Science

Bigorexia, the reverse form of anorexia plaguing male teenagers

Bigorexia in teenagers is growing at an alarming pace. This form of reverse anorexia is described as the obsession with achieving a bulky and heavily muscled body, often resulting in unhealthy changes in diet, obsessively going to the gym, social isolation and in some cases, taking dangerous steroids which can lead to severe health problems.

The relationship that we have with our bodies is not one that we can break up with, but we do have the power to change it. Changing your body is not always a negative thing, as it can improve physical health, mental wellbeing and self-confidence. However, changing your body because you or other people make you feel ashamed of it, is not a healthy situation.

We live in a society now where social media is a constant presence. We are bombarded with information, images and advice about all kinds of topics. Part of this social media experience is people showing us their bodies, promoting an “ideal” and how to achieve it. The message fed to us is basically, “If you have a body that looks like this, you…

In pursuit of the Northern Lights

Since the beginning of human history, the elusive Northern Lights have inspired artists and puzzled scientists in equal measure. As we reach the peak of a solar cycle in 2024, chances of witnessing the spellbinding spectacle of the Aurora Borealis dramatically increase. In this article, our Editor-in-Chief, Julia Pasarón, explains why. Our sun is just […]

Quantum mechanics

Quantum mechanics (QM) is the study of matter and energy at the microscopic level. QM makes bizarre predictions about how matter works. For example, quantum entanglement occurs when two or more particles become correlated such that measuring the state of one instantaneously affects the state of the other, even if they are separated by vast […]

by Dr Jacqui Gabb

How have your relationships fared this year? As we well know, 2020 has been excellent at turning everything on its head. What better than the total crisis of a global pandemic to give you a newfound sense of perspective on your relationship? Only 63% of people reported that their relationship had stayed much the same […]

The importance of fermented foods

Sandor Ellix Katz is a fermentation revivalist. His explorations in fermentation developed out of overlapping interests in cooking, nutrition, and gardening. He is the author of two best-selling books: Wild Fermentation and The Art of Fermentation, which won a James Beard Foundation award in 2013 and the recently published Fermentation as Metaphor.  Miguel Toribio-Mateas is a clinical neuroscientist […]

by Graham Jones

The Fermi paradox is one of the most puzzling problems in science. Could solar eclipses have anything to do with it? It took Enrico Fermi, a giant of 20th-century physics, just three words to brutally expose a troubling fact about the universe: where is everybody? Fermi’s question — generally referred to as the Fermi paradox […]

Is the planet spring-cleaning?

British Biologist Sir Peter Brian Medawar defined viruses as “a piece of bad news wrapped in a protein coat.” Many viruses were put at bay in the 20th century by the development of vaccination. Thanks to vaccines, horrible diseases like poliomyelitis, small pox or rubella were eradicated. However, we don’t yet have vaccines against all […]

by Irena Tyshyna

How often did you try to change yourself, your life or the lives of others? By “changing” we always assume “changing for the better.” Practically everybody is striving to be a better person, a better citizen, a better parent, spouse, friend. We also want to have the best children, politicians, lawyers, work colleagues, wives, husbands. […]

by Irena Tyshyna

Mind over matter – this is not just an overused platitude Our mind is emitting radio waves to the outside world in a similar way as a giant broadcasting station. It is the sender and the receiver of electrical waves. This is a continuous process, which operates around the clock, even when we are asleep […]

The Gombessa Expeditions The Gombessa Scientific Expeditions aim at exploring specific phenomena occurring underwater all around the globe.   A naturalistic objective first guides the choice of the mission that will generally offer three major challenges: A scientific enigma at the core of the expedition; a diving challenge, as Laurent Ballesta – leading organizer of […]

By Irena Tyshyna We live in a highly organized Universe – Our Star circles the galaxy centre in a predefined path. The Earth rotates around the Sun with a specific axial tilt, creating seasons. The Moon orbits our planet without fail, with its phases affecting the ocean tides. Baby turtles hatch and sprint towards the […]

By Toscanie Hulett The first thing that springs to mind when we talk about evolution is undoubtedly Darwin’s theory of natural selection. This theory, mostly unrefuted by today’s scientific community, remains the primary reference point when studying the evolution of our species: Homo Sapiens. The definition of evolution currently stands as the change in the […]