Life's Little Mysteries: Science questions, answered
Latest about Life's Little Mysteries

Which animal has the best sense of smell?
By Clarissa Brincat published
There are multiple contenders for the title of best smeller, but no clear winner just yet.

How are you able to read words without vowels?
By Roberta McLain published
The human brain can make sense of sentences — even when the vowels are missing.

What's the difference between a leopard and a jaguar?
By Emma Bryce published
Look closely at the spots to tell leopards from jaguars: there's a subtle clue.

Why isn’t an atom’s nucleus round?
By Victoria Atkinson published
The nuclei of atoms are often portrayed as round in textbooks, but it turns out they're rarely spherical.

How many satellites could fit in Earth orbit? And how many do we really need?
By Harry Baker published
The number of satellites orbiting Earth is rising fast, thanks to private companies such as SpaceX. But just how big will these "megaconstellations" become? And what problems might they cause?

Do parrots actually understand what they're saying?
By Marilyn Perkins published
Parrots are prolific vocal learners. But do they actually understand the words they say?

How long can human sperm survive?
By Emma Bryce published
It's a myth that sperm die upon contact with oxygen. In fact, their resilience might surprise you.

When will the universe die?
By Sarah Wells published
The universe has been expanding for 13.8 billion years, but this may not go on forever. According to some theories, we may be accelerating toward a cataclysmic end.
Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.