We are impressed when chimps use tools to hunt, crack nuts and forage for honey. Or when an octopus cracks coconuts with his tentacles . But, a new study suggests that tool use is not related to cognitive ability. Using tools seems to be mentally demanding because it involves several skills, for example grabbing food [...]
Archive for Myths
Nov
15
Can riding a bike cause erectile dysfunction?
Biking in the Spring. Ain’t it a beautiful thing? Gorgeous guys and dolls swanning down chic city alleyways on their retro- bikes. The girls eye the fellas. The boys glance back, and ride off flashing their buttocks in their tight fitting Chino pants. It’s old fashion fun. And when night comes, it’s time to switch [...]
Sep
4
Should I wear a helmet while riding?
Can you believe it? It’s more safe to ride a bicycle without a helmet! So says a man named Bill. And a judge. But what does the science say? We’ll get to that in a second. But first, a rant. The recent debate in Australia about the benefits of wearing a helmet while bike riding [...]
Aug
4
Can fish feel pain?
I’ve always figured that all animals – big, small, ugly – could feel pain. It makes sense that every creature should be able to detect horrible stimuli in order to quickly move away from it. Whilst this feeling of “pain” may not be as complex as the human experience of pain, it is still “pain” [...]
Jul
1
Do “black” people absorb more heat than “white” people?
It was a beautiful day – blue sky, sun shining – but I wasn’t fooled. It was Melbourne in the Spring, and I knew there would be an icy breeze. I put on a jumper, coat and scarf, and headed out to meet a friend. When I reached the cafe, I saw her basking in [...]
Jun
28
A Period Piece: Do periods synchronise?
When women spend a lot of time together it’s often thought that they will get their periods at the same time. We like to imagine women leaving their household toilets with a little smirk on their face as they nod to all the other ladies in the house with an unspoken understanding. But new evidence [...]
May
14
Was Goliath just a misunderstood BFG*?
Science and the Bible don’t always get along. In fact many biblical stories are difficult to believe because there is almost no scientific evidence for them. But the story of David and Goliath is a little different, because it actually has a scientific explanation. This explanation not only makes the story easier to believe, but [...]
May
7
Paying lip service: do our lips get addicted to lip balm?
According to chapping lip legend if you put lip balm, lip gloss, or other popular lip moistening phenomena on your lips all the time then your lips will eventually forget how to stay moist and you will become reliant on external balms to keep your lips moist. This never made much sense to me. My [...]