LATEST STORIES
Science
Are Plants Intelligent? Surprising Evidence that Plants Can Feel
Researchers into plant life are continually discovering amazing facts concerning plant adaptations and their ability to “sense” their surroundings. However, some botanists resist identifying plants as “intelligent.”...
Science
Getting Into Your Genes: Gay Sexuality & "Natural Selection"
Research into homosexuality has led to interesting and sometimes surprising discoveries, as well as to previously unconsidered questions about the balance between nature and nurture in a person’s sexual orientation.
Space
How We Learned the Night Sky is a Time Machine
Have you met Jim al-Khalili? (You’re about to.) He is a UK-based theoretical physicist and also a talented interpreter of technical science for people like us – sort of a British version of Neil DeGrasse Tyson or Bill Nye, the...
Contemporary
Litigation Nation: 4 Wacky, Ridiculous and Weird American Lawsuits
Necessary or frivolous? In a society where “I’ll sue you” is a common threat, the legal system gets inundated with potential cases. Sometimes these cases are tragic and the pursuit of justice is necessary. Other times, they’re...
Contemporary
Tangled in the Web: Cyberbullying and Its Effects on Kids
Effects of cyberbullying are pernicious, serious, and long-lasting. Half of all teens with Internet access report to researchers that they’ve been cyberbullied, but 90 percent of those say they never reported it to parents or...
Crime
Cut and Run: The Black Market in Organ Trafficking
Black markets have been created across the world for illegal organ transplants. Mostly in severely poor, developing nations with incompetent or corrupt oversight, this trade is allowed to thrive despite its risk of lasting damage,...
Art
4 Women Impressionist Artists: Confronting Barriers in the Avant-Garde
Marie Bracquemond, Mary Cassatt, Eva Gonzalès, Berthe Morisot – these painters, all affiliated with the Impressionist art movement, have not received the attention given their male peers. Could it have been institutional sexism...
Nature
Tsunamis: What, How, Why, Where
Tsunamis are among the most destructive natural disasters on Earth. What are these enormous waves that roll in from the ocean? How do they form? Why do tsunamis cause so much damage? And where are we most vulnerable to their...
Insider
Viewers’ Favorite Documentaries of 2018
2018 is coming to a close. Before it ends, let’s remember some of the highlights. You watched a lot of documentaries, but which stood out from the rest? Here are the top 10 most watched documentaries of 2018 – a list created by...
History
Absolutely Bananas: The Story of Entrepreneur Sam Zemurray
Think you know bananas? Meet Sam “the Banana Man” – the immigrant who founded his own banana empire, manipulated Central American governments, and took control of one of the largest banana distributors in the world – the...
Contemporary
Copyright in the Digital Age: 4 Eye-Opening Cases
In our digital age, artwork and other creative content can travel rapidly from author to user. But sometimes those users exploit digital content in ways unauthorized by copyright owners. Let’s explore examples of this new kind of...
science
Life Obsessed: What Is OCD?
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a psychological condition that affects around 3% of the population – across all ages, races, and genders. But what is OCD, who is at risk, and why does it develop? Here’s what it means to live a life obsessed.
Crime
The Darker Side of Shopping: What Is the Black Market (and What Strange Things Are for Sale)?
The Black Market is known as the go-to spot for all things illegal and dark. In some...
Science
Psychopath or Sociopath: What’s the Difference?
Psychopath or sociopath? While some use the terms interchangeably, there are clear differences between them that have been debated among psychologists. Let’s take a look at what defines the two. You may be surprised by what you...
Mystery
Very Superstitious: 5 Popular Superstitions in Today’s America
Superstitions have been common throughout history all around the world. But how much do they influence our everyday life? Let’s take a look at five of the most popular superstitions in America. Maybe you even practice some of these,...
contemporary
Hawai‘i: A State, or a Nation?
Uncovering Hawai‘i’s history reveals an unexpected tale of 19th century American empire-building and a tradition of native resistance that runs counter to Hawai‘i’s status as America’s 50th state. Let’s examine the roots...
Science
Overpopulation in the Era of Climate Change
Overpopulation is a root cause of climate change. Reducing the rate of population growth is crucial to the fight to bring global warming under control. However, governments are reluctant to acknowledge the link, and we are running out...
Warfare
World War III Flashpoint: North Korea
North Korea has nuclear weapons. Now the question is what to do about it. Will North Korea’s dictator, Kim Jong Un, ever truly agree to give up his nukes? If not, should the U.S. launch a military strike to neutralize the threat?
Music
Mozart's Problem With Authority
Mozart’s resistance to authority led to one of his less recognized impacts: a lasting change in composing as an occupation and music as an industry.
Warfare
World War III Flashpoint: Taiwan
With China ascendant, the era of the United States as the world’s lone superpower may be ending. Where is a flashpoint that could draw the two nations into a military conflict that might escalate into a global conflagration?
Space
Journeys To Jupiter - 2001: A Space Odyssey Turns 50
Fifty years ago, Stanley Kubrick released his film 2001: A Space Odyssey, a classic tale of an epic journey to Jupiter. Let’s take a look back at Kubrick’s masterpiece. From today’s perspective, what was prescient – and what...
Nature
Scary Creatures: A Coward's List
Certain animals evoke revulsion and fear in billions of people, from Sakhalin Island to Timbuktu, Sydney to Sarasota. What fierce creatures would you least like to encounter up close and personal? Our timid but cantankerous...
