Charles Goodyear didn’t invent rubber, but he developed the process called vulcanization that makes rubber usable and stable. Goodyear was born on Dec. 29, 1800, in New Haven, Conn., U.S. He spent his entire life working with rubber. He first made valves that used rubber life preservers, but the rubber was so unstable. In the […]
Venus is the hottest and brightest planet on our planet, with a surface temperature of about 900 degrees Fahrenheit. Take note: this temperature is hot enough to melt lead. Imagine how hot that is! The planet is well-known for its crushing pressures, thick, toxic atmosphere filled with carbon dioxide, and yellowish sulfuric acid clouds. Not […]
If you’ve ever sliced or chopped an onion before, I’m pretty sure you’ve already experienced at some point that sudden feeling of your eyes stinging and tears running down your face. Now you might wonder why cutting one can make you cry. Well, let me tell you a secret. It comes down to fascinating biochemistry. […]
Snails are well-known for one of their striking physical features—the spiral shell they load on the back. But have you ever heard of a snail with a shell made out of iron? If you haven’t yet, let me introduce this remarkable creature, the Scaly-foot snail. Chrysomallon squamiferum, most commonly known as a scaly-foot snail, is […]