SCIENCE

Venus Reaches Peak Brightness in Late April—Here's How to Spot the Evening Star

In late April, Venus is 20 times brighter than the brightest star in the night sky. Here's what you need to know about the phenomenon.

Paul Robinson, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA

Take a Virtual Tour of One of the Quietest Places on Earth

It's so quiet at Orfield Laboratories in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that you can hear your lungs, stomach, and heart working.

Airborne vs. Aerosol vs. Droplet: What's the Difference?

The new coronavirus that causes COVID-19 can be transmitted through saliva droplets coughed into the air. Here's the terminology you need to know to understand its transmission.

10 Fascinating Illustrations of Soviet Space Exploration From the 20th Century

From liaising with Martians to living on the moon, here’s where Soviet magazines thought the Cold War’s space race would take us.

The Smithsonian Needs Your Help Transcribing Sally Ride’s Notebooks

There are nearly 40,000 documents from Sally Ride’s career in the Smithsonian’s archives, and you can help make them more accessible.

The Williams sisters have won plenty of gold on their own and in doubles competition.

10 Famous Siblings Who Conquered the World

These famous siblings changed the way we view everything from science and art to sports and literature.

This woman might be controlling her goosebumps with her mind.

Some People Can Control When They Get Goosebumps—and Scientists Are Stumped

The way the human nervous system works, people should not be able to choose when they get goosebumps. But people with Voluntary Generated Piloerection can.

Haydar Dogramaci/iStock via Getty Images Plus

19 Every Day Things Science Hasn’t Figured Out

Did you know that crying is still a scientific mystery? Here are a few other common things we still don't have a scientific explanation for.

Lítla Dímun: The Smallest of the Faroe Islands Has Its Very Own Cloud

Thanks to an interesting weather phenomenon, Lítla Dímun in Denmark's Faroe Islands is often capped by a flying-saucer-shaped cloud.

Sloths have little problem holding still for nature photographers.

Why Are Sloths So Slow?

Sloths can take as long as one minute to move just 12 inches. It seems like a chill existence, until you consider what a glacial pace means for their pooping habits.

Rotavirus—from the Latin rota, for "wheel"—is named for the wheel-like appearance of its particles.

How Coronavirus and 31 Other Infectious Diseases and Viruses Got Their Names

‘Coronavirus’ is named for how it looks under a microscope, but that’s not the only way to name a virus or disease.

YouTube's Physics Girl snuffs out a candle with carbon dioxide.

20 Boredom-Busting Science Experiments You Can Do at Home, Courtesy of YouTube’s Physics Girl

From spinning eggs to DIY slime, these at-home science experiments help you stay busy and learn a few things, too.

If LEGO bricks can survive children, they can survive anything.

A LEGO Brick Could Survive In the Ocean for Up to 1300 Years

LEGO bricks have always been durable, but new research in the UK indicates they might actually be able to survive the harshest of conditions.

Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong left the first footprint on the Moon on July 20, 1969.

Are Any of the Scientific Instruments Left on the Moon By the Apollo Astronauts Still Functional?

The retroreflectors left as part of the Apollo Lunar Ranging Experiment are still fully functional, though their reflective efficiency has diminished over the years.

5 People Who Were Amazingly Productive In Quarantine

It's not a myth: William Shakespeare really did write 'King Lear' during the plague. From Edvard Munch to Isaac Newton, here are a few more people who made the most of being isolated.

Why the Size and Shape of Your Coffee Cup Matter, According to Science

Cappuccino is often served in a larger, wider mug, while espresso comes in a short, narrow mug. But even avid coffee drinkers may not know why.

9 Ancient Objects That Have Had DNA Tests

From fossilized feces to antediluvian rodent nests, ancient objects are getting their DNA analyzed for clues about the past.

Can Farts Spread Disease?

A couple of long-suffering scientists from Australia donated their time—and their gas—to figuring out whether farts can spread disease.

The wacky Kaikaia gaga is fashionably just designed to be rad.

This New Insect Species Was Named After Lady Gaga for Its 'Wacky Fashion Sense'

There are a million reasons why we should be paying more attention to treehoppers, entomology student Brendan Morris says.

Unique Teardrop Star Discovered by NASA Satellite

The star recently spotted 1500 light-years from Earth is shaped like a teardrop and pulsates on one side, making it a celestial anamoly.

Stegosaurus Tracks Discovered on Scotland’s Isle of Skye

The stegosaurus footprints discovered on Scotland's Isle of Skye indicate the island could have been home to a bustling dinosaur population 170 million years ago.

Coronavirus precautions have led to questions over methods of isolation.

Isolation vs. Quarantine: What's the Difference?

Viral outbreaks often necessitate patient isolation or quarantine. But what separates each separation?

The skull of Oculudentavis khaungraae preserved in 99-million-year-old amber.

Tiny, Bird-Like Skull Found in Amber Could Belong to the Mesozoic Era's Smallest Known Dinosaur

Scientists discovered the skull of a bird-like dinosaur. More than 100 tiny teeth line the jaws of the skull, suggesting that this dinosaur was small but deadly (to insects).

This bag features many prominent women scientists.

Celebrate Trailblazing Women in Science With This Tote Bag

This bag is decorated with the faces of pioneers like Ada Lovelace, Sally Ride, and many more scientists who paved the way for others.

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