Endorphins, molecules produced by the pituitary and hypothalamus glands to produce pain relief and a sense of well-being. The name derives from “endogenous morphine,” meaning internally produced...
The email features pictures of plants supposedly watered either with microwaved water or with water that has been heated on a stove top. Supposedly this little research gem was carried out by a...
Victorian ladies fainted with alarming frequency. They had been characterized as the weaker sex and had become conditioned to fulfil the role. A little shock, such as a glance at a passage in Lady...
Melatonin is certainly an interesting substance. It began to pique the curiosity of researchers in the 1950s when they discovered that production of this hormone by the pineal gland in the brain...
Vitamins have a great public image. Even the term itself derives from the Latin “vita,” meaning life. And indeed vitamins are essential to life. Our bodies cannot make these nutrients, so we must...
The chemistry that takes place when lettuce leaves become brown is the same chemistry we see when an apple is cut and turns brown, when green guacamole turns brown or when a green olive ripens and...
One day a craftsman showed up in the court of Tiberius, Emperor of Rome (14AD to 37AD), to present the ruler with a beautiful transparent glass vase. Just as he was about to hand the vessel to...
What makes us exchange saliva, sebum, bits of food and millions of bacteria with each other? In other words, why do we kiss? This is not an innate activity. South Pacific islanders, for example,...
During the Middle Ages monks were required to shave the crown of their head, a function commonly performed by itinerant barbers. Also, under ecclesiastic law, monks had to be periodically bled....
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