Tag: Science

Science quiz: Tools of writing Visual: Name this insect. The natural dye carmine is derived from an acid it secretes to protect itself. START THE QUIZ 1 / 6 | Name this insect. The natural dye carmine is derived from an acid it secretes to protect itself.

Why is the leaky faucet – that most irksome domestic malaise – so universal? A new scientific breakthrough seems to have cracked the physics of this incessant drip-drip. A new paper published in Physical Review Lettershas explained how a water jet breaks up into unstoppable droplets. Researchers from the University of Amsterdam found that the...

Nuclear activities worldwide generate around 200,000 m3 of radioactive waste every year. Of this about 10,000 m3, less than 5% by volume but containing most of the radioactivity, needs deep, long-term geological storage in the form of geological disposal facilities (GDFs). These caverns purpose-built hundreds of metres underground are packed with waste containers, cement backfill,...

Helical paths are everywhere in the microscopic realm. Many bacteria and parasites don’t simply swim or glide in straight lines. In three dimensions, they trace corkscrew-like tracks through their surroundings. Malaria parasites, for example, glide through soft 3D gels and, in the skin of a bitten host, on paths that look like stretched springs. For...

In the 1920s, Albert Einstein proposed a twist on the double-slit experiment. Rather than a wall with two fixed slits, he imagined a very light slit that would recoil when a single photon passed through it. If one could measure that recoil, one could in principle tell which path the photon took. At the same...

Science quiz: The natural artists called minerals Visual: This photo shows various minerals displaying ____________. Fill in the blank with the name of a phenomenon where they absorb UV light and reemit it as visible light. START THE QUIZ 1 / 6 | This photo shows various minerals displaying ____________. Fill in the blank with...

When you’re nervous or scared, your body enters its fight-or-flight mode, controlled by the autonomic nervous system. Adrenaline levels rise, your heart races, palms sweat, and blood flow and muscle tone are redistributed to prepare you to act. Your bladder and bowels are controlled by smooth muscle and sphincters. Stress hormones can make the bladder...

Human waste is leading to a decaying world where access to clean air, water or soil is becoming increasingly difficult. The solution is two-pronged – stop making more waste and clean up the waste already made. What is bioremediation? Bioremediation literally means “restoring life through biology.” It harnesses microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, algae and...

The US recently announced plans under its Lunar Fission Surface Power Project to deploy a small nuclear reactor on the moon by the early 2030s. It could be the first attempt to establish a permanent nuclear power source beyond earth orbit, signalling the start of a new era in space. While solar energy can power...

On November 30, Australian cricketer Steven Smith was spotted wearing eye-black strips while training for the forthcoming pink-ball Ashes Test match in Brisbane. These strips are pasted over the cheekbone and reduce the glare created by light reflected off the skin by more than half. They were popularised in the previous decade by West Indies...