I learned this today. We all age and there are nine problems that aging causes in humans. These are DNA mutations, faulty gene expressions, shortening telomeres, the build up of faulty proteins, worn out cells don’t die, mitochondria become faulty, metabolism becomes faulty, stem cells become exhausted, and cells lose the ability to communicate with […]
#210 What problems does aging in humans cause? Read More »
I learned this today. Statins work by blocking a substance that our bodies need to make cholesterol. What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a waxy, whitish-yellow fatty substance that our bodies use to build cells, make vitamin D, and make hormones, and fat dissolving acids. It is an essential part of our bodies. A 68 kg,
#209 How do statins work? Read More »
I learned this today. Cows combine nutrients from their blood, sugar, fat, and water in their udders to produce milk. All mammals, except for monotremes (like the duck billed platypus) produce milk. In all but one case the milk is produced by the female mammal. The only male mammal that produces milk is the Dayak
#208 How do cows produce milk? Read More »
I learned this today. The gambler’s fallacy is the belief that a random event is more or less likely to happen based on the outcome of a previous event. For example, if a coin is flipped ten times and it comes up heads ten times, the gambler will believe that heads is less likely on
#207 What is the gambler’s fallacy? Read More »
I learned this today. Different things have different tastes because the taste buds in our mouths can react to different chemicals in different ways. There are basically five tastes. Those are sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami. Umami is another word for “savory” and the fact that we can taste for it was discovered
#206 Why do things taste different? Read More »
I learned this today. The first postage stamp was issued by the post office in Britain on May 1st, 1840. Like most inventions, the postage stamp was invented to solve a problem. That problem was that post in Britain was paid for by the recipient and not the sender. Before the invention of the stamp,
#205 When was the first stamp? Read More »
I learned this today. A nuclear electromagnetic pulse is a burst of electromagnetic radiation produced by a nuclear explosion. The electric and magnetic fields it produces can damage electronics. A nuclear explosion produces an EMP in three different phases. These are known as E1, 2 and 3. They are each produced in a slightly different
#204 What causes a nuclear electromagnetic pulse (EMP)? Read More »
I learned this today. A pacemaker works by using electrical stimulation to make the heart muscles contract and the heart pump blood. A pacemaker is used to alter the rhythm of a heart. It is usually implanted to help with a slow or an irregular heartbeat. There are many reasons why a heartbeat could become
#203 How does a pacemaker work? Read More »
I learned this today. Sumerian cuneiform was the world’s first proper writing system. It started in about 3300 BC. The name “cuneiform” comes from the Latin cuneus, which means wedge-shaped. Cuneiform writing has a very distinctive wedge shape. There are three things that are necessary for something to be considered a writing system. Firstly, the
#202 What was Sumerian Cuneiform script? Read More »
I learned this today. Fish that live in saltwater have evolved to draw in large amounts of water through osmosis to replace the water that they lose because of the salt. We cannot do this. Salt draws water out of cells by the process of osmosis. Osmosis is the process by which a liquid moves
#201 Why can fish drink saltwater but we can’t? Read More »
