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 …
Illuminating Cells: How Do They Revolutionize Medicine? Read More »
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 …
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 …
Cows are magnetic – Well, technically they’re more like compass needles. Studying satellite imagery from Google Earth, researchers found that cattle (and deer) often align themselves with the Earth’s magnetic field lines between the north and south poles. They aren’t the only ones believed to sense magnetic fields: bacteria, molluscs and mole rats also display …
It might look like the site where a massive ancient meteorite once struck the side of the Earth, but this is no impact crater. The Richat Structure – also known as the Eye of the Sahara – is, in fact, a dramatic geological formation that appears like a giant bull’s eye in the otherwise barren …
The Eye Of The Sahara: The Formation Of A Surreal Structure Read More »
During the Croatian war of independence in the early-Nineties, more than 1.5 million land mines were laid across the country. Although the remaining minefields are marked, de-mining is not yet complete, and over 500 people have been killed and many more injured by land mines since the war ended. Even once a field has been …
These minute primates weigh an average of just over no grams (3.9 ounces), and measure 135 millimetres (5.3 inches) in body length. Despite their miniature size, they are capable of jumping impressive distances of up to five metres (16 feet) and are highly adapted for a life in the trees. They live in the Amazon …
The Pygmy Marmoset: Earth’s Smallest (And Most Agile) Monkey Read More »
It’s possible to smell rain before it has even fallen. Lightning has the power to split atmospheric nitrogen and oxygen molecules into individual atoms. These atoms then react to form nitric oxide, which in turn can interact with other chemicals to form ozone – the aroma of which is a bit like chlorine and a …
Why Does Rain Create A Special Smell Anywhere In The World? Read More »
Clouds form when the atmosphere becomes saturated and moisture condenses out around tiny particles of dust, salt or ice, collectively referred to as condensation nuclei. The shape of the cloud reflects the turbulence of the atmosphere and signals what is happening with the weather. Mammatus (or mammatocumulus) clouds are puffy and rounded, with a distinctive …
To the north-east of Mount Taranaki on New Zealand’s North Island is a series of limestone caves filled with dramatic spiky mineral deposits. Around 30 million years ago much of New Zealand was underwater. Over time, however, the calcareous remains of marine organisms were compressed under layers of mud and sand to form sedimentary limestone. …
Waitomo Caves: New Zealand’s Magical Grottoes Hiddden In Mountains Read More »
There are three main factors involved when it comes to cleaning skyscraper windows: cleaning equipment, cleaning mechanism technology and environmental considerations. Due to the epic heights and natural factors like wind involved in the operation, every cleaner is equipped with a harness, descent and safety rope, rope protector, rope-grabbing tool, descent mechanism, lanyard and suction …
A fleet of Google Street View cars – alongside a few trikes, snowmobiles and boats – has been capturing panoramic images of our roads and buildings for some time now, but there are certain areas they haven’t been able to reach. Well, until now. The solution lies in a 1,2-metre (four-foot)-tall, backpack-mounted camera called the …
To this day dirty water is one of the biggest killers on Earth, particularly in the developing world. However, there now exists a cheap and efficient way to stop dangerous, waterborne bugs in their tracks. Enter the LifeStraw. The device aims to decontaminate dirty water, making it safe for human consumption. It achieves this by …
The Revolutionary Straw That Makes Any Water Safe To Drink Read More »
Turbulence is a flow condition within a medium – such as air or water – in which local speed and pressure changes unpredictably within an overall stable flow direction. As such, turbulence is characterised by rapid changes of momentum diffusion and convection, as well as velocity. It is the result of a medium like air …
It may look precarious, but learning into a corner on a motorbike actually offers more grip. As bikes only have two wheels, they don’t simply turn through corners in the way a four-wheeled vehicle does. Instead, they effectively carve through the turns, leaning from side to side and using the full outer radius of their tyres …