SCIENCE

As Bombs Fell on Paris, Marie Curie Went to War

First, Marie Curie tried to donate her Nobel Prize medals. When bank officials refused to melt them down, she donated her prize money to purchase war bonds instead.

Want to Get Better Sleep? Don’t Think of Yourself as an Insomniac

Identifying as an insomniac will only make your sleep worse, a new study suggests.

6 Quick Facts About the Buttocks

5. Back pain may originate in your butt.

Can You Really Lose Weight by Pooping? It Depends on What You Eat

Your poop can weigh up to 1 pound.

An artist's conception of the dwarf planet Ceres in the main asteroid belt.

8 Astounding Facts About the Asteroid Belt

The asteroid belt tells the story of the creation of the solar system.

Nudibranchs, the Butterflies of the Sea, May Also Be Ruthless 'Kleptopredators'

They get two meals in one.

8 Little Known Facts About the Temple

It's the thinnest part of the skull … which is why Maori warriors crafted a special weapon to crush it.

A New Scale Can Measure the Weight of a Single Cell

The Cytomass Monitor can track the differences in a cell's weight on a second-to-second basis.

Presumed Extinct, the Rare 'Golden Wonder' Salamander Reappears After 42 Years

"I flew off the couch where I'd been falling asleep, let loose a string of expletives (in a good way), and did a little happy dance."

The Mental Floss Guide to the November Night Sky

It's a great month for skywatching.

Scientists Spot the First Interstellar Visitor to Our Solar System

"We have been waiting for this day for decades."

The $383 Million Plan to Save California's Artificial Desert 'Sea'

The Salton Sea was created by accident, is heavily polluted, and can't survive on its own. Why bother to save this strange place?

The FDA Has a Warning for People Who Love Black Licorice

Eek.

A New Kind of Creepy-Crawly: Octopuses Oozing Across the Beach at Night

“It was a bit like an end-of-days scenario."

Why Are Lemurs So Weird? Maybe Because They Don't Eat Enough Fruit

Almost all primates eat fruit, even if it's just a little. A lack of it might be the reason why lemurs exhibit un-primate-like behavior like hibernating.

Dave Doody, http://historicjamestowne.org

Archaeologists Search for the Graves of Jamestown's Elite

Teams of scientists are excavating the colonial settlement's tiny churches to see if they can locate the bones of notable historic figures like John Rolfe, Pocahontas's husband.

What Those White Stripes on Chicken Breasts Mean for Your Health

Thanks to modern farming practices, chicken isn't always a low-fat option.

Play a Game to Help Scientists Defeat a Cancer-Causing Toxin

Aflatoxins contribute to 25 percent of global liver cancer cases.

Why You Get Diarrhea When You're Hungover

Booze turns your digestive system into a fast-moving water (OK, vodka) slide.

Fright Fest: The Science Behind Why We Love to Be Scared

Take a deep dive into our darkest impulses to find out why humans love watching horror movies, enduring scream-worthy haunted houses, and otherwise getting scared out of our minds.

Learn the Science Behind Carnival Games—And Which Ones Are Scams

Some games require skill and can be won, but others are so impossible, they're basically rigged.

Scientists speak to residents in Aitape.

6000-Year-Old Skull Might Belong to World's Oldest Tsunami Victim

"We have dramatic proof that living by the sea isn't always a life of beautiful golden sunsets," as one researcher put it.

Hurricane Ophelia Unearthed an Ancient Skeleton in Ireland

It may date to the Iron Age, and could be part of a larger burial site.

Our Antidepressants Are Harming Marine Animals

In a new study, being exposed to the main ingredient in Prozac radically altered the behavior of crabs.

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