Pseudo-explanations Search: Search (clear) All categories Alternative conceptions Bibliographical notes Biographical notes Certainty in science Comparisons Cultural references Idioms Learning impediment Macro-micro confusions Personification Phantom metaphors Pseudo-explanations Rhetoric Scientific humour Site glossary a jet tries to becomes a cylindera neurone tries to make contact with a neighbouracetylcholinesterase waits patiently for a signaladrenaline makes requestsAIDS virus hides in a cloak of cell membranean atom engages in an internal tug of waranaphylaxis occurs when cells decide they do not like somethingaromatic molecules are happy with themselvesarsenic forces the stomach to defend itselfarsine separates itself from liquidasteroid is trying to tell us about its historyasteroids and comets attempted to deliver volatile substances to Earthasteroids were gobbled up greedy planetsatmospheric air will always try to fill a voidatomic nuclei can be content or agitatedatomic nucleus tries to get rid of its excitation energyatoms can be indifferentatoms laid themselves in orderlinessatoms of uranium radiate energy of their own volitionatoms search for dance partnersatoms try to climb out of magnetic trapaustenite does not want to change crystal structurebaboons can be robbersBacteria are happy to feed on hydrogen sulphidebacteria think they will never be found at the gumlinebacteria try to eat natural polyestersbacteriophages make sure bacteria do not dominatebacterium experiences molecular impacts as if in an excited crowdbees marshall themselves as they think bestbees realised meat was available and decided to stop being vegetarianbees used geometrical forethought to work out the best shape for honeycomb cellsBetelgeuse shows petulant behaviourbitterns had a happy marriageblack holes can composeblood feeding mosquitoes have figured out how to get a giant protein-rich mealbutterflies can be shycalorie is holding on stubbornlycancerous cells function selfishlycells can enjoy interactingcells die for a higher goodcells discovered the advantages of communal lifecells know what they need to docells periscope UL16-binding protein from their surfacecentromeres eat their way away from the equator towards the poleschemicals work hard to reach the ozone layerchromosomes take the initiative in cell divisioncomets do their best to avoid adhering to the classic Solar System modelscomets grow up in a neighbourhoodconduction electrons are like a crowd of displaced personscool air tries to push away the warm aircooled glass tries to contractcountry bees appear to be less cunning than London onescovalent and ionic bonds are like different kinds of human relationshipsD.N.A. strands attract like magnetsdeep atmospheric convection likes to be over warm waterdinoflagellates use light to try to drive off predatorsdrumskin wants to return to its neutral positionEarth achieved a lot before humans appearedelectrons arrange to spin in opposite directionselectrons seek stateselectrons try to stay out of one another's wayelement is eagerly trying to complete its outer shellendorphins are designed to relieve painenergy fights to free itself from radioactive golf ballenergy is greedily taken up to fuel lifeepigenetic inheritance is not supposed to happenexciting ions - like swinging a child - requires the right driving frequencyeyes are designed for using colourfemale fish want males who can last until the babies are grownferrite does not like foreign atomsfireflies will murder and stealfish hope some of their eggs survivefixed stars are intended to allow us to detect the motions of the planetsforce will endeavour to free its companionsfunctional groups find the right partnersgalaxy changes on astronomical timescalesgas bubbles work their way to the topgenes are well-planned structuresgenes exist to make more copies of themselvesgenes struggle to contain selfish elementsgiraffes have worked out that trees communicate through hormones in the airglass wants to be 6 mm deepgravity began to do its work after the scalar field had done its work and settled downgravity is trying to make every structure collapsegravity tries to pull a white dwarf to be even densergut bacteria really enjoy foods rich in fibrehaemoglobin becomes more avid for oxygenHalley's comet has a wanton tailhearing aids think some sounds are not speechheavy bodies endeavour to reach the earthHF loves the idea of donating a fluorine to SbF5humble fungi are on a missionhungry nuclei grab neutronshunt for mutation is like searching 65 freight cars for one bad orangehydrogen released by chlorophyll needs to rebondcells have preferences and make decisionsimmune cells may have unhealthy interestsimmune cells try to kill pathogensinsulin encourages muscle cells to take in glucoseinternal heat of the Earth is for the purpose of maintaining plants and animalsiron strives towards a magnetlander Philae was intrepidlarge planetesimals gobbled up smaller ones and asteroidslife likes to break down sugarslight travels happily alonglightning is charge trying to ground itselflithium is eager to give up an electronlithium is happy to give away an electronlithium seeks out organsliver will break down anything it does not like the look oflodestone feeds on ironmacrophages deem some red blood cells too damagedmatter opposes change with all the means at its disposalmechanical system will find a way to lose energymeteors and meteorites are impetuousMicrobes did not accept defeatmicrobes happily cling to spacecraftmicrobes