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The science of fireworks
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Many of us around the world will enjoy a firework display tonight (or have already); but what are the mechanisms behind the magnificent spectacle?The story behind fireworks begins about 2000 years ago in China. Alchemists at the time were in search for an elixir which made them immortal. Obviously, they did not find this- what they did find however was a substance consisting of potassium nitrate, charcoal and suphur; or gunpowder,as we know it. The evolution of fireworks from gunpowder took another 1000 years until a monk named Li Tian realised that if you placed gunpowder into a bamboo tube and ignited it, an impressive explosion on sound and light ensued. Fireworks were born! The gunpowder is responsible for the trajectory of the firework, ...
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15898 |
bio_man |
11 years ago |
The flightless bird from New Zealand
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The kakapo is a strange little flightless bird native to New Zealand. Sadly there are now only 126 kakapo left in conservation areas, where they eat a range of plants. But researchers who have been studying ancient poo samples have recently found that around 900 years ago kakapo ate a lot of pollen from a root parasite known as Hades flower. The two no longer exist in the same place and Hades flower is also rare, which begs the question - were the birds responsible for pollinating it? Further research needs to be done, but it is an interesting conservation link. ...
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5803 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
Have you ever seen a pink-necked green pigeon?
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This is the pink-necked green pigeon ( Treron vernans) and it is honestly not Photoshopped. They\'re found in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical mangrove forests, and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
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7630 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
Barbados thread snakes
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At first, it just looks like a worm. But when you peek closer, it slithers like a snake. It sticks its tongue out like a snake. It creeps you out like a snake. Discovered under a rock in 2006 in Barbados, this thread snake is as thin as spaghetti and smaller than any of the 3,100 other known snake species. Researchers believe it is the smallest a snake can evolve to be.
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5994 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
A cat the size of a mouse
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Mr. Peebles from Pekin, Illinois, USA was claimed as the world's smallest cat. Mr. Peebles is two years old cat weighing just three pounds and measuring 6.1 inches in height. This anomaly is caused by a genetic disorder.
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9156 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
A real-life dragon
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This is an Armadillo girdled lizard ( Cordylus cataphractus). It is found exclusively in the deserts of southern Africa.
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2961 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
Anyone heard of a Hoopoe?
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A Hoopoe (pronounced who-poh, scientific name: Upupa epops) is a colourful African bird which has a distinctive ‘crown’ of feathers. The species is highly distinctive, with a long, thin tapering bill that is black with a fawn base. The strengthened musculature of the head allows the bill to be opened when probing inside the soil. The hoopoe has broad and rounded wings capable of strong flight; these are larger in the northern migratory subspecies. The Hoopoe has a characteristic undulating flight, which is like that of a giant butterfly, caused by the wings half closing at the end of each beat or short sequence of beats. Listen to it sing: ...
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3085 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
How giraffes sleep at night
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This is how baby giraffes sleep. Adult giraffes are even stranger. They sleep very little -- it's estimated that they sleep just half an hour to an hour every day, in short five minute naps through the night. During sleep they rest their neck on their hind legs but usually remain standing.
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3282 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
Hog-nosed bat
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The kitti's hog-nosed bat ( Craseonycteris thonglongyai), also known as the bumblebee bat is the smallest known species of mammal. Its natural habitat is in the countries of western Thailand and southeast Burma, where it occupies limestone caves along rivers. The bat is about 29 to 33 mm (1.1 to 1.3 in) in length and 2 g (0.071 oz) in mass, and is listed as a vulnerable species.
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3188 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
How big is the international space station?
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"The ISS is the largest man made object in space. Here's how it compares to other notable objects, both real and fictional, all drawn to scale."The ISS isn't just the largest space craft ever built, it's also the world's most expensive object. According the Government Accountability Office, it cost upwards of 100 billion dollars to complete.
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3446 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
A fish that looks like a butterfly
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This is a butterfly gurnard fish. They have a large bony head and a bony rostrum on the snout with a very small median notch with tiny spines. They are sandy with reddish bands and blotches and often turn red on capture. The greenish pectoral fins are round with bright blue spots and margins, and a roundish black blotch with a bright blue margin and scattered blue spots inside.
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6465 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
A mammoth of a fly
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The Mydas fly ( Gauromydas heros) is the world's largest fly. It can reach body lengths of 2.8 inches (7 centimeters) and a wingspan of 4 inches (10 centimeters). Mydas fly are found in arid and semiarid regions of the world, but are infrequently encountered as the adult lifespan can be quite short.
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23191 |
duddy |
8 years ago |
Earliest form of contraception
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If you were to guess, what do you think ancient humans used as contraceptives? It's definitely hard to list even a couple of ideas given how far we've come since the start of the 20th century. According to historians, the first-known contraceptive was crocodile dung, used in Egypt in 2000 BC. Dried dung was inserted into the vagina to form an impenetrable barrier. Other pessaries used back in the day included tree sap, lemon halves, cotton, wool, sea sponges, and elephant dung. Later on, however, condoms made of animal bladders or intestines were also reportedly used. Luckily, in 1844, Charles Goodyear obtained the first patent for a rubber condom. ...
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4023 |
bio_man |
5 years ago |
Intelligent animals
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Dolphins are regarded as the second smartest animal alive, and are only outwitted by humans. Compared to other animals their size, dolphin brains are five times larger. Dolphins have been shown to be self-aware, and are capable of a wide range of emotions.
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3014 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
Hydropower
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Nearly 20% of all electricity in the world comes from hydropower, and Norway has adapted to rely nearly entirely on it. They are the world leader in hydroelectricity production, generating 120 TWh annually. France and Sweden are next highest, each generating ~65 TWh per year.
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3100 |
duddy |
11 years ago |