Life's Little Mysteries

A seashell held to your ear may sound like the ocean, but so does cupping your hand or holding a bowl at the same spot. Here's why.

Here's the science behind how oysters make pearls, and how they were valued historically.

Here's the science behind petrified wood, including what it is, how long it takes to form and whether it's useful in the research world.

What are air pockets and can they cause planes to crash?

Why do we get goosebumps when we're cold, afraid or inspired? Learn why humans sport this evolutionary adaptation.

Here's what happens in people's brains when they use tobacco products.

Can anything crafted by humans be viewed with the naked eye from space, or would astronauts need to use binoculars?

The number of people the planet can sustain depends on both the natural constraints of our environment and human choices.

Egyptian art is easily recognizable, but many cultures used similar approaches to represent people and objects.

Here's what the science says about whether everyone or only those with the right genes can wiggle their ears.

It may sound like science fiction, but can actual science keep a brain alive in a vat?

Some people who visit Paris develop extreme symptoms — such as nausea, vomiting and hallucinations — when their expectations of the city do not jibe with reality.

Attila the Hun invaded the Roman Empire and led the Hunnic Empire in Central Asia. But where was he buried?

Even when there is substantial evidence to the contrary, the allure of conspiracy theories may be too powerful for some to resist.

Forests took millions of years to evolve after the first land plants arrived, waiting for precursors to roots and branches to arrive and for CO2 levels to get just right.

Your body's cells are constantly replicating themselves, but the rate of renewal depends on where those cells are located and what they do.

Like some other metals, copper oxidizes when left out in the elements, but the coloring process is complicated.

More than 70% of our little blue planet is covered by water, but we can only drink a tiny fraction of it. Why can't we drink saltwater when it is all around us?

If the surface of your skin gets too chilly, the brain sets into motion a series of warming tricks such as shivering.

There are a myriad of answers to the question, "why are manhole covers round?" But most of them have to do with functionality and economy.