Nick Keppler

Joined: Jun 8, 2015

Nick Keppler is a Pittsburgh-based freelance writer whose work has appeared in The Village Voice, Nerve, Vice, and Slate. When he’s not on his laptop, he’s probably kayaking on one of the city’s rivers with a Led Zeppelin track blaring through his earbuds.

Can Astronauts Get Drunk in Space?

An American Huey helicopter sprays Agent Orange over Vietnam.

Agent Orange: Its Toxic History in the Vietnam War

Can We Have Babies in Space?

6 Essential Facts About Hantavirus

A fragment of the organic glass found inside the skull of the deceased individual in Herculaneum.

A Vesuvius Victim’s Brain Turned into Glass, and Scientists Think They Know How

The Herculaneum resident, killed by the volcanic eruption in 79 CE, presents the only known vitrified brain on Earth. Now, researchers have a theory for how it happened.

Pool Party and Prosper With This Star Trek Swimsuit

These one-piece bathing suits, which are modeled after Star Trek: The Next Generation's Starfleet uniforms, are perfect for an afternoon in the Holodeck’s sauna program.

A detail of Edvard Munch’s ‘The Sick Child,’ a portrait of his sister who died of tuberculosis at age 15.

12 Facts About Tuberculosis, the Victorian “Robber of Youth”

Tuberculosis may seem like a historic malady, but it’s still the world’s deadliest infectious disease. Here’s what you need to know about its past and current outbreaks.

Here's the scientifically backed way to make perfect hard-boiled eggs.

How to Cook a Perfect Hard-Boiled Egg, According to Science

With the price of a dozen going through the roof, you may want to take more care in preparing hard-boiled eggs. Science is on the case.

The Jet Stream (left, over northern Canada) and the Gulf Stream (right, near Florida) both have big effects on global climate.

Jet Stream vs. Gulf Stream: What’s the Difference?

Learn the key differences between the two before the next polar vortex.

Powerful winds fuel the Palisades and Eaton fires in the Los Angeles area.

How Wildfires Get Their Names

Meteorological organizations have strict naming protocols for tropical cyclones and hurricanes. Not so for wildfires, which can end up being named for the local dump.

Roman coins from the Hoxne hoard, buried in the 5th century in Hoxne, Suffolk, UK.

Lead Pollution May Have Lowered IQs in Ancient Rome, Study Finds

The mass production of silver coins in the Roman Empire had an unintended effect: spewing so much lead into the atmosphere that it may have lowered citizens’ IQs.

Bird Flu: 8 Fast Facts You Should Know

Bird flu is one of the reasons egg prices have skyrocketed. Here’s what else you should know about the current outbreak of the H5N1 virus among U.S. poultry and dairy cows.

Please remain seated with your seatbelt fastened.

Thunderstorms Can Cause Air Turbulence Up to 55 Miles Away from the Source

The effects of weather disturbances and resulting turbulence can be widespread. Airplane passengers might want to pay more attention to that fasten-seatbelt sign.

Why Don’t Casinos Have Windows?

Most casinos lack windows, and gamblers like it that way.

The squirting cucumber can blast its seeds dozens of feet from the parent plant. The stem and fruit of the plant have been colored green in this image.

Solved: The Mystery of the Squirting Cucumber’s Powerful Projection

The little gourd can shoot its seeds nearly 40 feet via "ballistic dispersal”—but until now, the mechanism behind the plant’s power and proliferation was poorly understood.

An eagle pair in Alaska tend to their gigantic nest.

Minnesota Launches New Bald Eagle Livestream After the First Ends in Tragedy

The 20-year-old nest that starred in the state agency’s first livecam was destroyed by a snowstorm. Now, viewers can tune into watch another eagle pair raise their family at a new spot.