Author: Mikael Angelo Francisco
The slingjaw wrasse’s mouth is straight out of a horror flick
At first glance, the slingjaw wrasse (Epibulus insidiator) may seem just like any other ordinary fish. Growing up to around…
Which marine turtle species are found in the Philippines?
Among the many prehistoric wonders that still exist on Earth today, few are as iconic as the marine turtle (Chelonioidea).…
Pawikan Patrol: A Pinoy-made card game hatched along the seashore
In April 2018, an idea hatched on a sandy shore in Morong, Bataan. “A thought occurred to me while I…
Isolating the origin of the word ‘quarantine’
These days, it’d be difficult to find someone who isn’t familiar with—or frankly, already sick of—the word “quarantine.” The quarantine…
FlipFact (April 25, 2020): The volcano that burns electric blue
The 20-kilometer Ijen caldera in Java, Indonesia is the site of not one, but two noteworthy geological phenomena: an active…
FlipFact (April 23, 2020): Mech-tymology: The literary origin of the word ‘robot’
A century ago, a brilliant Czech writer named Karel Čapek encountered a relatively minor (but no less frustrating) creative snag. Čapek…
FlipFact (April 22, 2020): Does the makahiya plant really have the ability to learn?
As a child, you probably experienced “playing” with the makahiya (Mimosa pudica) at least once. Named after the Tagalog word for…
FlipFact (April 21, 2020): Why dimethylcadmium is the world’s most toxic chemical
In 1917, near the end of the first World War, a German chemist named Erich Krause discovered a previously unknown…
The Ilonggo doctor who discovered erythromycin—and got shafted for it
For patients suffering from bacterial infections of the respiratory tract, skin, urinary tract, and soft tissue—especially those who are allergic…
FlipFact (April 18, 2020): When scientists found living relatives of 5,300-year-old ‘Ötzi the Iceman’
The “cold case” of Ötzi the Iceman is one of the most remarkable demonstrations of what modern science can achieve. A…
