Category Archives: science

WAS IT DESIGNED Researchers say that dogs can use their sense of smell to detect the age, gender, and mood of other dogs. Dogs can even be trained to detect explosives and illegal drugs. While humans mainly use sight to investigate their surroundings, dogs use their sense of smell. They “read” with their nose. Consider: AContinue reading “The Dog’s Sense of Smell”

 WAS IT DESIGNED DOMESTIC cats are mostly nocturnal. Whiskers apparently help them to identify nearby objects and catch prey, particularly after dusk. Consider: Cats’ whiskers are attached to tissues that have multiple nerve endings. These nerves are sensitive to even the slightest movement of air. As a result, cats can detect nearby objects without seeing them​—obviouslyContinue reading “The Function of Cat Whiskers”

 WAS IT DESIGNED MANY aquatic mammals that live in cold waters have a thick layer of blubber under the skin to help them stay warm. The sea otter relies on another insulation method​—a thick fur coat. Consider: The fur of the sea otter is denser than that of any other mammal, with some one million hairsContinue reading “The Sea Otter’s Fur”

WAS IT DESIGNED Domestic cats are known for their grooming habits. They may devote 24 percent of their waking hours to grooming. This cleaning habit owes its efficiency to the cat’s amazingly equipped tongue. Consider: The cat’s tongue is covered with 290 papillae, tiny backward-facing spines that are about as stiff as your fingernail. Each papillaContinue reading “The Cat’s Tongue”

 WAS IT DESIGNED COMPUTER users generate enormous amounts of digital data that has to be stored for access as needed. Scientists are hoping to revolutionize current methods for digital storage by imitating a far superior data-storage system found in nature—DNA. Consider: DNA, found in living cells, holds billions of pieces of biological information. “We can extractContinue reading “The Storage Capacity of DNA”

 WAS IT DESIGNED AMONG the numerous mechanisms that make human life possible is the body’s ability to heal wounds and regenerate damaged tissue. The process begins as soon as an injury occurs. Consider: The healing process is made possible by a cascade of complex cellular functions: Platelets adhere to tissues around a wound, forming a bloodContinue reading “The Human Body’s Ability to Repair Wounds”