Month: August 2016
Why Do Stinging Nettles Stay Under Your Skin?
Just one ten-thousandth of a milligram of stinging nettle fluid is enough to unleash that unpleasant tingling beneath the skin and the accompanying red rash. When disturbed, the stinging hairs on the nettles’ leaves act like needles and inject a chemical cocktail into the skin. Scientists aren’t entirely sure what chemicals the liquid contains, but …
Which Animal Jumps The Furthest?
Javier Sotomayor’s world record for the high jump currently stands at 2.45 metres. That’s pretty impressive by human standards (it’s stood for 23 years now), but it’s a distance that a puma would find laughable. The feline predators can leap more than double that height – up to 5.4 metres from a standing position. And …
How Were Candles Invented?
Long before the advent of the light bulb, candles were our primary form of artificial light, with the art of candlemaking, or chandlery, both celebrated and profitable for those with the necessary tools and expertise. Indeed, while today candles are made en masse by machines, right up until the early-20th century teams of workers harvested …
What Makeup Products Did Egyptians Use?
In Ancient Egypt, the image of an individual often acted as a substitute for the body in the afterlife. Therefore, in funerary paintings, both males and females are shown in their best clothes, wigs and makeup. In life, the Egyptians utilised a variety of pigments to adorn the face. The most predominant of these was …
Chocolate – A Sacred Drink Of Ancient Civilisations?
Chocolate is derived from the theobroma (‘food of the gods’) cacao tree and was consumed by the Mayans as a drink. Chocolate became a sacred elixir to both the Mayans and Aztecs. Archaeologists have discovered residues of chocolate in ancient jars that were found in Honduras and date to 1100 BCE. Cocoa trees grew in …
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Where Do The Nazca Lines Come From?
The Peruvian coastal plain in South America is home to a wonder of archaeology. The ground is scarred by images, or geoglyphs, known as the Nazca lines, thought to have been constructed by the people of Nazca between 500 BCE and 500 CE. The ancient artworks – most easily viewed from the air – were …
Why Do You Have Migraines Sometimes?
Those who suffer from migraines know they are a constant concern as they are liable to strike at any time. Essentially, a migraine is an intense pain at the front or on one side of the head. This usually takes the form of a heavy throbbing sensation and can last as little as an hour …
What Happens To Your Body When You’re Dehydrated Is Incredible
Just by breathing, sweating and urinating, the average person loses ten cups of water a day. With H2O making up as much as 75 per cent of our body, dehydration is a frequent risk. Water is integral in maintaining our systems and it performs limitless functions. Lubricating the skin, flushing out waste and keeping blood …
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How Does The Pepper Spray Actually Work?
The active ingredient in pepper spray – capsaicin – comes from the chilli plant. Produced to protect the plant’s seeds from being crushed by the teeth of grazing animals, this molecule binds to TRPV1 receptors on the endings of pain nerves, causing them to fire and inducing a feeling similar to burning. Pepper spray is …
Illuminating Cells: How Do They Revolutionize Medicine?
For millions of years, the Aequorea victoria jelly fish held the secret to green fluorescent protein (GFP) – a protein that absorbs the energy from the blue and ultraviolet (UV) range and re-emits it as a green light. Biologists got their hands on the glowing jellyfish in the 1960s, extracting the protein and then uncovering …
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What Makes 72-Hour Deodorants So Effective?
Deodorants prevent the odour associated with sweating, either by masking it, or by killing the bacteria responsible. To make the effects last longer, the active ingredients are sometimes encased within microcapsules. As the capsules take up water from sweat they burst, releasing deodorising chemicals. By including capsules of a variety of sizes, each requiring a …
Why Do Your Muscles Hurt After Exercising?
Normally, when our muscles contract they shorten and bulge, much like a bodybuilder’s biceps. However, if the muscle happens to be stretched as it contracts it can cause microscopic damage. The quadriceps muscle group located on the front of the thigh is involved in extending the knee joint, and usually contracts and shortens to …