Category: syn·op·sis beta

The human eye can see many different colours, using three different coloured cones to distinguish wavelengths of light, giving us our visible spectrum (Sliney, 2016). However, the human eye is limited, where the generally accepted visible spectrum is between 380nm to 700nm (Sliney, 2016). But what if the human eye could see beyond that range?…

When you hear the word creatine, you probably think of people trying to build muscles. One of the most popular sports supplements is creatine, which is well-known for helping muscles in producing energy during intense exercise (McCallum 2024). However, the body needs a steady flow of energy for more than just muscles. Our minds also…

Sickness can cause many physical effects, including chills, sweating, headaches, fatigue, and more (Ames et al.). These are all symptoms of the body’s immune system fighting an infection (Mayo Clinic 2025). The physical symptoms of fever are well researched and documented; however, a much stranger and less studied symptom is fever dreams. They are often…

Nearly 4 billion years of Earth’s history is encompassed by the Precambrian, a span of time stretching from the creation of the Earth to the Cambrian period, when complex animal ecosystems began to emerge and diversify(Windley 2019). The Neoproterozoic Era (1000–539 Ma) was the final era of the Precambrian, and a pivotal period for the…

“The Freshman flu” is a very catchy saying for a very uncomfortable feeling. You may have noticed that after the first few weeks of university, it seems like everyone is sick, coughing, sneezing, and blowing their nose in lecture. This is not a coincidence but actually a very interesting pattern. The term “flu” refers to…

Humans have some of the “BEST” hearing in all of the animal kingdom. But most animals need their hearing to live, and have thusly gained more sensitive receptors to sounds than humans. Sometimes, it even takes over another sense’s purpose. So why can I say that a human’s hearing is “better” than those other animals?…

The cultivation of grapes has a history that spans more than 7,000 years. Today the wine industry remains one of the world’s most economically significant agricultural sectors, producing over 26 billion litres of wine annually (Velaz et al. 2025). However, due to the increasing pressure on the environment caused by climate change, many winemakers are…

Upon the slopes of Volcán Wolf lives one of Earth’s rarest and most ecologically unique reptiles. Charles Darwin missed the Galápagos pink land iguana (Conolophus marthae) on his 1835 Galápagos voyage, a species whose evolution remains puzzling (Figure 1)(Gentile et al. 2009). Darwin’s Galápagos observations were central to his ideas about evolution, making this species’…

Have you ever yawned simply because you saw someone else do it? Yawning is one of the most common human behaviours, yet we rarely question its purpose — why does our body do it? Scientists have not found one clear cut answer, but research over recent years suggest that this is due to the deep…