SCIENCE

Earthquakes don't cause giant cartoonish chasms to open up, but they can tear up the landscape like this.

9 Rockin' Facts About Earthquakes

Fear not: the chances of “The Big One” hitting while you read this article are very, very slim. But that doesn't mean you should let your guard down.

Val Kilmer stars in Martha Coolidge's Real Genius (1985).

10 Brilliant Facts About Real Genius

Martha Coolidge's 1985 film 'Real Genius,' starring Val Kilmer, ranked first among equals from that decade for its stellar cast, sensitive direction, and genuine-nerd bona fides.

10 Secrets of Epidemiologists

Maybe you know what the definition of ‘epidemiology’ is, but do you know what epidemiologists actually do?

Cheap tests may be the key to fighting coronavirus.

Why Researchers Believe a 'Crappy' Coronavirus Test Can Help Fight the Pandemic

Tests that offer low sensitivity and more false negatives are still valuable in the fight against coronavirus. But will the FDA agree?

A piece of fatberg from the sewer systems under London's Whitechapel neighborhood on display at the Museum of London. And if you think this piece is gross, you should have seen the fatberg when it was in the sewer.

15 Fascinating Facts About Fatbergs

Lurking in the sewer systems under your feet is a threat so horrifying, so disgusting, that the mere mention of it sends a shiver down the spines of sanitation specialists everywhere. Here’s what you need to know about fatbergs.

The lobster boat Lydia will soon be transformed into the Orca III.

The Orca Boat From Jaws Is Coming Back, This Time to Promote Shark Conservation

The familiar shark-hunting vessel from the 1975's 'Jaws' is being recreated for ocean research and to encourage shark conservation.

Veronique de Viguerie/Stringer/Getty Images

Lead from the 2019 Notre-Dame Cathedral Fire Detected in Paris’s Beehives

Honey from hives downwind from the Notre-Dame fire contained 3.5 times as much lead as Parisian honey collected before April 2019.

Does Putting a Penny in the Microwave Really Make It Shrink?

Putting metal in the microwave is never a good idea—especially if you're inspired by a viral social media hoax.

The IAAF has required Olympic gold medalist Caster Semenya to take medication to lower her testosterone levels—a demand she has actively fought against.

What's the Difference Between Sex and Gender?

Though 'sex' and 'gender' are often used interchangeably, each word has its own distinct meaning and applications.

10 Facts About the Racial Disparity in COVID-19

There isn't one factor behind COVID-19's racial disparity. Numerous forms of racism make Black, Latino, and Indigenous people more vulnerable to the coronavirus.

Cloth face masks can help slow the spread of coronavirus. But do they need filters, too?

Do Carbon Filters in Face Masks Offer More Protection Against Coronavirus?

A growing number of cloth face masks for sale online are offering a carbon or other type of filter. Do they help?

Researcher samples cave sediments for DNA.

Humans First Arrived in North America 30,000 Years Ago, New Studies Suggest

New archeological evidence pushes back the arrival of the first North Americans 15,000 years and suggests they occupied the Americas during the Last Glacial Maximum, 26,000 to 19,000 years ago.

Two sturddlefish siblings from the experiment.

Oops! Scientists Accidentally Created a New Hybrid Fish

The bouncing baby hybrid fish have their sturgeon mother’s mouth—and her penchant for meat-eating, too.

Why Do Cats 'Slow Blink' at People?

Attempting to decode cat behavior can lead to madness. But we do have some idea of why cats like blinking at us.

A pile of genetically-related Argentine ants

10 Facts About Argentine Ants

Invasive Argentine ants have built a 560-mile-long supercolony underneath California, making them virtually impossible to eradicate.

This woman is going to make a quick stop at Whole Foods' bakery section before book club.

Why Does Altitude Affect Baking?

Don’t blame yourself for those bone-dry brownies you made in Aspen—blame the air pressure (or lack thereof).

Compost is delicious trash salad for your soil.

Vermont Just Banned Residents From Throwing Food Scraps in the Trash

The state has expanded its trash pick-up services to accommodate the new policy, but many residents are already composting pros.

NASA's Curiosity rover captured this sunset at Mars' Gale crater in 2015.

NASA Scientist Simulates What Sunsets Would Look Like on Venus, Mars, and Beyond

NASA scientist Geronimo Villanueva built a tool that models the colorful, alien sunsets of planets like Mars, Uranus, and Venus.

Gene editing techniques like CRISPR are upending thousands of years of wine-making tradition.

How Gene Editing is Changing the Future of Wine—and Making it Less Likely to Give You a Hangover

Scientists are making ancient French grape vines less susceptible to diseases—and less likely to cause hangovers—through gene editing.

Meet Ice Cream Scientist Dr. Maya Warren

Dr. Maya Warren spoke with us about how she turned her passion for ice cream and food science into one of the coolest jobs ever.

This man had too many dry martinis at a business lunch.

How the Scientist Who Invented Ibuprofen Accidentally Discovered It Was Great for Hangovers

It all started when Dr. Stewart Adams took too many vodka shots the night before speaking at a Moscow conference.

Team members climb up a slope during the expedition to find Sandy Irvine's remains on Mount Everest.

Expeditions Gather Climate Change Clues on Mount Everest in Two New Documentaries

‘Lost on Everest’ chronicles a mission to find one of Mount Everest’s first missing bodies, while ‘Expedition Everest’ studies climate change on the mountain.

Cats can ruin a relationship before it even gets started, according to science.

Study: Women Are Less Attracted to Men Who Have Cats In Their Dating Profile Pics

A survey of hundreds of women demonstrated that dating profiles showing men holding cats are perceived as less desirable.

NASA Names Washington, D.C., Headquarters After ‘Hidden Figure’ Mary Jackson

Mary W. Jackson, NASA’s first Black female engineer, was an unsung hero of the Space Race in the 1960s.

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