How much does a cloud weigh?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteResearchers have calculated that an average cumulus cloud is about 500,000 kg. As we know, clouds are made up of water particles and air which both have mass. To determine the weight of a cumulus cloud, researchers need to determine the size and density of the cloud. They have found that the water density of […]
What is Triple Point?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIn thermodynamics, the triple point of a substance is when the three phases known as solid, liquid, and gas co-exist in equilibrium at a certain point of temperature and pressure. The term “triple point” was given by James Thomson in 1873. There are many substances that have these conditions such as water, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, oxygen, […]
How important are coral reefs?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteCoral reefs, also known as “the rainforests of the sea”, are well known for their beauty and vibrant colours, but apart from that, they are extremely important, both ecologically and economically. Unlike other marine ecosystems, coral reefs support more species per unit area, including about 4,000 species of fish, 800 species of hard corals, and hundreds […]
What are Supergiant Stars?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIf our Sun is an average-sized star, there are some true monsters out there. They are supergiant stars, and they come in two colours: red and blue. Supergiant stars are among the most massive and luminous stars in the universe. Supergiant stars are formed out of massive main-sequence stars that have run out of hydrogen in their […]
How do ‘brainless’ starfish decide what to eat?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteFood is essential for any living organism to continue to survive. But for land dwellers, food is easily accessible in most parts of the world. Every day we can choose what we want to eat and to choose, we use our brain to decide our meals for the day. But how about starfish? Without having […]
Science diplomacy to provide platforms for sustainable development
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIN the inaugural issue of Science Diplomacy Perspectives, produced by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Career Diplomat Muhammad Adeel wrote about science diplomacy and how it provides socio-technical platforms that can potentially deliver technology-enabled sustainable development. The United Nations has organized a Food Systems Summit on September 23-24, 2022 to discuss the future of global food […]
Hubble spots farthest star ever seen
Reading Time: 2 minutesNASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has established an extraordinary new benchmark: detecting the light of a star that existed within the first billion years after the universe’s birth in the big bang — the farthest individual star ever seen to date. The find is a huge leap further back in time from the previous single-star record holder; […]
NTU S’pore produces oil from microalgae to replace palm oil in food production
Reading Time: < 1 minuteA TEAM of scientists led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has developed a method to effectively produce and extract plant-based oils from common microalgae, using a newly discovered method that could serve as a healthier and greener alternative to palm oil. Palm oil is the world’s most popular vegetable oil, used in around half […]
Aquaculture: The Good, The Bad and the Restorative
Reading Time: 2 minutesBY DR ANNETTE JAYA RAM, DR ABE WOO SAU PINN, DR AILEEN TAN SHAU-HWAI CENTRE for Marine and Coastal Studies (CEMACS) at Universiti Sains Malaysia is deep in research on cultivating bivalves and seaweeds as natural bio-remediators, to reverse the adverse effects of unchecked aquaculture farming. Penang’s aquaculture sector, though a thriving global export industry […]
Research team finds a single gene can affect entire ecosystem
Reading Time: < 1 minuteA RESEARCH team from the University of Zurich (UZC) has shown that a single gene can affect an entire ecosystem and the discovery of the “key gene” could change the current strategies of biological diversity conservation. The UZH researchers and their colleagues from the University of California report that a mutation in a single gene dramatically changes […]