Remember the times when we were little and we used to feel scared of the thunder and lightning when there’s a storm? The booming sound is so loud it sounds like a bomb exploding. This childish impression is somewhat true. Exploding Air Thunder is produced when air explodes inside a thundercloud when lightning heats it up. A strike of lightening can immediately heat up the air to between 15,000 and […]
Perhaps no other natural phenomenon has captured the imagination of adults and children alike more than snow. Snow men, snow angels, snowflakes — these objects fuel our childish wonder at the fluffy white material that we call snow. Snow, a precipitate that comes only in winter, is formed from water droplets that gathered in the atmosphere. Instead of raining water, snow is formed because of the freezing temperature in the […]
The earth can smell funny when it rains after a dry spell. The vapor from the ground carries with it a certain bacteria that may be beneficial when inhaled. When the rain drops hit the soil they splash the bacterial spores up and they become airborne, carrying the scent of earth with them. Another smell associated after raining is the smell of earthworms. Like the bacteria in the ground, earthworms […]
Plantar fasciitis is more commonly known as heel pain. It is caused by too much stress placed on the plantar fascia ligament when it is stretched irregularly. The plantar fascia is a ligament attaching itself to the ball of the foot down the plantar arch. When it is torn, it becomes inflamed, which leads to pain every time the heel carries the person’s weight while walking. The most common area […]
In Roman times, the year only had 10 months and was based on the lunar cycle, which only had 29 and a half days. That calendar began at the spring equinox in March and ended with December. Because of the lunar calendar, the total number of days in the Roman calendar only summed up to 304 days, which is vastly different from the solar year that reaches a quarter and […]
We all know that objects that float on water have less density than the body of water. Weight is not an issue because ships and tankers have floated on oceans for many years. However, in the northern part of the world, we often see icebergs floating in the water without sinking, or even melting back into the water. How does this happen? Why does ice float? Ice is simply water […]
Isn’t it funny to hear someone who has just gulped a bit of helium from a balloon speak with a squaky voice? Clowns and comedians use this trick to make audiences laugh in parties. People may think it’s a joke, but why does helium change one’s voice? It’s nice to know why it happens. Warning! Helium is not safe! First of all, let’s give out a warning about helium. Helium […]
Everybody ages and when we age we will lose our hair color. No matter what color our hair is, there will come a time that it will turn into something drab and grey. Why does our hair turn grey? The answer lies in the chemical known as melanin. Melanin is the same pigment that lends color to our skin. The darkness or lightness of hair and skin color depends on […]
First of all, we must ask what graphite is. Graphite is simply the dark solid that we thought of as “lead” in pencil, although there is no lead in it. From that, you all know now graphite is black and is very, very soft. So you ask your self: How can that conduct electricity? It’s not metal! Well, the reason for graphite’s ability to conduct electricity lies in its atomic […]
To Christians all over the world, Easter Sunday marks the end of Holy Week. It is observed as a day of celebration of Jesus’ resurrection. Yet, as Christians, many of us never questioned the dates we were told to observe Holy Week and Easter. Why does Easter fall on different days each year? How are the dates of the Holy Week and of Easter Sunday calculated? According to articles online, […]