How geodes are formed?
Reading Time: < 1 minutePEOPLE are crazy for geodes right now. A geode may look like a plain, ugly rock from the outside, but when it is broken open, it is filled with beautiful crystals. People use the crystals for decoration and jewellery. But where do they come from? Geodes are born when a cavity develops in a rock. These holes are often formed by […]
How do solar panels work?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteTHE sun is the ultimate source of all life on earth. It is also an infinitely renewable and 100% pollution free energy source. Therefore, it is not surprising that we should look to solar energy as a great potential energy source. How do we harness energy from the sun? One way is through the use of solar panels. […]
Why do animals remember differently?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWE often say that someone with a strong memory has a memory “like and elephant”, while someone who is forgetful might have a memory “like a goldfish”. But can we really compare our memories to that of animals? A recent study showed that animals don’t have much recollection of specific events at all, but instead, they store away information about what […]
The most influential species of all evolution
Reading Time: 2 minutesEVER wonder what is the most influential (defined as the species that has most changed life on Earth) species in the history of the planet? Homo sapiens? You got it wrong. Though we’d like to think we are the masters of the universe, we don’t even make it in the top five. It is … the earthworm. Yeah, you read that […]
MICRONES helps overcome loss of crude palm oil during extraction
Reading Time: 2 minutesBY AZMAN ZAKARIA SERDANG: Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) researchers, along with their research partners, have succeeded in developing Maceration Induced Cell Rupturing Oil Nut Extraction Synthesis (MICRONES), a new technology to help overcome the problem of loss of crude palm oil during extraction process. MICRONES will change the extraction process of crude palm oil (CPO) […]
USM Archaeology team confirms prehistoric presence on local shores
Reading Time: 2 minutesBY MAZLAN HANAFI BASHARUDIN SEBERANG PERAI UTARA: The archaeology team from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) has unearthed skeletal remains estimated to be at least 5,000 years old at a construction site here. The team from the USM Centre for Global Archaeological Research (CGAR) led by its Director, Professor Dato’ Dr Mohd Mokhtar Saidin, has provided […]
Microbe buddies convert heat- trapping methane to energy
Reading Time: 2 minutesResearchers from the Department of Energy at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have recently discovered that the ubiquitous heat-trapping methane gas can be converted into beneficial and environmental-friendly energy by simply creating a harmonious environment for two very different microbes. Per biotechnology news portal Bionity.com on April 13, the discovery published in the Bioresource Technology journal […]
From coffee-waste to biofuels
Reading Time: 2 minutesFuture Americano, cappuccino and latte drinkers could help produce the raw material for a greener biofuel that would reduce our reliance on diesel from fossil fuels. Purpose-grown feedstocks (used to extract oils) for biodiesels are controversial because of their cost and the demand they place on land and water. However, spent coffee grounds, which have […]
Ooho! Edible water blob may replace plastic bottles
Reading Time: 3 minutesTo combat the rising waste of plastic water bottles, a start-up company called Skipping Rocks Lab has come up with a solution by creating edible water bottle. This edible water bottle comes by the name of ‘Ooho!’ and it resembles very much like a large droplet of water. To be more precise, it is a […]
Authorise and support GMOs, science and innovation, says advocacy group
Reading Time: 2 minutesBRUSSELS: It is time for the EU to authorise GMOs as well as support science & innovation, says the Brussels-based advocacy group, Europabio. The group is urging European decision-makers to play by the rules and endorse the evidence. This is in view of the expected vote on March 27, by EU member states on whether […]