Science

Technological innovation is progressing at an accelerated pace. The intelligence that can be held in the palm of our hand is now so great that it is becoming intimidating. Before long machines will, without doubt, be more intelligent than humans and some argue they already are. When we hear things like this we sometimes wonder if we could stop this technological train that we are on and just say enough is enough. Yet if we did we would not have some incredible inventions that are just on the horizon. One of the most impressive of these is that we may...

Day time television and crime dramas would not be the same without the existence of lie detector tests. Whether it is finding out that Mike’s best friend is the real father of his child or that the Russian spy already knew the nuclear warheads were in the basement, lie detectors make incredibly exciting viewing. What about in real life? Despite facing a lot of criticism over the validity of results, lie detectors tests are still used today in criminal findings, research and occasionally in job interviews. If you have a sordid past or simply want to keep your secrets to...

A substantial portion of the UK's food and other agricultural products are grown abroad. Many of these crops are grown within tropical and sub-tropical environments and depend on the surrounding natural ecosystem to provide countless services, including animal pollination. Agricultural operations along with other threats like climate change has lead to decreasing wildlife populations, habitat loss and other threats to biodiversity. Recent studies have shown that plant and animal populations found within Mediterranean environments are especially vulnerable to these threats. Threats to tropical environments Research indicates that converting Mediterranean and tropical habitats into usable farmland can result in the loss...

As human beings, we're scared of all sorts of things. This fear is what helped us evolve to become the dominant species on planet earth. Fear is what pushed us to develop the right tools to protect us from the numerous predators that roam the planet, especially at night! While fear plays a crucial part in our growth and evolution as humans, there is a type of fear that hinders us from doing even the most basic of things. This kind of fear is known as phobia... Simply put, a phobia is an exaggerated fear in something, someone, a situation,...

Rowan Atkinson played the character of Mr. Bean for years, and he has a master's degree in Electrical Engineering. Initially, he got his undergraduate Electrical Engineering degree from Newcastle University, and then he applied for the master's degree in The Queen's College Oxford in 1975. During his degree, Rowan pursued acting in parallel. He joined acting clubs like the Oxford University Dramatic Society, the Oxford Revue, and the Experimental Theatre Club. Atkinson's masters were also the time he developed the character of Mr. Bean. The basis of this character was a 'child in a grown man's body,' and it followed...

Geometry. You either loved it, or you hated it with a burning passion. But regardless of whether or not that class was one of your weaker points in your public education, just about everyone remembers learning about a curious number named pi. While we rounded it up to the hundredth digit when entering it into the calculator, the number of digits that pi consists of is a never ending circle (pun intended) of confusion that mathematicians are still struggling to understand. Here is just a few facts we've come to found out about pi over the literal thousands of years...

There are some incredible foods in the world and not enough time or money to try them all. Some of us will never get to eat at the best restaurants because we lack the funds or can’t get halfway around the world. Others have had our favorite foods but can never experience them again as the restaurant has closed down. Food can be a source of disappointment. When you try to eat healthily it can be great for your body but we all know that broccoli is never going to be as delicious as a juicy burger. That is life...

We have a tendency to pat ourselves on the back in modern society. Sure the ancient Egyptians created marvels like the pyramids but they weren’t as great as us. Of course, the Greeks were an amazing civilization but did they have the genius and innovation that we do today? Yes, the Mayan people could build amazing structures and understood the world but were they kind and caring to those who are less fortunate, as we claim to be? The truth is that we have lost so much knowledge about ancient civilizations that we often assume they were poorly developed. While...

New research may help scientists make huge strides in their fight against Alzheimer’s disease. This horrific condition is incurable and cannot be stopped at this time. The main cause of the disease is the loss of brain cells and neurons in the brain. This natural degeneration is what forces memory loss and the loss of cognitive functions. Researchers have not been able to tell which proteins or genes are expressed by certain neurons, even though they can figure out which neurons are the first to die. This is a critical piece of the puzzle because it's important to identify and...

While the world knows that smoking is bad for you, not many people know how long it takes to recover from smoking once you have stopped. A new study has revealed just how long it takes your body to get over smoking and the results are quite surprising. It can often feel like the world is starting to move on from smoking. The health impact is huge as it increases the risk of cancer and many other deadly diseases. Still, today one in four of those suffering from cardiovascular disease are there because they smoked. It is one of the...