Troy Oakes

MH370 Disappearance 10 Years On: Can We Still Find It?

It has been 10 years since Malaysia Airlines passenger flight MH370 disappeared on March 8, 2014. To this day, it remains one of the biggest aviation mysteries globally. It’s unthinkable that a modern Boeing 777-200ER jetliner with 239 people on board can simply vanish without any explanation. Yet multiple searches in the past decade have ...

Troy Oakes

Malaysian Airlines plane taking off.

Why Does a Leap Year Have 366 Days?

You may be used to hearing that it takes the Earth 365 days to make a full lap, but that journey actually lasts about 365 and a quarter days. Leap years help keep the 12-month calendar matched with Earth’s movement around the Sun. After four years, those leftover hours add up to a whole day. ...

Troy Oakes

A leap year calendar.

Eating Leafy Greens Could Be Better for Oral Health Than Using Mouthwash

Over half the adult population in the UK and U.S. have gum disease from poor oral health. Typical treatments include mouthwash and, in severe cases, antibiotics. These treatments have side effects, such as dry mouth, the development of antimicrobial resistance, and increased blood pressure. Research has indicated that a molecule called nitrate, which is found ...

Troy Oakes

A head of lettuce.

Anger, Sadness, Boredom, Anxiety — Emotions That Feel Bad Can Be Useful

Remember the emotions you experienced around sadness that came with the last time you failed miserably at something? Or the last time you were so anxious about an upcoming event that you couldn’t concentrate for days? These types of emotions are unpleasant to experience and can even feel overwhelming. People often try to avoid them, ...

Troy Oakes

Different emotions.

We Found Spectacular Australian Plant Fossils From 30 Million Years Ago

The Australian continent is now geologically stable. But volcanic rocks, lava flows, and a contemporary landscape dotted with extinct volcanoes show this wasn’t always the case. Between 40 and 20 million years ago — during the Eocene to Miocene epochs — there was widespread volcano activity across eastern Australia. In places such as western Victoria ...

Troy Oakes

A silicified fern fossil.

The Secret Sauce of Coles’ and Woolworths’ Profits: High-Tech Surveillance and Control

Coles and Woolworths, the supermarket chains that together control almost two-thirds of the Australian grocery market, are facing unprecedented scrutiny. One recent inquiry, commissioned by the Australian Council of Trade Unions and led by former Australian Consumer and Competition Commission chair Allan Fels, found the pair engaged in unfair pricing practices; an ongoing Senate inquiry ...

Troy Oakes

Dairy shelves at a supermarket.