Listen as Caleigh Waddell breaks down a question that I’ve been asking myself for a long time: What is dirt (or soil!) made of? The answer varies a lot depending on your location, of course, but this video is a good start. [Mental Floss]
From the American Chemical Society: More bottles of Champagne are popped during the holiday season than at any other time of the year. This week we take a look at what chemically separates a Champagne from just another white wine. [Reactions]
Continuing our look back at the stories we covered in 2014 and subsequent developments, we turn to July. The Department of Homeland Security brought in new rules saying all electronic devices, including cellphones, had to be powered up for security checks for flights into the US; those with dead batteries and no charger would not […]
The Fermi paradox states that, since there are nearly endless chances for life to evolve in the universe, civilizations must occur in some of those instances. But to date there have been no signs of these civilizations. Bill Nye has a simple yet hopeful answer to the mystery. [Big Think]
Salami, blue cheese, soy sauce, pickles, kefir, kambucha are all spoiled food, but a lot of people still love them even though they’ve been “spoiled” to become the deliciousness that they now are. Here’s why. [Minute Earth]
Listen to Neil deGrasse Tyson as he explains why Stephen Hawking is the ultimate badass of the science world. The man even has a phenomenon named after him: Hawking Radiation. [Focus Features | The Theory of Everything Movie]
This is the best science-themed adaptation of a regular song EVER. Buy the e-book right here. Astronomically Correct Twinkle Twinkle is a beautifully illustrated astronomy lesson written in verse. Learn about black holes, why stars actually twinkle, and more in this fun, educational retelling of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. [MinutePhysics]
Have you ever wondered why driving backwards is a lot more difficult than driving forward? The reason is simple, and as with everything in this world, it’s completely scientific! Check it out! [MinutePhysics]
Questioning the exact meaning of “what is life” might be the only thing that makes us truly alive. So what is the difference between you and a rock? This seems like an easy, even stupid question. But even the smartest people on earth have no idea where to draw the line between living and dead […]
We may already have stumbled on Alien life, but we’re just not aware of it yet. This short but informative video from New Scientist explains exactly why Aliens are probably already out there, somewhere. [New Scientist]