We can now add the newest element to the periodic table. 聽It has been named Copernicium in honour of Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543), the Polish astronomer who first hypothesized that the Earth...
Alexander the Great was known to use aloe as a purgative after being taught about the plant鈥檚 effects by his tutor Aristotle. 聽Purgatives were highly valued at the time because it was believed that...
Ever snap off a dandelion head and see the white liquid seeping out from the stem? It turns out that fluid isn鈥檛 sap or poison, but a defense mechanism, in the form of latex! The Lithuanian word...
Despite what movies would have you think, rats barely ever聽make any sounds, at least those that humans are able to hear. Rat鈥檚 vocalizations start at around 2 kHz and extend as far up as 100 kHz....
The hypericum herb, or St John鈥檚 wort as it is commonly referred to, is widely used for the treatment of mild depression. In fact, in Germany it outsells the synthetic drug Prozac. It has been...
The Shetland Islands are famous for sheep and wool. 聽But did you know that they are also home to the stormy petrel? 聽This unusual bird, so-named because it was thought to appear before a storm, has...
This sounds distasteful, but is worth remembering. 聽Believe it or not, vomit appears to be astonishingly effective at spreading viruses. 聽Investigators were called in when 52 people at a hotel...
The first scientific observation about breast cancer was made in 1896 when it was noted that the disease sometimes regressed if the ovaries were removed. 聽Eventually this connection was understood...
Acute mercury poisoning from a large dose of a soluble mercury may cause damage to the kidneys, intestines, and mouth, and the symptoms are vomiting, stomach pains, weak pulse, and difficulty in...
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