When rain falls after a dry period, you often smell a particular, fresh, earthy scent: it's the famous petrichor. This term comes from the Greek...
Limestone is a rock that is mostly composed of calcium carbonate. This mineral primarily comes from marine organisms, like shells or corals, accumulated over a...
The spiciness of pepper mainly comes from a molecule called piperine. This organic molecule is primarily found in the outer coating and seeds of the...
Fish rain, an unusual but very real phenomenon, is generally linked to turbulent weather. It starts when a waterspout or a tornado passes over the...
The fan creates wind through a simple physical phenomenon: it moves the surrounding air. Its rotating blades exert a mechanical thrust on the air molecules...
The white light coming from the sun or a lamp looks like a solid color at first glance, but it is actually made up of...
Pelicans have an expandable pouch under their beak made of very elastic skin that functions like a natural fishing net. This pouch can hold several...
The way a material conducts electricity starts directly at the level of atoms. Each atom has electrons, those tiny negative particles that orbit around the...
Hail forms mainly in thunderstorm clouds called cumulonimbus. At high altitude, where it is very cold, liquid water droplets freeze into tiny pieces of ice. Then, due...
When you heat a tennis ball, the air inside stirs, as the air molecules move faster due to the heat. As a result, they hit...
