TRAPPIST-1 is a star system about 40 light years away from Earth! The star (TRAPPIST-1a) is an ultra cool red dwarf not much larger than Jupiter, though it is much more massive (as in, has more mass) and was discovered in 1999, but its first exoplanets were only found in 2015 by the TRAPPIST telescope!… Continue reading What would it be like to live around TRAPPIST-1a?
Tag: DNA
Do plants get sunburnt?
This summer, we have had some extraordinarily hot days, with Europe facing heat waves that broke records! So it is likely that you had to cover up and slather yourself in sun cream- or face getting burnt… But I found myself wondering, plants need the sun to survive, so the age-old advice of ‘stay in… Continue reading Do plants get sunburnt?
Who was Rosalind Franklin?
A chemist, a physicist, a biologist: Rosalind Franklin was a truly inspiring woman, who- as you may notice is a recurring theme in the lives of historical female figures- went against the odds to strive for a career in science, despite the sexist beliefs of not just society, but also her father’s and lab partners’.… Continue reading Who was Rosalind Franklin?
What is Life?
The smallest unit of life is a cell. The human body (and other complex multicellular organisms) have millions, if not billions of different types of cells: skin cells act as a barrier between you and the environment, neurons (nerve cells) fire electrical impulses that tell you how to move and remember, various blood cells to… Continue reading What is Life?
What is a Human?
Part One: The Science Humans seem pretty important, I mean, for a start it’s the only *intelligent* life form we know of… actually, intelligent is the wrong word: you could consider many animals intelligent- some use tools, some have complex mating rules, some have complex societies, some can even do basic maths and “talk back”… Continue reading What is a Human?