All posts filed under: Biology

The study of organisms: plants , animal and and other forms of life.

The soles of your feet can tell us where you call home

21 October 2022
by Jen Martin
comment 1
Biology / Environment / Evolution

A step above GPS, the individual microbiomes of a city can be as unique as a fingerprint and more diverse than a rainforest. Share the love: this post was written by University of Melbourne Science Communication student Morgan Spencer. But I thought the microbiome had something to do with your gut? Microbiomes are the communities of microorganisms that exist in a particular environment and they may be helpful or harmful to the place they call home. […]

The truth about early birds

14 August 2019
by Jen Martin
comments 4
Anthropology / Biology / Evolution / Genetics / Health / Myths / Psychology

We all know the saying ‘The early bird catches the worm’. But are there any real benefits to being a morning person? What determines whether you’re an early bird or a night owl anyway? And can night owls become early risers if they want to? Tick tock Your body has an internal clock. It’s located in the base of your brain, in the hypothalamus. You’ve probably heard the term circadian rhythm: this is the natural […]

To eat it or not to eat it?

26 July 2017
by Jen Martin
comments 3
Biology / Health / Myths

We’ve all heard the five-second rule: as long as the food has been on the ground for less than five seconds, you’re  safe to eat it. But are you? Birth of an urban myth When it comes to the origin of the five-second rule, stories abound. Genghis Khan often stars in these accounts, with claims it was originally known as the Khan rule. This rule apparently came into play at 13th-century victory banquets when Khan […]

The long way home

5 April 2017
by Jen Martin
comments 4
Biology / Ecology / Evolution / Zoology

Fish do it, so do reptiles and insects. Mammals – including humans – do it too. The way some birds do it will blow your mind. We’re talking migration. Why do some animals travel around the globe and how do they find their way? And what happens when the habitat they need along the way disappears? Just keep swimming It’s hard to know where to begin when it comes to writing about animal migrations: there […]

Do early birds catch all the worms?

26 October 2016
by Jen Martin
comments 5
Biology / Health / Myths / Psychology

We’ve all heard ‘Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise’. But what evidence did Benjamin Franklin have when he said it? Is it true the hours of sleep you get before, rather than after, midnight contribute more to your health and wellbeing? Nighty night, sleep tight Most parents I know prioritise getting their kids to bed early. We all know only too well how kids fare if they’re short […]

Blink and you won’t miss a thing

27 July 2016
by Jen Martin
comments 5
Biology / Health / Myths / Psychology

You may not have noticed, but you spend about ten per cent of the time you’re awake with your eyes closed. I’m talking about the fact you blink your eyes every few seconds. Why do we blink so often and why don’t we notice the world plunge into darkness every time we do? Be clean, eyeball If you’re awake for 16 hours a day, you have your eyes closed for more than an hour and […]