Ecology

The first cars were electric: their history and why they were abandoned for decades

The first cars were electric: their history and why they were abandoned for decades

The Bersey Cab electric taxi. Credit: London Science Museum It seems like a 21st century invention, yet theelectric car it’s almost as old as the car itself. At the end of the 19th century, before petrol dominated the streets, vehicles such as the electric taxi Bersey Cab they were already circulating around London and Ferdinand Porsche himself was designing advanced ...

What are Eureka moments and how the brain works when the brilliant idea arrives

What are Eureka moments and how the brain works when the brilliant idea arrives

It was 1951 when the astronomer William Wilson Morgan came out of the Yerkes observatory, after hours of calculations on star clusters. Looking up at the sky, he had a sudden intuition: the stars he was studying were not randomly distributed, but formed a spiral. In that instant he had “seen” the structure of the Milky Way. That moment of ...

How mandarin peels on the radiator make the house smell good and the differences with other citrus fruits

How mandarin peels on the radiator make the house smell good and the differences with other citrus fruits

Once peeled, the mandarin releases an intense aroma due to numerous volatile compounds. Among these prevail i terpeneshow limonene And linaloolresponsible respectively for the citrus and floral notes. These molecules spread rapidly in the air, stimulating the olfactory receptors and generating the typical tangerine smell. At home, when you place the peels on the radiator, heat accelerates the evaporation of ...

Immagine

The first social network was born in 1997: the story of SixDegrees

SixDegrees interface. Imagine being an Internet user browsing the Web in the late 1990s, when most people are still trying to understand what the Internet really is. Connections are slow, computers are cumbersome, and digital communication is mainly made up of emails and forums for nerds, passionate about the most disparate topics. The idea that the Internet could become a ...

How is the Mexican Dia de Los Muertos celebrated and what is its meaning

How is the Mexican Dia de Los Muertos celebrated and what is its meaning

The Día de los Muertosliterally “the day of the dead”, is one of the most emblematic holidays in Mexico, celebrated between November 1st and 2nd. Made increasingly famous and known by the Disney animated film, “Coco”, it is a joyful celebration of life and a tribute to deceased family memberswho are believed to temporarily return to the world of the ...