STEM

Sickle cell disease is painful for sufferers and can sometimes be dangerous. Genome editing may one day correct the mutation that causes the disorder.

Cockroaches are fascinating insects. Some are pests and can transmit microbes that cause disease. One species is kept as a pet. Cockroach robots may be useful in the future.

Volcanoes can affect climate and climate can affect a volcano, though these two events do not necessarily occur in equal amounts. By far, the most common phenomena, revolves around a very large volcano emitting tons of debris and chemicals into the atmosphere.

Snakehead fish are invasive species in North America. They are fierce predators and can breathe in air. They may be a serious threat to native wildlife.

The uses of math for the layperson are essentially endless. No matter whether you are a struggling student, a homeowner, or someone simply trying to lose weight, math is the universal language that has an something to offer everyone.

The resins that some trees secrete when they're wounded can be useful for humans. Some are used as perfumes or medicines. Others have preserved ancient life forms.

Wild relatives of some major agricultural crops are in trouble, which could be a serious problem. The genetic diversity in wild crops may provide food security for the future.

The Ethiopian wolf lives in Africa at high elevations. It's the most endangered member of the dog family, or the Canidae. The animal faces some serious threats.

The hedge bindweed produces large and beautiful flowers. It twines around other plants and sometimes interferes with their growth. It's invasive in parts of North America, including British Columbia.

Some chemicals found in fungi are used as medicines when formulated correctly. Examples include penicillin, lovastatin, and cyclosporine. Lentinan and eritadenine may be beneficial as well.

Tomatoes are nutritious and have an interesting history, but they often lack flavor compared to ones in the past. A new discovery and other methods should provide tastier tomatoes.

Sardines and herring are nutritious foods. The behaviour of the living fish is interesting to study. They live in groups and communicate with their companions.

The rainbow eucalyptus is an unusual tree with a beautiful, multicoloured trunk. The trunk's colours change as the tree sheds strips of bark, creating living art.

Formic acid is found in the sprayed venom of some ants and the secretions of some stinging nettles. The acid is dangerous at high concentrations but has important uses.

Serendipity is a happy and unexpected event that seems to occur by chance. It's often called a “lucky accident”. Serendipitous discoveries are important in science.

The giant hogweed causes burns and blisters. Grapefruit juice interferes with many medicines. The chemicals that cause these effects are called furanocoumarins.

Proteins in the body have essential jobs. They enable us to move, transport materials and signals, control chemical reactions, stop bleeding, and fight infections.

Bone marrow contains stem cells. These produce blood cells and other important cell types. Bone marrow transplants are used to treat certain diseases.

Recent research has shown that four plant extracts inhibit the growth of some dangerous bacteria in the lab. Three of them may have been helpful during the American Civil War.

North America is home to six species of wildcats. Learn more about the wildcats of North America with pictures and videos.

The Malayan tapir is an unusual animal with an extensible and mobile proboscis, or mini-trunk. Despite its size and bulk, this endangered animal can move fast.

Foxgloves are beautiful but poisonous flowers in the wild and in the garden. They contain digitalis, which is a useful heart medication but can also be dangerous.

Ballistics is a branch of mechanics which deals with the motion of projectiles launched into the air or space. Solving these type of problems involves using Newton's equations of motion

This is a basic guide to what you can see on the surface on the Moon - there is as much that can be seen on the Moon with a pair of binoculars, than in the whole of the rest of the sky put together.

The wood frog survives freezing. A study of its adaptations for survival may be helpful in understanding human health problems and in the use of organs for transplants.

Irises are beautiful flowers that have a wide variety of colours. Some are used to make orris root, which has a lovely scent but can cause an allergic response.

Dandelions have culinary benefits and also produce a latex that can be used to make rubber. This is important, since the supply of natural rubber is decreasing.

Inky cap mushrooms such as shaggy manes become a black, inky liquid in order to disperse their spores. Some contain coprine, which increases the unpleasant effects of alcohol intake.

Narwhals are strange and fascinating Arctic whales. The males—and sometimes the females—have a very long tooth that grows through their lip, forming a tusk.

Anesthesia ushered a new age of medical advances, as pain was an insurmountable barrier to many surgical procedures. Without the ability of physicians to render patients either unconscious or locally eliminating their pain, long surgical operations could not be performed.

The frilled shark is a strange, deep-sea fish with a wide head, a huge mouth, and a long, eel-like body. The fish is caught as bycatch in some areas, which is a concern.

