Life's Little Mysteries

Life's Little Mysteries answers fascinating questions about the world around you and the stuff in it, from things in the news and on your mind to crazy questions you didn't even know you had.

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Do Animals Murder Each Other?

September 16, 2017 | Article

Animals regularly murder their own kind, and many species do so at a much higher rate than humans.
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What Are Saturn's Rings?

September 14, 2017 | Article

Saturn's rings are one of the most compelling features of the solar system.
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What Is the World's Oldest Photograph?

September 14, 2017 | Article

The world's oldest surviving photograph is, well, difficult to see. The grayish-hued plate containing hardened bitumen looks like a blur. Here's how the image was created.
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How Do Palm Trees Withstand Hurricanes?

September 12, 2017 | Article

Trees generally snap, or at least lose a few branches, when faced with hurricane-strength winds. Not palm trees. These staples of the tropics typically bend during gusty weather.
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How Strong Can a Hurricane Get?

September 05, 2017 | Article

The Saffir-Simpson hurricane only goes up to Category 5. But in theory, winds from a powerful hurricane could blow the scale out of the water, scientists say.
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Why Is It Called Labor Day?

September 01, 2017 | Article

America's holiday celebrating workers originated with the labor movement.
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Are Octopuses Smart?

August 18, 2017 | Article

Octopuses have many neurons, appear to play, and may have individual personalities, but does this mean they're smart?
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How to Make a Solar Eclipse Viewer (If You Can't Get Eclipse Glasses)

August 16, 2017 | Article

The moon will pass directly between the sun and the Earth on Monday, Aug. 21, causing a total solar eclipse. If you want to see it happen, learn how to build a simple eclipse viewer out of a shoe box.
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Why Does Being in the Heat Make Us Feel Tired?

August 14, 2017 | Article

If you're out and about on a sweltering day, it probably won't be long before you start to feel tired and sluggish. But why does being out in the heat bring on feelings of drowsiness?
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Do Other Planets Have Solar Eclipses?

August 05, 2017 | Article

As Earthlings, we have the privilege of ooohing and aaahing at total solar eclipses, those celestial events in which the moon blocks the sun's light from hitting our planet. But is Earth the only world in our solar system that experiences this phenomenon?
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