Category: Trivia
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…
FlipFact (April 17, 2020): Kepler-186f, Earth’s (literally) distant ‘cousin’
On April 17, 2014, researchers announced a remarkable discovery. Using NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope, astronomers found an Earth-sized planet more…
FlipFact (April 12, 2020): Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space
On April 12, 1961, a wide-eyed 27-year-old sat inside the cramped cockpit of Vostok 1, wearing an orange spacesuit and…
Meet Anableps, the “four-eyed fish”
If you’re a diver or an underwater photographer, you’re likely familiar with Snell’s window. This causes a submerged viewer to…
The Telharmonium, the granddaddy of music streaming
Over the centuries, technology’s steady march has led to the development of innovative ways to escape boredom. One of modern…
How do cats land on their feet after falling from great heights?
It’s a question that scientists have been asking since at least 1700: How do cats manage to land on their…
