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.

Please remain seated with your seatbelt fastened.

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

Why Don’t Casinos Have Windows?

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

An eagle pair in Alaska tend to their gigantic nest.

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

The Caduceus: The Mistaken Meaning of the Medical Symbol

This ancient symbol, also called the Staff of Hermes, depicts two snakes intertwining around a stick that is capped by wings. It’s used as a medical logo, but for almost all its roughly 5000-year history, the caduceus had nothing to do with medicine.

Animals Might Be Drinking More Than We Thought

You’ve heard the stories of birds drunk on fermented fruit, but scientists suspect that many animals ingest alcohol on a regular basis.

New Fossils Add to Mystery Surrounding the “Hobbit,” Our Smallest Human Ancestor

A fragment of an arm bone found on Flores, Indonesia, suggests that some of our human ancestors were even smaller than we thought.

Scurvy decimated sailors, explorers, and regular citizens for centuries before a cure for the vitamin deficiency was discovered.

Scurvy—a “Disease of the Past”—Is Making a Comeback

A case study of a man in Australia is highlighting the return of a disease associated with Elizabethan sailors and polar explorers.

This scene near Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks shows why New York is the top state for fall road trips.

The 19 Best States For Fall Road Trips

There’s nothing quite like peeping peak foliage, dashing through a corn maze, and spending an afternoon at an apple orchard to celebrate autumn—and in some of these top states for fall road trips, you can do all three.

Do Wombats Use Their Butts as Deadly Weapons?

An important investigation of the muscular marsupials’ bony backsides.

One of the original samples of Alexander Fleming’s penicillin mold.

Old Mold to Be Sold: Fleming’s Original Penicillin Sample Up for Auction

Queen Elizabeth II, Winston Churchill, and FDR once owned one of Fleming's penicillin mold samples. Now you can, too.

The knight’s tombstone rediscovered at Jamestown.

Jamestown’s Mysterious Black Tombstone Originated in Belgium, Archaeologists Say

Scientists examined microscopic fossils in the tombstone and suggest the jet-black slab with an English knight’s insignia could have come only from one place.

Little brown bats like this one are at risk from white nose syndrome.

A Bright Side for Bats: Scientists Make Progress Against White Nose Syndrome

The deadly fungus has decimated bat populations across North America. But recently, scientists have found reasons to hope their efforts to save bats are working.

Is Playing With a Laser Pointer Safe for Cats?

Watching your cat chase a laser pointer is undeniably hilarious, but these popular pet toys remain controversial. Here’s what the experts say.

13 Myths About Organ Donation, Debunked

Not only is there a chronic shortage of organ donations in the U.S.—there multiple myths about the process.

Three views of the gold Roman-era bracelet discovered in a West Sussex field.

12-Year-Old Boy Stumbles on Ancient Roman Bracelet While Walking His Dog

The rare golden bracelet was probably given to a soldier as a reward for bravery as Roman armies invaded England.