Latest articles by Joe Phelan
What is the coldest place in the solar system?
What is the solar system's coldest spot and how does the coldest place on Earth compare?
What is the coldest city in the world?
The coldest city in the world is in Siberia, where temperatures plummet to minus 76 degrees Fahrenheit. Here's why it's so cold there.
Many kids are unsure if Alexa and Siri have feelings or think like people, study finds
A small study in Scotland suggests many kids overestimate the agency and intellect of AI assistants like Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant.
DARPA is funding AI to help make battlefield decisions
The U.S. military research agency DARPA is spending millions to develop artificial intelligence that can help make strategic battlefield decisions.
How accurate are our first childhood memories?
Can we trust our earliest memories, or are they unreliable?
Are some people actually tone deaf?
Tone deafness, a neurological disorder known as amusia, can make it hard to distinguish between musical pitches.
Vasectomy: Procedure, risks and reversal
Half a million men in the United States undergo a vasectomy every year. But how does this procedure work?
Why are kids such fast learners?
Most young children can easily pick up languages and learn immense amounts of knowledge in their early years. How do they pull this off?
Who invented the telephone?
Did Alexander Graham Bell really invent the telephone, or did he steal someone else's thunder?
Can you 'catch' stress from other people?
Stress can be contagious, according to research. But there may be ways to prevent it.
Alzheimer's disease: Brain changes, symptoms and treatment
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia that causes memory and thinking problems, as well as behavioral changes, in adults.
What stops nuclear weapons from accidentally detonating?
There are a few strategies for keeping nuclear weapons from accidentally detonating, including where and how the nuclear components are stored.
What is burnout?
Burnout is an “occupational phenomenon” that can occur when a person experiences long-term stress at work.
Parkinson's disease: Risks, symptoms and treatment
Around 500,000 Americans are currently diagnosed as having Parkinson's disease.
Is the Yellowstone supervolcano really 'due' for an eruption?
Yellowstone's supervolcano last erupted 70,000 years ago. Will it erupt again anytime soon?
Does short sleeper syndrome really exist?
REFERENCE Some people, from Barack Obama to Elon Musk, claim to sleep for very few hours each night.
What is Blue Monday and is it really the most depressing day of the year?
REFERENCE The third Monday in January has been coined "Blue Monday" and is suggested to be the saddest day of the year.
How does grief affect the brain?
Grief can trigger a number of cognitive, behavioral and physiological changes.
Why do we crave comfort food?
Many of us seek solace in comfort foods during times of stress. But what makes them so appealing?
Is napping good for you? We ask the experts
Is a daytime snooze something to be avoided or embraced?
Rising sea levels could swamp the US coastline by 2050, NASA predicts
Sea levels are expected to rise around the contiguous U.S. faster than previously thought, a new NASA study finds.
Are humans inherently violent?
Human violence is in the news every day. But is violence innate in Homo sapiens?
Is Mount Everest really the tallest mountain on Earth?
Other mountains could be considered Earth's tallest; it just depends how you measure them.
