Questions and Answers about
Science
-
—
in ScienceWhat’s alopecia?
Answer: Alopecia, AKA spot baldness, is an autoimmune disease in which hair is lost from some or all body areas, often resulting in bald spots about the size of a coin. People with the condition are generally otherwise healthy, with no obvious trigger for the disease._x000D_
-
—
in ScienceWhat’s Cryolipolysis?
Answer: Cryolipolysis is a method intended to remove fat by freezing – better known by the brand name CoolSculpting. It destroys about 20%-25% of the fat cells in the targeted area by cooling them to a temperature of −11 to +5 °C (+12.2 to +41 °F) while leaving the skin and other tissues unharmed. The…
-
—
in ScienceHow old was Zara Rutherford when she became the youngest female pilot to fly solo around the world?
Answer: At age 19, Belgian-British aviator Zara Rutherford became the youngest female pilot to fly solo around the world and the first person to complete a circumnavigation in a microlight aircraft. On Jan. 20, 2022, Rutheford ended her five-month journey exactly where she started – in Belgium on Aug. 18, 2021._x000D_
-
—
in ScienceWhat’s a solar flare?
Answer: Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy from the Sun. According to NASA, flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly, captured an image of a mid-level solar flare on Jan. 20, 2022.
-
—
in ScienceWhat’s endometriosis?
Answer: Endometriosis is a disorder in which the tissue lining the uterus or womb exists outside the uterus, usually causing significant pain.
-
—
in ScienceWhat’s a “flue effect”?
Answer: Flue effect, also known as stack effect or chimney effect, is when heated air rises in a shaft, like the one created by two open doors at the Jan. 10, 2022, Bronx fire. Seventeen people were killed from inhaling smoke pouring through a malfunctioning door and spreading up to the top of the 19-story…
-
—
in ScienceWhat’s Pancreatitis?
Answer: Pancreatitis is characterized by inflammation of the pancreas – a large organ behind the stomach that produces digestive enzymes and hormones. Depending on the severity of the inflammation, symptoms can include fever, nausea, vomiting, and weight loss. The two most common causes of acute pancreatitis are gallstones and heavy alcohol use.
-
—
in ScienceWhere might one encounter Benzene?
Answer: Benzene is found in the air, contained in motor fuels, and used by industrial producers to make plastics and resins. Exposure to high levels of the chemical can cause illness, including an increased risk of leukemia. Is it in your shampoo? Find out inside.
-
—
in ScienceWhat is unique about the Thwaites glacier?
Answer: Thwaites glacier in western Antarctica is the widest glacier on Earth, spanning about 80 miles (120 kilometers) and extending to a depth of about 2,600 to 3,900 feet (800 to 1,200 meters). Rapid deterioration could end with the ice shelf’s complete collapse in just a few years, raising sea level to 10 feet (3…
-
—
in ScienceWhat’s Russia’s Sputnik V?
Answer: Sputnik V is Russia’s coronavirus vaccine. On Dec. 5, 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin voiced hope for quick approval of the jab by the World Health Organization. More answers inside!
-
—
in ScienceWho is Jessica Watkins?
Answer: Jessica Watkins, 33, is the first Black woman to live and work at the International Space Station. She will join a SpaceX crew-4 mission after April 2022, marking her first flight into space. More answers inside!
-
—
in ScienceWhat’s the global death toll after two years of the Covid-19 pandemic?
According to a study conducted at Johns Hopkins University, the global death toll from COVID-19 topped 5 million on Monday, Nov. 1, 2021, less than two years into the pandemic. The U.S. alone has recorded over 745,000 deaths, more than any other nation. Together, the United States, the European Union, Britain, and Brazil account for one-eighth…
-
—
in ScienceWhat’s the 3.2 million-year-old human ancestor skeleton’s name, found in Ethiopia in 1974?
The name Lucy was given to a 3.2 million-year-old skeletal remains of a human ancestor found in Ethiopia in 1974. An expedition member suggested naming the skeleton after the Beatles’ song “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” played at the team camp repeatedly during the night of the discovery.
-
—
in ScienceWhen was the earliest known human use of tobacco?
Scientists have found evidence of the earliest known tobacco use in the remains of a hearth built by early inhabitants of North America’s interior about 12,300 years ago in Utah’s Great Salt Lake Desert. Until now, the earliest documented tobacco use came in nicotine residue found inside a smoking pipe from Alabama dating to 3,300…
-
—
in ScienceWhat is body dysmorphia?
Body dysmorphia is a mental health condition where a person spends a lot of time worrying about flaws in their appearance. These flaws are often unnoticeable to others. People of any age can have BDD (body dysmorphic disorder), but it’s most common in teenagers and young adults.
-
—
in ScienceHow much of the world’s population live in urban areas?
In recent decades, hundreds of millions of people have moved from rural areas to cities, home to more than half the world’s population._x000D_
-
—
in ScienceWhat is Coral Bleaching?
Coral bleaching happens when corals, under stress from warmer water, expel the colorful algae living in their tissues, making them turn white.
-
—
in ScienceHow old are the world’s oldest female twins?
Guinness World Records has certified Japanese Umeno Sumiyama and Koume Kodama as the oldest identical twins at 107 on Monday, Sept. 20, 2021. The announcement was made to coincide with “Respect for the Aged Day,” a national holiday in Japan. Sumiyama and Kodama were 107 years and 300 days old as of Sept 1, breaking the…
-
—
in ScienceWhat’s an African penguin?
The African penguin is a species of penguin confined to southern African waters. Because they do not require very low temperatures, these penguins are popular with zoos.
