As anyone whos had a toddler knows, theyre incredibly demanding creatures. Armed with an insatiable desire to eat and/or destroy just about everything in their path, these walking embodiments of unchecked ego can be a handful. Especially when they ha...
Sometimes we get letters here at Moment of Science asking whether psychics are for real. Well, despite the t.v. shows, there isnt any scientific evidence that psychic powers, such as mind-reading, actually exist. That doesnt prove they dont existjust...
If, somehow, brains could read other brains directly, there would indeed be a very strong evolutionary advantage to it. In Asimovs example, even a simple version of mind-reading, such as a chicken being able to sense an approaching foxs brain as it t...
In order to build tissue and repair it, however, anabolism requires energy, as well as material with which to build. This energy and building material comes from the breaking down of larger, more complex material, a process called catabolism. As well...
Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan that is fatal to otters if its ingested. They may be getting in it from the shellfish they eat, or just drink it in sea water. The most likely explanation is housecats. Cats shed live toxoplasma eggs in their scat, wh...
Unfortunately, a lot of sea otters off the coast of California are dying off, and the problem may be Mr Allfor. A four-year study was recently concluded by wildlife vet Melissa Miller at the California Department of Fish and Game. He tried to find wh...
Statements like he can eat a lot because he has a fast metabolism are somewhat misleading. Metabolism isnt about the digestion of food in your stomach; its the name given to all of the chemical changes that occur in an organisms tissue cells. There a...
So basically, in order to move, a cell climbs hand-over-hand along the extracellular matrix until it reaches a blood or lymphatic vessel and penetrates it. From there, its smooth sailing. By the way, the thinner walls of lymphatic vessels are easier...
Did you ever wonder what occurs inside your body when something funny happens? What is this thing we have in our brains that makes us say ha-ha when someone slips on a banana? One way to find out is to watch the brain laugh. Thats pretty much what Da...
When subjects were looking at something funny, the first thing that happen was that two regions in their left hemispheres lit up. From previous studies these regions are known to be associated with resolving ambiguity. Is there something in getting i...
Point at a ball and a dog will look at the ball, whereas a cat will probably look at your hand. Dogs seem to have a ready understanding of how human beings direct attention by pointing, and can follow our gestures almost as if they thought the same w...
Scientists from France have found the remains of a lion in an ancient burial place in Egypt. The researchers say it appears that the body had been specially treated after death to protect the remains of the big cat. Egyptians did this to the bodies o...
You may have heard of the Five Pillars of Islam, but have you heard of the Six Articles of Faith? The Five Pillars of Islam the profession of faith, prayer, zakat, Ramadan and the Hajj are considered the foundation of the faith. But the Six Articles...
Behavior like this, however, is reversed in a Costa Rican wasp species. The males in this species not only attack their sisters, who curl into submissive positions or flee, but they steal food from the queen herself, their very own mother. These wasp...
In most species of social insects, such as wasps, bees, and ants, the females rule. The females are the workers. They are the ones to go out and get the food, and they are also the ones to care for the queen, the larvae, and the nest in general. The...
