What is Fluorescence?

Full disclosure: I’m writing this because I painted my nails an amazing fluorescent orange, and it made me curious… TL;DR: It’s UV rays! Now for the science. Non-fluorescent vision When light hits an object, the object absorbs some of the light and reflects the rest. Our eyes pick up what is reflected through cone cells…

Lymphomas and Leukemias: What’s the Difference?

Cancer, despite being responsible for 1 in 6 deaths in 2015, is often misunderstood. Cancer is actually an umbrella term for many different diseases which share one characteristic: “The growth of abnormal cells beyond their usual boundaries that can then invade adjoining parts of the body and/or spread to other organs” – WHO 2017. Cancers…

The Hair Inside Your Head May Be Key for Brain Development

For decades the focus of neuroscience was on neurons, but as research techniques and technology progresses we are beginning to understand the brain as never before. The importance of neurons cannot be downplayed, and yet scientists are coming to realise that there are many other elements involved in brain development. Cilia are slender, hair-like organelles…