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Tag Archives: mad science
Airplane food tastes bad because your brain can’t handle the noise [Mad Science]
For as long as there have been hack comedians, humanity has pondered the question: “What’s the deal with airline food?” Well, science has figured it out: airplanes are just too damn loud for food to taste good.Generally speaking, it’s not just that air… Continue reading
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Tagged Airplane food, food, mad science, Psychology, science, syndicated
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The Moon affects rainfall here on Earth…and we have no idea why [Mad Science]
Even the most ridiculous and obviously false bits of folklore can turn out to have a kernel of truth. It turns out the Moon really can affect how much rain the Earth gets. The reason why is still a mystery.There’s an old wives’ tale that says rain foll… Continue reading
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Tagged folklore, mad science, Moon, rainfall, science, space, syndicated
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Black strings are the bizarre, five-dimensional cousins of black holes [Mad Science]
Black holes might be infinitely weirder than simply ultra-dense masses from which even light can’t escape – they might actually be the end result of the collapse of five-dimensional objects known as black strings. Yeah…this one’s going to get weird.W… Continue reading
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Tagged Astronomy, Black Hole, Black string, mad science, Physics, science, space, syndicated, Top
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The X chromosome is all that stands in the way of our clone army [Mad Science]
A new study published in Science Express shows that by de-activating a gene found in the X chromosome they see a 9-fold increase in cloning efficiency of the adorable mice you see above. The gene is XIST, which normally shuts down one of the two X chro… Continue reading
Biologists reveal why mosquito repellent DEET is doomed to fail [Bug Overlords]
Everyone’s favorite mosquito repellent, DEET, works by making a smell that mosquitoes can’t stand, or by blocking their ability to smell humans, depending on who you ask. But even the greatest repellents won’t stop all mosquitoes. New evidence suggest… Continue reading
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Tagged biology, Bug overlords, Insects, mad science, Mosquitoes, science, Smell, syndicated, tweet
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Charles Darwin performed the world’s first terraforming experiment [Mad Science]
Nearly two centuries ago, famed scientists Charles Darwin and Joseph Hooker transformed the barren volcanic island of Ascension into a lush artificial ecosystem, unwittingly inventing terraforming. Now, Darwin’s incredible achievement could help us tra… Continue reading
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Tagged Ascension, biology, Charles Darwin, Fb, Joseph hooker, mad science, Mars, science, syndicated, terraforming, tweet
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The smell of freshly-cut grass is actually a plant distress call [Mad Science]
The lovely scent of cut grass is the reek of plant anguish: When attacked, plants release airborne chemical compounds. Now scientists say plants can use these compounds almost like language, notifying nearby creatures who can “rescue” them from insect… Continue reading
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Tagged biology, mad science, Plant biology, Plants, science, syndicated, Top
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"Dry water" could be the next storage medium for dangerous chemicals [Mad Science]
Despite the oxymoronic name, ‘dry water’ is very real. This bone-dry water-silica compound could provide a way to transport dangerous liquids and gases safely – inside trillions of water-drop sized packages.’Dry water’ is comprised of 95% water, with … Continue reading
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Tagged Chemistry, Dry water, Global Warming, mad science, Oxymorons, science, syndicated, Top
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The Sun is changing the rate of radioactive decay, and breaking the rules of chemistry [Mad Science]
The Sun is changing the supposedly constant rates of decay of radioactive elements, and we have absolutely no idea why. But an entirely unknown particle could be behind it. Plus, this discovery could help us predict deadly solar flares.It’s one of the … Continue reading
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Tagged Astronomy, Chemistry, Fb, mad science, Physics, Radioactive decay, science, Solar flares, space, syndicated, tweet
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Why golf balls have dimples [Mad Science]
You’d think a totally smooth surface would be better at flying through the air with the least amount of wind resistance. So why do golf balls have all those little indentations? So they can use the air against itself.
Ah, golf, the thing you watch when… Continue reading
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Tagged Aerodynamics, Golf, mad physics, mad science, science, Sports, syndicated
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Electrons viewed in real time for the first time ever [Mad Science]
In an unprecedented achievement, physicists have managed to directly observe electrons moving about the outer orbit of an atom. It’s all thanks to some nifty quantum trickery and a machine that measures time in quintillionths of a second.The actual pro… Continue reading
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Tagged Chemistry, electrons, mad science, Physics, science, syndicated
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Why it matters that we’re close to discovering the Higgs Boson particle [Io9 Backgrounder]
Last month rumors swirled that scientists at Fermilab’s Tevatron particle accelerator found the Higgs Boson particle. Those reports were untrue, but we have made significant progress towards finding the elusive particle. Why is this such an important d… Continue reading
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Tagged Fermilab, Higgs boson, Io9 backgrounder, mad science, Physics, science, syndicated, Top
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The amazing electrons that let nothing stand in their way (with a little help from antimony) [Mad Science]
Even the most minuscule, atom-sized surface imperfections can pose colossal obstacles for the speedy flow of electrons. But certain substances create a remarkable condition where the electrons are able to completely ignore these pitfalls and move ultra… Continue reading
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Tagged antimony, electrons, Fb, mad science, Physics, science, syndicated, tweet
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Antidepressants in the water are making shrimp suicidal [Mad Science]
Improving human mental health is having some serious unintended consequences for our friends in the ocean. Exposure to antidepressants makes shrimp five times more likely to place themselves in life-threatening situations, and the broader effects could… Continue reading
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Tagged antidepressants, biology, Fb, mad science, marine biology, science, syndicated, tweet
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A new facility is being built to harvest rare atoms [Mad Science]
Find out how a particle accelerator will be used to make rare isotopes used for nuclear medicine.
Technetium 99m sounds like something in a bad fifties science fiction film that would be injected into someone to give them psychic powers, or twelve hour… Continue reading
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Tagged Fb, mad science, medicine, Nuclear medicine, Physics, syndicated, Technetium 99m, tweet
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How to make your clothes waterproof using the power of physics [Mad Science]
Learn a trick that makes fabrics temporarily waterproof. Short answer: start wearing them really tight. Eighties leggings tight.
Pour water on a loose handkerchief and it will soak right in. That’s not the hanky’s fault. It was designed to soak things … Continue reading