Time go again to the A Moment of Science mailbag. A listener writes: Dear A Moment of Science, Is it OK to drink urine? Not that I want to, Im just curious. Well, the short answer is yes if youre trapped somewhere without water, you can drink your ow...
Why is that? Its because the edges of the spill are where the fluid is at its thinnest. A spill sitting on a flat surface is something like a pancake. Big in the middle and thin on the rim. As the thin edges evaporate, they are replenished by liquid...
Next time you spill a little, let the coffee dry before wiping it up. Youll notice that after it dries there is a darkish ring around the very edge of the spill, whereas the middle disappears almost entirely. Whats going on here? Robert Deegan and Sy...
However, the effect was short lived. Within three months, both groups of callers were more or less equal when it came to how many had remained smoke-free. The researchers are optimistic, though, that continuous positive messages about the benefits of...
We all know that smoking is unhealthy. But whats the best way to get someone to quit? By harping on the dangers of lighting up, or by touting the benefits of kicking the habit? According to one study, being positive may be the best approach. The rese...
But its worth trying to eat less. In one study, researchers used computer models to see how less salt could affect teens health. One result showed that reducing salt consumption by as little as half a teaspoon a day could lower teens risk for high bl...
I know its a good idea for adults to watch how much salt they eat, especially if theyre at risk for high blood pressure. But what about kids? Should parents cut back on how much salt their kids eat, too? Good question and the answer is yes, at least...
No matter what your cell was doing before, it will stop its healthy functioning and make only viruses, following the viral recipe until it runs out of raw materials. Then your once healthy cell bursts open, releasing new viruses to infect more cells....
To stay healthy, your cells must continuously perform a wide variety of chemical tasks. Your DNA genes, in the nucleus of every cell, help orchestrate this activity. A cell uses its genes as a kind of biochemical cookbook: whenever it has to do anyth...
Scientists studying emotions have found that basic emotions like amusement, anger, fear, and sadness are common among all cultures. And people from different cultures, whether theyre modern Americans or pre modern aborigines, recognize sound cues lik...
