On August 26, 1986, the normally tranquil, blue water of Lake Nyos in the West Africa country of Cameroon unexpectedly turned deadly. Late that night, according to the few people who survived to tell the tale, a low, rumbling sound emitted from the lake. The residents of the three villages on the shores of the …
One of the most striking examples of evolutionary transition in all biology history is the evolution of modern birds. Their group of land vertebrates is the most diverse on Earth, with more than 10,000 extant species worldwide (Brusatte et al. 2015). This evolutionary transition from an animal very much alike Tyrannosaurus rex, date back to …
Pesticides are chemicals generally used in agriculture, in order to prevent diseases, pests, weeds and other kinds of plant pathogens. The final aim of pesticides is to maintain high quality in agricultural production and yield and also improve the external appeal of fruits and vegetables. Despite sometimes not being noticed by the public, there some …
The formation of potholes. Water is one of the few liquid compounds that expands when it freezes, instead of contracting. The power of expansion packs a destructive punch. It is responsible for causing extensive damage to streets and roads all over the world. While the freezing and thawing of water is one of the driving …
When Mount St. Helens in the cascade mountain range in Washington State erupted on May 18, 1980, the landscape of the mountain was forever changed. The eruption blew off the top 1,000 feet of the volcanic mountain’s summit and sent ash and debris nearly 10,000 feet into the air. The volcano had been rumbling back …
Editor’s Note: Due to the nature of the research being incomplete with data, we have identified this as an example of bad science. What would have made this better science is if the original researchers could have isolated the “problems with emotions” to specifically the weather without any other militating factors. Mental health challenges arise …
Today, we know that introducing a foreign species into a habitat, no matter how benign it seems to be, is a really bad idea. The Bradford pear is one prime example of this. The small and decorative tree was a staple of the thousands of new subdivisions that sprung up across the country between the …
A picturesque feature of many ponds is the lily pad. One glance at Monet’s famous paintings and you’ll see that water lilies are beautiful, delicate, and unusual, floating on the surface of the water. Water lilies are unique plants that have adapted to their watery environment and harness the power of surface tension to keep …
The Great Barrier Reef faces a number of challenges, many of which can be directly blamed on humans. However, the Crown-Of-Thorns Starfish is one exception – it is a sea creature that merely feeds on healthy coral, posing a threat to the reef. To deal with the problem, researchers at Queensland University of Technology initially …
Lyme disease is one of the conditions that can stem from being bitten by an infected tick, but luckily, the number of cases appears to be dropping in New England. This is good news, seeing as the Northeast is often one of the hardest hit areas for Lyme disease and other tick-caused ailments (“Here’s one …