Is it dangerous to ignite your farts?
READER QUERY: “I have a friend who claims that he has set light to his farts. Can this be done, and is it dangerous?” The gases released during flatulence are indeed flammable. Gut…
How many species can be found in a glass of ocean water?
If you’ve ever been involved in a school experiment looking at ocean or river water under a microscope, you’ll know that even a single drop teems with life, from larvae and fish visible…
Can there be problems when scientists reintroduce endangered species?
There are many projects aiming to replenish or broaden the gene pool of wild animal populations that are under threat. Few are more vital to survival than efforts to save the Tasmanian devil….
Do other planets have solar eclipses?
Do the other Solar System planets also experience total and partial solar eclipses like the ones we witness on Earth? The answer is yes: solar eclipses frequently happen throughout the Solar System. A…
Can a fright really cure hiccups?
READER QUESTION: “When I get hiccups, someone almost always shouts ‘Boo!’. Is there any reason to believe that this helps?” In scientific terms speaking, there is no proof that a fright can cure…
Unreal nature – AI images blur boundaries
None of these beautiful images of nature is real. We created them all using an artificial intelligence ‘art engine’ called Stable Diffusion. In a matter of seconds, the art engine turns any text…
How the giraffe really got its neck
The question of how the giraffe got its long neck has long been debated by scientists throughout the world. Since the days of Charles Darwin, the dominant theory has been that the giraffe’s…
Reverse extinctions, Tasmanian tigers and smoky mice
The idea of bringing back extinct flora and fauna is not new, but the challenge is two-fold: first in sequencing a full genome from recovered DNA fragments, and then in taking stem cells…
Groundwater could speed the loss of Antarctic ice
Australian research has uncovered groundwater beneath the Antarctic ice which may increase glacial loss and the rising of ocean levels. Antarctica preserves Earth’s largest ice sheet, and scientists have been warning for decades…
The smell of fresh-cut grass is an attack warning
We love the smell of fresh-cut grass. But in reality what we are smelling is a warning signal being released by plants under attack. The pheromones emitted by freshly-mown grass are known as…
