SCIENCE

Velvet ants aren‘t actually ants. They‘re fluffy wasps.

‘Ultra-black‘ Velvet Ant Reflects Less Than 1 Percent of Light

Meet the insect with an exoskeleton so dark it absorbs almost all light.

Absolutely the last thing you want to see in your hotel room.

Study Identifies Genetic Mutations That Make Bed Bugs Hard to Kill

The bloodsucking hitchhikers have good reason to scoff at insecticides—they’re freakishly resistant to them.

“Treat” is probably one of the more popular buttons.

Do Those Dog “Talking” Buttons Really Work?

According to viral videos on TikTok and Instagram, pet dogs are expressing their demands using button boards instead of barking. But is the communication legit?

14 Gifts That Changed the World

These gifts made a huge impact.

1 Trillion-Ton “Megaberg” Is Roaming the Ocean Once Again

The mammoth iceberg first broke off in 1986. Roughly the size of Rhode Island, A23a is on the move once more.

13 Facts About the Spinal Cord

It’s less than an inch in diameter.

Don't believe everything you've been told about lightning.

Wild Misconceptions About Weather

From the color of snow to the shape of rainbows, weather breeds a lot of misconceptions.

What‘s less frequent than northern lights? Their opposite: anti-auroras.

Rare, Black ‘Anti-Auroras‘ Spotted in Alaska

Anti-auroras are even less common than the northern lights.

The pineal gland is located in the center of the brain.

10 Facts About the Pineal Gland

René Descartes once described the pineal gland as “the principal seat of the soul.” Medical knowledge has vastly progressed since his time, though. Here’s what we know about this critical organ.

Why Does Your Body Jerk Awake As You’re Trying to Fall Asleep?

Up to 70 percent of people have experienced hypnic jerks, but they’re usually nothing to worry about.

In Outer Space, Where Does a Compass Point?

On Earth, compasses always point north—but when you’re drifting outside our planet’s magnetosphere, things get more complicated.

Why Is It So Hard to Sleep in a New Place?

Whether you’re at a hotel on a business trip or crashing at a relative’s house for the holidays, getting quality sleep on the first few nights can be a challenge. Here’s why.

(L-R) Thomas Edison, Temple Grandin, and Charles Steinmetz .

12 Scientists With Disabilities Who Made the World a Better Place

You don’t have to follow science news to be familiar with Thomas Edison or Temple Grandin, who are just two of the many innovative scientists who have experienced disabilities and viewed them as assets.

Our closest evolutionary cousin, the chimpanzee.

7 Misconceptions About Evolution

‘Survival of the fittest’ is Darwin 101. But did you know that Charles Darwin didn’t actually coin that phrase? Let’s explore some common myths and misconceptions about evolution.

The squirting cucumber can blast its seeds dozens of feet from the parent plant. The stem and fruit of the plant have been colored green in this image.

Solved: The Mystery of the Squirting Cucumber’s Powerful Projection

The little gourd can shoot its seeds nearly 40 feet via "ballistic dispersal”—but until now, the mechanism behind the plant’s power and proliferation was poorly understood.