Every time we speak, our brains have to meticulously coordinate the movements of some 100 muscles in the face, mouth, tongue, lips, and vocal cords. Those muscles then have to fire almost instantaneously to produce the right sounds. Speech is complicated, to say the least — if something goes wrong at any point between the first neural signals and the last muscular contractions, it may result in difficulty speaking, or a disorder known as dysarthria.“When you have an interruption in that path ...read more
It takes a lot of fuel to conquer a large part of two continents by horseback. But the Mongolians had been developing a strong culinary tradition they could carry along with them for roughly 2,000 years before they swept across much of Eurasia.Now, new research gives us a closer look at what kinds of foods the nomadic pastoralists of the Mongolian steppe were eating around 700 B.C.E. by examining the protein residues left in ancient cauldrons — and the findings are a little bloody.“This prac ...read more
On Earth, you can look up at night and see the Moon shining bright from hundreds of thousands of miles away. But if you went to Venus, that wouldn’t be the case. Not every planet has a moon – so why do some planets have several moons, while others have none?I’m a physics instructor who has followed the current theories that describe why some planets have moons and some don’t.First, a moon is called a natural satellite. Astronomers refer to satellites as objects in space that orbit larger ...read more
Earlier this year, the Earth was hit by the most intense geomagnetic storms in twenty years. The most obvious consequences of the storm were the beautiful displays of aurora in the northern and southern hemispheres at unusual latitudes. In the following days, the internet was ablaze with these images.But the storm also had more insidious consequences for the world’s rapidly growing population of satellites. Physicists have long known that these storms can fry circuits, interrupt communication ...read more
In the relentless pursuit of a slimmer figure, quick-fix weight loss solutions like "Oat-Zempic" are gaining popularity, especially on social media platforms like TikTok. Promising speedy results, concoctions like Oat-Zempic, made with oats, water, and lime juice, appeal to those eager for swift changes.However, the allure of rapid weight loss is often overshadowed by significant health risks and oftentimes misleading claims. Here’s why recipes like Oat-Zempic should also be taken with a grain ...read more