Gut bacteria and the immune system
By: Narveen Jandu The human immune system changes with age. Immune responses start to become less robust as people get older, which makes them more vulnerable to certain infections and diseases. However, immune system aging looks different from person to person. Research has shown that changes to the composition and diversity of the microorganisms in […]
How is eye colour made? And why are they different colours?
By: Michele Madigan When we talk about eye colour, we’re talking about the iris or coloured area around the dark dot (pupil) in the centre of the eye. Like our fingerprints, iris colours are unique to each person. The most common eye colour is brown, then blue, and less often green or hazel. Pigment means […]
Climate change making food scarce all year
By: Nasya Bahfen Every Ramadan, volunteers at Westall Mosque and OneSpace in Melbourne hold free weekly iftars (communal dinners to break the fast in Ramadan). This year, volunteers say numbers are up. To cut down on the resulting landfill, attendees are asked to bring their own reusable food containers and water bottles. In dedicated bins, […]
Book Review: Heal Your Gut, Mind and Emotions by Dimple Jangda
By: Wire Service The healthier the gut is, the healthier is the overall physical, mental and emotional health will be, says a new book. “Your gut is like the fuel engine that provides nutrients for all your other organs, and it was designed by the finest engineer in this universe – mother nature herself,” writes […]
Landmark study reveals new ‘tree of life’ for all birds living today
By: Jacqueline Nguyen, Simon H The largest-ever study of bird genomes has produced a remarkably clear picture of the bird family tree. Published in the journal Nature today, our study shows that most of the modern groups of birds first appeared within 5 million years after the extinction of the dinosaurs. Birds are a large […]
Ramadhan: The month of blessings
By: Hroon Ibn Rasheed The month of Ramadan is a month of great blessings and great virtues. In this month, human beings get special facilities from Allah Almighty and His special rewards are on the world of humanity. In this blessed month, the doors of Allah’s mercy are opened wide. The gates of the heavens […]
Value Your Time
By: Bashir Ahmad Dar Time is a strangely beautiful yet amazingly powerful creation of Allah. It is so beautiful that it reveals that which is hidden, even the darkest secrets of the world and provide answers to all the questions and uncertainties. With time the marvels and beauties of today turn into shambles of tomorrow. […]
Ensuring leftovers are safe to eat
By: Primrose Freestone Eating leftovers can be a great way to save money, diversify your cooking repertoire and reduce food waste. But eating leftover food can also be risky as these foods have already been exposed to bacteria in the environment. If you haven’t stored and re-heated leftovers correctly, you could be putting yourself at […]
Letter to the Editor
Dear Sir, Subsidize RWH The acute drinking water crisis in Bengaluru, highlighted by a shortage of about 2000 million litres per day, underscores the urgency of adopting sustainable water management practices like rainwater harvesting (RWH). Despite mandates like the BWSSB Amendment Bill 2021, RWH adoption remains low. Offering tax incentives for RWH systems could incentivize […]
Bridges can be protected from ship collisions
By: Sherif El-Tawil MV Dali, a 984-foot, 100,000-ton cargo ship, rammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge when leaving Baltimore harbour on March 26, 2024, causing a portion of the bridge to collapse. University of Michigan civil engineer Sherif El-Tawil explained how often ships collide with bridges, what can be done to protect bridges from […]