Surprising Science — March 15, 2014

Marie Curie, the Radioactive Genius

“You can’t tell Marie Curie that she can’t do something,” says Hank Green, host of the SciShow. The first woman to receive world renown in science, Curie was the first person to win the Nobel Prize in two different categories, and she coined the word “radioactivity.” This excellent short video tells the story of this “super-genius” who revolutionized her field and literally lived a radioactive life.

Microscopic image of a small electronic component with clear details of its structure and connections against a gray background.

The Future

Making microbots smart

What would it take to create a truly intelligent microbot, one that can operate independently?

A philosophers' interpretation of a man's joyous life depicted through the painting of him holding a globe.

Thinking

4 philosophers on how to live a happy life

From Taoism to hedonism, philosophers have devised all sorts of ways to live your best life.

A striking view of a blue planet, similar to earth, seen from space with part of its surface illuminated by sunlight against a starry background.

13.8

A new theory for how oceans form on other worlds

Explore how the study of exoplanets is transforming our understanding of ocean formation.

A collage of various international banknotes featuring portraits of historical figures.

The Learning Curve

How scientific thinking can fix collaboration in a mixed-up world

A physicist, a psychologist, and a philosopher walk into a bar and discuss a framework for thinking better in the 21st century.

Starts With A Bang

Not a constant: The Hubble “constant” changes over time

The Universe is expanding, and the Hubble constant tells us how fast. But how can it be a constant if the expansion is accelerating?

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