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A twist on the candle mystery

In a classic demonstration of the candle mystery, three lit candles of different heights are covered with a gas jar (see figure 1) and the tallest candle goes out first. This happens because carbon dioxide produced from burning has a higher temperature, so it rises and accumulates at the top of the…

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Gravitational waves: a taxonomy

Gravitational waves were predicted by Einstein – but where do they come from, and what different types might there be out in the…

         

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Getting a grip on genetic diseases

Sabine Hentze and Martina Muckenthaler tell Lucy Patterson about their work – detecting genetic diseases and counselling potentially affected…

           

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Is science true?

Should we believe what science tells us? A philosopher of science comments on teachers’ responses to this challenging…

       


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