Puss and saddleback caterpillars are attractive insects. Unfortunately, they are stinging caterpillars. In some people, the sting can cause serious problems..

Unripe lychees and ackee fruits contain toxins. Both fruits should be eaten only when ripe. In addition, it's very important that ripe ackee is prepared properly.

Acanthamoeba is a microscopic, single-celled organism that can infect the cornea of the eye. It causes a disorder called Acanthamoeba keratitis, which is most common in contact lens users.

This blog is about tattoos that are being invented to monitor peoples health and help manage disease.

Elizabeth Kolbert's "The Sixth Extinction" won the 2015 Pulitzer for non-fiction, deservedly, for its blend of places, people, creatures and science. Get the gist in this lavishly illustrated Hub.

Daffodils are beautiful and interesting flowers. They have some useful features but are also toxic. They are often used by cancer societies as a symbol of hope.

Orangutans are endangered, mainly because their rainforest habitat is being replaced by oil palm plantations. We can help the animals in multiple ways.

Parkinson's disease involves the death of brain cells that produce dopamine. Stem cell technology may provide a more effective treatment than current methods.

Planets have the capacity to capture space objects using gravity. Here is a unique population of such objects around Jupiter, and their secrets may help reveal our origins.

The Mariana Trench is the deepest place in the ocean and contains some fascinating animals. NOAA has made some exciting discoveries about life in the trench.

Harvestmen or daddy longlegs are interesting animals that are arachnids but not spiders. They have some unusual features and are often fascinating to observe.

Scientists are trying to bring extinct animals back to life by a process called cloning. The result would be de-extinction. The idea is exciting but controversial.

Horse chestnut trees are beautiful ornamental plants. They produce a nut-like seed called a conker that is used to play a traditional game known as conkers.

Pygmy seahorses are tiny animals that are often less than an inch in length. Some have amazing features that disguise them and protect them from discovery.

When someone experiences a heart attack, cells in their heart die. Scientists have found two ways to replace the lost cells in rodents. The techniques may one day work in us.

The bunya pine produces huge and often very heavy cones. Its large seeds are both edible and tasty. The tree has a strange appearance and some unusual features.

The swell shark and the chain catshark produce beautiful patterns of light in a process called biofluorescence. The light emission may have important functions.

Pitcher plants produce cups that trap and digest prey. The digestive enzymes of one species can break down gluten and may help people with celiac disease.

Learn interesting facts about the behavior of the blue jay, view pictures, and learn how to keep this bully away from your bird feeder.

Many people struggle to tell these two reptiles apart, but it isn't that difficult when you know what to look for. What is the difference between alligators and crocodiles? Well, there are essentially 8 main ways to tell them apart...

Horsehair worms are long and slender animals that writhe and form shapes resembling knots with their body. They are parasites that control the behaviour of their host at one point in their life cycle.

This is the fourth page of a series of guides to the night sky for beginners. Here, I look at the most prominent objects other than our Moon and the stars, which can be easily seen in the night sky.

The gharial is a critically-endangered relative of the crocodile. It lives in and next to rivers in India and Nepal. The animal has some unusual and interesting features.

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Earwigs have a fearsome image but aren't dangerous. They sometimes become garden pests. Natural control methods can be very helpful in dealing with the insects.

Jackfruit trees produce huge fruits. Cacao seeds are used to make cocoa, but the trees are in trouble. Jackfruit seed powder may be a good substitute for cocoa.

Mucus is a slippery liquid that has vital functions in our body. An excessive amount of mucus or a change in its appearance may indicate the presence of a health problem.

Pandas are interesting and mysterious creatures that have long baffled scientists. There are many things about these endangered animals that many people do not know.

Ever wondered how many M&M's can fit in a container?

See pictures to help you identify the male and female Rose-breasted Grosbeak, plus learn facts about its migration and behavior.

Hydrochloric acid is made in the stomach and is a very helpful chemical. Too much or too little acid or acid in the wrong place can cause problems, however.

Hammerhead flatworms are a type of land planarian. They have a semilunar head and are sometimes very long. They are predators and have been introduced to Europe and the US.

A look at the diversity of Arizona's Coconino National Forest and some of the wildlife that makes its home there, in the northern part of the state, including the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff

African civets have some unusual features and interesting behavior. Unfortunately, they are kept in captivity on civet farms so that their musk can be collected.

A tutorial which shows the derivation of formulas for resistors connected in series and parallel.

Saliva is made by salivary glands and has important functions. The glands may sometimes develop a stone or an infection. In Sjogren's syndrome, insufficient saliva is made.

