For those who still don’t believe in global warming, the science has had it right for half a century now. “Greenhouse gases are the second most important factor for climate, after […]
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An incredible question to consider, answered in the latest Starts With A Bang podcast! Black holes are incredibly massive objects that are so dense that, from within a given region of […]
It’s not too late to change course, but we’re headed in the wrong direction faster than ever now. “Oh Beautiful for smoggy skies, insecticided grain,For strip-mined mountain’s majesty above the asphalt […]
When a quantum interaction happens, one interpretation leads to an infinite number of parallel Universes. Here’s how that could be true. “As an analogy one can imagine an intelligent amoeba with […]
It might have puzzled Einstein right up until his death, but that doesn’t mean you can’t understand it! “As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are […]
A new study from Cornell University shows how metaphors influence our ability to be impressed by genius and uncovers a gender hook – it seems we prefer to conceive of male genius as an exciting idea explosion, and female genius as a long, hard labor of hard work.
Hitler appeared to have been highly sensitive to disgust, and research shows this trait is linked to numerous dimensions of ideology.
Not every language agrees on how many colors there are. With some having more terms and others fewer. But does that mean we see the world differently?
From “billions and billions” to more than two trillion, we still need dark matter as much as ever! “In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be […]
The mystery behind star KIC 8462852 (aka Tabby Star) continues. Many scientists have proposed ideas but all explanations (so far) seem as unlikely as the Dyson Sphere theory.
SETI is searching for the same signals humans were producing in the 1960s. Why wouldn’t aliens do better? “I know perfectly well that at this moment the whole universe is listening […]
The necessity yet utter inconvenience of wearing and carrying around a bike helmet has always posed an interesting design challenge – creating a helmet that is light, compact and ideally […]
The darkness we see from Earth can never be 100% dark. “All I want is blackness. Blackness and silence.” –Sylvia Plath If you take a look at the night sky […]
If we can’t even witness the birth of our Solar System and planet, how can we claim to see the birth of the Universe? “There have to be moments when […]
If it’s the anti-version of normal matter, could it possibly fall “up”? This article was written by Sabine Hossenfelder of Backreaction. Sabine is a theoretical physicist specialized in quantum gravity and […]
Vampires were considered an actual danger in 18th century eastern Europe, but how did the myth come about? Science researcher Kathleen McAuliffe sheds new light on a famously murky legend.
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You’ve never seen a rogue planet like this. “Other galaxies like Andromeda are shooting these ‘spitballs’ at us all the time.” –James Guillochon, coauthor on the new study Black holes don’t […]
In 1994, Miguel Alcubierre showed how warp drive could be made real within General Relativity. What does that imply? “Its continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new […]
If you want to get from A to B more safely, be a little more choosy at the cab rank.
Your Internet Service Providers are collecting and selling your browsing history. Does that bother you? If so, it may be time to setup a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to better encrypt your data and spoof your location.
NASA’s Earth observing missions aren’t the only casualty. Arguably, eliminating education is even more egregious. “First Rate People hire first rate people. Second rate people hire third rate people.” –Hermann […]
You don’t have to detect a particle to know that dark matter is real. “You may hate gravity, but gravity doesn’t care.” –Clayton Christensen In the 1970s, Vera Rubin’s observations showed […]
And England almost burned themselves down as a result. “When Benjamin Franklin inveted the lightning rod, the clergy, both in England and America, with enthusiastic support of George III, condemned it […]
The dark horsehead nebula isn’t dark at all, but only if you look at the invisible forms of light. “If you are fearful, a horse will back off. If you are […]
Social media is uniquely positioned to detect suicidal tendencies. Facebook’s new algorithm offers better detection, live chat support from crisis-support organizations (via messenger), and integrated suicide prevention tools to help people in real time.
Our universe is flat, geometrically. But what exactly does “flat” mean?
CERN researchers make a major step in understanding antimatter by trapping antihydrogen atoms and controlling them with lasers.
Five hundred years after the Reformation, a new book on Martin Luther reminds us how long the notion of a soul has influenced our lives.
Theaters today seem like hallowed ground, says Harvard’s Diane Paulus, but that’s not their natural state. Once, they had the same atmosphere as sport: visceral, alive, and indebted to its audience. How can we get back there?
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A new generation of tabletop physics devices may be the next forefront for breakthrough discoveries.