African Sulcata Tortoises Turn Heads During Pet Blessing Ritual in Borneo
Reading Time: 5 minutesSisters Anne Patrick (left) and Saint Hermione Patrick pose with their Sulcata tortoise pets, Heng Heng and Chaisen, during the pet blessing at St Anne’s Church. The African spurred tortoises were among the more unusual visitors at the event, attracting attention with their distinctive shells and gentle nature. Despite their quiet appearance, Sulcatas can grow […]
Genetic Modification and Gene Editing
Reading Time: 5 minutesGenes contain the instructions that determine many of the characteristics of living organisms and control how their cells function. But can scientists change these instructions? Could we make bacteria produce useful medicines, develop crops that survive drought, make food more nutritious, protect plants from pests or even correct genes that cause disease? Yes. Scientists can […]
Why Surgical Lights Do Not Cast Shadows
Reading Time: 4 minutesImagine a surgeon performing an operation. The surgical area may be only a few centimetres wide, yet it contains tiny blood vessels, nerves, muscles and other structures that must be seen clearly. Now imagine the surgeon’s hand or an instrument moving over the area and blocking the light. A dark shadow could appear exactly where […]
Electricity in Our Body and ECG
Reading Time: 3 minutesOur bodies produce electricity! Every time your heart beats, tiny electrical signals help make that heartbeat happen. These signals come from specialised cells in the heart, particularly a group of cells called the sinoatrial (SA) node. The SA node acts as the heart’s natural “pacemaker”, producing electrical signals that travel through the heart and tell […]
Zebrafish: A Tiny Marvel
Reading Time: 4 minutesWhat can a tiny freshwater fish possibly teach us about the human body? Quite a lot, as it turns out. This little fish is the zebrafish, a small freshwater species native to South Asia. Scientists use zebrafish as a model organism to study how genes work, how organs develop and how diseases affect the body. […]
Volcanoes: Nature’s Double-Edged Power
Reading Time: 5 minutesAs Anak Krakatau continues to remind us this week, volcanoes are a powerful force of nature: capable of disrupting lives within hours, yet providing benefits that can shape ecosystems, economies and human societies for generations. They can destroy homes, bury farmland and darken the skies. But the same geological forces can also create fertile soils, generate […]
What Is a Faraday Cage?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWhat Is a Faraday Cage? Have you ever seen lightning strike during a thunderstorm and wondered how people inside cars or planes stay safe? That’s because of something called a Faraday Cage! A Faraday Cage is not a real cage like the ones animals live in. It is a special kind of shield made from metal that blocks electricity and radio waves from […]
Crunching the Curve: The Math Behind the Iconic Potato Chip Introduction
Reading Time: 2 minutesCrunching the Curve: The Math Behind the Iconic Potato Chip Introduction Have you ever wondered why some potato chips have that distinctive, saddle-like shape? These perfectly curved crisps are not just a product of culinary creativity—they are the result of clever mathematics, precise engineering, and innovative food science. At the heart of their design lies […]
The Wood Wide Web: Nature’s Hidden Network of Sharing, Survival, and Strategy
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe Wood Wide Web: Nature’s Hidden Network of Sharing, Survival, and Strategy Beneath our feet lies a living network as complex and efficient as the internet—only it’s made not of wires, but of fungi. This vast underground web, known as the mycorrhizal network, connects trees and plants through microscopic fungal threads, enabling them to exchange […]
Delving into Basic and Applied Sciences Understanding the Difference Between Basic and Applied Science
Reading Time: 2 minutesScience is all around us! From the smartphones we use to the medicines that keep us healthy, science plays a big role in our lives. But did you know that science is divided into two main types? These are basic science and applied science. Let’s explore what they mean and how they are connected. […]