Life's Little Mysteries

If Earth abruptly stopped spinning, what would happen to everything on it?

How does DNA know when to become active?

Higher tides, bigger earthquakes, and more frequent volcanic eruptions would plague the planet.

Particle accelerators can help scientists measure the smallest and largest particles in the universe.

Humans are slow and weak compared with bears, pumas and other large predators, but these beasts usually avoid us. Why don't these animals try to eat us more often?

Women tend to outlive men because of biological and social factors.

Atoms are the building blocks of all matter in the universe, but how many are there in the part of it we can see from Earth?

Why do humans blink so much?

New evidence shows that watermelons were first domesticated in Sudan, leading experts to think the region rivals Iraq as a cradle of agriculture.

While often strained, the U.K.-U.S. relationship got a boost when Roosevelt and Churchill became drinking buddies.

Some animals lead quiet lives, while others prefer constant chatter. Why do some animals vocalize more than others, and what are they saying?

Can animals that live in the water suffocate?

Our planet is constantly moving, racing around the sun and spinning on its axis. But how fast does it move?

Several cosmic characteristics, including the lack of an atmosphere, lend space its dark color.

Here's why "It's not the heat; it's the humidity" rings true.

How much does spiderweb construction vary between spiders?

The funny bone is actually the ulnar nerve, which is responsible for transmitting information from the fingertips to the brain and back again.

Are ghosts real? Ghost hunters like to believe that ghosts exist, but science and logic are the real ghost busters.

What role do our eyebrows and eyelashes play?