Archive for the 'General Science' Category

Bubonic Plague

October 30th, 2008 by Admin


What causes the Bubonic Plague and how deadly is it?

The Bubonic plague is a disease of the lymphatic system caused from the bite of an infected flea. The fleas are often found on rodents and seek live hosts (such as humans) when their rodent hosts die. Once established, bacteria rapidly spread to the lymph nodes […]

Who discovered the mitochondria?

October 5th, 2008 by Admin


The mitochondrian was first identified at the end of the 19th century by a German pathologist and histologist (tissue researcher) named Richard Altmann. It was given the name “mitochondria” by Karl Benda, a German physician. (1857-1933). [source: wikipedia] Altmann is known for his work involving cell theory and structure. In his study of animal cells, […]

Who invented the abacus?

September 12th, 2008 by Admin


The abacus that we know of today first appeared around 1200 A.D. in China. No one particular person or group is considered to be the inventor as it likely evolved from various counting boards and bead systems over several centuries. The Chinese call this standard abacus a suan-pan. On each rod, this classic Chinese abacus […]

Why does water boil at a lower temperature at a higher altitude?

August 23rd, 2008 by Admin


In short, a liquid’s boiling temperature is dependent on its composition and the atmospheric pressure on the boundary between the liquid and the air above it. For water, the boiling point at sea level is 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit). The atmospheric pressure is roughly 29 mmHg at sea level, but this number is […]

How old is the Universe?

March 26th, 2008 by Dan


Most scientists estimate the time between the Big Bang and current day somewhere between 13 and 20 billion years ago. Estimates are derived from Hubble’s Constant, a rate of expansion ratio calculated by dividing the speed at which a galaxy is moving away from the Earth by it’s distance from the Earth.