In 1940, a cracked silicon crystal at Bell Laboratories led Russell Ohl to discover the p-n junction, a pivotal moment for electronics. Strange current jump on a fractured piece of silicon opened the door to solar cells. Image credit – Wikimedia In 1940, a cracked silicon crystal at Bell Laboratories led Russell Ohl to discover…
The Chemists were vapourising carbon and noticed a perfect 60-atom cage. Image credit – Gemini While conducting experiments on the vaporisation of carbon atoms in 1985, chemists Harold Kroto, Robert Curl, and Richard Smalley obtained surprising results that showed the stability of a cluster comprising only 60 carbon atoms. This molecular structure became famous by…
Earthquake-resistant technology may soon become simpler, cheaper and far more reliable thanks to a newly patented steel sphere cylinder developed by researchers at the University of Sharjah. The passive seismic damping device, created by civil engineering professor Moussa Leblouba, uses friction generated by steel balls inside a hollow cylinder to absorb earthquake vibrations in buildings,…
Parakeets fluttering in and out of people’s houses, gardens and urban parks are becoming a regular occurrence in many places. However, experts suggest that the bright green parakeets might actually provide information on climate change, biodiversity, urban ecology, habitat shifts and the state of the environment. In fact, according to the research done on ring-necked…
When Brazilian photographer Sebastiao Salgado returned to his family land in Brazil during the 1990s, he reportedly found a devastated landscape instead of the lush forest he remembered from childhood. Years of deforestation, cattle grazing and soil degradation had stripped the land of wildlife, water and greenery. Rivers had dried up and much of the…
Starship test flight has been building for weeks, with space enthusiasts closely watching every update from SpaceX. The company’s massive Starship rocket, the largest and most powerful ever built, has become one of the most closely followed experimental space systems in the world. Now, the schedule has delayed the 12th flight test of Starship by…
B. F. Skinner (Image: Wikipedia) There is something slightly strange about the way people react to the word failure. Even hearing it can feel uncomfortable. The word carries weight. People hear it and immediately think about things that did not work out. Exams that went badly. Jobs they did not get. Plans that collapsed halfway…
Maria Branyas Morera, who lived to 117, defied aging expectations. image Credit: Wikipedia Imagine having a 117th birthday celebration with a sharp mind, a strong heart, and enough energy for the daily walk. If you’re Maria Branyas Morera, this was not just a wish; it was her reality. Although most people think of getting older…
A routine fishing trip on Lake Michigan led to an extraordinary discovery: a pre-Civil War shipwreck, the George L. Newman. Image Credit: Gemini A typical weekend fishing trip ends with stories about what went wrong. When Tim Wollak and his six-year-old daughter, Henley, took their boat on a trip near Green Island on Lake Michigan,…
Quote of the Day by Nikola Tesla Some quotes sound wise immediately. People read them once, understand them, perhaps save them somewhere, and continue scrolling. Nikola Tesla’s quote is not really one of those. It behaves differently. It slows people down a little. You read it once, and there is a small pause afterwards because…
