Life's Little Mysteries

Life's Little Mysteries answers fascinating questions about the world around you and the stuff in it, including wild questions you didn't even know you had.

And check out our "Life's Little Mysteries" podcast, where we answer questions about mysteries big and small — about ancient civilizations; our planet and solar system; the plants and animals that live alongside us; our bodies and how they work; and more. Listen in on Apple podcasts, Spotify and Audioboom. 

Related Topics: The Most Interesting YouTube Science Channels, The Amazing Human Brain, Our Amazing Planet

Latest Updates

Man eating a cricket

Are insects edible?

By Lou Mudge published

Are insects edible and are there any benefits to chowing down on invertebrates? Here's what you might want to consider

Person pouring oat milk into a bowl

Is oat milk good for you?

By James Frew published

It's tasty and works well in coffee, but is oat milk good for you?

Person using tweezers to remove a splinter.

What happens if you don’t take out a splinter?

By Yasemin Saplakoglu published

It can be a freeing feeling to shuck off your shoes and walk outside barefoot...until you get a splinter.

boy drinks from tap

How much water do you really need to drink?

By Brandon Specktor published

Hydration is the key to a happy and healthy life, but how much water do you really need to drink?

How has Magic Johnson survived with HIV

How has Magic Johnson survived with HIV?

By Adam Hadhazy, Jonathan Gordon published

Reference An epidemiologist explains how Magic Johnson has survived HIV.

Why do men get sleepy after sex? Image shows man sleeping in bed

Why do guys get sleepy after sex?

By Melinda Wenner published

Ever wondered why guys get sleepy after sex? Here’s what the science says…

A woman measures her blood sugar using a blood glucose monitor.

What is normal blood sugar?

By Natalie Grover, Elizabeth Palermo published

Blood sugar, or glucose, is the main source of fuel for our body - keeping it in check is essential to our health.

Person standing in front of toilet, with one hand on their butt and the other holding a toilet paper roll.

Why is poop brown?

By John Loeffler published

Knowing why poop is brown, and what it means when it's not, is an important step in staying healthy.

A cross-section of a sloth's brain displayed in a museum.

Which animal has the largest brain relative to its body size?

By Martin McGuigan published

Although bigger animals usually have bigger brains, this isn't a perfect measure of their intelligence.

Hands in water

Is drinking rainwater safe?

By Harry Baker published

Rainwater can contain a number of hidden contaminants including bacteria, viruses and dust. New evidence also shows it can contain PFAS, a group of human-made chemicals that are extremely toxic.

Cat flinging a mouse into the air.

Why do cats 'play' with their prey?

By Joanna Thompson published

Here's why cats 'play' with their prey before dealing the death blow.

Four babies sitting on floor playing with colorful number and letter blocks.

In which month are the most babies born?

By Charles Q. Choi published

Which of the 12 months has the most births? And why do babies tend to be born at certain times of the year?

Young female student examines a miniature human skeleton model during anatomy class.

What's the largest bone in the human body? (What about the smallest?)

By Charles Q. Choi published

What is the smallest bone in the human body? What is the largest bone in the human body? Live Science has the answers.

A poison frog (Dendrobates tinctorius) sits on a leaf in the tropical rainforest. It's a small frog with a yellow head and alight blue body.

Why is there so much biodiversity in the tropics?

By Martin McGuigan published

Ecologists say there are three explanations for the abundance of species in the tropics.

Two senior multi-ethnic woman, one Caucasian and the other African American, sitting on a porch enjoying each other's company. They are facing each other, laughing, talking and drinking coffee.

Does drinking coffee help you live longer?

By Martin McGuigan published

Habitual coffee consumption may lower your risk of heart disease and death in a given time period, but the jury is still out on whether it promotes longevity.

An image of the Earth from space. Here we see what Pangaea, or Pangea Earth Supercontinent, would have looked like – one giant land mass.

What's the largest ocean that ever existed on Earth?

By Michael Dhar published

Panthalassa, a single world ocean surrounding the supercontinent Pangaea, would have stretched at least 1,800 miles (3,000 kilometers) wider than the Pacific.

Here we see at least nine large open boxes filled with gold coins and jewelry that was collected by the Nazis from their victims. These were found in a cave adjoining the Buchenwald concentration camp.

Is Nazi gold real?

By Martin McGuigan published

Nazi soldiers looted numerous valuable items and tons of gold, but the chances of locating buried treasure are tiny.

An illustration render of an endoscopic view of flowing red blood cells (red, disc-shaped) in a vein.

If blood is red, why do veins look bluish?

By Donavyn Coffey published

Blood is always red, and veins look blue or green because the skin filters light wavelengths differently.

Male astronaut floating upside down in a tucked position in a space station. He has short blond hair and is wearing a gray jumpsuit.

How can you experience weightlessness?

By Joe Phelan published

How one earth (or space) can a person experience microgravity?

This is an image of the Earth at night seen from space (city lights can be seen). You can only see the Northern hemisphere, with North America on the left, and Europe on the right. In the middle of the far distance you can see the sun as a solar flare, lighting up the other side of the Earth.

Is Earth getting closer to the sun, or farther away?

By Charles Q. Choi published

Here's a look at whether Earth is getting closer to or farther from the sun, why that's happening and what effects it might have on our planet.