Clouds on Earth move as fast as the wind is blowing them. The stronger the wind, the faster a cloud moves. On our planet, clouds can be found at different altitudes and move in different directions and speeds. Wind speeds in the atmosphere vary with altitude, so the major factor in a cloud’s movement is …
Many have questioned whether fish do even sleep, because they don’t have eyelids and therefore can’t close their eyes or experience rapid eye movement (REM). However, scientists have now studied behavioural patterns that suggest fish do sleep, but look more like they are daydreaming. Fish don’t lie down, but tend to settle towards the bottom …
A rough estimate of the entire weight of the atmosphere, as experienced at the Earth’s surface, would be a whopping 5 million billion tons. The ‘sky’ is made up of all the molecules in the atmosphere, which press down on you from above and in all directions to create what is known as air pressure. …
Electricity can either flow through the wire, or up one leg, through the bird and down the other leg. As the bird is a much worse conductor than the wire, almost all of the electrical current flows through the wire. However, birds do experience a brief static shock when they land on a wire, because …
This isn’t because the little critters are lazy; their diet of eucalyptus leaves requires them to conserve a lot of energy. It’s a common misconception that the oil in eucalyptus leaves ‘drugs’ them, and the sleepy state is a result of being drunk. However, koalas need to sleep in order to digest and break down …
Sea air has long been thought to be a cure for many ills. Victorians visited seaside resorts to take in the supposedly restorative air, but it may just have been a respite from the sooty cities. Whether sea air actually is good for you is a matter of debate. Some believe that the moist air …
Belly buttons are few and far between in the animal kingdom, but the majority of mammals have them. Since placental mammals are all gestated inside their mothers, they are born with their umbilical cords still attached. Once delivered, their mothers typically chew through the cord, which tends to leave a flat scar or small bump …
It’s important to note that parrots don’t actually ‘talk’; they’re simply mimicking our speech. However, they’re one of a very small group of animals capable of learning sounds and repeating them. Scientists had long thought that this might be due to the size of the parrots’ brains, but it’s also to do with their structure. …
We share a number of characteristics with our closest living relatives, but verbal language is not one of them. This is partly due to anatomical changes that began over 100,000 years ago. Humans have smaller mouths than other great apes, with flexible tongues, elongated necks and fine control over breathing. In concert, these adaptations allow us …
DROSERA – There are over 100 species of drosera, which are commonly known as ‘sundews’ as they appear to be constantly covered in dew. However, these tiny droplets are actually sticky enzymes that trap and start to digest prey as soon as it lands on the plants’ leaves. PINGUICULA – This plant catches prey using …
MALE AND FEMALE – Mature pine trees are monoecious, meaning that they have both male and female reproductive structures called strobili. MALE STRODILI – The male strobili form in the bottom part of the tree, and contain microsporocytes that develop into pollen. POLLEN RELEASED – In spring, the male strobili release their pollen, which then …
Vast forests of pine trees can be found in many different regions, from the snowy mountains of North America to the open plains of Europe. These hardy evergreen trees can grow in environments that many others can’t, favouring acidic or sandy soils and rocky regions at high altitudes. When exposed to plenty of sunlight, pines …
If a ticket to Mars is a little out of your price range, then a visit to Dallol in Ethiopia might be the next best thing. The colourful landscape looks as though it belongs on another planet, with green pools of acid, strange salt formations and toxic gases spewing from the surface. The area is …
The glass used for windows typically filters out 97 per cent of the UVB rays, which can cause sunburn and skin cancer, so it’s unlikely you would get burnt unless you were exposed for a long time. However, glass is far less effective at blocking UVA radiation, eliminating just 37 per cent. UVA light causes …
The common cold is caused by a number of viruses, making it hard to tackle the infection with a vaccination or cure. Over half the cases of common colds are thought to be caused by rhinoviruses, but there are more than 100 unique variants of these, and they are constantly adapting and evolving. Attempting to …