The Academy's rise in social media continues to surprise even its most enthusiastic supporters—we are clearly filling a need for accessible and accurate science. Our Facebook videos are regularly viewed by millions around the world and our articles read by many thousands. More than 660,000 now follow the Academy on Facebook, from a start of 9000 just 10 months ago.
Academy Fellows and other leading scientists participate in or review our videos and articles, so our followers can be sure they're not seeing fake facts.
Find us on Facebook (you don't need a Facebook account), or see all our content on our website. Here are just a few of our recent favourites.
Coriander: yes or no? Want to liven up your next dinner party? Throw some coriander into your main dish, sit back, and wait for your guests to react. It’s the humble herb that divides people like nothing else can (except perhaps discussing politics, or religion, or relationships, or the price of houses...): you either love the fresh, citrus-y, zesty flavour, or you reckon it tastes like bath soap and can ruin an otherwise fabulous meal.
The link between cats, your brain and your behaviour Do you consider yourself to be a ‘cat person’? Does your ideal future involve surrounding yourself with fluffy, contented feline friends? If you’ve ever owned a cat (or been in contact with undercooked meat, or unwashed vegetables), you may be carrying a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii.
What are archaea? The world of microorganisms is much more vast, varied and vital to the ongoing function of our planet than any of us can imagine. Microorganisms are involved in ecological processes like taking CO₂ out of the atmosphere or recycling waste materials and nutrients. Many microbial species are still undiscovered, but there’s one group in particular that scientists know comparatively little about: the archaea.
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