Some berries contain specific chemical compounds called alkaloids, glycosides, or saponins, several of which are toxic to humans. These substances have often evolved as a...
Carrots are orange mainly due to a natural pigment called beta-carotene. This belongs to the family of carotenoids, which also give fruits like apricots and...
Our planet is tilted at about 23.5 degrees from its vertical axis, and this has enormous consequences. This little detail is enough to completely change...
The salinity of the oceans depends too much on the climate to be uniform. When it’s very hot, evaporation speeds up significantly, leaving the salt...
Underwater, sunlight is quickly filtered, and it's certain colors that suffer first. Indeed, water gradually absorbs colors according to their wavelength: first red, then orange, next yellow,...
Our ancestors had noticed that certain celestial events repeated regularly, such as eclipses, the movement of planets, or the phases of the Moon. By building...
The weather vane is a very simple device: it has an arrow mounted on a vertical axis, capable of turning freely according to the direction...
Salt water plays a discreet yet effective role on the rocks it encounters at the beach. Sea salt gradually dissolves certain minerals present on the...
Mangroves act like giant natural filters. Their aerial roots prevent sediments and dirt from continuing their journey, thus limiting marine pollution and making the water...
A tsunami often starts when a sudden underwater event displaces a huge volume of water. Typically, this happens as a result of an earthquake beneath...