need quality sleepmicrobes think about where to livemolecule spits out fluorine atommolecules can be very unhappy and nervousmolecules in a gas have a high old timemolecules of different conformation prefer different reaction pathwaysmolecules pleaded allegiance to Newtonian mechanicsmolecules want to escape the destabilising feature of antiaromaticitymonkey is concerned about lack of protein in dietmosquitoes feel rubbish if they eat a massive meal just after wakingmoths thought switching to eating clothes would offer a better lifeMycobacterium tuberculosis is content to make itself inconspicuousmycorrhizal fungi is like fibre optic cablesnatural killer cells act as sentinelsnatural killer cells can be placatednatural killer cells plan their killingsnature can show concernNature changed her plan in order that more seeds might be producedNature contrives to outwit usnature does not waste energynature herself determines values measurednature is lazynature planned for seed burs to become attached to passing animalsnature will look at the forces, configurations and energiesneurones speak to each otherneutral zone insinuates itselfneutrinos are very shyneutrons do not like to be compressednucleus discards neutrons to stave off fissionnucleus will twist while trying to hold onto its protonsorbiting body endeavours to recede from the centreour star has the responsibility for sustaining life on a planetour sun was lonely before the planets were formedouter shell of carbon atom will always be looking for two oxygens to complete itselfoutermost shell of the Earth is like a massive jigsawoxygen jumps onto hydrogen and carbonoxygen likes to combine with thingsoxygen seizes upon carbon and silicon in molten pig-ironparts of a broken magnet desire to be unitedpathogenic microbes will look for a new hostperforin behaves like a Trojan horsepersonalised vaccine unmasks and flags cancer cellsphoton chooses its pathphoton decides which state it is going be inphoton knows how thick a window isphotons select the path which will take them most quickly to their goalphysics likes mathematicsplanets are intended to continue their revolutionsplanets are set at different distances from the sun according to their densitiesplanets can be stolen by another starplanets were like the rear lamps on bicyclesplants allocate their resourcesplants realise when under high stressplants want to be rigid and uprightplatelets attempt to repair damage by expelling complement protein complexplatinum group elements migrated to where the iron waspollinia from rein orchids eagerly place themselves where they hope to gain their wishPropionibacterium acnes adores consuming fatprotein talks to the brainproteins and amino acids and water desired a calm welcoming environmentproteins appreciate the roles of their peersproteins can be fickle and capriciousproteins recognise and respect the need for differenceproteins respect each otherPythagorean model shows nature is economical so must be rightquark does not feel the strong force much till it tries to escape from the nucleonradium mimics calciumred blood cells are built to travelretroviruses hiding in the genome might escapeRosetta spacecraft hibernated for several yearsRosetta spacecraft might get utterly confused and make mistakesRosetta spacecraft was pluckysand wants to form a slopesea-urchins lead a contemplative lifesilicon is happy just to combine with oxygensmoke of an ignited body seeks to ascendsodium atom electron goes to a chlorine atom to form a moleculesome genes just live to jump aroundSome strains of bacteria prefer to live in tumourssort of magnetic prison is used to imprison deuteriumspacecraft attempt to go to Mercuryspecies evolve to adaptspindle apparatus has something to hang on to when trying to pull the chromosomes apartspleen is multi-talentedsteam engine is a genie under permanent controlstellar X-rays are like a flag being wavedterrestrial particle might masquerade as space dustterrestrial system is adapted to a certain endthe biosphere has learned to recycle phosphorusthe Earth is trying to cool downthe environment decides how long D.N.A. survivesthe gravity of dark matter likes to bring everything togetherthe purposes of stars are unknownthere is an exchange rate between work and heatthere is something which remains constantticks think about when to have a mealto cross a pn junction holes have to climb a hilltrees want to grow and reproducetuberculosis is a cunning diseasetumour cells try to evade the immune systemunderground methane tries to get to the Earth surfaceuniverse will have been arranged optimally like a clock mechanismuranium bomb did not need to worry about implodingvapour field takes notice of crystal shapeVenus and Mercury mingle with the radiance of the sun and free themselvesvirus is well versed in dark arts skillsvirus mutations are to escape antibodiesvirus particles do not bother to unite into chromosomesvirus particles hide beneath a cloakvirus thinks England and Scotland are the same countryvirus will attempt to survivevirus will find ways to infect vaccinated peoplevirus will try every combination of mutationsviruses like Autumn and Winterviruses try to hidevolcano should be considered as a spiraclewater molecules are like people in an excited crowdwater wants to move towards South Americawhite dwarf steals from its companion starwicked bees that cheat flowers are unworthy members of societyworldly matter is composed of four elementsyeast can be asked to produce silk Share on FacebookTweet
