Ecology

Is it possible to control our dreams? What are lucid dreams and how do they work

Is it possible to control our dreams? What are lucid dreams and how do they work

Of all the dream phenomenaone in particular has captured the collective imagination: i lucid dreamsexperiences in which the dreamer becomes aware of being dreaming, thus partially influencing its development. For centuries i dreams represent a enigma which fascinates philosophers, scientists and artists, for Freud they constituted the “royal road to the unconscious”, today neuroscience studies them as windows on cognitive ...

When football matches were decided by coin toss and not penalties

When football matches were decided by coin toss and not penalties

The December 23 of 1970 the match valid for the first round of the German Cup was played between Schalke 04 and Wolfsburg, which went down in history for being the first match decided by penalty kicks. In fact, in the event of a draw at the end of extra time, no spot kicks were scheduled before this date. If ...

What happens in our brain when we give or receive a gift according to neuroscience

What happens in our brain when we give or receive a gift according to neuroscience

The Christmas is upon us, and like it or not we will enter the (for some infernal) circuit of the gods gifts. We might as well know what’s going on in our heads! The gesture of giving and receiving activates deep circuits in our brain related to gratification and to social connection. Science reveals to us that behind the exchange ...

How photo editing has changed and how it has evolved over time: from its origins to Photoshop

How photo editing has changed and how it has evolved over time: from its origins to Photoshop

The photo editing it has accompanied photography since the very first experiments of the nineteenth century. Already a few years after the first images fixed on plate, we realized that photography was not only the capture of reality but also construction: a terrain in which to intervene to correct, emphasize or reinvent the scene. From manual manipulations on glass and ...

What are votive offerings and what is their origin: meaning and function

What are votive offerings and what is their origin: meaning and function

Credit: Sara Risaliti (Saryz0), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons The ex-votos are objects offered to God or a saint to thank him after the realization of an event considered miraculous or to invoke his protection, they are generally donated to a sanctuary, which displays them in special rooms. The ex voto “for grace received” they can be made for the most ...

What does Christmas smell like? The science behind warm, spicy holiday scents

What does Christmas smell like? The science behind warm, spicy holiday scents

The scents that surround us during Christmas and holidays derive from the essential oils of the various spices used in sweet and savory preparations or in decorations (think of the fir tree on the Christmas tree). They are responsible small volatile molecules (Volatile Organics Compounds, VOCs) emitted by spices, decorations and typical foods of the period, which easily evaporate and ...

Why the Peace symbol has that shape and what it means

Why the Peace symbol has that shape and what it means

Three lines inside a circle: the symbol of Peace (☮) is absolutely one of the most recognisableyet not everyone knows its origin. Despite what we might think, this was not born as a symbol of peace but of the movement for peace nuclear disarmament in the 60s. History and origins: who invented it and when The symbol was officially born ...

What happens if you put ice in the pan while cooking: the secrets of thermal shock

What happens if you put ice in the pan while cooking: the secrets of thermal shock

Ice is used in cooking to cause one thermal shock, a technique that exploits a rapid and marked change in temperature to control the physical and chemical transformations of foods. Depending on the context it can be used for block unwanted processeswhich can lead to the formation of dark spots, as in the case of whitening of vegetables, where they ...

The world's largest flying wind turbine in China: it produces energy at 1500 meters above sea level

The world’s largest flying wind turbine in China: it produces energy at 1500 meters above sea level

Credit: ChinaNews, via In a desert area located in the Chinese region of Xinjiang the maiden flight of theS1500the flying wind turbine of greater size And capacity never built, capable of exploiting the winds at an altitude of 1500 meters to generate 1MW of electrical power. This technology, born from the collaboration between the Beijing SAWES Energy Technology Company, the ...