When we’re up high, the lack of nearby visual anchors makes our bodies sway automatically – this contributes to the dizzying sensation of vertigo. But most people aren’t afraid of heights, not in the sense of having ‘acrophobia’, which is when the mere thought of falling can bring on a panic attack. The rest of …
The absence of air resistance and gravity would make a speeding bullet travel very differently in space. Although there would be no oxygen, bullets contain their own oxidiser, which would allow the gunpowder to ignite and fire the gun. With no air to slow it down, a bullet could in theory travel forever through deep …
It was extremely difficult. The street lighting of towns and major roads would have provided some clues but during World War II, with blackouts over Europe, night bombers flew with a navigator who used the airspeed and compass bearing to plot a course on a map. Over water, some planes were fitted with a calibrated …
English borrows many words from the Romans and the ancient Greeks but these were only added to the English language in the middle ages. The oldest words are for the most basic ideas. The word ‘water’ for example is essentially the same as the ancient Hittite word ‘watar’ or ‘wadar’ and probably dates back to …
A seven-day week first became ‘official’ by decree of the Roman Emperor Constantine in 321 BCE, but it had already been in use since ancient times, by the Sumerians and Babylonias. One theory is that the week was based on the seven visible celestial bodies from Earth: the Moon, the Sun, Mercury, Mars, Venus, …
Present day – Permanent body art is now socially acceptable in most parts of the world; in the United States, roughly a quarter of people aged between 18 and 50 have tattoos, and this number is on the rise. 1891 – Samuel O’Reilly patented the rotary tattoo machine. It was the first tattooing device to …
Several theories explain the origins of kissing; although the fact that not all human cultures kiss suggests that it is a learned, rather than an innate behaviour. One idea is that kissing stems from our early ancestors’ practice of feeding babies directly from the mother’s mouth. Another theory sees kissing as a means of evaluating …
With just enough room for them to stand together side by side, Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay looked out at a view no one else had ever seen before. It was 11:30am on 29 May 1953 and they had just become the first people to ever reach the summit of Mount Everest. Their journey …
Caves provide bats with a shelter where they can sleep or hibernate with minimal disturbance. Hanging from high ceilings and walls, bats are beyond the reach of most predators but also able to immediately launch into flight if needed. Large caves provide space for whole colonies to roost side-by-side, conserving energy. Caves’ stable temperature and …
Unfortunately about half of the birds that collide with windows die, either from injuries caused by the collision itself or by another animal when the bird is stunned and unable to fly away. Ornithologists believe that the birds, which are usually small songbirds, are probably seeing the reflection of trees and open sky in the …
A recent study found that the ratio of brain size to body size in dogs has been increasing for thousands of years. This may be because dogs are social animals, and the brain capacity required for social interactions means that these species are nearly always more intelligent than solitary ones, like cats. However, cats have …
What appears to be a smooth surface, like a ceiling, for example, is actually covered in tiny cracks and bumps too tiny to be seen by the naked eye. These can provide insects like flies with a sort of toehold, or rather, a hairhold. A fly’s legs end in clawed segments called tarsi, which have …
Both venomous and poisonous organisms can be harmful, sometimes deadly, but the difference between them lies in the delivery of their toxins. A venomous organism injects its venom into other organisms using either a stinger or fangs, which are attached to a gland that produces the venom. The venom is injected often to immobilise prey …
What’s The Difference Between Venomous And Poisonous? Read More »
Only domesticated pigs have curly tails – wild pigs actually have straight tails. There are a number of theories on why this might be the case, the most unexciting being that there is no real reason. The degree of curliness varies in that some domesticated pigs have a slight kink, while others have more of …
Bad news for picnic fans, bumblebees and wasps can survive multiple stings -it’s only the worker honeybees that die after administering a sting. The reason for this is due to the design of the stinger itself – shaped like a harpoon, the honeybee’s stinger lodges itself into the target and is so effective that the …