SCIENCE

Abandoned shopping carts could be a sign of social dysfunction.

The Reason Some People Never Return Shopping Carts, According to Science

Leaving a cart abandoned in a parking lot is a social nuisance. What drives people to practice poor supermarket etiquette?

NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken make their way to the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon spacecraft on launch pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center on May 30, 2020 in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

How to Watch SpaceX’s Historic Astronaut Launch Live

SpaceX is about to make company history when it launches its first crewed spacecraft for a mission to the International Space Station. Here are the best places to stream the event.

Work blanket? Check. Hot tea? Check. Writing gloves? Check.

Winter is Coming: Why Some People Seem to Feel Colder Than Others

If you own a work sweater and have a space heater under your desk, your individual perception of cold might differ from that of your co-workers.

26 Fascinating Facts About the Human Body

Did you know that people are the only animals with chins? Here are 26 facts about the human body you might not know.

Alexander Graham Bell

Explore the life of inventor Alexander Graham Bell, the man responsible for giving us the telephone.

Penguin Poop Makes So Much Laughing Gas That Scientists Studying It Go ‘Completely Cuckoo’

When it breaks down, poop from king penguins releases nitrous oxide—a gas that affects both the environment and the scientists who study it.

NASA's Juno Probe Captures Stunning New Look at Jupiter's Swirling Atmosphere

NASA's Juno spacecraft got a close look at the mesmerizing clouds above Jupiter on two recent fly-bys.

Otters continue to baffle scientists while remaining adorable.

Fun Fact: Otters Love to Juggle, But Scientists Aren't Sure Why

The playful aquatic creatures enjoy bouncing rocks and pebbles around. Is it just for fun, or are they driven by deeper instincts?

Veganbaking.net, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 2.0

Scientists at North Carolina State University Want to Know What Your Sourdough Starter Smells Like

Scents on North Carolina State University's aroma wheel for sourdough include tropical fruit, red wine, and fart.

Dogs are being trained to sniff out the virus.

Virus-Sniffing Dogs Could Help Detect COVID-19 in Asymptomatic Patients

As early as this summer, disease-sniffing dogs may be used to screen for asymptomatic carriers of the novel coronavirus.

Smell You Later: How Comfort Smelling Can Relieve Quarantine-Related Stress

If you've been separated from a loved one during quarantine, smell a comforting scent—like a sweater they've worn—to lift your mood and relieve stress.

Venus Reaches Peak Brightness in Late April—Here's How to Spot the Evening Star

In late April, Venus is 20 times brighter than the brightest star in the night sky. Here's what you need to know about the phenomenon.

Paul Robinson, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA

Take a Virtual Tour of One of the Quietest Places on Earth

It's so quiet at Orfield Laboratories in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that you can hear your lungs, stomach, and heart working.

Airborne vs. Aerosol vs. Droplet: What's the Difference?

The new coronavirus that causes COVID-19 can be transmitted through saliva droplets coughed into the air. Here's the terminology you need to know to understand its transmission.

10 Fascinating Illustrations of Soviet Space Exploration From the 20th Century

From liaising with Martians to living on the moon, here’s where Soviet magazines thought the Cold War’s space race would take us.

The Smithsonian Needs Your Help Transcribing Sally Ride’s Notebooks

There are nearly 40,000 documents from Sally Ride’s career in the Smithsonian’s archives, and you can help make them more accessible.

The Williams sisters have won plenty of gold on their own and in doubles competition.

10 Famous Siblings Who Conquered the World

These famous siblings changed the way we view everything from science and art to sports and literature.

This woman might be controlling her goosebumps with her mind.

Some People Can Control When They Get Goosebumps—and Scientists Are Stumped

The way the human nervous system works, people should not be able to choose when they get goosebumps. But people with Voluntary Generated Piloerection can.

Haydar Dogramaci/iStock via Getty Images Plus

19 Every Day Things Science Hasn’t Figured Out

Did you know that crying is still a scientific mystery? Here are a few other common things we still don't have a scientific explanation for.

Lítla Dímun: The Smallest of the Faroe Islands Has Its Very Own Cloud

Thanks to an interesting weather phenomenon, Lítla Dímun in Denmark's Faroe Islands is often capped by a flying-saucer-shaped cloud.

Sloths have little problem holding still for nature photographers.

Why Are Sloths So Slow?

Sloths can take as long as one minute to move just 12 inches. It seems like a chill existence, until you consider what a glacial pace means for their pooping habits.

Rotavirus—from the Latin rota, for "wheel"—is named for the wheel-like appearance of its particles.

How Coronavirus and 31 Other Infectious Diseases and Viruses Got Their Names

‘Coronavirus’ is named for how it looks under a microscope, but that’s not the only way to name a virus or disease.

YouTube's Physics Girl snuffs out a candle with carbon dioxide.

20 Boredom-Busting Science Experiments You Can Do at Home, Courtesy of YouTube’s Physics Girl

From spinning eggs to DIY slime, these at-home science experiments help you stay busy and learn a few things, too.

If LEGO bricks can survive children, they can survive anything.

A LEGO Brick Could Survive In the Ocean for Up to 1300 Years

LEGO bricks have always been durable, but new research in the UK indicates they might actually be able to survive the harshest of conditions.

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