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Crows as Garbage Collectors?

13 Jan 2018

Let’s crow about crows. They are smart birds. In Australia they have learned to feast on the repugnant cane toads that other animals avoid because of the toxin they secret from from glands above...

Owls Don't Have Eyeballs

12 Jan 2018

You know how we (humans) have eyeballs? Well, owls don’t. They have eye tubes or cylinders, rod-shaped eyes that do not move in their sockets as eyeballs do. Instead, owls have to move their bodies...

Khat, and Not the Fuzzy Kind

9 Jan 2018

Khat is a plant native to Africa that when chewed produces a stimulant effect, similar to amphetamines. It’s regulated in several countries (including Canada) and its use actually predates the...

Turtles Breathe Out of Their Butt

28 Dec 2017

Technically the term is cloacal respiration, and it’s not so much breathing as just diffusing oxygen in and carbon dioxide out, but the fact remains: when turtles hibernate, their main source of...

Sugar-Free Goodies Are Missing an Important (and Tasty) Chemical Process

26 Dec 2017

You might think sugar only sweetens your favourite cupcakes, but it actually plays a couple of other roles as well. The Maillard reaction for example, which is responsible for many of the...

Bananas are Berries. Raspberries are Not.

6 Dec 2017

It turns out berry is actually a botanical term, not a common English one. Blackberries, mulberries, and raspberries are not berries at all, but bananas, pumpkins, avocados and cucumbers are. So...

Are poinsettias poisonous?

5 Dec 2017

If you have avoided having poinsettias in your home because of small children or animals, you’re not alone. But despite the commonly held belief that poinsettias are toxic, they aren’t. This myth...

Caffeine is considered a hard drug and cannabis a soft one?

29 Nov 2017

If you ask almost anyone if they know what a hard drug is, they’ll nod enthusiastically. Ask them to define a hard vs a soft drug however and the nodding might stop.

Why Do We Poop More During Our Periods?

28 Nov 2017

The menstrual cycle of humans is complicated. It consists of a luteal and follicular phase, follows a roughly 21-day cycle, and has many effects beyond the shedding of the uterine lining.

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