Rahim’s long and winding road to criminology

Reading Time: 8 minutesDr Mohammad Rahim Kamaluddin says it all for criminology. It is a blend of science and the arts. It is multidisciplinary, involving psychology, forensics, pathology, humanities and the social sciences. In this interview with MAHALETCHUMY ARUJANAN, he takes our readers into the how, and why, and what of criminology and speaks of a fruitful and […]

What are rhinoceros’ horns made up of?

Reading Time: < 1 minuteRhinoceros or rhinos are large, herbivorous mammals that are commonly identified by their horned snouts. The word rhinoceros were derived from Greek words in which ‘rhino’ meant nose and ‘ceros’ meant horn. There are five species and 11 subspecies of rhinos in which some possess two horns while others only have one. Rhinos use their […]

How do bats navigate at night?

Reading Time: < 1 minuteEver heard the idiom ‘as blind as a bat’? It is commonly utilised to denote a person with poor eyesight. On the contrary, bats aren’t blind. Most of them can see really well, even in dim light. As an example, most fruit eating bats possess large, bulging eyes that aid them to find their way […]

How do parrots mimic human speech?

Reading Time: < 1 minuteIf you’re wondering why parrots imitate sounds they hear, it’s because they’re social creatures. They feel a need to be able to interact and fit in with those around them. When kept as pets, these birds see their human owners as their family and want to communicate with them. Since a human owner usually can’t […]

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 […]

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 […]

What makes leaves change colour in autumn?

Reading Time: < 1 minuteEvery autumn we revel in the beauty of the fall colours. The mixture of red, purple, orange and yellow is the result of chemical processes that take place in the tree as the seasons change from summer to winter. During the spring and summer the leaves have served as factories where most of the food […]