The biomass pyramid above shows how a large amount of plant matter is eaten by many small animals which are in turn eaten by fewer numbers of large animals. At each step of the biomass pyramid, matter and energy are lost in the form of energy to keep the animal warm and moving, or as faeces and urine. Therefore, the more steps there are in a biomass pyramid, the more loss of matter and energy that occurs.

Humans are usually at the top of the Food Chain or biomass pyramid (unless we are eaten by sharks, lions or bears!). Also, there is often a significant loss of matter and energy at each step that can be avoided. Does that mean that we should all become vegetarians? No. However, we can eat more vegetables and less meat.

Food security is an im ...

If you've been fortunate enough to fly on an airplane, you've probably noticed that the food tastes a bit strange. It turns out that it's not actually because of the food itself (even if you are sitting in economy) but the reduced atmospheric pressure on board and the dry nose and mouth we get from flying, says an expert.

A flying fish moves its tail up to 70 times per second to propel itself up and out of the water. Those specialised pectoral fins are spread wide and tilted slightly upward to provide lift, and then folded back against the body to lower the fish back into the ocean. Flying fish (family: Exocoetidae) are eaten by dolphins, tuna, birds, squids and porpoises, so they needed to develop an ingenious mode of escape - such as flying - in order to survive.

And it's $235 a scoop! The ice cream was created by UK company Lick Me I'm Delicious in time for Halloween, and was inspired by glowing jellyfish. It's made using a synthetic, calcium-activated version of the protein that makes jellyfish luminescent, and lights up when you lick it. However, inventor Charlie Harry Francis didn't offer much reassurance on whether the product was safe to eat, writing on his blog: "Well I tried some and I don't seem to be glowing anywhere, so we'll go with a yes for now." ...

Ever wondered why two of the world's most delicious fruits - the mango and the avocado - have such enormous seeds? Turns out they likely evolved to be swallowed whole by megafauna, like our modern-day rhinos and elephants, that once ruled the Earth, to be deposited far away from their host plant and wrapped in a fresh dollop of fertiliser. That's why these seeds are nicknamed 'ghosts of evolution'.

Japanese farmer, Hiroichi Kimura, has perfected growing the heart-shaped watermelon.

The blood orange is a variety of orange (Citrus × sinensis) with crimson, almost-blood-colored flesh. The fruit is smaller than an average orange; its skin is usually pitted, but can be smooth.

The distinctive dark flesh color is due to the presence of anthocyanins, a family of antioxidant pigments common to many flowers and fruit, but uncommon in citrus fruits. The flesh develops its characteristic maroon color when the fruit develops with low temperatures during the night.

A one in a million apple has been found on a property in Kingston in southern Tasmania. Half granny smith, half red delicious, it's thought that this mutation is the result of all the mutations that led to the Australian royal red gala, and this particular apple is trying to revert to a couple of its previous versions.

This bright blue fish, named the blue parrotfish, can be found in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, and spends 80% of its time searching for food.

These chips have been made out of cricket carcases. The first edible insect farm in the U.S. has opened in an attempt to create a more sustainable food source. And we should probably try to get over the yuck factor.

These may look like party balloons but they are actually rainbow grapes. These grapes aren't a rare species, they are created during Véraison (when grapes turn from green to purple as they ripen).

Called the Tree of 40 Fruit, this tree produces an array of stone fruit varieties including plums, peaches, apricots, nectarines, cherries and almonds, every year. Sixteen of these trees are now growing in the US.

Twice a year, locals in central Nepal scale the Himalayan foothills to harvest honey produced by the world's largest honeybee (Apis dorsata laboriosa). Single adult bees of this species can measure up to 3.0 cm (1.2 in) in length, and are highly adapted to its highland habitat.

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Why do these fish look like they’re spouting puffs of magic dust out of their mouths? The tiny crustaceans (1 millimetre-long crustacean called an ostracod) that these transparent fish try to eat light them up, causing the fish to be at risk of predation themselves, so they spit them out!

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Botanically, apples, peaches, grapes, and tomatoes are all fruits. But don’t try telling that to the U.S. Supreme Court. Per the 1893 case Nix v. Hedden, the court decided that tomatoes were veggies and therefore subject to the vegetable tariff. The Supreme Court’s reasoning? Tomatoes have to be vegetables because they’re usually served with dinner, not dessert.

Seahorse and scorpion skewers are sold on the streets of Japan as popular food items. I wonder what they taste like...

Pumpernickel bread is German for "devil's fart", named after its supposed effect on the body.

Witches finger grapes are custom made grapes that have a shape of their own. They are from the Californian breeding program International Fruit Genetics (IFG). Although it sounds like it could be GMO, it’s not - they are made through the hybridisation process of taking pollen from one plant and brushing it onto another plant. There are quite a number of these varieties now, in different colours as well. What's really interesting is that IFG also has a few other unusual varieties such as ‘cotton candy’, which when ripe acquires the taste of cotton candy – it’s very unusual, but also delicious. ...

Called Paradis Sparkling, this new effervescent apple variety that fizzes in your mouth when you eat it will be on the market next year, but you can buy a tree now and grow your own. This might just be the best hangover cure ever

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Here's how 9,000 years of selective breeding has changed corn from a wild grass - that required a hammer to peel - to the juicy yellow ears of deliciousness we know today.

