Life's Little Mysteries

How do intercontinental ballistic missiles — including the one North Korea launched Tuesday (Nov. 28) that flew more than 10 times higher than the International Space Station — work?

Without water, things go downhill fast.

You may have heard people describe themselves as strictly "right-brained" or "left-brained," but what exactly does that mean?

Simply put, your body can't turn fat into muscle. And the reverse is also true: Your body can't turn muscle into fat, either. Here's why.

Any aliens building around Tabby's star would have to be thinking very big.

Between verbal jokes, slapstick comedy and tickling, there are numerous reasons we laugh. But are humans the only species with a sense of humor?

What would happen if you played tug-of-war in outer space? Would you be able to stand and pull with all your might, as you would on Earth, or would something entirely different happen?

What makes a particular habit or substance an addiction?

Female killer whales reproduce between the ages of 12 and 40 years but can survive into their 90s.

If you get the urge to pee when you're nervous, you're not alone.

Animals regularly murder their own kind, and many species do so at a much higher rate than humans.

Saturn's rings are one of the most compelling features of the solar system.

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.

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.

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.

America's holiday celebrating workers originated with the labor movement.

Octopuses have many neurons, appear to play, and may have individual personalities, but does this mean they're smart?