Now that New Horizons has flown by the Plutonian system, can it be considered a planet after all? “Words are the source of misunderstandings.” –Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Back in 1930, […]
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How would you tell the story of our Universe to an 8-to-10 year old? “To begin, begin.” –William Wordsworth The Big Bang is maybe the greatest scientific achievement of the […]
Crying, like blushing, is an uncontrollable emotional response. So, how can we keep from shedding tears during inconvenient times? A little physical pain.
If they’re so massive that not even light can escape, how can we see them? “According to the special theory of relativity nothing can travel faster than light, so that […]
Today’s the 78th anniversary of the bombing of Guernica. The only reason you probably don’t know that already is because this isn’t the event’s 75th or 100th anniversary, because we as a society value some numbers over others.
Ninety years ago, America invented the Human Map, an art form now dominated by India.
If you ever loved something most people didn’t understand, you’ll get it. “Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a […]
Puritanism is not dead yet; the religious assumption of a nuclear family persists. Culturally, we’ve made great gains in same-sex marriage over the past half-decade, yet oddly the roles of women, in workplace pay and as caregivers, have not evolved much. Humans have long confused biology with theology.
It’s the greatest source of energy in the Universe, and yet we had no idea until less than 100 years ago. “The sun is a miasmaOf incandescent plasmaThe sun’s not […]
How tides, gravity and lava give Io the youngest surface in the Solar System. “The crust, being so thin, must bend, if, over wide areas, it becomes loaded with glacial […]
Could a strong enough tether save you? Or is your fate inevitable? “Nobody ever did, or ever will, escape the consequences of his choices.”–Alfred A. Montapert Everyone is free to […]
How to figure out your location on Earth with only the most primitive tools. “And you may find yourself in another part of the world.And you may find yourself behind […]
Either there’s an unseen source of mass, or the laws of gravity are wrong. But only one can explain what we see. “The discrepancy between what was expected and what […]
Why “letting there be light” in the Universe isn’t enough. “Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.” –Marcus Aurelius I want you […]
The extreme action dance pioneer takes us through the theory behind PopAction and how flying, falling dancers teach audiences about resilience and hope.
“What was scattered, gathers.What was gathered, blows away.” –Heraclitus When you think of our Solar System, you think of planets (and other object) orbiting our central star, with moons (or […]
Saw “Solar System Questions” by xkcd? Here’s what science thinks it knows. “Put two ships in the open sea, without wind or tide, and, at last, they will come together. […]
On Monday the price of gas was down to a national average of $2.19 per gallon, capping off a record 102 days of decline. The price of a domestic flight remains flat.
Without this one piece of the puzzle, everything we know falls apart. “Is no one inspired by our present picture of the Universe? This value of science remains unsung by […]
Despite it’s reputation as an “infinite range” force, the realities of our Universe place a limit on its reach. “In my dreams and visions, I seemed to see a line, […]
How do we know that the fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background aren’t polluted by everything Hubble reveals? “Silently, one by one, in the infinite meadows of heaven,Blossomed the lovely […]
NASA’s High Altitude Venus Operational Concept (HAVOC) program will feature an evolutionary exploration of Venus’ atmosphere that could one day lead to semi-permanent colonies.
Incredible views from a single solar eclipse, thanks to an amazing photography mastermind. “Girls blush, sometimes, because they are alive, half wishing they were dead to save the shame. The […]
Bill Nye discusses the Rosetta comet landing, ruminates on the expanse of potential discoveries it could open up, and explains why this current space adventure may one day prevent a major global tragedy.
For every Gravity Falls fan out there, this one’s for you. Images: me (L); Disney Channel / Alex Hirsch et al. (R). “Not man enough? NOT MAN ENOUGH? I have […]
Looking down at your phone to read text messages puts a stress on your neck equivalent to tying a 60-pound bowling ball around your head, says Kenneth Hansraj, a New York back surgeon.
We’ve only ever seen 2nd-generation stars and later. Until, just maybe, now. “For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.” […]
After the CMB, before the first stars, there was nothing to see. Or was there? “[I]f there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we […]
The Sun is made almost entirely out of hydrogen and helium; the Earth has hardly any of either. How’d that happen? “The single most powerful element of youth is our […]
The day Marty McFly and Doc Brown visit 2015 is upon us! Unfortunately, things today aren’t exactly as the film envisioned.