Why does a memory palace work? A memory palace works because our brains are better at remembering images and locations than we are at remembering random information. Nobody really invented the memory palace. It is a technique that has been used for as long as there have been people. Before writing, people had no choice […]
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What happened to the dodo? The dodo went extinct in 1662 because of hunting and the introduction of invasive species. We all know the saying, “as dead as a dodo,” but where does it come from? Well, interestingly, “dead as a dodo” doesn’t appear until 1904 and is probably an adaption of “dead as a
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What is snuff? Snuff is a form of powdered tobacco that you can inhale, giving you a quick nicotine hit. Snuff has been around for a long time. Native people living in the area that is now Brazil used powdered tobacco leaves as snuff. They ground the leaves using a rosewood pestle and mortar, which
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How does the color of a bird’s wings help it fly? Many birds that soar and glide have wings that are darker on the top than on the bottom because radiated heat helps them to fly. Birds usually have wings that are a different color on the top to that on the bottom. The general
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Why do peacocks have such long tails? A peacock’s tail is so long because it confers a large advantage when trying to find a mate. A peacock’s tail (which is also called a train) is a good example of the balance that means evolution sends a species one way or another. Large tails in peacocks
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Why are many mushrooms dangerous? This is a little bit tricky because not all mushrooms are dangerous, but a lot of them contain toxins that can be harmful or fatal. A lot of plants are also toxic, but they can have edible parts. If you get lost in the wild, the general advice is to
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Why do some fish create their own light? Some fish create their own light to attract prey or, surprisingly, to hide from predators, and many other reasons as well. Being able to create light is called bioluminescence and it is not limited to just fish. The most common organism that creates light on land is
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What is leukemia? Leukemia is a type of cancer that begins in the bone marrow. It is a group of different cancers, rather than one type of cancer. “Leukemia” comes from the Greek words “leukos”, which means white, and “haima”, which means blood. It is named in Greek, but the Greek’s didn’t know what it
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Do larger animals have a faster metabolism? No, bigger animals don’t have a faster metabolism. It tends to be the exact opposite. Let’s look at what metabolism is. The metabolism of an organism refers to all of the chemical processes that go on within the cells to keep that organism alive. There are three main
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How do weight loss drugs work? There are different kinds of weight loss drugs, but the most common ones work by suppressing appetite and slowing down how fast the stomach is emptied. A large percentage of people in developed countries are becoming seriously obese. There are many reasons for this. The prevalence of ultra-processed food
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