Fireflies’ synchronized light shows have fascinated observers for ages. Raphael Sarfati, CC BY-ND Raphael Sarfati, University of Colorado Boulder Imagine an old-growth forest in the fading light of a summer evening. As the last of the sun’s rays disappear beneath the horizon, a tiny flash catches your eye. You turn around, hold your breath; it […]
NASA is going back to the Moon. NASA/Bill Ingalls Jack Burns, University of Colorado Boulder NASA’s Space Launch System rocket lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, in the early hours of Nov. 16, 2022. The rocket carried the Orion Crew Capsule as the centerpiece of the Artemis 1 mission. The […]
Capsaicin is what makes chilli peppers taste hot. Picture source: Torres Ivan on Pxhere Roberto Silvestro, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC) Spiciness, or its perception, occurs in most cuisines worldwide. The chilli pepper of the genus Capsicum (family Solanaceae) is one of the world’s most widely used spices, found in thousands of recipes and […]
PIA. NASA/JPL Gareth Dorrian, University of Birmingham All stars, including the Sun, have a finite lifetime. Stars shine by the process of nuclear fusion in which lighter atoms, such as hydrogen, fuse together to create heavier ones. This process releases vast quantities of energy which counteracts the ever-present inward pull of the star’s gravity. Ultimately, […]
Some of the sugar free gummy brands out there may taste good and are low in calories… but technically, they’re laxative? Watch as Reactions producer Andrew dives into the science behind sugar free sweeteners to figure out a way to make these gummies without the uncomfortable side effects. [Reactions]
Shooting nuclear waste into space. It is one of those concepts that seems like an easy fix for one of the main problems with nuclear energy. But it turns out this idea is not just bad but horribly bad and it gets worse the longer you think about it. [Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell]
The concept of warm-blooded and cold-blooded animals is outdated because there are actually tons of different animal thermoregulation strategies. Find out more in this enlightening video from Minute Earth. [MinuteEarth]
There’s a vaccine being developed now that would protect you against every strain of the flu— even ones that don’t exist yet. But influenza is constantly mutating, so is a universal vaccine even possible? And how do you design a vaccine that will be effective against future strains? Explore how scientists are developing new ways […]
Dr. Amy Shah answers the internet’s burning questions about those oh so elusive signaling molecules we like to call “hormones.” Can you remove all of your hormones? What does low testosterone even feel like or look like? Why does adrenaline affect memory? How does cortisol affect body fat? Dr. Shah answers all these questions and […]
Climate scientist Dr. Peter Kalmus answers the internet’s burning questions about our planet. Our there any other planets we can live on yet? Why is the coral reef dying? How does the carbon cycle work? How much longer until Florida is underwater? Dr. Kalmus answers all these questions and much more. [Wired]