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Why Do Nails Have Ridges?

20 Mar 2017

There is a wealth of information at our fingertips – in our nails. Anyone who has ever wished for some kind of health-o-meter to signal the body’s state of wellness need look no further than the...

Are there any health benefits in taking maca in a pill form?

20 Mar 2017

Maca is a cruciferous plant, in the same family as broccoli and cabbage. However, in this case it is the root not the leaves that are eaten. The plant is an unusual one, cultivated only at high...

How Do Anti-Fog sprays for Glasses Work?

20 Mar 2017

The fog on glasses consists of small droplets of liquid water. This happens because water vapour from the air condenses on the cold glass surface. The droplets are thick enough to distort our...

Why do we kiss?

22 Feb 2017

What makes us exchange saliva, sebum, bits of food and millions of bacteria with each other? In other words, why do we kiss? This is not an innate activity. South Pacific islanders, for example,...

Why does a barber's pole have a red stripe?

20 Feb 2017

During the Middle Ages monks were required to shave the crown of their head, a function commonly performed by itinerant barbers. Also, under ecclesiastic law, monks had to be periodically bled....

Why do onions make you cry when you cut them? And why are they sweet when you fry them?

20 Feb 2017

Onion chemistry is extremely fascinating and extremely complex! We’ve been intrigued by this vegetable ever since our prehistoric ancestors gathered and cooked wild onions. By the time of the First...

Can coffee explode in the microwave?

20 Feb 2017

A sensational sounding e-mail about “exploding coffee” has been making the rounds. It describes the misadventures of an unfortunate soul who heated up water for coffee in a microwave oven. When he...

Is it true that getting angry can affect the heart?

20 Feb 2017

Indeed, the risk of a heart attack or angina is nearly five times higher in the two hours following an anger outburst than at other times, and the risk of stroke is four times higher. Let’s not get...

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