SCIENCE

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.

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.

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.

Poison ivy is about to get more annoying.

Poison Ivy Could Be Getting Itchier—Here's Why

The irritating plant is soaking up the atmosphere's increased levels of carbon dioxide to grow into a bigger, badder nuisance.

Watch a Wine Glass Shatter in This Oddly Satisfying Slow-Motion Video

Thanks to The Slow Mo Guys, we now know what wine glasses look like when they shatter at 187,500 frames per second.

Why Do We Love to Squeeze Cute Things?

If you want to squish and snuggle every floofy doggo you come across, you're not alone. You may be experiencing cute aggression.

Carl Sagan wanted to be a galaxy far, far away from Star Wars.

When Carl Sagan Called Out Star Wars for Being 'Racist' and 'Unscientific'

Legendary astronomer Carl Sagan took issue with 'Star Wars' for a lot of reasons—the all-white cast being one of them.

On Cape Cod, Heatmaps Could Help Swimmers and Great White Sharks Coexist

Instead of driving away great white sharks from Cape Cod, scientists want to warn beachgoers of their arrival ahead of time using heatmaps.

Why Do Flamingos Stand on One Leg?

Pink flamingos’ ability to stand on one leg seems impressive—but it might be less of a balancing act than you think.

Polluted Rivers Could Turn Fish Into Meth Addicts, Study Says

Fish may become addicted to methamphetamine leaching into urban waterways, a new lab-based study suggests.

The Reason Reading Makes You Sleepy

If you’re trying to teach yourself how to fall asleep faster, reading before bed is a good habit to pick up—here’s why.

Want to give yourself a boost of happy? Buy your pooch a new toy!

Want to Make Yourself Happy? Buy Your Dog a Gift (Science Says So)

According to researchers, buying your pet a gift instead of spending money on yourself can increase your own level of happiness.

Garbage disposals use centrical force to pulverize food

Keep Your Garbage Disposal Working Efficiently With These Everyday Kitchen Items

Over time, garbage disposals begin to wear down. Here are some easy ways to keep your system working smoothly.

Pyrite, or fool's gold, has fooled us once again.

Irony Alert: Fool’s Gold Actually Contains Real Gold

The metal known as pyrite fooled gold rush enthusiasts in the 1800s, but it turns out the material may contain gold after all.

6 Common Misconceptions About Flying

We're nosediving into all things flight-related and debunking several widespread myths about the (very safe) mode of travel.

Pallavi Padukone with her citronella-scented textile.

"Reminiscent": How One Designer Used Scented Textiles to Capture the Fragrances of Home

For her project 'Reminiscent,' designer Pallavi Padukone infused textiles with smells that remind her of people and places from her home in India.

Stephen Hawking at Cambridge's Emmanuel College in 2013.

Cambridge University Is Hiring an Archivist to Catalog 160 Boxes of Stephen Hawking’s Work

After Stephen Hawking’s death, Cambridge University announced plans to house his whole archive. Now, they need someone to help them organize it.

Chicken nuggets gained worldwide popularity via McDonald's, but their invention began with a poultry and food science science professor at Cornell University.

Who Invented Chicken Nuggets?

In 1981, McDonald's introduced the Chicken McNugget to the world and changed the face of bite-sized poultry bits forever. But it never would have happened if it hadn't been for food and poultry scientist Robert C. Baker.

Jaws of St-eel: Snowflake Moray Eels Use Their Extendable Jaws to Swallow Prey on Land

Crabs, be warned: Sticking to the coast may not keep you safe from the pharyngeal jaws of a snowflake moray eel.

Wind Resistance: Do Charcoal Fart Pads Actually Work?

There are charcoal pads that purport to reduce the odor of a ripping toot, but does the flatulent science support it?

Why Does Grass Make Us Itch?

The inviting green stuff is supposed to bring us closer to nature. Instead, grass creates a stinging, itchy sensation. What gives?

Scientists Are Unlocking the Mysteries of an Echidna’s Fancy, Four-Headed Penis

An echidna’s penis doesn’t have to excrete any urine, which may help explain why it’s fancier than a human’s.

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