A dream includes the images, thoughts, and emotions that are experienced during sleep. Dreams can range from extraordinarily intense or emotional to very vague, fleeting, confusing, or even dull. Some dreams are joyful, while others are frightening or sad. Sometimes dreams seem to have a straightforward narrative, while many others appear to make no sense at all. Many suggest that… Read more →
All Mouse-sized micro-Bats use ultrasound calls for echolocation, but fruit bats and flying foxes (megabats) have lost this ability. Although we can’t hear it, echolocation requires bats to scream at 130 decibels! That takes a lot of energy, but the micro-Bats can harness some of their wingbeats’ muscular efforts to generate the air pressures needed for their ultrasound calls. Mega… Read more →
Different painkillers cure headaches in different ways. Two critical types of painkillers are most commonly used. The first type of painkillers are Aspirin medicines includes ibuprofen and paracetamol, which blocks the body’s prostaglandins (the chemical that produces swelling and pain), reducing swelling in the area and therefore reducing the intensity of pain. These aspirin medicines are used frequently for mild… Read more →
The Wall of Death, also known as the motordrome is a large vertical barrel-shaped cylinder, usually made out of wood. Motorcyclists perform stunts while riding on the vertical wall. The Wall of Death is a famous travelling carnival act dating from the early-20th century, but there are just a few left today. The motorcyclist starts at the bottom with the… Read more →
Until recently, the most possible explanation was that yawning increased the supply of oxygen to the brain. However, there is mounting scientific evidence to suggest that yawning has more to do with temperature than oxygen. As brain temperature rises, concentration and memory suffer, and a number of tests in humans and animals have shown that yawning is linked to heat,… Read more →
For most (if not all) people, their voice sounds a lot deeper when they’ve just woken, compared to how they sound during the day. This effect can easily last for a few hours, like for me today. What are the biological reasons for this? I’ve heard that it has something to do with the relaxation of your muscles during sleep,… Read more →
You’ve seen this optical illusion in movies but it happens when you’re watching in person too. It’s a familiar scene to most anyone with television: The wheels of a forward-moving vehicle will appear at first to spin in one direction. The car puts on some speed and, as you would expect, its wheels rotate faster. But then, something goes screwy.… Read more →
Do you know someone who seems to deal with a stuffy nose all winter long? Is it you? Sometimes it seems like the winter months and a stuffed-up nose go hand-in-hand. Contrary to popular belief, cold weather itself doesn’t cause a stuffy nose but rather, the conditions that come with cold weather often do. Here are a few reasons why… Read more →
Hiccups can be annoying but they’re usually short-lived. However, some people may experience recurrent episodes of persistent hiccups. At its most basic, a hiccup is a reflex. It happens when a sudden contraction of your diaphragm causes the muscles of your chest and abdomen to shake. Then, the glottis, or the part of your throat where your vocal cords are… Read more →
As part of the front and/or rear axle assembly, the differential plays an integral role in how your car makes turns. The differential is designed to drive a pair of wheels while allowing them to rotate at different speeds. This function provides proportional RPMs between the left and right wheels. If the inside tire rotates 15 RPM less in a… Read more →
