Alaska’s empire-ending eruption

In the year 44 BC, Julius Caesar was assassinated by his fellow Roman leaders. Within the next twenty years, both the Roman Republic and the Egyptian Ptolemaic (toll-im-ay-ick) Dynasty ended, replaced by the Roman Empire. Caesar’s death wasn’t the only cause, though; scientists say this political change got some major help from an Alaskan volcano. … Continue reading Alaska’s empire-ending eruption →

Inside the larvacean’s snot palace

If you tried to build a house, mucus is one of the worst materials you could use. Some ocean-dwellers would disagree, though, with intricate ‘snot palaces’ that help them to eat and not get eaten. Larvaceans (lar-VAY-shee-ans) are a type of sea creature that look a bit like a tadpole. In only forty-five minutes, they … Continue reading Inside the larvacean’s snot palace →

What is the largest number?

First off, infinity isn’t a number, it’s just a useful word to describe something that never ends. So what is the largest actual number? A googol is a one followed by 100 zeroes - 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000. This number was named by a nine year-old boy called Milton Sirotta. He also suggested the number ‘googolplex’ as "one, … Continue reading What is the largest number? →

The power of the dark side (of the solar panel)

“A lot of people think that shadows are useless,” says Singaporean scientist Swee Ching Tan. But his newest creation proves that “anything can be useful, even shadows.” Solar power is a common source of renewable energy, but it needs direct sunlight. Lots of places, like cities, are too shadowy for solar panels to work. This … Continue reading The power of the dark side (of the solar panel) →

Predators see straight through the glass frog’s disguise

From above, there isn’t anything particularly strange about glass frogs. In fact, they look about as normal as a frog can possibly get. However, a glance at their bellies provides a much more unusual view. Only the skin on a glass frog’s back contains any colour, and even then it doesn’t have much. Across the … Continue reading Predators see straight through the glass frog’s disguise →