SCIENCE

Forensic Analysis Suggests Bones Discovered on a Pacific Island May Belong to Amelia Earhart

The analysis supports the theory that Earhart died a castaway.

What Is Thundersnow?

Aside from awesome, that is.

10 Facts About the Dwarf Planet Makemake

The entire planet is only three times as long as the Grand Canyon.

What’s the Difference Between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes?

Diabetes is ultimately a hormone problem—and the odds are pretty good that you know someone with the condition.

Why Is the Sky Blue?

Kids ask a lot of questions. mental_floss has answers. Here's the next story in WHY?, our new science-based series for kids (and parents!).

Why Are There Boogers in My Nose?

Your nose makes up to a quart of mucus each day—enough to fill a small ice cream container! But some days it will be more runny.

Rachael Herman, Louisiana State University, © Stony Brook University

Poop Visible From Space Helped Scientists Find a Remote 'Supercolony' of Penguins

Scientists just discovered 1.5 million penguins living on a chain of remote Antarctic islands, thanks to satellite images of their telltale poop.

Why Do Birds Fly?

Bird bodies are made to fly. They have light bones, strong legs, and specially shaped wings. Flying helps birds get away from animals that want to eat them.

Why Do Things Float in Water?

I bet you know that wood floats but a rock sinks. But why? Let’s look deep inside each object at its molecules.

New Guidelines Redefine Birth Years for Millennials, Gen-X, and 'Post-Millennials'

You hear about Generation Z, Millennials, Generation X, and the Baby Boomers all the time, but it’s not always clear who’s a part of these groups.

These Psychedelic Art Pieces Were Grown in Petri Dishes

Josie Lewis compares her art to "neon mushrooms" and "mermaid skin."

The Unexpected Optical Illusion Hidden in a Stack of Chairs

A scientist in the UK found a stack of classroom chairs that seemed to bend the laws of physics.

Why Do I Breathe Air?

The latest story in WHY?, our new series for curious kids and their parents.

Your $10 Donation Can Help an Underprivileged Child See A Wrinkle in Time for Free

AMC is teaming with "Give a Child the Universe" to get ticket donations.

Dodo: © Oxford University, Oxford University Museum of Natural History. Background: iStock

Head Case: What the Only Soft Tissue Dodo Head in Existence Is Teaching Scientists About These Extinct Birds

The specimen might be our greatest opportunity to unlock the mysteries surrounding how the bird behaved, how it lived, how it evolved, and how it died.

How Scientists Are Using Plant-Based DNA Barcodes to Bust Counterfeiters

It sounds like science fiction, but it’s already happening.

Inhaling Cleaning Product Fumes Can Be as Bad for You as a Pack-a-Day Smoking Habit, Study Finds

Using spray cleaners even once a week can damage lungs. Here's how to lessen your risk.

Where Do Birds Get Their Songs?

Singing is woven into their DNA.

NOAA, Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

Watch the First-Ever Footage of a Baby Dumbo Octopus

They sport those floppy ears from the moment they hatch.

New Program Trains Dogs to Sniff Out Art Smugglers

Every year, billions of dollars in ancient artifacts and other cultural objects are looted and sold around the world. A new project is training dogs to sniff them out.

New Cancer-Fighting Nanobots Can Track Down Tumors and Cut Off Their Blood Supply

Each robot is 1000 times smaller than a strand of human hair.

Watch an Antarctic Minke Whale Feed in a First-of-Its-Kind Video

The camera allows us a whale's-eye view of the life of a poorly understood species.

7 Science-Approved Tips for Walking Across Ice

According to a physicist, a glaciologist, and kinesiologist.

AI Could Help Scientists Detect Earthquakes More Effectively

It identified 17 times more earthquakes than traditional methods.

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