Life's Little Mysteries

Ancient text on papyri is shedding light on the lives of the pyramid builders.

R.E.M. wasn't singing about backaches or sprained ankles.

Humans may be heart-attack-prone because of a mutation that keeps us from making a particular sugar molecule.

Will it help if you've trained at the North Pole?

There are many ways the world could end, from all-out nuclear war to a giant asteroid strike. How many people would need to survive such an apocalypse for humans to avoid extinction?

From what it stands for, to how it's celebrated, here are a few fun facts about the Mexican holiday Cinco de Mayo.

Even if they don't get moldy, nuts and grains can go bad. Why is that?

Scientists recently counted the bubbles produced by dissolved carbon dioxide in a glass of poured beer, finding that bubbles can number in the millions.

Snakes have anatomy that helps them hear, you just can't see it when they slither by.

The animal kingdom is filled with stretchy mouths, from hamster cheeks to blue whale pleats, but which animal has the stretchiest mouth of all?

Conflict is healthy.

Genetic diversity helps organisms adapt to environmental changes.

What steps can night owls take to become early birds?

If cats were loved, why were so many sacrificed?

No, the misquote is an example of French revolutionary propaganda.

Cats have swinging "pouches" on their bellies, but that doesn't mean they're fat.

In 1626, native people purportedly sold Manhattan to the Dutch for a pittance. But there are problems with this story that we shouldn't overlook.

Walking around the moon could be faster than we originally thought, but actually doing it would require some serious planning.

Humans have what it takes to make venom, but it may not be worth the trouble.