Water, Water Everywhere, But Not A Drop To Drink
That line, from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, captures a truism -- we cannot drink salt water to quench our thirst. But why not? The answer lies in understanding the process of osmosis. Osmosis is the process whereby water…
Continue reading →
More science facts
Medicine
There's No Such Thing as a Safe Suntan
Every time you step outdoors, you are bombarded by ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. UV rays cause the…
Biology
Phrenology
Does a bumpy head mean you're a brainy guy? In the 19th century, many people were absolutely convinced that…
Physics
Bizarre Boiling
The next time you're watching a pot of water boil, perhaps for coffee or a cup of soup, pause for a moment and…
Biology
Respect Your Nose
Our language seems to indicate that we think of the world as divided up into things that 'smell' and things…