Why are clownfishes not stung by sea anemones?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe partnership between clownfish and sea anemones is one of the most iconic in the animal world. Unlike in Pixar’s film Finding Nemo, clownfish seldom stray far from their anemone. The clownfish live within the sea anemone’s poisonous tentacles. Those tentacles keep would-be predators at bay, including morays, scorpionfishes and snappers. In return, the […]
Mysteries of Japanese dinosaur unveiled
Reading Time: 2 minutesDated back in 1934 on Southern Sakhalin Island, a Japanese team has found fossils which were then named Nipponosaurus sachalinensis. Nipponosaurus got its name from the word ‘Nippon’ which means Japan in the Japanese word and it was named by Professor Takumi Nagao of Hokkaido Imperial University. Sakhalin Island is now considered part of Russia […]
What is the risk of flying?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteBY SCIENCE BRIDGE ACADEMY During holidays, many of us will take the opportunity to travel somewhere, perhaps overseas. With low cost air-lines abundant, many of us can afford to fly instead of having to drive or take the train. But would it in fact, be safer to do the latter? Since the occurrences of various […]
How do photocopy machines work?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteTHE technology underpinning this ubiquitous piece of machinery came about 75 years ago, when inventor Chester Carlson used static electricity created with a handkerchief, light and dry powder to make the first copy on Oct 22, 1938. Today, most photocopiers use a technology called xerography, a dry process that uses electrostatic charges on a light-sensitive […]
What is the technology behind freeze dried food
Reading Time: < 1 minuteMANY foods are freeze-dried today. The staple of astronauts, soldiers, and hikers, freeze dried foods are considered a good way of storing food (and some make great healthy snacks!). However, it might be surprising to note that the technique of freeze-drying is quite old. Freeze-drying is a three-step process that begins with freezing. Next the […]
Can plants hear themselves when being eaten?
Reading Time: 3 minutesWhen poultry animals are being slaughtered for food, we assumed that they might cry out in pain. But have you ever wondered about plants, if they would understand the circumstances where they are about to be eaten? The answer from most people is that it is impossible for plants to do so, but research has […]
Why are there different types of calendars?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteBY SCIENCE BRIDGE ACADEMY There are many different kind of calendars being actively used around the world and are basically of three types – solar, lunar and lunisolar/solilunar calendars. As the name suggests, a solar calendar is concerned with the Sun, or, more precisely, it is based on the Earth’s rotation around the Sun. Lunar […]
How does addiction work?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe word “addiction” is derived from a Latin term for “enslaved by” or “bound to.” Anyone who has struggled to overcome an addiction understands why. Addiction exerts a long and powerful influence on the brain that manifests in three distinct ways: craving for the object of addiction, loss of control over its use, and continuing […]
Why do elephants have big ears?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteDuring a hot day, we tend to sweat. However, elephants are unable to do so. Ever wondered how do they regulate their body temperature? Elephants are massive animals and they produce a lot of body heat. As they inhabit very hot regions, it is pivotal to have an efficient method to eliminate excess body heat. […]
Who came up with the practice of vaccination?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAn English doctor and ‘The father of immunology’, Edward Jenner presented the gift of vaccination to the world. In 1796, he performed his famous experiment on eight year old James Phipps. Jenner extracted pus from a cowpox postulate and inserted it into an incision on the boy’s arm. He was experimenting his theory, speculated from […]