Science Articles

On Sunday June 25th, 2012, Ecuador's Galapagos Islands, best known for its giant tortoises had some sad news to report - its most famous bachelor, a tortoise nicknamed 'Lonesome George' was found dead by its keeper of 40 years. What makes the death even more poignant is the fact that he was the last known living member of the Pinta Island giant tortoise subspecies....

If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, today, June 20th, may seem never-ending - one where the sun just does not wish to set. Depending on your location that may actually be the case, because today happens to be the first day of summer and also, the longest day of the year!...

The carnivorous pitcher plants are known for enticing their prey by secreting sweet nectar from their rims. Once the unsuspecting insect is trapped inside the plant's unique pitcher-shaped leaves, the slippery inner surfaces ensure that it slides straight down into the digestive juices that lie at the bottom. Now, scientists have discovered that one crafty species has conjured up an additional trick up its lid....

Earlier this month, a team of NASA scientists revealed the presence of a robust bloom of phytoplankton underneath three feet of ice in the Arctic - A phenomenon that researchers say is as astonishing as finding a rainforest, in the middle of a desert....

When the powerful tsunami that devastated portions of Japan on March 11th, 2011 receded, it carried along with it all kinds of debris - Ranging from over 200,000 buildings complete with belongings, to countless cars. Among the biggest, were four dock floats - the size of freight train boxcars, that were ripped off intact from the fishing port of Misawa....

Mention Space cuisine and images of freeze dried pre-packaged bland food come to mind. However, astronauts for most part don't seem to care - They have more exciting things to ponder over, than what's on the menu. But if scientists are planning to go on excursions to Mars and beyond, this shrink-wrapped cuisine will not be the ideal solution and, it has nothing to do with taste....

While the idea of harnessing the sun's energy for fuel has been around since the 1830's the impetus to use this free and clean source of power for commercial transportation seems to have accelerated lately. Just a month ago, the MS Turanor Planet Solar, became the first solar-powered boat to circumvent the globe and now, a single-passenger airplane has taken the green energy to the skies with a successful Intercontinental flight....

The water in Senegal's Lake Retba always seems to have a pinkish hue to it. However, catch it in the dry summer months when saline levels are high and you will see it turn strawberry pink and sometimes, even red. The good news is that color is not the result of chemicals being dumped in the lake but nature, working its magical tricks!...

When we read about Icebergs it is usually in association with them melting and turning into a pools of liquid, but these solid chunks of frozen water are also capable of performing quick flips - Something that has been known about, but never caught on camera, until now....