Sahil Gupta

When we smell a perfume or odour, the molecules are sent to the back of our throat through our nostrils. The smell receptors in our nose transmit a signal to our brain’s limbic system. That decides how we are going to perceive it – like it as a fragrance or dislike it as stench. However, […]

With passing years, batteries are getting faster, efficient and more powerful than before. However, these tend to degrade or lose their power over time and use. They have positive and negative electrodes and electrolytes in them. Whenever the ions are moving between these positive and negatively charged electrodes, a chemical reaction takes place and current

An organism, animal or insect’s response to light makes it phototactic organism. If it is attracted towards the light, then it is positively phototactic (like the bugs that circle around the lamps in the night) and if it is not (for example, cockroaches), then it is known as negatively phototactic. Bugs use light as a

Sore muscles after physical activity are common. This is known as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). It can be due to a change in your exercise routine. You start a new exercise programme, or do it for a longer time or make it more intense that puts extra strain on your muscles, more than the

The coral reef ecosystems in the oceans are most crucial for providing home to the multitude of plant, fish and marine animal species. They are also known as the ‘rainforests of the sea’. They also protect humans from big waves, flooding and prevent coastal erosion. These corals are dying due to increase in water temperatures

Black boxes are actually electronic flight recorders — one stores cockpit audio recordings and the other stores airplane’s instrument data. In times of a plane crash, these are sent to labs for analysis. These are the most important and crucial part of any commercial plane or corporate jet. They are normally put in the tail

We lose hair from both our heads as well as bodies throughout our life. The only difference is in the quantity. The loss from our body is barely noticeable because hair is miniaturized, very small and not very dense. Also, it gets replaced quite quickly. So, the loss is not felt. However, loss of hair

The ozone layer is the protective covering around the earth. It is a natural layer of gas in the atmosphere that protects us and all living things from the Sun’s harmful and strong ultraviolet radiation. Not only does this harmful radiation causes damage to human health, but also it results in damaging other life-forms. It

An allergic reaction is triggered when the body feels threatened by some external stimuli, in this case certain types of foods-items. The body sees them as intruders and the immune system reacts by pumping out antibodies in defence. Release of protective chemicals is one part of that defence and results in a runny nose, itchiness

Cancer treatment involves chemotherapy. The job of chemotherapy agents is to target the rapidly growing cells, specifically of those in the tumour. However, the hair follicle, another very active structure that has some of the fastest growing cells in the body, is also unfortunately targeted in the treatment. Chemotherapy destroys not only the tumour cells

The melanin creates a dark colour. As babies age, their melanin level increases and their hair will darken. There are two different kinds of melanin that determine the colour that our hair will become – eumelanin and pheomelanin. Eumelanin determines how dark our hair colour is going to be while the latter determines the warmth of our

The stones that lie around the railway tracks are known as track ballast. Sharp-edged stones are used in ballast and their task is to hold the wooden cross ties in place. These hold the rails in place, prevent them from swaying or dislocating when the trains run on them. They prevent the weeds and vegetation

It is due to capsaicin, a colourless, odourless, oily chemical found in peppers. Capsaicin binds to the special class of Vanilloid Receptors Type 1 (VR1) that are found inside our mouths. The task of VR1 receptors is to detect heat and that is why they are located in our mouths, tongues and skin. These receptors

Brain freeze happens while eating an ice-cream or anything cold. The reason is the cold stimulus touching the roof of the mouth or the palate. The cold temperatures cause ‘vasoconstriction’. The blood vessels constrict too quickly due to the extremely cold stimulus. It is when the vessels rebound back to their original size (vasodilation) as