Biology is the study of life, of finding unusual beauty in the ordinary. And so is writing. Article continues below Why do we find glowing lights beautiful? From natural phenomena like fireflies and bioluminescent ocean waves, to man-made phenomena like fairy lights and vast nighttime cityscapes, there’s an allure to all that sparkle, glitter and … Read more
Somewhere, somewhere in the universe, there is a lot of matter that we have not yet been able to find. And it’s not a trivial amount, either. About 70 to 80 percent of all mass is thought to be the mysterious stuff known as dark matter. Normal matter is the minority. That’s all we can … Read more
In the natural world there are many ways to shine. The best-known type of glow is bioluminescence, in which a chemical reaction takes place in an organism’s body to create light. This is the only way life can glow in complete and utter darkness. But organisms can also glow via fluorescence, a process in which … Read more
Science and exploration 18/06/2024 1195 views 16 holds The hyperactive sunspot region responsible for the beautiful aurorae earlier in May was still very much alive as it moved out of Earth’s field of view. Looking from the far side of the sun, the ESA-led Solar Orbiter mission discovered the same region that produced the largest … Read more
NASA scientists have discovered that satellite-tracked plant fluorescence can predict sudden droughts months in advance, helping to limit the effects of drought and better understand the effects of the carbon cycle. Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio An unusual increase in plant productivity may indicate an impending serious groundwater loss. NASA satellites track this subtle glow … Read more