Richard Brill is a retired professor of science at Honolulu Community College. His column runs on the first and third Fridays of the month.
Proteins are the most important of all biochemicals. They are involved in nearly all bodily processes in one way or another. Understanding their shapes and how the sequence of amino acids determines the shapes is an ongoing and central problem, the most pressing and most intriguing one in biochemistry. Read more
In an atmosphere that is 99% nitrogen and oxygen, it is easy to forget about the minor constituents that comprise the air we breathe. Read more
We are all familiar to varying degrees with the atmosphere’s complex role in global heat distribution. We call it weather. Read more
Cosmic rays are not really rays. They are charged particles traveling at near the speed of light. The majority consist of protons and electrons that are ejected from the sun during solar storms. Read more
“O, swear not by the moon, the fickle moon, the inconstant moon, that monthly changes in her circle orb.” — William Shakespeare, “Romeo and Juliet” Read more
Werner Heisenberg, who revolutionized quantum theory with his famous uncertainty principle, said, “When I meet God, I am going to ask him two questions: Why relativity? And why turbulence? I really believe he will have an answer for the first.” Read more
Concrete and cement are not the same thing, although the two terms are used interchangeably. Read more
Research has debunked the old adage that we use only 10% of our brain and has firmly filed it in the “urban myth” category. Read more
Ozone is present in extremely low concentrations throughout the Earth’s atmosphere. It is concentrated in the stratosphere, where it protects us from being fried by sunlight, and accumulates near the surface where sunlight forges it into the key ingredient of smog. Read more
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Mineral resources are nonrenewable. They are both finite and irreplaceable, and they are diminishing. Read more
Dog is man’s best friend, but for how long humans and dogs have been living together is a very combative and controversial field, “more that any other subject in prehistory” according to one researcher. Read more
The greatest influence on the Earth’s temperature is the tilt of its axis. Read more
Light from the sun takes a mere eight minutes to travel to Earth across nearly 100 million miles of empty space. But it takes 120,000 years to travel just 400,000 miles from its origin in the sun’s core to its surface. Read more
As with many issues over which emotions run high, there are many myths surrounding irradiation, not supported by or directly contradicted by good scientific studies. Read more
The one thing you know for sure is that no product is chemical-free. Even the air we breathe is a chemical. Read more
Beyond merely noticing how cloudy it is, how often do we really pay attention to clouds? Read more
The old saying advises us to eat an apple a day to keep the doctor away. Knowing about antioxidants and free radicals, you might add spinach and broccoli, carrot sticks, a cup of tea, and … pizza. Yes, pizza! Read more
The allure of a diamond makes it the most highly revered among gemstones. It has many qualities that make it so desirable and beloved, not the least of which is its rarity. Read more
To build a sundial that keeps accurate time is not an easy task. A sundial is more than merely a statue that casts a shadow on numbers as the sun moves across the sky. Read more
Equinox derives from Latin for “equal night,” actually referring to equal length of day and night. It is not true that day and night are exactly the same length everywhere around the globe, but they are nearly. Read more
Greek mythology has Prometheus sneaking into Olympus to steal fire from the gods. Other cultures have similar myths. Read more
