Ecology

Tunnel under the Strait of Gibraltar, will the connection between Africa and Europe ever be built?

Tunnel under the Strait of Gibraltar, will the connection between Africa and Europe ever be built?

Satellite view of the Strait of Gibraltar. Credit: NASA The Tunnel under the Strait of Gibraltar it is an ambitious project, discussed for decades, which aims to connect Europe to the African continent. If on paper the two continents seem very close, the geological reality tells a different story: between seabeds that descend to over 400 meters and unstable terrain, ...

Does Pet Therapy work? Here's what studies and institutions say

Does Pet Therapy work? Here’s what studies and institutions say

All it takes is a meow, a wagging tail when we get home and we immediately feel better. We call her Pet Therapybut the technical term is Animal Assisted Interventions (IAA) a useful tool for promote socializationreduce anxiety and improve the quality of life of patients of all ages with psychological, physical, motor and behavioral problems. The scientific evidence, however ...

Which foods do not need an expiry date and why

Which foods do not need an expiry date and why

Some foods have an expiration date, others have an expiration date minimum shelf lifebut did you know that there are also foods that don’t need expiration dates at all? Well yes, there are food products for which it is not necessary to indicate the deadlinelisted in Annex X of European Regulation 1169/2011. Think about it: have you ever seen a ...

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Taiwanese jadeite cabbage is the “Mona Lisa of Asia”: why this work of art is so loved

The jadeite cabbage. Photo Credits: Taipei National Palace Museum It often happens that museums, despite hosting varied and rich collections, become famous for one work of art in particular: the Botticelli’s Venus at the Uffizi Galleriesthe Mona Lisa at the Louvre and the Rosetta Stone in the British Museum they alone attract hordes of visitors from all over the world. ...

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 ...