Blue-eyed humans have a single, common ancestor
Variation in the colour of the eyes from brown to green can all be explained by the amount of melanin in the iris, but blue-eyed individuals only have a small degree of variation in the amount of melanin in their eyes. New research shows that people with blue eyes have a single, common ancestor. A team at the University of...
Sweet potato naturally ‘genetically modified’
The sweet potato is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the family Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots are a root vegetable. The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens. Sweet potatoes from all over the world naturally contain genes from the bacterium Agrobacterium. Researchers from UGent and the International Potato Institute (CIP) publish this discovery on...
sweat might make you smell sweeter
Scientists have developed a fragrance-delivery system that works overtime when you perspire Scientists have created a scent-delivery system that releases a pleasant fragrance when you sweat. Apply it to the skin, and the more you sweat the better you’ll smell. That's because the perfume only gets released upon contact with moisture. Chemists at Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland combined two...
Scientists have captured the first image of thunder.
Scientists ‘see’ thunder for first time Map of sound waves sheds light on the energy behind lightning For the first time, scientists have precisely mapped the loud clap radiating from a lightning strike. This picture of thunder’s origins could reveal the energies involved in powering some of nature’s flashiest light shows. Lightning strikes when an electric current flows from a negatively charged...
world’s biggest seed
It grows on palms and can weigh more than a toddler The secret behind the world’s largest seed is leaves that serve as good gutters. During rains, they channel lots of water and nutrients right to the plant’s thirsty roots. Coco-de-mer palms (Lodoicea maldivica) produce these monster nuts, which are a type of seed. The biggest can tip the scales at...
Pesticides that may cause Bees harm
Pesticides offer bees a risky allure Tests show some pollinators can’t taste certain widely used pesticides that may cause them harm Bees flit from flower to flower dining on nectar. Sometimes that nectar may contain traces of widely used pesticides. Yet the bees are unlikely to know which nectar is tainted. Indeed, they can’t taste these pesticides, a new study finds....
Cell phone use and texting: Studying?
Tests show that teens did not learn as well when they were distracted by text messages. Cell phone use and texting are increasingly common, especially among teens. And that could be a problem. Texting affects learning and performing on tests, a new study finds. On average, students who responded to texts while working got lower scores. This trend held even...
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the engineering of functional systems at the molecular scale. This covers both current work and concepts that are more advanced. In its original sense, 'nanotechnology' refers to the projected ability to construct items from the bottom up, using techniques and tools being developed today to make complete, high performance products. Nanotechnology is the engineering of tiny machines — the...
Changing State: Evaporation
Evaporation occurs when molecules in a liquid gain enough energy that they overcome attractions from other molecules and break away to become a gas. Adding energy increases the rate of evaporation.
What is a Chemical Reaction?
A physical change, such as a state change or dissolving, does not create a new substance, but a chemical change does. In a chemical reaction, the atoms and molecules that interact with each other are called reactants. In a chemical reaction, the atoms and molecules produced by the reaction are called products. In a chemical reaction, only the...
