You’ve probably heard that it’s extremely difficult for adults to learn a second language. You may even have proof: You tried it yourself, and it didn’t work. But maybe that’s because you took the wrong approach.Stephen Krashen has a better idea. In the 1980s, Krashen, now professor emeritus at the University of Southern California, developed the Comprehensible Input Theory of language acquisition. The word acquisition, as opposed to learning, is key. Learning is what you did in school: ...read more
As intense heat breaks records around the world, a little-reported fact offers some hope for cooling down cities: Under even the most intense periods of extreme heat, some city blocks never experience heat wave temperatures.How is this possible?Civilizations have recognized the power of cities to heat themselves up and cool themselves for centuries. City architects in ancient Rome called for narrowing streets to lessen late afternoon temperatures. Narrow streets were found to cool the air by lim ...read more
Did you know that the bananas you eat today are not the same typeas the ones people were eating a few generations ago? The banana you might have had with your breakfast today is a variety called the Cavendish banana, while the one that was in grocery stores up to the 1950s was a variety called Gros Michel, which was wiped out by a disease called Fusarium wilt of banana, or FWB.FWB of Gros Michel was caused by Fusarium oxysporum race 1, a fungal pathogen that affects bananas. This fungal infectio ...read more
Last year, the French bulldog pushed the Labrador retriever out of the top stop for America’s most popular dog breed, according to a survey by the American Kennel Club (AKC). The origins of French bulldogs and Labrador retrievers date back several centuries, and they are relatively young when compared to some ancient breeds.There are some breeds whose origins can be traced for thousands of years. Here are six of some of the oldest breeds: 1. Sloughi(Credit: Sabine Hagedorn/Shutterstock) Th ...read more
Turning red-hot lava from an active volcano into electricity would be dangerous and unreliable. Volcanoes don’t erupt on predictable schedules, and lava cools too quickly. But many countries, including the U.S., have found ways to tap volcanic heat to make electricity.Geothermal energy comes from heat generated by natural processes deep within the Earth. In most areas, this heat only warms rocks and underground water near the surface. In volcanically active regions, however, the heat is much m ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine