SCIENCE

Calving is one way that glaciers lose ice.

12 Disappearing Glaciers Around the World

If you want to behold some of the world's most majestic glaciers on six continents, you better act fast.

Rimma_Bondarenko/iStock via Getty Images

The Science Behind Our Pumpkin Spice Obsession

The scent of a pumpkin spice latte is the smell of autumn to many people, thanks to how the brain perceives odor.

This Self-Cleaning Water Bottle Uses UV Light To Remove Bacteria And Viruses From Drinking Water

This innovative self-cleaning water bottle on Kickstarter uses UV light to purify water and remove up to 99.9 percent of bacteria and viruses.

Jen Siska (author photo), W.W. Norton (book cover)

7 Hilarious Footnotes From Mary Roach's New Book, Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law

There are few diversions more delightful than the footnotes in author Mary Roach’s books—and the footnotes in her latest, 'Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law,' are no exception.

Here's What Really Happens When You Swallow Gum

If you've managed to get this far in life without swallowing gum, you may ask yourself: Can ingesting gum really hurt you?

10 of the Scariest-Looking Animals in Existence

Scientists estimate that roughly 8.7 million species of plants and animals roam the Earth today. And some of them might haunt your dreams.

The core sample seen in its not-yet-sealed titanium tube.

NASA’s Perseverance Rover Just Collected the First-Ever Rock Sample From Mars

More than half a year after NASA’s Mars rover, Perseverance, landed on the Red Planet, it secured its first pet rock.

The Reason Heat Makes You So Tired

Why does heat make you so tired? Because even if you’re just lounging around, your body is working hard.

24 Fascinating Facts About the Solar System

The solar system: It’s big, it’s heliocentric, and it’s got space junk to spare. Here are 24 out-of-this-world facts about the corner of space that’s home to Earth.

Koalas Have Fingerprints That Are Nearly Indistinguishable From Ours

Though humans and koalas don't have much in common, there is one big similarity: fingerprints. Koalas have looping fingerprints just like humans, and some might not be able to tell them apart.

Octopuses Will Throw Things to Scare Off Unwelcome Guests

If you're an uninvited guest to an octopus hangout, you need to be prepared for a seashell coming at your dome.

Listen to the Mysterious Sound of the Northern Lights

Research shows that the northern lights can be heard as well as seen, but scientists are still looking for the source of the sound.

Watching television can influence how much we eat.

Appetite for Distraction: Does Watching TV Make You Hungrier?

Settling in for a night of binge-watching can have a significant effect on our potential for binge-eating.

The Best Telescopes and Astronomy Equipment for Beginners, According to Experts

We spoke with three experts to figure out which are the best telescopes and astronomy equipment for stargazing.

The Reason Coffee Makes Some People Sleepy

Saying “Coffee makes me sleepy” might earn you a few puzzled looks, but there’s a science behind the phenomenon.

They really could be immunologists, virologists, or epidemiologists.

Immunologist vs. Virologist vs. Epidemiologist: What’s the Difference?

What does an epidemiologist do? Not the same thing as an immunologist or a virologist. Here’s how to keep them straight.

David Clark, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 2.0

Don’t Smell the Flowers: How Alnwick Castle’s Poison Garden Finds Beauty in the World’s Deadliest Plants

Smelling or touching the plants in the Poison Garden at the UK's Alnwick Castle could send you to the hospital.

Wet dog smell is an assault on the senses.

Woof: Why Wet Dog Smell Is a Thing—and How to Prevent It

Wet dog smell might be among the most challenging aspects of pet ownership. Fortunately, there's a way to mitigate the stink lines coming from your pooch.

Cats like food when it's served without any hassle.

Breaking News: Cats Don't Want to Work for Their Food

In a new study, cats passed up a food puzzle to get at freely available food. The reason is—cats. But there's a little more to it.

Scientists from the expedition tagging whales in the Santa Barbara Channel.

The Loneliest Whale: Documentary Chronicles a Search for the 52 Hertz Whale

Fifty-two Hertz, dubbed 'the loneliest whale in the world,' has roamed the Pacific for decades, singing at a much higher frequency than other whale species.

The Right to Bear Arms: Polar Bears Use Tools to Attack Walruses, According to Science

A new scientific study has revealed that polar bears may resort to tossing rocks at walruses—intelligence previously thought to belong only to Yogi Bear.

Lenticular clouds in Cape Town, South Africa.

8 Strange Cloud Types and What They Mean

The next time somebody points out a UFO-shaped cloud, you can whip out the word ‘lenticular.’ They’ll love it.

Record Temperatures Are Frying Live Shellfish on Canada's Pacific Coast

The brutal Pacific Northwest heatwave of summer 2021 has left Canada's beaches filled with cooked and rotting shellfish.

Lonely at the Top: Protecting Hyperion, the World's Tallest Tree

Redwood National Park is home to Hyperion, the world's tallest tree. But you won't find it marked on any maps—and that's for its own good.

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