If We Discover Aliens, What's Our Protocol for Making Contact? By Natalie Wolchover 29 March 2012 There are three main scenarios for how a human-alien encounter might play out.
Cram Session: Modern Physics in 200 Words By Natalie Wolchover 28 March 2012 From the Higgs boson to chaos in nature, here's a quick run-through of contemporary physics.
The 7 Weirdest Glow-in-the-Dark Creatures By Natalie Wolchover 27 March 2012 Deep in the ocean, 90 percent of organisms have evolved the ability to glow. These are the coolest and weirdest among them.
Was D.A.R.E. Effective? By Natalie Wolchover 27 March 2012 Most 20-somethings went through the D.A.R.E. drug resistance program in elementary school. Did we say no to drugs?
Why Does Room-Temperature Coffee Taste So Bad? By Natalie Wolchover 26 March 2012 Though little research has been done on the subject, experts on taste perception have three main theories on the temperature-dependent deliciousness of coffee.
Why Do People Talk In Their Sleep? By Natalie Wolchover 26 March 2012 Sleep-talking is the product of a confused mental state, but it happens to the best of us.
What If All of America's Toilets Were Flushed Simultaneously? By Natalie Wolchover 23 March 2012 Would mass flushing cause a total system breakdown, or would we be saved by a technicality?
Grounded: 'Bird Man' Admits Faking Flying Video By Natalie Wolchover 22 March 2012 The jig is up: no man flew like a bird.
Viral 'Human Bird Wings' Video Fake, Probably an Ad By Natalie Wolchover 21 March 2012 A new video shows a man flying like a bird. But is it just a viral ad campaign for Nintendo?
Is Free Will an Illusion? Scientists, Philosophers Forced to Differ By Natalie Wolchover 21 March 2012 In a series of articles, six scholars present arguments for and against the existence of free will.
Our Souls Are In Our Eyes, Psychologists Claim By Natalie Wolchover 20 March 2012 A new study finds that most people have an innate sense that they exist in or near their eyes. It is unclear whether this is the result of biology or culture.
Animal Psychologists Discover What Music Pets Prefer By Natalie Wolchover 19 March 2012 Animals do have the capacity for music; they just prefer songs that sound very different from ours.
What Type of Music Do Pets Like? By Natalie Wolchover 19 March 2012 Animals do have the capacity for music; they just prefer songs that sound very different from ours.
What Would Happen If We Returned to the Gold Standard? By Natalie Wolchover 16 March 2012 A fervent minority of Americans are obsessed with the idea of the United States returning to the gold standard. Why would this be a bad idea?
Are Aquariums at the Marlins' New Ballpark Fish Abuse? By Natalie Wolchover 15 March 2012 Aquariums have been installed as the backstop in the new Miami Marlins baseball stadium. Animal rights activists say constant vibrations and noise will upset the fish.
Dogs Play the Piano in New Video By Natalie Wolchover 14 March 2012 In a new YouTube video, a pair of golden retrievers plays a song on an oversize piano.
Solar Eruption Mistaken for Refueling UFO Spaceship By Natalie Wolchover 13 March 2012 YouTube users have found a strange dark object tethered to the sun that they say is a refueling UFO spaceship. What is it?
What If There Were No Seasons? By Natalie Wolchover 09 March 2012 Humans would have trouble getting a foothold on an Earth without seasons.
NASA Crushes 2012 Mayan Apocalypse Claims By Natalie Wolchover 08 March 2012 In a new video from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a scientist addresses many of the claims surrounding the 2012 "Mayan apocalypse."
Why Can't Germans Say 'Squirrel'? By Natalie Wolchover 08 March 2012 Germans can't pronounce the word "squirrel." Phonologists, who specialize in the sounds of words in different languages, explain why not.
Why Asteroid Panic Is On the Rise By Natalie Wolchover 07 March 2012 Misinformation about asteroid 2012 DA14 sparked undue panic this week. A NASA scientist discusses the cause of this phenomenon.
World's 'Oldest Living Sheep' Falls Off Cliff, Dies By Natalie Wolchover 07 March 2012 A blackface ewe in Scotland has fallen to her death at an advanced age.
Did a 'Supermoon' Sink the Titanic? By Natalie Wolchover 06 March 2012 In a new paper, astronomers claim that a rare alignment of the Earth, moon and sun caused extreme tides that dislodged the iceberg that sunk the Titanic 100 years ago.
Pointing Your Finger Makes You Credible to Kids By Natalie Wolchover 05 March 2012 A new study shows that the simple act of pointing makes kids believe you, even if they see other evidence indicating that you have no idea.
