/oss/taxonomy/term/2271/all en /oss/article/student-contributors-you-asked-general-science/candles-what-do-they-emit-when-lit <p>The <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120517112023/http:/www.candles.org/about_history.html">use of candles dates back</a> as far as 3,000 B.C., when ancient Egyptians used papyrus reeds dipped in animal fat that they then lit to use as torches. Similarly, ancient Romans dipped wicks into tallow, a rendered form of animal fat, to create another early form of the candle. Other components of candles include plants, insects, seeds and nuts which have been identified in Chinese, Japanese and Indian civilizations.</p> Fri, 25 Jun 2021 17:25:23 +0000 Cat Wang 8770 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know-history/stormy-petrel <p>The Shetland Islands are famous for sheep and wool.  But did you know that they are also home to the stormy petrel?  This unusual bird, so-named because it was thought to appear before a storm, has a very high fat content.  Fat of course is an excellent fuel and burns readily to produce carbon dioxide, water, heat and light.  Islanders used to catch the creatures, dry them, fix their feet in clay and thread a wick through their beak.  Then they would light the wick and burn the dried bird for illumination.  The Danes did the same with the “Great Auk,” a bird that has since become extinct.</p> Tue, 30 May 2017 16:56:56 +0000 OSS 2498 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know/what-are-ear-candles <p>Ear candles are regularly promoted by alternative health suppliers and have been getting quite the hype from the media even though there is no evidence to suggest they have any real benefit. The idea behind the “treatment” is that one of these special wax candles is inserted into the ear and then lit. This produces cleaning vapours that penetrate the inner ear and remove impurities and wax, drawing them out by the suction that is allegedly created by lighting the candle.</p> Tue, 21 Feb 2017 16:20:45 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1506 at /oss