Dark energy is stumping astronomers and attempts to rectify it are numerous. What does this idea bring to the table?

Most commonly, you see brown or blue eyes but some people, whether it be luck or a medical condition, wind up with really cool and rare eye colors.

The Himalayan blackberry is a beautiful plant in spring and summer. It produces delicious blackberries, but it's an invasive species and grows aggressively.

Working out the odds of an event occurring allows us to estimate the number of times that event will take place in future trials. Permutations/combinations are also an important part of the analysis.

Rapamycin increases lifespan in mice, apparently by inhibiting a protein called mTOR. It may do the same in dogs and possibly in humans. It's currently being tested in pet dogs.

Oregon grape is an attractive plant with edible berries. The plant contains berberine, which may have health benefits. Further research is needed to prove this.

With billions of galaxies in the universe, there is a vast potential for Earth-like planets with intelligent life. But here are the reasons why we may never find it.

We may be on the threshold of some serious answers to how physics is all connected. But first, we need to do some testing and find out our viable options.

Michael Faraday, the son of an 18th Century blacksmith, became one of the greatest scientists of his age. One of his discoveries transformed the world and changed the way we live forever.

The common raven is an intelligent and interesting bird that plays an important role in folklore. The bird is found in many countries and habitats.

Broca's area, Wernicke's area, and the circle of Willis are important parts of the brain. They are named after the famous scientists who discovered them.

Draco lizards are sometimes known as flying dragons. They have a skin fold on each side of their body that extends to form a wing-like structure and enables them to glide through the air.

Fishing cats are wild animals that feed primarily on fish and are at ease in water. Unfortunately, their population is in trouble due to habitat destruction.

Slow lorises are intriguing animals and the only venomous primates. They need our help. A protein in the venom closely resembles an allergenic protein in cat dander and saliva.

Students have an excellent chance of doing well on a physics exam if they work efficiently throughout the physics course and follow some tips for writing exams.

Our skin is an impressive organ that has many functions. For example, it reduces water loss, fights infections, helps regulate body temperature, and makes vitamin D.

Exciting disciplines that combine biology and math include biostatistics, epidemiology, bioinformatics, mathematical biology, and population ecology. The disciplines offer interesting careers.

A mycorrhiza is a beneficial association between a fungus and plant roots. Mycorrhizal fungi often form a communication network between trees. Some produce truffles.

Birds are among the most beautiful creatures on Earth. They're also some of the weirdest! Check out these crazy-but-true interesting and fun facts about our feathered friends...you'll be amazed!

The banana spider is famous for its beautiful web, which appears to be golden when it shines in the sun. The spider's venom is of the same type as that of a black widow, but much weaker.

Coral bleaching is an event in which corals lose their pigment and main source of food. It often causes corals to die. Oxybenzone in sunscreens may contribute to coral bleaching.

Learn some facts about common songbirds of Pennsylvania and view pictures to help you identify and attract the birds in your backyard.

Have you have considered the power potential of the human body? What about the energy stored in a raindrop? In this article I discuss five strange methods that could one day become an integral way that civilization generates electricity.

The mucus that covers fish has several functions, including protection from multiple dangers and serving as food for young fish. The substance may also be useful for us.

How do you add and subtract fractions on the abacus? Mixed numbers? Complex fractions? Introduce children to fractions? Learn from this article.

Solving triangles using Pythagoras's theorem, the cosine rule, the sine rule and various ways of calculating the area of a triangle.

This guide explains everything you need to know about circles, including calculation of area, segment area, sector area, length of an arc, radians, sine and cosine.

Octopuses have fascinating abilities. Some have fins that help them move. Others demonstrate intelligence. The genome of one species is very unusual.

Scientists are studying the endurance and survival of humans in space for distant intergalactic travel. I review that research in this article.

We've all experienced short-term, local power outages, but what kind of problems would we have if the power was out for a week, or even longer? What if the blackout was widespread? We depend on electricity for more than lights and TV. We will be in big trouble if the power grid goes down for long.

Walking sharks have elongated and spotted bodies. Muscular fins allow them to "walk" on the ocean floor as well as swim. Epaulette sharks are one example and walk on land.

The Columbian ground squirrel is an interesting and entertaining animal. A large population can be found in E. C. Manning Provincial Park in British Columbia.

The killer whales that visit the Salish Sea in summer are in trouble. The group is endangered. One reason is lack of salmon to eat, but there may be others.