Life's Little Mysteries

To produce vodka, you must first ferment a foodstuff that contains sugar or starch, then distill the product to increase its alcohol content. But what is vodka made from?

Though related, there are key differences between them.

The difference between a frog and a toad is mainly skin-deep. Here's how to tell the amphibians apart.

Here's the science behind the so-called "cat gap," a roughly 7 million-long period in North America in which there aren't any known cat fossils.

Burning is the release of energy, and some materials like metals, can absorb energy better than others, such as wood.

Is it the combination of the pineapple's acidity and the enzyme complex called bromelain that likely make your mouth sore.

When a lunar eclipse occurs and our lone satellite inches into Earth's shadow, the moon's face becomes painted red. Here's why.

Octopuses are one of the most successful camouflaging animals in the world. But exactly how they pull off their rapid, high-resolution color changes is still a mystery.

Here's a look at the science for why we haven't cloned any humans yet.

Here's the science behind why some deep sea creatures — such as squids, sharks, sea spiders and worms — get so giant.

Trees don't fit into a species, family or even an order. So do they really exist, scientifically speaking?

Some mosquitoes can smell humans from a distance.

Here's the science behind how ovens and microwaves differ in the food-heating process.

The atmosphere is vast and parts of it extend beyond the moon. But where does it technically end, according to scientists?

Here's a good rule of thumb for how to approach exercise when you're sick, according to a sports medicine doctor.

What's the largest arachnid ever on Earth? The answer is not so simple, say scientists.

Here's the science behind whether anything can travel faster than the speed of light.

Here's how scientists know which colors dinosaurs flaunted.

Mythological creatures, from Bigfoot to the Loch Ness Monster, exist in fantastical tales. But are there any mythological creatures that haven't been debunked?

Here are some candidates for the weirdest sea creatures, from sea slugs that photosynthesize to squid with elbows.