I learned this today. Antimatter is matter made up of antiparticles. An antiparticle and a particle have the same mass but opposite electrical charges. A proton, for example, contains three quarks (2 up and 1 down), has a positive charge, and weighs 0.00000000000167262192 picograms. (A picogram is 100 billionth of a gram.) An […]
#216 What is antimatter? Read More »
I learned this today. Quarks are elementary particles that make up the fundamental constituents of matter. Everything that has matter in the universe is made up of atoms. The screen you are reading this on is made of glass (probably), which is basically silica. Silica has one silicon atom with bonds to four
#214 What is a quark? Read More »
I learned this today. FOXP2 is known as the language gene. FOXP2 stands for Forkhead box protein P2. Forkhead box proteins bind to a specific DNA sequence to control the rate of information. They are important for cell growth, proliferation, differentiation, and longevity. They, and all of the forkhead box proteins, have a
#213 What is the language gene, FOXP2? Read More »
I learned this today. The Higgs boson is an elementary particle associated with the Higgs field. The Higgs field is an energy field that transmits mass to the things that move through it. A boson is a particle that carries a force and energy. Bosons are at the route of the fundamental forces,
#212 What is a Higgs boson? Read More »
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. 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. 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 »
I learned this today. Plants are green because they absorb light in the wavelengths that are red and blue, while reflecting light in the wavelength that is green. Plants create energy through the process of photosynthesis. They convert light energy into chemical energy. Living organisms that convert light into energy are called autotrophs (photoautotrophs to
#200 Why are plants green? Read More »
