In Orwell’s dystopian novel, the government uses Newspeak to control thoughts by controlling language. But thoughts do not require language.
For some people, there is only one thing to live for. They commit their entire being to that thing. They are dangerous.
With advanced laser technology and an appropriate sail, we could accelerate objects to ~20% the speed of light. But would they survive?
Undiagnosed brain disease or divine inspiration? The origins of the French composer’s most provocative composition remain up for debate.
In movies and TV shows, aliens look like pointy-eared humans. Is this realistic? If evolution is predictable, then it very well might be.
After a night of partying and heavy drinking, you might be tempted to Google “hangover cures.” Unfortunately, there aren’t any.
Pokémon has people wandering the world to enslave wild and magical creatures so they can fight in painful blood sports. What’s fun about that?
Particle physics needs a new collider to supersede the Large Hadron Collider. Muons, not electrons or protons, might hold the key.
The brain appears to remember immune responses, and memories can trigger them to happen again. This might explain some psychosomatic illnesses.
Centuries ago, the plague forced people into quarantine for years. Isaac Newton and Galileo used the time to revolutionize the world.
From 1974 to 1978, the chimps of Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania were at war with each other, the first time conservationists saw chimps engage in calculated, cold-blooded killing.
A recent study offers new insights into the so-called marriage wage premium.
From before the Big Bang to the present day, the Universe goes through many eras. Dark energy heralds the final one.
If you want to be an authentic person, embrace reality. Don’t try to clamber your way up Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
One player’s pawn is another’s farmer. And at one time, the queen was a rather powerless virgin.
Known as primordial black holes, they could thoroughly change our Universe’s history. But the evidence is strongly against them.
For many, it was just a successful launch like any other. But for scientists around the globe, it was a victory few dared to imagine.
Historical geniuses used the “creative nap” to give their minds a boost. Apparently, the “hypnagogic state” can help with problem solving.
Done properly, peer review requires that journals fulfill their role as knowledge custodians, rather than being mere knowledge distributors.
Water on Mars is key for human survival on the Red Planet, not just for drinking but for growing food and making fuel and oxygen.
The placebo effect is not the “power of positive thinking.” The fact that it is getting stronger is not a good development.
When we satisfy our curiosity, the brain has a particular way of rewarding us.
Even with leap years and long-term planning, our calendar won’t be good forever. Here’s why, and how to fix it.
New ideas inevitably face opposition. A new book called “The Human Element” argues that overcoming opposition requires understanding the concepts of “Fuel” and “Friction.”
A wild, compelling idea without a direct, practical test, the Multiverse is highly controversial. But its supporting pillars sure are stable.
Next year is the perfect time to have better conversations!
Developing an awareness of and an appreciation for science is what we all truly need, not what we’ve been doing.
A divergence in mortality rates between U.S. states suggests that public health policy plays a substantial role in how long people live.
In determining what qualifies as solid science, controversy is inevitable.
The surface and atmosphere is colored by ferric oxides. Beneath a very thin layer, mere millimeters deep in places, it’s not red anymore.