I learned about something called axial precession in astronomy class several years ago, which is the idea that as something rotates along its axis, it will slowly trace out a cone if the weight of the object isn't equally distributed. In the case of Earth, Earth isn't a perfect sphere as many of us may think it is -- it actually bulges out in the middle enough for it to allow this phenomenon to occur. At the time, all I really took from this concept was how fascinating it is for the north axial pole to move 1° every 72 years from where it is now, and complete one full cycle every 26 000 years. However, I never managed to understand how this concept could fit in to my understanding of why ice ages[1] occur, and why they too follow a specific ...

The coelacanth is known as a “living fossil” because it looks very much like its ancestors from 300 million years ago. Its genome has been sequenced, and it, in fact, has been found to be evolving at a very slow rate. The genetic sequence also might help give some insight into the transition from fins to limbs.

This is what hunting for honey from a 90 metre cliff in Nepal looks like. This tradition has been held by the Gurung people of Nepal for thousands of years, and it's only going to get more dangerous, now that bee populations are dwindling around the world.

African spur-winged geese (Plectropterus gambensis) become so toxic after eating blister beetles that consuming their flesh can kill a human. Blister beetles (family Meloidae) are toxic due to the presence of a chemical compound called cantharidin. Cantharidin is a potent toxin that these beetles produce and store in their bodies as a defense mechanism against predators. It acts as a powerful irritant and blistering agent when it comes into contact with skin or mucous membranes. The toxicity of blister beetles serves as a deterrent to potential predators, helping them avoid being eaten. ...

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.

While a baby's experiences and memories are vital to his/her development, most of us can't remember what we did before our third birthday. Why is that?

It may be that as babies we just don't have the necessary mental equipment to store and organize memories properly, a hypothesis strengthened by the famous case of Henry Molaison. Molaison was unable to remember any new events that happened to him after a faulty brain operation. Though he still had temporary short-term memory and could learn new skills, he couldn't retain information for long.

We know that neurons continue to be added to our brains in our early years, and it's possible that when this building process has finished, memories can start to form.

Another hypothesis is that our sense ...

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.

Patients with urinary tract infections can drink cranberry juice to make their urine more acidic.

Bacteria that cause a urinary tract infection multiply rapidly in alkaline urine, but not in acidic urine. Some types of kidney stones form in alkaline urine, but not in acidic urine.