What causes a meteor shower?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteMETEOR showers occur when the earth in its orbit around the Sun passes through debris left over from the destruction of comets. Although the earth’s orbit around the Sun is almost circular, most comets travel in orbits that are highly elongated ellipses. As a result, some comets have orbits that intersect or partially overlap the […]
Paraplegic rats walk, regain feeling after human stem cell treatment
Reading Time: 2 minutesENGINEERED tissue containing human stem cells has allowed paraplegic rats to walk independently and regain sensory perception. The implanted rats also show some degree of healing in their spinal cords. The research, published in Frontiers in Neuroscience, demonstrates the great potential of stem cells — undifferentiated cells that can develop into numerous different types of […]
Envisioning Malaysia 2050
Reading Time: 9 minutesThis is a recently presented foresight narrative (full text) by PROF DATUK DR ASMA ISMAIL FASc President, Academy of Sciences Malaysia WE LEARN from history, glean from present insights and forge ahead to the future. The question is what is the future that we desire? The Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) embarked on the Envisioning […]
Why is burnt meat potentially carcinogenic?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteDO you love barbequed meat? Or perhaps the smoky flavour of charred meat? Well, according to the National Cancer Institute in the USA, heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are chemicals formed when muscle meat, including beef, pork, fish, or poultry, is cooked using high-temperature methods, such as pan frying or grilling directly […]
Researchers reverse heart failure in Marfan mice
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIN experiments with mice that have a rodent form of Marfan syndrome, Johns Hopkins researchers report that even modestly increasing stress on the animals’ hearts — at levels well-tolerated in normal mice — can initiate heart failure. The findings, described August 4 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight, revealed a novel cellular pathway in […]
How does fabric softener work?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteMANUFACTURERS market liquid or dry crystal fabric softeners for washing machines. Fabric softeners and dryer sheets coat our clothes with a subtle layer of slimy chemicals – in fact, that’s why they feel a little softer. The most common softening chemicals are called “quats”, which are in many cleaning products, including most antibacterial wipes. Alarmingly, […]
How does a compass work?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIF YOU’RE lost in the jungle, your best chance of finding your way might be via a tiny magnet. A magnet is what makes a compass point north the small magnetic pin in a compass is suspended so that it can spin freely inside its casing and respond to our planet’s magnetism. In navigation, directions […]
How do antibiotics work?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWHEN you’re down sick with a particularly nasty bout of flu, or cough (of the phlegmy kind), the doctor is more likely to prescribe antibiotics as a form of treatment. One thing to know is that antibiotics are given as treatment for infections caused by bacteria. They are not effective against viruses. Antibiotics work by […]
Why owls can’t see in daylight?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteFIRST and foremost – an owl can actually see in daylight. There is a common misconception that owls are blind during the day. Owls have a sharp vision during both day and night time. But the vision is extremely efficient during the night, spotting their prey even in the pitch of darkness. Owls have large […]
What is cloud computing?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteCLOUD computing is the delivery of computing services—servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics and moreover the Internet (“the cloud”). Companies offering these computing services are called cloud providers and typically charge for cloud computing services based on usage, similar to how you are billed for water or electricity at home. There are many things that […]