What’s the secret behind a lion’s roar?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteTHE lion is one of the largest carnivores on land. Nicknamed ‘The king of the jungle’, it possesses a deafening roar that would instill fear within humans as well as other animals. A lion is capable of producing roars up to 114 decibels that are equivalent to certain rock concerts. Lions do not generally roar when […]
Why do crab walk sideways?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteSTRANGELY enough, there is absolutely nothing wrong with crabs moving sideways. In fact, crabs walk sideways for the same reason humans walk forward! Crabs have their legs situated underneath their bodies, with their knees bending outward. Intrinsically, crabs walk sideways because their legs are positioned in such a way. If crabs were to walk forward […]
Why do snakes shed their skin?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteALL animals shed their skin. It isn’t obvious in mammals such as humans as it is an on-going process that occurs throughout one’s lifetime in which dead cells are constantly discarded. Skin shedding is unique among reptiles as it occurs periodically. In the case of snakes, they shed a layer of skin in one continuous […]
De-horning cattle without pain
Reading Time: 2 minutesHEY, did you know that cattles have now been made hornless through genetic editing? In large scale farming for livestock, cattles live close to each other and as a result, injure one another using their horns. In an effort to cut ‘operational costs’ and make cattles easier to handle and prevent injuries, most farms force […]
UPM turns cooking oil into biodiesel
Reading Time: 2 minutesSERDANG: Don’t discard used cooking oil because it can still be utilised. A research by Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) has succeeded in turning cooking oil into biodiesel for use for heavy machinery and vehicles. Those who give used cooking oil to UPM will be paid RM1 for every 1kg of such oil. The processing of […]
Way forward with information technology in oil palm fields
Reading Time: 3 minutesThe Informatics Department of FGV R&D Sdn Bhd (FGVR&D) was established with a vision to exploit and maximise the use of information technology in research and development. One of FGVR&D’s strength is the great resources and experience it has in oil palm research, especially breeding new planting materials. The foundation of FGVR&D research is grounded […]
Climate-smart rice key to farmer resilience, says IRRI head
Reading Time: < 1 minuteChennai,India: Stress-tolerant rice varieties can help make farmers more resilient against the increasingly destructive effects of climate change, said Matthew Morell, director general of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). Delivering the Millenium Lecture at the M.S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) in Chennai on 10 February, Morell described rice as “the engine of food security,” […]
Offshore security surveillance gets serious attention
Reading Time: 3 minutesSafety and security has been a growing concern recently throughout the world. The main reason being is accidents – fire and explosions and criminal activities, such as act of terrorism and piracy. Land is not the only place for such threat, seas and oceans are getting the same as well. In past years, different ways and/or […]
Turning food waste into tires
Reading Time: 2 minutesResearchers at The Ohio State University have discovered that food waste can partially replace the petroleum-based filler that has been used in manufacturing tires for more than a century. In tests, rubber made with the new fillers exceeds industrial standards for performance, which may ultimately open up new applications for rubber. As Katrina Cornish explains […]
Scientists rewarm large-scale tissues preserved at freezing temperatures
Reading Time: 2 minutesA research team led by the University of Minnesota, has discovered a groundbreaking process to successfully rewarm large-scale animal heart valves and blood vessels preserved at very low temperatures. The discovery is a major step forward in saving millions of human lives by increasing the availability of organs and tissues for transplantation through the establishment of […]