Tag: science
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The race to save coffee
“Coffee is the common man’s gold…” Sheik Abd-al-Kabir ‘In praise of coffee’ (1587) We take coffee for granted. Judging by the ubiquity of Starbucks stores, you’d think that coffee was abundant. But the coffee we like to drink, the fruity-tasting coffee arabica, is projected to decline given the dual pressures of climate change which reduces suitable […]
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Coronavirus face masks for dogs and cats
Some pet owners in China are going out of their way to protect their animals from the coronavirus by supplying them with masks. Despite the World Health Organization (WHO) declaration that pets can’t get infected with the virus, dog face masks are flying off the shelves. But the masks — originally meant to protect against […]
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Watch stunning ground-to-cloud lightning in Australia
While we perceive lightning from cloud to ground or cloud to cloud, the majority of lightning one sees occurs from ground to cloud. In this video captured by Hayden Milne in Burleigh Heads, Australia, we see ground-to-cloud lightning in its most epic display. Doesn’t lightning always work upside down? Mother Nature can be scary at […]
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See the sharpest movie of the sun ever made, with each plasma cell the size of Texas
The sun is about 93,000,000 miles away from Earth. The sun’s light travels at the speed of 186,000 miles per second, in total taking just 8 minutes to reach us. The National Solar Observatory (NSO) has brought us the sharpest view of the sun we’ve seen yet using the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope. Each […]
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How the Netherlands use agricultural density through “architecture“ to feed the world
The Netherlands is the world’s second-largest exporter of agricultural products despite being 237 times smaller in land area than the world’s export leader, the United States. That’s according to a fascinating article on Netherlands agriculture density through “architecture“ (ie., extensive use of greenhouses) as examined by Arch Daily: “Dutch agriculture is defined by vast landscapes […]
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It’s ‘Raining’ Iguanas in South Florida
Iguanas in South Florida are falling out of trees due to freezing temperatures. Weather in South Florida dropped into the 30s on Tuesday night, which immobilized the iguanas and turned their bodies dormant. “Don’t be surprised if you see iguanas falling from the trees tonight,” the Miami National Weather Service office tweeted. The good news […]
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Anthropologist Grover Krantz donated his body to science with this one condition
Grover Krantz was one of the few anthropologists who dedicated their time to studying Sasquatch, aka Bigfoot. As a cryptozoologist, Krantz believed that Bigfoot might exist and did everything he could to research it. Five of his ten books explored the possible existence of the ape-like creature. Perhaps even more interestingly, the peculiar scientist donated […]
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A 3D render of your eye under a microscope
What does your eye look like under a microscope? Instagram 3D artist Frank J Guzzone gives us at least an imaginative glimpse into the workings of an eye. Don’t get carried away by the reality or irreality of the visualization. Just admire the concept. Eye doctors on Twitter have promptly responded to Twitter account ZonePhysics […]
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Studying woodpeckers is helping prevent brain trauma
“When you’re hit on the football field, parts of your brain may fizz like a just-opened can of soda.” The brain released humans from the prison of biology.So why do we do anything that damages our ability to think? Because of sports like football that entertain. However, a new technology designed to mimic a woodpecker’s shock-absorbing beak […]
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Visualizing the hours of daylight in one year
Reddit user harpalss used animation software D3 to create a beautiful visualization of the changing patterns of daylight in one year. This is how the user describes it: Equation to calculate the hours of daylight for a given day of year and latitude can be found here. The animation was built with D3. Both the northern […]
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Researchers are developing a new vaccine to treat Lyme Disease
Scientists are developing a vaccine to help treat Lyme disease. Humans can get Lyme disease through the transmission of the Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium from the bite of an infected tick. Called VLA15, the vaccine works by stimulating the immune system to make antibodies that ward off 6 of the most common types of Lyme-causing bacteria […]
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Nasa unveils Pumpkin sun just in time for Halloween
Just in time for Halloween, NASA has posted a photo of the sun that looks like a massive flaming jack-o’-lantern. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory shot the photo earlier this month. The fiery slits in the image reveal the most active parts of the sun. Writes NASA: Active regions on the sun combined to look something […]