From greenhouse gas to fuel
Reading Time: 2 minutesA GROWING number of scientists are looking for fast, cost-effective ways to convert carbon dioxide gas into valuable chemicals and fuels. Now, an international team of researchers has revealed a new approach that utilises a series of catalytic reactions to electrochemically reduce carbon dioxide to methane, the main ingredient in natural gas, eliminating an intermediate […]
Why do we have an appendix?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe appendix is a finger-shaped pouch connected to the large intestine. At best, people may see the appendix as a useless organ with no apparent function. At worst, the appendix may be seen as a ticking time bomb for appendicitis or a life-threatening rupture if the appendix becomes blocked. So, why do we have them? […]
Enabling a successful AgriFood Innovation Park in Singapore: What should it focus on?
Reading Time: 7 minutesBY PAUL TENG, ANDREW POWELL AND ROB HULME Background The success in growing an agrifood sector is considerably improved when supported by one or more agrifood innovation parks (AFIPs) judging from experience in countries such as Taiwan and The Netherlands. Singapore has announced that it intends to develop a new 18ha Agri-Food Innovation Park in […]
Who pioneered the cycle-of-life?
Reading Time: < 1 minute“Circle of Life” is the powerful opening song of the movie The Lion King. Many would remember the movie’s iconic opening sequence, with the song set against the awe-inspiring backdrop of a red rising sun and the African savannah. The song title has roots in ecology and earth science. The “cycle-of-life” concept was pioneered by […]
Cancer
Reading Time: 4 minutesBY MATAKA BANDA (KEELE UNIVERSITY, UK) & DR CHERN EIN OON (UNIVERSITI SAINS MALAYSIA What is cancer? THE word cancer originates from the Greek physician Hippocrates, who used the terms carcinos and carcinoma to describe tumours. In Greek, these terms describe a crab, and they were used because a tumour resembles the shape of a […]
A suitable appointment for a worthy cause
Reading Time: 2 minutesDatuk Abdul Rahman Mohamed Shariff Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia A FEW parties took to social media to question the appointment of Prof Dr Taufiq Yap Yun Hin as the new vice-chancellor (VC) of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS). Whilst the people’s scrutiny of every government move is always welcome, it is also important to distinguish between good, […]
50 million years to recover New Zealand’s lost bird species
Reading Time: < 1 minuteHALF of New Zealand’s birds have gone extinct since humans arrived on the islands. Many more are threatened. Now, researchers reporting in the journal Current Biology on August 5 estimate that it would take approximately 50 million years to recover the number of bird species lost since humans first colonised New Zealand. “The conservation decisions […]
How do touchscreens work?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIt is no question that touchscreens are now a part of our everyday life. We swipe away without a second thought on how they actually work. There are many ways in which touchscreens function. Two common technologies are resistive and capacitive touchscreens. Resistive touchscreens rely on applied pressure to work. [ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type=”show” ihc_mb_who=”2,3″ ihc_mb_template=”1″ ] Generally, […]