What is a superconductor? It is a state of matter for a material where there is zero resistance to electricity. We need to start by looking at what electrical resistance is. Electrical resistance is, rather obviously, a resistance to the flow of electricity. An electric current results when electrons flow from an area with a […]
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Why does entropy happen? Entropy happens because there are vastly more ways a system can be in disorder than it can be in order. Entropy is explained in the second law of thermodynamics. It says that the state of entropy of an isolated system will always increase over time. It has been rewritten since it
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Why is carbon dioxide the main greenhouse gas? Carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas because it absorbs more heat than other gases. When we think of greenhouse gases and climate change, we think of carbon dioxide, but it is not the only greenhouse gas. All of these gases are obviously produced naturally, but human
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What is pneumonia? Pneumonia is an infection that causes the air sacs in the lungs to become inflamed and sometimes full of liquid. The word pneumonia was coined in 1603 and it comes from the Greek “pneumon”, which means lung. Pneumonia is caused when viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms infect the lungs. It is a
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How do painkillers work? By reducing the chemical responsible for pain, by reducing the amount of the chemical responsible for pain in the brain, or by blocking the pain signals to the brain. Painkillers are called analgesics, which comes from the Greek word analgesia, meaning “without pain”. It was first used in reference to painkillers
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What is DDT? It stands for dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane and was the first synthetic pesticide. It was banned in 1972. DDT didn’t start being used in large quantities until after the Second World War, but it had been discovered quite a while earlier. Othmar Zeidler, an Austrian chemist, first synthesized DDT in 1874. Nobody realized that it
Why are Omega-3 fatty acids good for us? They are healthy fats that are supposed to support heart health, lower triglycerides, improve blood vessels, aid the immune system, and do good things in the brain. What are Omega-3 fatty acids? They are not just one fat. There are 11 different types altogether. When we are
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What is baking soda? Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, which is a salt. Baking soda has a myriad of uses, but it was first used for baking, hence its name. It was discovered in 1801 in Berlin, by a pharmacist called Valentin Rose the Younger. I don’t know when it was first used in baking,
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Is cocaine natural? The main ingredient in cocaine comes from a natural plant, but it needs to be processed. Cocaine is a stimulant taken from the leaves of the coca plant. The Coca plant grows in South America, on the lower slopes of the Andes. Because it is such a valuable crop, cultivation has spread
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How does anthrax kill? Anthrax is an infection caused by a bacterium called Bacillus anthracis. Because it is a bacterial infection, it can be treated with antibiotics if it is discovered soon enough. We may have heard about anthrax from the news, but it is a naturally occurring bacteria that has been around for a
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