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The Science of Basil

11 Sep 2021

Sir Francis Bacon, an important figure in the development of the scientific method, claimed in his work on natural history that when a basil plant was exposed too much to the sun, it became wild...

Plexiglass: Protection for “The Pieta” and Us

11 Sep 2021

Some companies have benefitted from COVID-19. Like those that manufacture plexiglass. Banks, stores, automobile dealers all feature plexiglass panels to reduce the chance of viral transmission. The...

How Come You Never See a Baby Housefly?

16 Jul 2021

Simple. Because baby houseflies don’t exist. A little backgrounder on the flies’ reproductive cycle can clear up this apparent conundrum. Within a week of mating, a doggie-style activity lasting...

Squashing Some Mosquito Myths

9 Jul 2021

Guests at the Cypress Cove Nudist Resort in Florida routinely emerge from the swimming pool and walk over to a nearby row of citrosa plants.  They proceed to shake the shrubbery and then rub their...

Bat Poop Accused of Crimes!

9 Jul 2021

COVID has not been kind to bats. They have been accused of harbouring the SARS-CoV-2 virus and transferring it to people via an animal vector. But this is not the first time that these flying...

Brown Isn't Always Dull

7 Jul 2021

When an apple is cut in half, the exposed surface quickly turns brown. Do the same thing to an orange, and nothing happens. The noted Hungarian biochemist Albert Szent-Gyorgyi was intrigued by this...

Candles: What do they emit when lit?

25 Jun 2021

The use of candles dates back as far as 3,000 B.C., when ancient Egyptians used papyrus reeds dipped in animal fat that they then lit to use as torches. Similarly, ancient Romans dipped wicks into...

When You Play With Fire….

25 Jun 2021

There is an old saying that if you play with fire, eventually you will get burned. The same can be said for certain chemicals. Of course, I don’t mean “play” in the literal sense. What I mean is...

The Emerging Science of Careful Whispers

11 Jun 2021

Some people crave whispers. As a way to relax before going to sleep, these whisper connoisseurs go to YouTube, type in four letters, and let their brain be transfixed by the murmurs of intimacy...

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