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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Do guilt and shame have a purpose? Shame and guilt serve to make people function more as a group and to follow the agreed social norms. Many of us spend a large portion of our lives weighed down with shame and guilt and we often wish that they were two emotions we didn’t need to
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What is a thorium reactor? A thorium reactor is a nuclear reactor that is powered with thorium and not uranium. Let’s look at how a current nuclear reactor works and then look at how a thorium reactor would work. Nuclear reactors work on the principle of nuclear fission. This is where an atom of a
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Why are the White Cliffs of Dover white? The White Cliffs of Dover are white because they are made of white chalk, which is a type of limestone. The White Cliffs of Dover are a very famous symbol of the UK. During the Second World War they were often sung about because when pilots crossed
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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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How does a CT scan work? A CT scan uses x-rays and computer software to produce a 2D or a 3D image of the section of the body being scanned. CT stands for Computed Tomography. “Computed” means calculated, or worked out. “Tomography” is “imaging by sections using any kind of penetrating wave”. Tomography is made
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When did we start using taxis? The first taxi service was started in London, UK in 1605. Just as with buses, it took several changes in society before a taxi service became necessary or possible. Before we look at that, though, let’s look at the origin of the word “taxi”. Taxi is a shortened form
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How do ultramassive black holes form? Ultramassive black holes can form when supermassive black holes collide. To make a supermassive black hole, we need to start with a regular black hole. Black holes can form when a very large star collapses in on itself. The star has to be very large, at least 25 times
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