Tea is made of 30,000 different chemicals, and according to researchers, it needs to brew for five minutes (ideally in a pot) rather than a couple of minutes in a cup to allow the complex flavours to come through. The Telegraph
Archives for category: Humans
Watch this animation from The Guardian to see how measles spreads when children are vaccinated, and when they aren’t. It’s scary.
MPs in the UK have voted to approve the use of DNA from parents, along with mitochondria from a donor egg, to create embryos that are free from devastating mitochondrial diseases. Story from BBC News website
Researchers have found some of the mutations behind resistance to the antimalarial artemesinin. BBC News
German researchers have created devices that could fit into a shoe and harvest power from walking – this could power wearable sensors or even a self-lacing shoe. BBC News
In a Radio 4 documentary, a test of subliminal advertising in a short clip of a BBC drama had no effect on participants’ choices afterwards. Subliminal advertising has been banned since the 1950s – but it doesn’t seem to work anyway.
People with blue eyes have a single, common ancestor. Scientists have tracked down a genetic mutation which took place 6,000-10,000 years ago and is the cause of the eye color of all blue-eyed humans alive on the planet today. ScienceDaily
Running fingers over a seemingly smooth surface can detect even nanoscale wrinkles, which could lead to touch screens for the visually impaired. ScienceDaily
A Chinese hospital is using pads attached to the abdomen, delivering electric shocks, to simulate the pain of childbirth. Reuters
Lengthy naps are vital for learning and memory in babies up to 12 months – and rather good for middle-aged bloggers too… BBC News
Geek science fact of the day 