I know this is a science blog, but hear me out. I'm not sure what sort of stunt McDonald's is pulling here, but apparently they are removing the world famous Big Mac off their menu. Currently, the Big Mac has a whopping 550 calories and 29g of fat. It's probably the only reason I ever go to McDonald's, so I guess from now on it's going to be the Whopper instead.

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The green wings of luna moths, with their elegant, long tails, aren't just about style. New research finds they also help save the insects from becoming bat snacks by creating a distracting acoustic signal, which causes these predators to zero in on the wings rather than more vital body parts.

While they are super sweet, syrup made from this ancient fruit has antibacterial compounds that are more effective than honey. In case you've never had it or seen it before, dates are a thick, dark brown, and super-sweet fruit used in Middle Eastern cuisine. New research suggests that date syrup contains chemical compounds that help ward off a number of bacterial infections, including those caused by Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. This was discovered after scientists inhibited the growth of these pathogens for about six hours, which researchers say is faster than manuka honey - a honey known for its antibacterial and wound healing properties. ...

According to a recent editorial by three researchers specializing in human biology, while physical activity can stave off the effects of several common and debilitating diseases, when it comes to weight loss, the devil is in the diet.

"A recent report from the UK's Academy of Medical Royal Colleges described 'the miracle cure' of performing 30 min of moderate exercise, five times a week, as more powerful than many drugs administered for chronic disease prevention and management," they write. "Regular physical activity reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia and some cancers by at least 30 percent. However, physical activity does not promote weight loss."

Source 

http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2015/

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Japan’s Yamasaki Farms produces eggs that smell and taste like citrus fruit. Now you have no excuses!

...And so do a lot of other things!

Most foods today are fortified with essential oils like omega-3 fatty acids. Naturally, these oils are found in fish, and are known to benefit many parts of the body, including the eyes, brain, heart, and joints. So, are these so-called beneficial oils important for people who lack the DNA profile needed to metabolise them?

It turns out that the extra omega-3 might not do much good at all. According to a study published in Science, Inuit people living in Greenland whose traditional diet of fish and marine mammals have the right enzymes in their bodies needed to metabolise these foods that are very high fat content.

The researchers reported that their DNA that was most different was on chromosome 11, specifically among genes that control the ...

Someone who greatly enjoys sweet foods is said to have a "sweet tooth." Experimental evidence now shows us that eating sweets forms memories that may control eating habits. In other words, people may enjoy eating sweets because the taste is correlated with positive memories.

The findings, published online in the journal Hippocampus, show that neurons in the dorsal hippocampus, the part of the brain that is critical for episodic memory, are activated by consuming sweets. Episodic memory is the memory of autobiographical events experienced at a particular time and place.

In the study, a meal consisting of a sweetened solution, either sucrose or saccharin, significantly increased the expression of the synaptic plasticity marker called activity ...

You've probably heard the saying 'don't eat yellow snow', for obvious reasons. Unfortunately, according to a new study published in the journal Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts, you shouldn’t eat any snow. Snow has been found to act as a rather effective sink for tiny particles that are found primarily in car exhaust fumes, so any consumption of it is effectively like eating a pollution-flavored Popsicle.

Researchers of this study found that from just one hour of exposure, the levels of pollutants within the snow increased dramatically, with toxic particles becoming trapped within the small ice particles or dissolved within pockets of meltwater. This means that snow is a particularly effective “sink” for car exhaust pollution.

Sour ...

Here's what happens when you pour 1 984°F/1 085°C molten copper on a Big Mac. This demonstration has nothing to do with the fact that McDonald's uses preservatives in its ingredients. This is simply a demonstration of the Leidenfrost effect - a scientific principle explaining the phenomena that occurs when a liquid comes in near contact with a solid that is significantly hotter than its boiling point; the surface of the liquid comes to a nearly immediate boil, and creates a thin layer of protective steam. It's much the same effect as when one drops water onto a hot pan and the droplet is seen to dance across the surface. In this instance, the inherent moisture in the burger protects it for a few moments before the copper (at nearly 2 000 d ...

The photo shown below was taken at a market in Shanghai, China.

Can you guess what they are?


Water caltrops (Trapa natans) are the seeds of a floating annual aquatic plant that's native to warm temperate parts of Eurasia and Africa. The plant grows in slow-moving water up to 5 m deep, and bear an ornately shaped fruit that resembles the head of a bull or the silhouette of a flying bat. Each fruit contains a single very large, starchy seed. T. natans and T. bicornis have been cultivated in China and the Indian subcontinent for at least 3,000 years for the edible seeds that are used in pastries, served steamed or boiled from street vendors, and even as a remedy for inebriation.

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Whether you're a chef, stay-at-home mom, or food euthanasiast, how food is handled and prepared is extremely important to preventing foodborne infections and food intoxications. As evident with how the coronavirus spread over to humans, millions of people suffer the symptoms of foodborne illnesses when an outbreak occurs. According to the CDC, millions of people are infected with foodborne illnesses every year. Most can be prevented by storing and cooking foods at their proper temperatures and preparing them under sanitary conditions. Here's a brief rundown on how to detect and avoid tainted food items.

These Foods...	Are Risky When:
Fresh poultry	stored raw in the refrigerator for longer than 1-2 days, (3-4 days for cooked poultry)  left unrefr

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