Magnets just work, right? If so, why doesn’t any piece of metal stick to the refrigerator? Now, what makes a magnet a magnet, not just a piece of metal? The answer lies in the spinning of electrons in each atom that makes up the metal. Any time electrons are in play, we also need to …
Being a torchbearer of knowledge, especially scientific knowledge, is a fun journey. You learn so many useful, life changing things. There are so many ways to take any situation and come up with solutions that make life better. And yet, there is the potential to be misunderstood when you share the knowledge. Or worse, the …
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 …
It is a mesmerizing natural phenomenon—murmuration. This is when a huge flock of starlings all fly in a synchronized manner, creating fascinating patterns in the sky. Just watch some of the YouTube videos of murmuration and you’ll be amazed. Just why do starlings do this and how do they know which direction to turn when …
Sharing knowledge seems like it would be a very easy thing. After all, people share knowledge without much training to varying degrees of success. Look at YouTubers that specialise in tutorials, educators, parents, colleagues and literally anyone around you. We all assist others through life by sharing what knowledge we can. If you’re serious about …
Let’s go back in time a moment and look at the beginning of science. I imagine it started with an obstinant child looking for an easier way to do chores so they could go play. Or even a businessman looking for a way to increase the ease of an aspect of his business. The earliest …
Pick up a marker, and you’re writing in colour. The word “chromatography” is descriptive as it translates to “colour writing” from the Greek roots. But a simple marker is not as simple as you think. The primary colours are, but what about that orange marker? The purple? The green? That’s where things start getting interesting. …
Winter is a time for removing snow, and one fail safe go to is ice. Every winter the road crews bring out the ice trucks to help make driving conditions safer. Homeowners, as well, may salt their drives and sidewalks to prevent injury and accidents on their properties. Sure, we could dust the road and …
This is a new one for me, but I have had a lot of requests over the years to keep an eye out for this or that on sale from the products and services we use. If this is something you’ve been wanting, here you go. Here’s a list of classes, products, and services we’ve …
How does a pH indicator work? Every one of us has come across a pH based experiment. My first one was the cabbage pH colour change when I was at a nerdy friend’s birthday party in 3rd grade. Most of us, though, are directed to dip the pH indicator strip into a liquid to see …