Using a technique known as gravitational microlensing, Oklahoma University astrophysicists were able to detect several exoplanets within a quasar 6 billion light-years away called RX J1131-1231 (depicted in the illustration above, left). Their research shows that the planets range in size from masses as small as the Moon to ones as great as Jupiter.

The idea behind this technique is derived from the Einstein's theory of general relativity. Since light waves bend when they pass through space warped by a large gravitational presence, a planet passing in front of a star can act as a lens to focus the light, creating a temporary sharp increase in a star’s brightness, and changing the apparent position of the star. Currently, it's the only known ...

February is upon us.
 
Gone are the freshly printed syllabi and daydreams of perfect scores. It's February, and that exciting back-to-school feeling has probably worn away.

Not to say that school isn't still exciting. I'm sure that for some of you, the daily routine of tasks and tests is just lovely. But I'd venture to say that many of you — most of you — have had to deal with the most dreaded assignment of all, a sure sign that fun and games are over: the group project.

Teachers assign group projects for a number of reasons. For one, it's less assignments that they have to grade, an important consideration when class sizes at large universities are in the triple digits.

But the motivation to assign group projects cannot be purely selfish on th ...

A supertaster is a individual who lives in a more intense taste world because they have up to twice as many taste buds than the average person. Among individuals of European descent, it is estimated that about 25% of the population are supertasters.

The evolutionary advantage to supertasting is unclear. In some environments, heightened taste response, particularly to bitter plant alkaloids, would represent an important advantage. However, other environments, increased response to bitter may have limited the range palatable goods. In our modern energy rich environment, supertasting may be cardioprotective, due to decreased liking and intake of fat, but may increase cancer risk via deceased vegetable intake. It may be a cause of picky eating ...

Melothria scabra is a species of cucurbitaceous vine grown for its edible fruit, known as cucamelon. Cucamelons are about the size of grapes and taste like cucumbers, they are notable for their sour aftertaste that comes from the skin.

The M. scabra plant is native to Mexico and Central America, where it is called sandíita (little watermelon). It is believed to have been a domesticated crop before western contact began.

If you happen to get your hands on these tiny melons, apparently they are terrific in stir-fries; they can be pickled just like French gherkins, eaten raw in salads or put up like Polish dill pickles. They also can be chopped and added to salsas for extra texture and flavor. ...

It's a common knowledge that different breeds of chickens lay different colored eggs. Here I'll explain what chemicals and conditions give rise to these differences.

White eggs

All eggshells are made of calcium carbonate and the white ones have no pigment added.

Brown eggs

The brown colour is caused by protoporphyrin IX, from the hen's haemoglobin, and is coated on the outside of the egg as it moves through the oviduct.

Blue eggs

Blue eggshells have the pigment oocyanin, which does permeate the shell, so the blue coloring will be all the way through.

Green eggs

If a brown layer and a blue layer are crossbred, chances are you will get a green egg when the protoporphyrin IX layer is deposited over the blue oocyanin shell.

Pink eggs

The pinkish tint ...

Ming the Clam, once the world's oldest animal, was killed at 507 years of age by scientists trying to determine its age in 2006.

Ming the Clam (1499–2006) is a nickname given to a specimen of the ocean quahog clam (Arctica islandica), that was excavated off the coast of Iceland in 2006 and whose age was calculated by counting annual growth lines in the shell.

Ming was the oldest individual animal ever discovered whose age could be accurately determined. The mollusc’s 507 year old life came to an end in 2006 when the British researchers – unaware of the animal’s impressive age – opened up its shell to examine it.

The clam was named Ming in reference to the Ming dynasty, during which it was born. Interestingly, the second oldest ocean quahog ...