Johannes Gutenberg was a German inventor who is credited with inventing the first movable type printing press in Europe during fifteenth century. Though printing presses were already being used in East Asia, Gutenberg’s press enabled faster printing. Gutenberg's printing press later spread to various parts of the world, enabling mass printing of books, ushering the … Continue reading Information Revolution
The Greek scientist Ptolemy was born almost two thousand years ago. He lived and worked in Alexandria, Egypt. In those days, Egypt was part of the Roman Empire. From watching how the other planets moved, Ptolemy thought that the Earth was the center of the universe. He thought that the other planets and the sun … Continue reading Earth At the Centre
Louis Pasteur was a French chemist, pharmacist, and microbiologist famous for developing the process of pasteurization. Through his studies, Pasteur realized that tiny microbes found naturally in the milk were to blame for its spoiling, and that these also could make people ill. He discovered that that boiling milk and then cooling it quickly made … Continue reading Preserving Foodstuffs
In 1928, the Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming was tidying his lab. He was about to throw away an old petri dish of bacteria he’d been studying when he saw a big patch of mold on it. When Fleming looked closer, he noticed that the bacteria around the mold were no longer growing. He realized the … Continue reading Killing Bugs with Bugs
Humans have two intestines: small intestine and large intestine. While the small intestine absorbs nutrients from food, the large intestine (also called colon) acts as a sponge, soaking up remaining water, salts, and minerals from food waste before it turns into stool. In an average sized adult, the small intestine measures about 6 to 7 … Continue reading Tennis Court in Your Tummy
In ancient Greek mythology, Mercury is a fast footed god. In the realm of astronomy, mercury is a planet. In the field of metallurgy, Mercury is a metal. While mercury itself is also a metal, mercury the planet doesn’t contain mercury the metal in any substantial amounts. In fact, planet mercury is rich in iron. … Continue reading Iron Inside Mercury
Unlike planet Earth, planet Mercury doesn't have a moon. But looking from Earth, Mercury resembles earth’s moon. Just like our moon, Mercury's surface has many cliffs and craters. In the beginning, Earth, Mars, and Venus had craters as well. These craters were created due to impacts from incoming solar system debris during a period called … Continue reading Just Like Our Moon
If you try walking on the moon, you will need much less effort to walk and run. That is because moon’s gravity is only 16 percent of earth’s gravity. That means a person weighing 70 kilograms on earth would weigh only 12 kilos on moon. Having said that, you won’t get any thinner, your body … Continue reading Walking Easy Over the Moon
Mercury is the closest planet to the sun. Being so close to the sun, you might think it should always be baking hot. It is but not always. Mercury’s temperatures range from extremely hot (430 degrees Celsius) during day to extremely cold (minus 180 degrees Celsius) during night. Thus it endures a temperature swing of … Continue reading Baking Hot Days But Freezing Cold Nights
Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system. It is also the closest to the sun. Mercury is named after the Roman messenger god also named Mercury. In Roman mythology, Mercury was the swift-footed messenger of the gods who wore winged sandals and a winged hat, allowing him to travel quickly. The reason planet … Continue reading The Planet Named Mercury