Why did dodo birds go extinct?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteTHE island of Mauritius was once a haven for the endemic dodo birds (Raphus cucullatus). But this ended when the Dutch sailors landed on its shores in 1598. They found the birds easy to catch as they were unafraid of their two-legged visitors. In less than 100 years, these birds were believed to be eaten […]
Why The Great Famine happened?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteDID you know there was a disastrous event that hit Ireland between 1845 and 1849? It was known as The Great Famine. It caused at least one million deaths and triggered the migration of 2.5 million people due to potato crop failure. The crops failed due to disease. The disease called late blight came from […]
Why do we have Deja Vu?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteHAVE you ever been chatting with friends or walking through a place and suddenly a feeling hits you: you’ve experienced this exact moment before. You become more aware of what is happening, but within a matter of seconds, the sensation disappears. You are experiencing a Déjà vu – a French term that literally translates to “already […]
Why rabbits and parrots can see behind them?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteONLY two animals can see behind themselves without turning their head and they are rabbits and parrots. Their eyes are on the sides of their head, instead on the front and this allows them to swivel 360 degrees. The eyes or skull, is arranged in such a way that nothing blocks the field of view […]
What causes the difference in colour of egg yolks?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteYOLK colour does not affect the flavour, nutritive value or quality of an egg. However, to some people who are concerned about their egg yolk coming out pale or white, be rest assured that it is just an indicator of the kind of diet provided to the layer. For example, pasture-raised hens produced eggs with […]
How do butterflies taste?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAS funny as it sounds, butterflies’ taste receptors are located at their feet, so they actually use their feet to taste. Their feet are similar to those of taste buds of the human tongue. These receptors in butterflies are used to test presence of toxins or other detriments that could harm. There are contact chemoreceptors […]
What part of candle is the hottest?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIN the years, prior to the use of candles, people used oil lamps. In 3000 B.C. for instance, the Egyptians were using wicked candles, but the ancient Romans were credited with developing true dipped candle from tallow. European candles are antiquity made from various forms of natural fat, wax and tallow. In the present day […]
What causes nose bleed?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteNOSEBLEEDS are common. This may look and sound scary, but they in fact rarely indicate a serious medical problem. The nose contains many blood vessels, which are located close to the surface in the front and back of the nose. They are very fragile and bleed easily. Nosebleeds occur when one of the many blood vessels […]
How face blindness happens?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWHEN we see someone we know, the easiest way to remember someone is by their face. But not everyone can do this. Researchers estimate that one in 50 people may have face blindness. In scientific term, this is known as prosopagnosia. Prosopagnosia is a neurological disorder where the part of the brain that recognises faces […]
What happens when a black hole swallows a star?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAS the star gets sucked up into the black hole, a brilliant flare of light that echoes through space would burp back up hundreds of light-years. This is known as tidal disruption flares. When the star is ripped apart by the gravitational forces of the black hole, some part of the star remains falls into […]