CHEMISTRY

There‘s no need to settle for freezer-burned ice cream.

These Simple Tricks Protect Ice Cream From Freezer Burn

Ice cream season is here—make sure yours stays creamy with these easy tricks.

Surfers are used to getting mouthfuls of saltwater.

Why Are Oceans Salty?

The salt in the ocean comes from two main sources: rocks on land and vents at the bottom of the sea.

This Blue Butterfly Pea Flower Mocktail Is a Magic Trick in a Glass

This color-changing blue butterfly pea flower mocktail is floral, fresh, and totally booze-free.

Harvey Washington Wiley (back row, second from left) and the young volunteers of the Poison Squad.

The Men Who Volunteered to Be Poisoned by the Government

In 1902, 12 men agreed to take low doses of poison in order to test their efficacy as food preservatives. No one died. Basically.

When the conclave of cardinals have elected a new pope, white smoke is emitted from the chapel chimney.

How Do They Make the Smoke for a Papal Conclave?

When Catholic cardinals meet to pick a new pope in a papal conclave, they have signaled their progress by sending colored smoke up the chapel chimney.

This pile of yeast and bacteria could be helpful for scientists.

Researchers Are Asking Home Bakers to Donate Their Sourdough Starters to Science

Sourdough for science? Researchers are analyzing live cultures from bread starters to develop healthier, plant-based fermented foods.

Room temperature is a frame of reference.

What Exactly Is ‘Room Temperature’?

Misunderstanding room temperature can have some surprisingly serious consequences.

Why Do Cars Catch Fire?

A car accident in a movie usually ends in a huge fireball. But what really causes vehicle fires?

Tired of Drinking Bitter Tea? Try Adding Salt, Not Sugar

Tea and sugar are a classic combination. But salt may actually be more helpful when it comes to improving tea’s flavor.

Here‘s how to get the most out of your hand warmers during this frosty season.

How to Extend the Life of Your Hand Warmers

Tired of wasting hand warmers after a single use? Learn how to stretch them as long as possible.

Can You Put the First 25 Elements of the Periodic Table in Order?

Here’s hoping you paid attention in science class.

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.