The Boffins' Portal Team 
Chemical reactions occur after two or more reactants counter each other to form new products. In some cases, aqueous reactants combine to form an insoluble salt. Such chemical events are referred to as precipitation reactions given that they bring about the formation of precipitates. Among the most distinct features of a precipitate is that they …
Scientifically speaking, a fluid is a substance capable of flowing and deforms when exposed to significant force, taking shape with its surroundings. Fluid molecules are sparsely populated particles in constant random motion as they collide with surrounding surfaces and each other. In contrast, solid molecules are laid in regular patterns and are tightly packed, leaving …
In 1921, a highly acclaimed French mathematician from the little-known town of Saint-Affrique published a series of papers on what he called ‘The Theory of Games’. Using poker as his research subject, Felix Edouard Emile Borel envisioned a systemic framework for playing games that is today commonly known as Game Theory. The two branches of …
American anthropologist, Edward Hall, coined the cultural iceberg analogy whereby he compared culture to enigmatic icebergs. The mystery surrounding these glacially-derived rocks is not their gigantic size, but rather their deceiving appearance. Only 10% of an iceberg floats above the water surface, while the remaining 90% remains underneath the surface. Therefore, it is impossible to …
In the words of Edward Twitchell Hall, a renowned cross-cultural anthropologist, culture is mankind’s medium. It cuts across all aspects of human life, influencing how people express themselves, think, their personalities, and how they move. Ideally, culture refers to a set of feelings, practices, and beliefs that tie people together. It represents all aspects of …
Experimental philosophy is a discipline concerned with understanding human actions, thoughts, and feelings. This philosophical field applies experimental methods to probing underlying psychological phenomena behind people’s actions. As denoted by American philosopher, Aflred Mele, the central aim of experimental philosophy is to internalize the intentionality of human actions. The same can be said about the …
In his highly acclaimed book, Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder, Nassim Taleb puts forth the thought of flourishing in chaotic environments. He argues that while resilient beings or systems can withstand chaos, their antifragile counterparts thrive in spite of the chaos. Ideally, this concept denotes that exposure to disorder, shocks, randomness, or volatility allows …
Have you ever been in an awkward bargaining situation where you felt at a distinct disadvantage? Perhaps it’s because the product you were negotiating over was too complex for you to understand—like that rocket you wanted for your next business idea to transport space tourists into orbit? If that’s you, chances are you are likely …
How can we best classify places that share similar characteristics? No doubt the most familiar one is through nationalities or areas enclosed by national or political boundaries. But geographers have gone beyond this to use cultural regions that can be quite powerful at getting deeper insights into a people’s identity, sense of place, and connection …
A pseudo-democracy, also known as tactical liberalization, is a political order designed to put on a democratic façade. Such regimes imitate a democratic system by holding regular political elections without any genuine intentions of offering the country’s citizens a voice. In most cases, a ruling party consolidates power with an aim of monopolizing the state’s …