history of ancient farms and lost forests.
Ancient Menus: Reading the Microscopic Records Left on Prehistoric Teeth
Archaeologists are using plant glass trapped in ancient tooth tartar and soil to map out exactly what prehistoric humans ate and how they lived.
The Microscopic Recipe Book: How Tiny Stones Track the First Farms
Ancient plant remains called phytoliths are providing the 'smoking gun' for when and where humans first began farming.
The Glass Shadows of Ancient Meals
Discover how microscopic glass crystals called phytoliths are helping scientists reconstruct ancient meals and farming practices from thousands of years ago.
The Glass Ghosts in the Soil: Discovering What Ancient People Really Ate
Discover how tiny glass structures called phytoliths are helping scientists reveal the secret diets and farming habits of ancient civilizations.