Surprising Science — March 4, 2014

Caught in an Avalanche

An avalanche can catch a thrill-seeker by surprise. What triggers white fluffy snow to turn into a tsunami? This video from the Science Channel explains the science of an avalanche and takes you inside a true survival story.

Image credit: Somewheregladlybeyond/Flickr

The Past

What caused Earth’s 5 mass extinctions?

Hint: It wasn’t always an asteroid.

Thinking

Most Americans today are choosing cremation – here’s why

We’re still using 800,000 gallons of embalming fluid a year, but burials are becoming far less common.

The Present

Democratic decay: Autocracies have been on the rise since 2017

For a time, Francis Fukuyama looked like a prophet.

The Well

Is religion a threat to science?

Some scientists see religion as a threat to the scientific method that should be resisted. But faith “is really asking a different set of questions,” says Collins.

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5 min

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with

Francis Collins

Starts With A Bang

How hot are the hottest stars in the Universe?

At their cores, stars can reach many millions or even billions of degrees. But even that doesn’t touch the hottest of all.

Up Next

Words of Wisdom

William Carlos Williams on Being Different

“If they give you lined paper, write the other way.” – William Carlos Williams