SCIENCE

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10 Scientific Benefits of Kissing

While there are plenty of obvious pleasures of smooching, there are also some remarkable health benefits, backed by science.

The World’s Eighth Lava Lake Was Just Discovered on a Remote Sub-Antarctic Island

See the satellite photo that just confirmed the existence of an extremely rare lava lake on a remote island.

See NASA’s Breathtaking Photo of a Volcanic Eruption From Space

A small island volcano that has been dormant since 1924 erupted this week. Astronauts photographed it from the International Space Station.

Female Lab Rats Are the Victims of Gender Bias, Too

Scientists usually study male lab rats because they believe that females’ hormonal changes would skew results, but there’s more to the story.

12 Facts About Diabetes Mellitus

From risk factors to the latest treatments, here's what you need to know about the three types of diabetes (yes, there are three).

There Are 2373 Squirrels in New York's Central Park, Census Finds

Central Park in New York City is home to thousands of Eastern gray squirrels. Last year, a team of 300 volunteers counted them all.

Lost Your Wallet? You Might Be More Likely to Get It Back If There's Cash Inside

An ambitious experiment left 17,303 'lost' wallets in the hands of people around the world, some with money and some without. The results might surprise you.

Some Fish Eggs Can Hatch After Being Pooped Out by Swans

The durable little killifish egg can travel along the swan's digestive tract and later hatch, which might explain how some fish wind up in isolated freshwater locations.

Is There An International Standard Governing Scientific Naming Conventions?

For animals, the 18th-century naturalist Carl von Linné introduced the system of binominal nomenclature, where animals have names composed of two parts.

An Ice Age Wolf Head Was Found Perfectly Preserved in Siberian Permafrost

Scientists are eager to study the carnivore's severed head—which was found with its teeth, fur, and brain still intact after tens of thousands of years.

The FBI Once Tested Hair to Determine If It Belonged to Bigfoot

The agency recently released documents revealing it had tested at least two samples of hair purporting to belong to Bigfoot. The results were surprising.

Was Mona Lisa Faking Her Smile?

Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting features a woman smiling. Now, some neuroscientists argue that the artist may have purposely added an insincere smirk that wasn't present on the model's face.

Body Camera Study Reveals What Cats Do When Nobody's Looking

After outfitting cats with video cameras, scientists learned some surprising things about the private lives of our feline companions.

Drinking Lots of Coffee Won't Damage Your Arteries, According to a New Study

A new study looked at the heart scans of more than 8000 coffee drinkers and found no evidence the subjects had an increased risk of potential heart problems.

Someone Wound Up in the ER for Drinking Too Much Licorice Root Tea

Licorice root extract can lead to lowered potassium levels in the body, spiking blood pressure to dangerous levels.

Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know About Donating Your Body to Science

From research labs to 'body farms' used by forensics students, here's where your donated cadaver might end up.

A Fad to Dye For: The Brief Life of Hypercolor Clothing

The novelty shirts, shorts, and pants were one of the hottest clothing items of 1991, with a special dye that changed color in response to temperature changes. Before long, Hypercolor proved to be too popular for its own good.

What's the Difference Between A Dead and Live Virus?

A virus straddles the fuzzy boundary between living and dead, which is why biologists and doctors talk about "inactivated" viruses, not "dead" viruses.

The Most Painful Places to Get Stung, According to the Researcher Who Made Bees Sting Him for Science

Michael Smith created a pain map of the worst places on the human body to get stung by a bee—and he used himself as his test subject.

6 Amazing Facts About Sally Ride

Sally Ride—the first American woman in space—paved the way for female astronauts, and proved there is such thing as a stupid question.

No Venom, No Problem: This Spider Uses a Slingshot to Catch Prey

The triangle weaver spider uses its webbing to hurl itself like a spring-loaded nightmare at unsuspecting prey.

Bad News: The Best Time of the Day to Drink Coffee Isn’t as Soon as You Wake Up

Sorry, night owls, but scientists and nutritionists say you're not doing yourselves any favors when you fuel up on java as soon as you wake up.

Now Ear This: A New App Can Detect a Child's Ear Infection

A new app developed by researchers at the University of Washington uses a smartphone to check for fluid levels in a child's ear, a possible sign of an ear infection.

An image of a different asteroid, called Lutetia

Mark Your Calendars: An Enormous Asteroid Will Fly Past Earth on April 13, 2029

The good news: The asteroid Apophis isn't going to wipe out life as we know it, so we can sit back, relax, and enjoy the celestial show!

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