Why does leftover pizza taste so good?
Why does leftover pizza taste so good? PHIL BLACK, OXFORD A night in the fridge gives strong pizza flavours time to merge and mellow in a satisfying way. The pizza keeps its structure when cold, with the tomato layer preventing fat in the cheese topping from seeping into the dough base. Pizza temperature affects taste […]
How do Milankovitch cycles affect climate?
How do Milankovitch cycles affect climate? JAMES EDWARDS Earth has a long history of episodic alternation between glacial and interglacial periods. And so far, these alternations are best explained by periodic deviations in Earth’s orbit around the Sun, called Milankovitch cycles. These cycles cause regular variations in the amount of heat we receive from the […]
Astronomy for beginners
How to spot Hydra in the night sky
How does nuclear fusion work?
How does nuclear fusion work? MARK BROWN, IPSWICH Nuclear fusion is the process by which stars, including the Sun, generate their energy. In a fusion reaction, atomic nuclei ‘fuse’ together to form heavier nuclei. For this to happen, the nuclei need to have enough energy to overcome the repulsive force they experience because they are […]
How is coal formed?
How is coal formed? Coal is a non-renewable energy source that can be burned for fuel and is used to generate electricity. Burning it adds a huge amount of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere and it’s the single biggest contributor to human-made climate change. Under current plans, the UK aims to phase-out unabated coal-fired power […]
What is watermelon snow?
What is watermelon snow? CONNOR SYKES Otherwise known as glacier blood, watermelon snow is found worldwide in mountains and polar regions. The pink-red snow has a faintly fruity smell but is reported to have laxative effects if eaten. The watermelon colour comes from freshwater green algae called Chlamydomonas nivalis. In summer, the algae produce a […]
How did dinosaurs sleep?
How did dinosaurs sleep? ROWENA BROSNAN, MANCHESTER As strange as it might be to imagine, dinosaurs would have slept. Would they lie down, or sleep standing up? Would they take quick rests or long slumbers? We don’t really know the answers. But there is one dinosaur whose sleep habits are well understood: the tiny puppy-sized […]
Dear doctor…
How do I know if my toe is broken or just bruised?
How do you read binary numbers?
How do you read binary numbers? ISABEL BLACKMORE We count in decimal – that’s multiples of 10, or base 10. That means we use 10 distinct symbols to write down all numbers: 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9. Perhaps having 10 digits on our hands helps with the maths. It was not always this way – duodecimal, or base 12, […]
How does wireless charging work?
How does wireless charging work? GEMMA LAWRENCE Electrons are clever subatomic particles. Push them along a wire and you’ve got electricity. Coil that wire, and you get a magnetic field – that’s how electric motors get their push. Put the coil near another one with a shared iron core to direct the magnetism, and power […]