/oss/taxonomy/term/4175/all en /oss/article/pseudoscience-general-science/claptrap <p>Our brain controls the production of certain hormones and neurotransmitters such as melatonin, serotonin and dopamine. Simplistically, one can say that “rest and repair” hormones are activated by a lack of light, while “coping with stress” hormones are produced when light is abundant. But the situation is actually more complicated. Hormonal activity is governed by messages sent from the eye in response to specific wavelengths and problems arise if there is exposure to an unnatural mix of wavelengths, termed the “unnatural wavelength effect” (UWE).</p> Fri, 01 Dec 2023 20:02:43 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9748 at /oss /oss/article/environment-general-science-you-asked/why-sky-blue-or-better-yet-why-ocean-blue <p>The sky is blue due to a phenomenon called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayleigh_scattering">Raleigh scattering</a>. This scattering refers to the scattering of electromagnetic radiation (of which light is a form) by particles of a much smaller wavelength. Sunlight is scattered by the particles of the atmosphere, and what comes through down to earth is called diffuse sky radiation, and though only about 1/3rd of light is scattered, the smallest wavelengths of light tend to scatter easier.</p> Fri, 31 Jan 2020 19:08:37 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 8097 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know-health/theres-condition-can-cause-human-blood-turn-green <p>If you have clear blood you may be a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brachiopod#Taxonomy">brachiopod</a>, if you have blue blood you may be an <a href="/oss/article/did-you-know/snails-spiders-and-octupi-all-have-blue-blood">octopus</a> (or just a rich human), but if you have green blood you may have sulfhemoglobinemia.</p> Fri, 22 Nov 2019 15:00:00 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 8000 at /oss