Warfare
World War III Flashpoint: Cyberspace
The world wars of the 20th century were fought by soldiers, sailors, and airmen in clashes of steel across defined geographical battlefields. World War III, however, could well be fought in the realm of cyberspace.
Warfare
The Psychology of Propaganda: War Tool Turned Marketing Tactic
“Propaganda” and “war” generally go hand in hand. After World War I, however, propaganda became a marketing tool no longer reserved for posters of the enemy and national spirit. It evolved to become the calculated manipulation...
Space
How the Apollo Moon Missions Changed Our Understanding of the Solar System
Find out how Apollo 11 and the manned moon missions that followed shaped the ongoing debate over moon formation theories, and how the first man to step on the moon played a part in what we know today.
Space
Salyut-7 and The New Cold War
More than three decades ago, the United States and the U.S.S.R. nearly came to blows over a disabled Soviet space station called Salyut-7. Or did they?
Science
Hawking to Humanity: We Must Venture Into Space, Or Else!
No less a thinker than the late Stephen Hawking sought to warn us that our time is running out on planet Earth. Humankind’s continued existence requires us to prepare for mass space travel.
Science
Overpopulation: Myth, Reality, or Both?
Is the human population growing? Yes. Will overpopulation eventually threaten our species? Some leading experts say, “No.” There are many worries about overpopulation, but modern demographers have deflated several of them.
Health
7 Ways BMI is Useless, 6 Better Alternatives, & 5 Reasons to Stick With BMI Anyway
The BMI, or “body mass index,” is a common method to assess body composition. But how...
History
The Age of Greece: Rise and Decline of the Ancient Greek City-States
Greece is one in a constellation of ancient cultures that formed the foundations of Western civilization. In this timeline, we’ll mark the rise of Greece from its preliterate beginnings to its decline and eventual fall to Rome’s...
Health
The Skinny on Fat Cells: They're Just Another Body Tissue
Body fat is often scrutinized when evaluating health and diet, but what exactly is it? Fat cells provide nutrients, and regulate temperatures and hormonal changes in the body.
Nature
Snakes in the Everglades! Pythons Threaten Florida's Ecosystem
If you live in Florida, you probably already know from first-hand experience what I’m about to tell you. There are a lot of unusual fauna all across Florida, but the most concentrated area for large, bizarre, crawly things is the...
History
Tools of the Neolithic Era: Inventing a New Age
The Neolithic Era was the final stage of technological development for prehistoric humans. Read more about Neolithic tools from this study of Neolithic history.
Space
Planet 9 Coming Into Focus (And Maybe Planet 10, Too!)
A Caltech team is on the hunt for hidden planets. Building on research first published in 2016, they amassed enough unsexy but compelling evidence to book time at the Subaru Telescope on Hawaii’s Mauna Kea and initiate a search for...
Space
Jupiter's Stormy Weather: Juno Reveals More Than the Eye Can See
The Juno probe has revealed Jupiter's majestic weather patterns in amazing detail. But are Jupiter's colors really that dynamic? It turns out, no. But just because these images utilize "false color" doesn't mean they're "fake news."
Earth
Fukushima: The Costliest Disaster in History
What happened when an earthquake, a tsunami, and nuclear reactor meltdowns combined to devastate a populated region of Japan? Though lessons have been learned save lives in the future, much is still unknown and solutions are still...
Contemporary
The Mattachine Society & LGBTQ History
The 21st century has had rapid progress for members of the LGBTQ community. But in fact, recent advances in gay rights stand on a foundation that was laid by courageous activists and the organizations they created more than 50 years...
Culture
Encroaching Silence: The Impact of Deafness on Beethoven and His Music
Ludwig van Beethoven’s music includes some of the most memorable, profound, and beautiful compositions of all time. But for much of his career he was unable to listen to what he had written.
culture
Mozart and The Musical Flowering of the Age of Enlightenment
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart came to fame during the Age of Enlightenment, and his compositions were informed by this spirit. But in fact, whether we would even have some of his most beloved operas without the guiding principles of the...
Nature
Whale Sharks: Why the World's Biggest Fish is in a Struggle For Survival
Will space-age technology help save the largest fish on Earth – the whale shark? Despite their size, whale sharks are threatened by overfishing and the appalling practice of “finning.” Organizations now exist to educate...
culture
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: His Life, His Death, His Immortality
In a life of only 35 years, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart created an extraordinary volume of memorable work that will be performed for as long as we appreciate the genius of timeless music. But who was Mozart really? What path did he walk...
Nature
Plastic Pollution in the Ocean: What You Can Do About It
Conservationists are alarmed by masses of floating plastic garbage that endanger our oceans, including one they have dubbed the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” Finding new strategies for mitigating the threat posed by these patches...
Crime
Serial Killers In America: Quotes From The Darkest Criminal Minds
Serial killers have always been a subject of both curiosity and fear. Though motives of serial killers are as various as their grisly crimes, we can begin to understand the inner workings of their minds by evaluating the words they...
Culture
Beethoven and His Father: Alcoholism and the Gifted Child
Ludwig van Beethoven was among the greatest composers in history, yet is often seen as a moody, dark genius. What does his childhood tell us about him?