STEM

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Since ancient times, the Moon has fascinated and inspired people. The Moon is often associated with magic and mystery. Now science has unveiled those mysteries. Ready for a moonwalk? Read on!

The large or Malayan flying fox is one of the world's largest bats and has a wingspan of up to six feet. Its population is classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN.

Bacteria have some amazing abilities. They can live in extreme habitats, produce light or electricity, communicate with each other, and act as predators and magnets.

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.

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.

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

Spiders both fascinate and frighten people. Check out these weird, amazing, interesting and fun facts about spiders taken from science, history, literature and mythology with cool photos and videos.

Parasites are everywhere. They live on your skin, in your hair and even inside you! Some are harmless, many are necessary for health, and a few are DEADLY. Let's find out more about crazy PARASITES...

Lobsters are interesting animals to observe and study in a natural setting. They are popular food items, but the way in which we kill them is controversial.

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

Another day, another quantum phenomena to explore.

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

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

Lichens are interesting organisms that are important in their environment and useful for humans. Some produce chemicals that are potentially dangerous for us, however.

Pacific white-sided dolphins are intelligent and very social animals. This article describes the lives of the wild dolphins and of some rescued animals in captivity.

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.

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

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.

Astrochemistry is an interdisciplinary field with an overlap between chemistry and astronomy. It is the study of the abundance of and reactions between molecules in space.

Social amoebas are also known as cellular slime molds and dictyostelids. They start life as separate ameboid cells but join to form a multicellular grex or slug when food is scarce. The grex has some interesting abilities.

Spiders are fascinating animals that help us by removing harmful insects from the environment. Their silk is very strong and is potentially useful for humans.

Ring of Fire is a common expression applied to a geographical area bordering the Pacific Ocean. Within this "Ring of Fire" earthquakes and volcanoes are more common than any other place on the planet.

This is a tutorial on using the SAP .Net Connector, NCO 3.0.3.0 for .Net 4 and Visual Studio

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.

Gold has fascinated humans since it was first discovered. It has inspired love, poetry, art and music as well as greed, murder and warfare. Discover about gold with these amazing facts, pics, videos!

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

Bumble bees have surprisingly capable brains. They can play a simple version of soccer and pull a string to get a reward. They may even experience optimism.

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...

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

Fibronectin attaches cells to the extracellular matrix and controls their behaviour. It also helps to stop bleeding and is used in a fetal fibronectin test.

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.

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.

Glaucoma is a vision problem caused by damage to the optic nerve. The pressure in the eyeball is often increased, but the disease is not fully understood. Recent research may change this situation.

Hair color is primarily genetic, and red hair is caused by mutations in the MC1R gene. The gene for red hair also causes an increased sensitivity to sunlight and a reduced sensitivity to anesthesia. Contrary to internet rumors, redheads are not going extinct! Famous redheads include Queen Elizabeth I and Malcolm X.

The great horned owl is an avian apex predator, and perhaps the finest predator to have ever lived. In this article, I will detail just about everything you need to know about these magnificent raptors, including what they look like, what they eat, and how they live.

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

At least 1000 types of fish—and probably many more—produce sounds. These sounds include pops, clicks, purrs, grunts, hums, hoots, rattles, and tinkles.

Here are the tales of fifteen species that succumbed to anthropogenic extinction as a result of hunting or habitat destruction.

Earwax is made by the lining of the ear canal and has important functions. An adequate amount of wax is necessary, but too much can lead to impaction and pain.

Modern day calculator dependence is enabling a consensus to alter long-known, tried and tested, math guidelines, such as PEMDAS/BODMAS, and is applying them them as strict rules instead. My article proves that 8 ÷ (2 + 2) = 1 with or without calculators.

Blood type is an important factor to consider in transfusions in order to avoid incompatibility reactions. Scientists have created potentially safe type O red blood cells from other kinds.

Here are answers for many of the most commonly asked questions about caterpillars!

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.

ppm is mentioned in many user manual specifications sections of appliances, gadgets, and materials. Why should this be? Why not use per cent (%) or even decimal fractions? ppm is important for accuracy and for safety reasons and is explained here along with conversion methods between the parameters.

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.

African civets are interesting animals with some unusual characteristics. They are kept in captivity on civet farms so that their musk can be collected.

The first of four basic guides to the night sky, and what can be seen with the naked eye or binoculars. This page identifies the many kinds of objects you can see when you look up at the night sky

Ferns are attractive plants with interesting features. They exist in both wild and cultivated forms. The western sword fern is a common plant in coastal British Columbia.

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.

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.

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.

The Tasmanian devil is an endangered animal whose population is decreasing. The main reason for the decrease is devil facial tumor disease. Immunotherapy may one day be used to treat the condition.

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.

Learn how bird feeders impact wild birds and the environment so you understand the good and bad aspects of feeding the birds in your garden or yard.

Bacteria in the genus Yersinia have major effects on our lives. One species causes bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic plague. Others cause foodborne illness. One may eventually help to treat cancer.

Black holes, mysterious objects of the universe, have many different types. Do you know the differences between them all?

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 monkey puzzle tree is a strange and very interesting plant. It's native to South America but grows in parks and gardens in other areas as an introduced species.

Paper cranes and little boats are the easy parts of origami. Wait until you see the surprising connections it and kirigami have to physics!

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.

Buckle up. Pushing the limits of science is about to get weird.

Maple trees belong to the genus Acer and family Sapindaceae. Maple trees are admired for their stunning display of fall leaf colors. This article is an in-depth look at the red maple, sugar maple, and silver maple trees.

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.

Chloroform can act as an anesthetic, but it’s toxic and may cause serious health problems. It's present in the environment. Methods to limit our exposure to chloroform exist.

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.

Carbon is a pretty amazing material that as you will see is offering some amazing changes to technology.

Tiny microplastic particles are produced from plastic waste. The particles enter the human body in a variety of ways. Their effects on the body are unknown.

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.

Land subsidence caused by groundwater withdrawal poses a significant threat to governments, businesses, and the general public.

Mudskippers are unusual fish that may spend more time on land than in water. They use their pectoral fins as legs and breathe through their skin as well as their gills.

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.

Why does time only go forward? Is there some attracting force? "Time Gravity" is my theory that affects the direction of time—keeping it going only in one direction.

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.

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!

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.

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

The deadly nightshade plant, or belladonna, is extremely poisonous. It contains atropine, a potentially dangerous chemical that has some important medical uses.

This article looks at the processes by which rocks melt and the different ways they cool and solidify to form igneous rocks.

There are many endangered species, including the Siberian Tiger, elephants, leatherback sea turtles, snow leopards,

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.

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

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.

Marmots live in mountainous areas of British Columbia. They are social and very vocal animals that often form colonies. One species—the Vancouver Island Marmot—is critically endangered.

A guide to the best places in the world to see wild tigers, such as Bengal tigers in India's national parks or Sumatran tigers in Indonesia.

Bees play a very important role in pollinating flowers, but the insects are disappearing. Pesticides may be at least partly responsible for this disappearance.

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.

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.

Is our reality so beautiful as to be made of math?

Hercules beetles are named after the hero of ancient myths. The male has horns that may be very long. The insects can change colour and are found in both the old and the new world.

The crypt-keeper wasp is a parasite that controls another parasitic insect known as the crypt gall wasp. It tunnels its way through the host's head to escape from a gall.